Turks and Caicos Islands, United Kingdom Photograph by Philip Shearer, Big Blue Unlimited   Caribbean Islands: Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands Mangroves   2,500 square miles (6,600 square kilometers) -- about the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined Vulnerable

· Salty Shelter
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Salty Shelter

Although you can’t really see it, salt is the dominant feature of this ecoregion. The high salinity levels here mean that mangroves grow in scattered scrubby patches, mixed in with salt marshes. These mangroves provide important nursery grounds for fish, while water birds and endangered green sea turtles rely on sandbanks, creeks, and lagoons for protection. Flamingos depend on the salt ponds and marshes for feeding and breeding sites.

Special Features

The Bahamas include 29 inhabited islands, 660 cays, and 2,400 rocky islets. The mangroves consist mostly of fringe and coastal scrub associated with marshes, lagoons, and mudflats. In the Turks and Caicos Islands, wetlands have developed between ridges of recently consolidated marine deposits and along shallow coasts. Mangrove species found in this ecoregion include the red mangrove, black mangrove, white mangrove, and button mangrove. Trees generally grow between 6 and 16 feet (2 and 5 m) in height, but in sheltered coastal areas, the red mangrove can be found growing as high as 32 feet (10 m). The button mangrove is found along the drier borders of wetlands and salt ponds.

	Of the five flamingo species, the greater flamingo is the largest, standing more than 4 feet (1.2 m) tall. In flight, the bird’s wingspan can be as wide as 5 feet (1.5 m) or more.

Wild Side

Inagua National Park in the Bahamas is an important wetland haven for endemic turtles, parrots, and a breeding colony of flamingos. The Caicos Islands provide critical habitat for the West Indian whistling duck, which probably numbers fewer than 1,000 pairs in the whole Caribbean. Bird species that can be seen flying among the mangroves include spotted sandpipers, herons, belted kingfishers, white-crowned pigeons, egrets, glossy ibises, clapper rails, and greater flamingoes. Ospreys and brown pelicans might occasionally be spotted overhead as well.

Cause for Concern

Mangroves are cut down and used for making charcoal and other products; they’re also key areas for fishing and lobster catching. In addition, most salt marshes have been converted to ponds for salt production. And many areas have been cleared for resorts, marinas, and residential development.

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