Since 1970, we have lost 3,900 acres of pristine mangrove forests in the Cayman Islands - primarily in the West Bay peninsular. With only 1,500 acres of mangroves left in the peninsular and with the 8500 acres of the Central Mangroves under serious threat, we have decided enough is enough and stepped up to protect this irreplaceable ecosystem.

The Central Mangrove Wetland is the ecological heart of Grand Cayman. Totalling 8,655 acres, the wetland performs several physical and biological functions which are economically and culturally important to the island.

Cayman Islands’ Mangroves Protection of Wetlands Mangroves are among the most productive and complex ecosystems on the planet, growing under environmental conditions that would kill ordinary plants very quickly. The National onservation Law (2013) lists mangroves as a protected species under Part 2 of Schedule 1. The Department of Environment is

Mangroves are found both along our coastlines and inland in the Cayman Islands. Cayman has three native species of mangroves: red, black and white and two native varieties of buttonwood: silver and green. All of these trees are protected under the National Conservation Law (2013).

2012年11月21日 · From the impact of environmental changes to development pressure, the position of mangroves at the intersection of land and sea means that this ecosystem is vulnerable to pressures from both...

There are an estimated number of 73 unique mangrove species in the world, however only four mangrove species are found in the Cayman Islands. Leaves range in shape and size dependent on the species of mangrove, but ultimately perform the same role - photosynthesis.

The Central Mangrove Wetland (CMW) is the largest intact area of mangrove wetlands in the Caribbean. The CMW covers about 30% of land mass on Grand Cayman, providing much of the Island’s biodiversity and carbon sinks.

Mangrove Wetlands are a vital ecosystem in the Cayman Islands, supporting both marine and terrestrial life across the islands. These salt-resistant coastal trees provide an essential habitat for local species, slow the effects of climate change, encourage rain production, and provide barriers to erosion and storm surges.

2022年2月2日 · All of Cayman’s mangrove wetlands have developed in their present form since the last Ice Age, which has seen a period of significant sea level rise. Sea levels in the Caribbean are still rising and as mangrove wetlands are gradually submerged, the dead wood and leaf litter on the wetland floor is cut off from the air and its decomposition is ...

Mangrove forests are extensive on Grand Cayman and Little Cayman, variously dominated by Red, Black and White mangroves (Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans and Laguncularia racemosa), with Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) mixed in where the salinity is lower.