Satellite view of the islands off the east coast of Nicaragua Photograph by USGS   Central America: Islands off of the coast of Nicaragua in the Caribbean Ocean Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   50 square miles (100 square kilometers) -- about the size of Washington DC Critical/Endangered

· Ancient Pirates’ Lair
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Ancient Pirates’ Lair

Pirates and turtle hunters once hid in the Miskito Cays, a group of islands off the east coast of Nicaragua. These islands include San Andrés, Providencia, and Corn Island, to name a few. Politically, the islands are split between Colombian and Nicaraguan rule, with some smaller ones falling under the possession of the Miskito Indian Nation. Now, human occupation has robbed these islands of many of their original treasures as introduced plants and animals, as well as conversion of forests to farmlands, have displaced many native species. Isolated patches of native trees grow like scattered jewels across the landscape.

Special Features

Though very little forest remains on the habitable islands in the Miskito Cays, there is a wealth of life in the water surrounding them. A labyrinth of coral reefs winds through the cobalt waters of the Caribbean Sea, supporting rich communities of marine organisms. Mangrove forests cling to the shore, with the trees’ spindly roots creating a thicket as they reach through the water and into the mud and sand below. The shelter provided by these roots is a treasure trove for crabs, mollusks, and juvenile fish. Behind the mangroves, strands of moist forests dot the landscape like emeralds. Remaining forest fragments host several endemic species. Hurricanes have played a major role in shaping the vegetation here--which tends to be short and dense on the windward side of the islands, getting progressively taller on the leeward side and in areas protected from heavy winds.

	The world’s only known populations of the Jamaican oriole--a unique, olive-colored bird that has gone extinct in the Cayman Islands--live on San Andrés and Jamaica, leaving one last, slim chance to save this species.

Wild Side

A trip to San Andrés would reveal an island covered mostly by introduced coconut palms, farmlands, and livestock pastures. In a few isolated patches of native moist forest, you might see a group of white-faced monkeys swinging through the trees, using their long tails to hold on and balance themselves. A three-toed sloth moves slowly through the canopy, using its long claws to cling to branches. The brown fur of sloths is sometimes covered in green algae, which may help to camouflage these creatures from predators. It’s a good thing, too, because a sloth travels only about 0.15 miles (0.24 km) per hour--not much of a getaway speed. On the lower branches of the forest, an agouti--a small brown rodent with a short tail and small rounded ears--munches on leaves and roots. As the first shadows of dusk fill the canopy, several species of bats begin flying off into the approaching darkness. In the mangrove forests closer to the sea, a threatened and endemic San Andrés vireo snacks on caterpillars and arthropods. The jagged, volcanic ocean cliffs provide refuge for the roosts and rookeries of thousands of seabirds. Countless birds also visit the islands during seasonal migrations.

Cause for Concern

Early mariners "seeded" these islands with pigs, goats, and other livestock in order to have a reliable source of food for their next visit. Unfortunately, these animals often had negative effects on the native plants and animals. Some areas are only now recovering, and they face new dangers. Tourism is taking its toll as people from around the world visit these remote islands. Urbanization and agriculture threaten San Andrés, and waste oil and sewage threaten to destroy mangrove areas on the east coast of the island.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.