"Jewel Of The Caribbean"- The Mesoamerican Reef (1)

The Mesoamerican Reef stretches along four countries: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. The reef is home to more than 60 species of reef-building corals and 500 species of fish, plus birds, crocodiles, manatees, sea turtles and countless other animals. At the center of relatively well-preserved and highly diverse coastal and marine ecosystems, the reef earns its nickname - "Jewel of the Caribbean".

The distinctive red mangrove is an integral part of the Mesoamerican Reef ecosystem. Mangroves take root in sandbars and along shorelines, with a tangle of roots descending into the water. Aerial roots receive the oxygen the trees can't get if they are rooted in mud. Colonies of red mangroves provide habitat, nesting and migratory sites for hundreds of bird species. Many other animals make their homes in the water around the mangroves' roots, and the trees' leaves feed tiny crabs, worms, and other creatures. The hardy trees also provide storm protection by breaking up storm waves and stabilizing land prone to erosion. Unfortunately mangrove forests are among the most threatened habitats in the world and are disappearing at a fast rate. Pollution, parasites, and habitat conversion all threaten mangroves, and man-made changes in these areas can disrupt the entire mangrove ecosystem.

The loggerhead sea turtle roams widely through the waters of the Mesoamerican Reef ecoregion and the surrounding open sea, entering bays and lagoons. When nesting, females come ashore on beaches at night. They dig nests in the sand with their flippers and lay as many as 126 eggs, then cover them with packed sand. Over a period of about 50 to 70 days, the eggs that haven't been eaten by predators hatch, struggle out of the sand and head immediately to the water. A threat to loggerheads today is the artificial lighting along beaches. The young turtles become disoriented and head away from the ocean - and toward dangers such as traffic. Other threats include poaching for meat and oil drilling. In addition, nesting beaches are threatened by coastal development (especially the building of seawalls) and erosion.

Legend says that sailors once mistook manatees for mermaids - hard to believe when you see one of these gentle giants up close. Reaching up to 15 feet (4.6 meters) long and weighing up to 3300 pounds (1500 kilograms), the West Indian manatee can be as long and as heavy as a subcompact car. Manatees are surprisingly graceful in the water, usually moving slowly along the coast and grazing on plants such as mangroves, sea grasses and water hyacinths. Every few minutes they must rise to the surface to breathe air.

The manatees' slow motion means that they are sometimes injured or killed by motorboats. Manatees are also threatened by pollution and the destruction of their habitat. In the past they were hunted for their hides, meat, oil, and bones.

The American crocodile spends much of its time submerged in tropical wetlands or saltwater estuaries with just its eyes and nostrils peeking out. Seemingly lethargic, the reptile can suddenly lunge at a bird or small mammal, charging violently from the water and chasing its prey. This sight - frightening for unprepared humans - is not as common as it once was. Previously hunted extensively for their skins and now threatened drastically by habitat destruction, American crocodiles have been endangered since the 1970s.

Nesting beaches and habitats, such as mangrove swamps, are increasingly lost to urbanization. In addition, crocodiles are also sometimes killed in fishing nets, by traffic, or by humans.

The grandly named magnificent frigate bird is known for dirty tricks in the air, where its huge wingspan (up to 7.5 feet/2.3 meters) gives it an advantage over other seabirds. When hungry, the frigate bird will wait until it sees another seabird carrying a fish, and then chase it until the beleaguered bird drops its catch. On the occasions when the frigate bird can't find another bird to steal from, it will pluck fish, crustaceans, or squid from the surface of the water. On land, frigate birds make nests in bushes or trees for breeding. Females usually lay only one egg, which makes it especially important that conservationists preserve breeding areas for this bird.

Don't forget about the second part of this article!