Natural
Parc national de Coiba et sa zone spéciale de protection marine
Panama
Photo : Seibert (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Located off the Pacific coast of Panama, this national park encompasses Coiba Island and its surrounding marine protected zone. The site represents a significant natural laboratory where the convergence of ocean currents and geographical isolation have created distinctive ecosystems with high levels of endemism in both terrestrial and marine species. The terrestrial portion contains tropical forest habitat that supports populations of threatened wildlife, while the marine zone protects coral reefs, seagrass beds, and coastal ecosystems of considerable biological richness. The island's rugged terrain and dense vegetation, combined with the productive waters surrounding it, create habitats that sustain numerous species found nowhere else in the region. The combined protection of land and sea within this designation recognizes the ecological interconnection between terrestrial and marine environments and their mutual importance for conservation. The park represents an important reference site for understanding tropical Pacific ecosystems and the impacts of marine and terrestrial habitat preservation.
