Shankou Mangrove Nature Reserve. 11/01/02; Guangxi; 4,000 ha; 21°28'N 109°43'E. Nature Reserve, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Two related areas on either side of the Shatian Peninsula on the Beibu Gulf at the border between Guangzi and Guangdong provinces in the southwest of China, where salt marsh and mangrove forest form a protective barrier for the coastal farmlands and villages. Some 14 species of mangrove are represented, principally Rhizophora stylosa and Avicennia marina, and provide support for the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor. It is also an important stopover site for a great number of migratory birds. Shrimp culture and improper hunting create pressures, and ecotourism is growing at the site, but reforestation efforts since 2002 have restored 200 ha of mangrove. Ramsar site no. 1153. Most recent RIS information: 2008.