Laguna Madre is Mexico’s largest body of water, with an area exceeding 3,000 square kilometres. It is in the Gulf of Mexico, near the border with Texas, and is bordered by a 223-kilometer-long sand barrier. As a result, it consists of brackish water with varying salinity that reaches high levels during dry periods. The Site is home to species that are endemic to the region, such as the yellow-headed Amazon parrot (Amazona oratrix) and the red-crowned Amazon (Amazona viridigenalis), as well as globally threatened species such as the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) and the whale shark (Rhincodon typus). Furthermore, as part of the world’s largest system of hypersaline coastal lagoons, it provides shelter for resident and migratory waterbirds, with more than 36,000 individuals recorded between 2019 and 2023. The Site provides food to local communities through fishing, while the barrier islands protect against the impact of hurricanes and storms. Efforts are underway to promote education on soil conservation and training programmes on water management, which will help address the challenges posed by pollutant run-off from the area’s farmlands.