In 2021 Honduras extended the area of the Site from 69,711 to 75,031.13 hectares. It now includes a greater area of ​​mangroves, winter lagoons, marshes and sandy beaches. The Site, mostly mangrove forest, is one of the country’s most important ecosystems, serving as a refuge for at least 81 species of water birds such as the Wilson’s plover (Charadrius wilsonia) and the black skimmer (Rynchops niger). It also provides habitat for threatened species such as the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), which are both classified as critically endangered. The Site’s ecosystems also provide shelter for vulnerable species such as the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), the olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), and Avicennia bicolor, a species of mangrove typical of the region. The Site is a wetland system consisting of seven areas, which are all protected by national law. However, it has been impacted by urban development. The structure and composition of its vegetation cover has been altered by the illegal extraction of the mangrove forest, extensive farming, and the advance of the agricultural frontier for the production of sugar cane, melon, pine nut and watermelon.