Sistema de Humedales de Santa Elena

Bosque Enano de Avicennia germinans en Manglar de Santa Elena.
Bosque de Rhyzophora mangle mixto con Tillandsias y Orchidaseas
Manglar y pasto marino en el Sistema de Humedales de Santa Elena.
Humedal de Santa Elena
Canal del Humedal de Santa Elena
Manglar de Avicennia germinans en Santa Elena

Sistema de Humedales de Santa Elena

  • Country: 
    Honduras
  • Site number: 
    2334
  • Area: 
    1,542.8 ha
  • Designation date: 
    22-03-2018
  • Coordinates: 
    16°25'N 86°14'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 Site is located at the eastern end of the island of Roatan, in the north of the country. It includes a good example of a wooded wetland composed mainly of mangroves, and a marine wetland composed of seagrass beds and reef lagoons that are part of the Mesoamerican Reef System, the second longest barrier reef in the world. The Site is an important resting, feeding and nesting area for several species of resident and migratory birds. The reef area and the seagrass also act as a nursery and feeding area for marine species such as sea turtles, dolphins and sharks that are frequently found here. Among the threatened species that inhabit the site are the royal tern (Thalasseus maximus), the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), the hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the corals Acreopora cerviconis and Acropora palmata, among others. Despite changes in land use and the disposal of waste, the Site is well conserved and its fisheries resources support local communities. The mangroves and seagrass beds serve as natural barriers against extreme weather events, and they also filter nutrients and some pollutants.

Administrative region: 
Departamento de Islas de la Bahía, Honduras

  • National legal designation: 
    • Parque Nacional Marino Islas de la Bahía - Zona de Protección Especial Marina
  • Last publication date: 
    05-06-2018

Downloads

Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS)

Additional reports and documents