The Zapata Swamp is a mosaic of mangrove swamps and freshwater and saltwater marshes that form the largest and best-preserved wetland in the Caribbean. The swamp was designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1999 and forms a vital preserve for Cuban wildlife, a spawning area for commercially valuable fish, and a crucial wintering territory for millions of migratory birds from North America. More than 900 plant species have been recognized in the swamp, and all but three of the 25 bird species endemic to Cuba breed there. All together, about 170 bird species have been identified in the swamp, including the common black-hawk, the greater flamingo, and the world’s smallest bird, the bee hummingbird. It also contains the remaining few thousand Cuban crocodiles. Mammalian residents include the Cuban hutia, a gopher-like rodent, and the West Indian manatee. The manjuari, or Cuban gar, is an unusual fish found only in the swamp. Adjacent to the swamp is the Bay of Pigs, where millions of land crabs breed each spring.

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The platypus is an improbable mishmash of an animal: It has a furry, otterlike body, a ducklike bill and webbed feet, and a beaverlike paddle tail. Like those other animals platypuses swim well and spend much of their time in the water. Unlike otters or beavers, they lay eggs—one of only two mammals known to do so. Male platypuses also have venomous stingers on their rear feet. These animals burrow near the water’s edge and feed by digging underwater for worms, shellfish, and insects.

Photograph by Stephen Babka

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This sleepy river otter also has a playful side. These water-loving mammals seem to take pleasure in sliding and diving and can swim gracefully with their webbed feet and paddlelike tails. Otters have specialized nostrils and ears that close in the water, as well as water-repellent fur. Young otters begin to swim when they are only about two months old. River otters live in burrows by the edge of rivers or lakes in close proximity to the fish they feed on.

Photograph by Lee Streitz

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The capybara’s eyes, ears, and nostrils are situated high on its head so that it can remain above the surface while the animal swims. The social mammals travel and live in groups dominated by an alpha male and defend their feeding and wallowing territories. Humans hunt (and raise) capybaras for their leather and their meat—which is especially popular during Lent because some South American Catholics consider the animal, like fish, an acceptable alternative to beef or pork.

Photograph by Juan Alvarez

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(Capybaras don’t get enough love.)

The world’s biggest rodent, the capybara, grows to more than 4 feet (130 centimeters) long and tips the scales at up to 145 pounds (66 kilograms). These water-loving mammals reach such size by grazing on grasses and aquatic plants.

Capybaras are physically well adjusted to their watery environs. They have webbed toes to help them swim well and can dive underwater for five minutes or more. Capybaras are found in Central and South America, populating lakes, rivers, and wetlands from Panama south to Brazil and northern Argentina.

Photograph by Mark Godfrey

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Estuaries, like the one pictured, are remarkably important to the world for a variety of reasons:

1) Wildlife -
• Estuaries are the most productive ecosystems on earth
• Thousands of species depend on estuaries
• Many commercial marine organisms depend on estuaries at some point in heir life
• Estuaries work as nurseries for many marine organisms until they’re big enough to enter the open ocean
• They’re home (half of the time) to migratory birds

2) Ecosystem Services -
• They filtrate sediments and pollutants
• They absorb flood water and dissipate storm surges
• They prevent shoreline erosion

3) Cultural Benefits -
• Recreation, scientific, educational, and aesthetic purposes
• Economic benefits (such as: conduits for commerce and travel; 75% of America’s commercial fish catch; 80% - 90% of America’s recreational fish catch; estuary-dependent fishes are the nation’s most valuable; recreation and tourism generate tens of billions of dollars for local communities)

anoceanactivist:

peacock mantis shrimp (by doug.deep)

(via fyeah-seacreatures)

anoceanactivist:

emperor shrimp on nudibranch (by doug.deep)

(via fyeah-seacreatures)

anoceanactivist:

To the beach (by sleepychinchilla)

(via fyeah-seacreatures)

anoceanactivist:

Caribbean Reef Squid (by ltoosilly)

(via fyeah-seacreatures)