NATURAL ATTRACTIONS

Coral reefs: The coral reef surrounding Roatán is an extension of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second largest reef system on the planet, stretching all of the way from the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico to The Bay Islands of Honduras. The reefs around the island include fringing, barrier and patch reefs and extend from the shoreline seaward to depths in excess of 70 meters.

Mangrove Forests: Mangroves play a key role in coastal ecosystems as they provide habitat for a huge variety of organisms, not solely within their branches but on and around their intricate root systems. Inhabitants of the mangrove forest include crustaceans, mollusks, juvenile and adult fish, reptiles, migratory and resident birds. Their unique root system allows mangroves to survive in the inter-tidal region, withstand tidal submersion and exposure. Mangroves are also a very important buffer between the marine and terrestrial environment, protecting the coastline from storms and the reefs from terrestrial contamination due to surface runoff and erosion.

Seagrass: Seagrass beds are another important ecosystem in the coastal environment, providing a habitat for reproduction, rearing and maturation for a host of organisms. Spanning from the shoreline to the reef crest, a large majority of the Park consists of huge meadows of seagrass which have a very important role in stabilizing sediment and preventing erosion from beaches.

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