This New Marine Protected Area Is Good News for Biodiversity

The northwestern coast of Cuba will gain a new marine protected area (MPA) meant to protect animal and vegetal species alike, boosting the protection of what is currently one of the country’s least protected coastlines.

“[Research] shows that a lot of fish that spawn there provide the larvae for other populations in the region, including the southern United States,” says Natalia Rossi, the Cuba country director for the Wildlife Conservation Society. “There is a lot of connectivity also for migratory species, including North American shorebirds.”

The MPA, Este del Archipélago de Les Colorados, will span 728 square kilometers and is expected to protect a large variety of vegetation like mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and coral reefs. As for the animal species, the critically endangered hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), and American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) will find this MPA to be a safe haven. This is also good news for fishers, as the new MPA will contribute to the replenishment of local fish stocks. “They realized that the MPA could be a way to better manage the resources and have a longer-term sustainability of the fisheries,” says Jose Gerhartz, a conservation specialist for the Caribbean Biological Corridor, a U.N. initiative that seeks to enhance biodiversity in the region.