Cayos Miskitos y Franja Costera Immediata. 08/11/01; Atlántico Norte; 85,000 ha; 14°23'N 082°46'W. Marine Biological Reserve. Offshore Caribbean island and shoals and adjacent mainland coastal areas 12km to the west, comprising an impressive array of wetland types, principally frequently-flooded areas dominated by shrubs, riverine systems in which are found gallery forests, and estuaries bordered by mangrove forests in near-natural state. At the Cayos Miskitos Reserve, there is one of the largest extensions of sea grass in the Caribbean, intermingled with coral reefs, areas which support several rare and endangered species, including the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), the Caribbean manatee (Trichechus manatus), the "Tucuxi" freshwater dolphin Sotalia fluviatilis, and caiman crocodile (Crocodylus fuscus). The Association of Indigenous Women of the Costa Atlántica recently initiated a promising ecotourism project. Ramsar site no. 1135. Most recent RIS information: 2001.