Puerto Rico's governor, Alejandro Garcia Padilla, signed a law into action protecting an important 13-mile long stretch of ecosystem on the northeast coast of the island. The area has been under threat by developers looking to capitalize on the prime location. This area is very important for the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) because the beaches provide the federally endangered turtles with a vital nesting site. It is estimated that roughly 400 nests are located in the area called the Northeast Ecological Corridor.
Besides being a known turtle nesting site, the waters off the coast are also home to beautiful bioluminescent microorganisms. The area also is home to all of the ecosystems found in Puerto Rico, including the United States' only tropical rain forest. The roughly 3,000 acres that are now protected are home to a diverse ecosystem with lots of "rare, endemic, or threatened species".
The signing of the law marks the end to a 15 year long battle between the developers and environmentalists, who are now planning to promote ecotourism in the area. This is a huge stride forward for Puerto Rico, who has much less protected land than some of the surrounding islands. Lawmakers plan to double this amount in the near future. Certainly nice to see the environmentalist win such a hard fought battle to keep an important ecosystem intact.
See Original Article Here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20130415/cb-travel-puerto-rico-protecting-turtles/
1 comment:
Sounds like a beautiful area! Good news for conservation.
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