Laguna de Rocha

Laguna de Rocha (Stefano Barchiesi)
Laguna de Rocha (Stefano Barchiesi)
Laguna de Rocha (Stefano Barchiesi)
Laguna de Rocha (Stefano Barchiesi)
Laguna de Rocha (Stefano Barchiesi)
Laguna de Rocha (Stefano Barchiesi)
Laguna de Rocha (Stefano Barchiesi)

Laguna de Rocha

  • Country: 
    Uruguay
  • Site number: 
    2236
  • Area: 
    10,933 ha
  • Designation date: 
    05-06-2015
  • Coordinates: 
    34°37'S 54°16'W
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

The Ramsar Site is entirely within the Laguna de Rocha Protected Landscape. It is part of a complex of coastal wetlands on the Atlantic coast, linked to the Atlantic Ocean by a dynamic system of closing and opening sandbars, which contributes to the Site’s high productivity and biodiversity. It hosts 220 bird species, 29 species of amphibians, 40 species of reptiles, 46 species of fish, and 42 species of mammals, including emblematic species such as the capybara and the coypu. The Site plays an important role as part of the migratory route of several species and is an important nesting site of resident bird species, and it holds crustacean species of important commercial value such as the pink shrimp and the blue crab. The main threats to the Site’s ecological character include alterations of the hydrological regime caused by artificial opening of the sandbars in order to stop flooding in adjacent areas or to favour local fishing practices, eutrophication caused by upstream organic effluents, and lack of urban planning.

Administrative region: 
Departamento de Rocha

  • Global international designation: 
    • UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
  • National legal designation: 
    • Paisaje Protegido - Laguna de Rocha
    • Parque Nacional Lacustre y Área de Uso Múltiple - Laguna de Rocha, la Laguna de Garzón, la Laguna de José Ignacio y el espacio público de dunas comprendido entre la rambla proyectada y el mar
  • Last publication date: 
    02-10-2015

Downloads

Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS)

Additional reports and documents