The Caroni Swamp is the largest

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

. It is located on the west coast of

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

, south of

Port of Spain Port of Spain ( ; Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English: ''Port ah Spain'' ) is the capital and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago. With a municipal population of 49,867 (2017), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient dail ...

and northwest of

Chaguanas The Borough of Chaguanas is the largest municipality (83,489 at the 2011 census) and fastest-growing
– Afr ...

, where the Caroni River meets the

Gulf of Paria The Gulf of Paria ( ; ) is a shallow ( at its deepest) semi-enclosed inland sea located between the island of Trinidad and the east coast of Venezuela. It separates the two countries by as little as at its narrowest and at its widest points. T ...

. The Caroni Swamp is an estuarine system comprising 5,611 hectares of

mangrove forest Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangrove trees cannot withsta ...

and herbaceous marsh, interrupted by numerous channels, and brackish and saline lagoons, and with extensive intertidal mudflats on the seaward side. This swamp is an important wetland since it is ecologically diverse, consisting of marshes,

mangrove swamp Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangrove trees cannot withs ...

and tidal mudflats in close proximity. The wetland provides a variety of habitats for flora and faunal species and as such, supports a rich biodiversity. It is highly productive system that provides food and protection and is a nursery for marine and freshwater species.

Description

The Caroni Swamp is a 12,000 acre swamp located on the west coast of the island of Trinidad. It is one of the largest mangrove forest on the island. Caroni Swamp is protected under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. The Caroni Swamp runs along the banks of the Caroni River and contains numerous channels, brackish and saline lagoons with intertidal mudflats. The Caroni Swamp also contains fresh water and saltwater marshes and is also known as a bird sanctuary. The central section of the acreage is designated as a wildlife sanctuary and is the home of one of Trinidad and Tobago's national bird, the Scarlet Ibis. The Caroni Swamp is the major roosting place for the Scarlet Ibis (''Eudocimus ruber'') and is also the home of over 100 avian species.

Protected Area and Species

The Caroni Swamp is protected under the Ramsar Convention. The Ramsar Convention is the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources . It all started during the 1960s when people became concerned about the increasing loss and the degradation of wetland habitat for migratory birds. The treaty was first adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971. The Ramsar Convention is the oldest intergovernmental environmental agreements which came into force in 1975. The Caroni Swamp has a total of 20 endangered species and is ecologically diverse. It provides a variety of habitats for flora and fauna. Caroni Swamp supports a rich biodiversity. It is a very productive area of wetland that provides food (organic production) and also provides protection. It is also a nursery for marine and freshwater species. Caroni Swamp is important economically and is a popular site for ecotourism.

Important Bird Area

The swamp has been designated an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

(IBA) by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...

because it supports A significant population of

scarlet ibis The scarlet ibis, sometimes called red ibis (''Eudocimus ruber''), is a species of ibis in the bird family Threskiornithidae. It inhabits tropical South America and part of the Caribbean. In form, it resembles most of the other twenty-seven ex ...

as well as other

waterbird A water bird, alternatively waterbird or aquatic bird, is a bird that lives on or around water. In some definitions, the term ''water bird'' is especially applied to birds in freshwater ecosystems, although others make no distinction from seabi ...

s. It is also important for

silky anteater The silky anteater, also known as the pygmy anteater, has traditionally been considered a single species of anteater, ''Cyclopes didactylus'', in the genus ''Cyclopes'', the only living genus in the family Cyclopedidae. Found in southern Mexico ...

s and crab-eating raccoons.

Educational Usage / Eco-tourism

The Caroni Swamp is visited by thousands of eco-tourists per year. This is important to local communities. The Caroni Swamp is not only an attraction for tourism but it also provides goods and services to local communities and to the Island of Trinidad. For example, the swamp provides coastal storm surge protection,

carbon sequestration Carbon sequestration is the process of storing carbon in a carbon pool. It plays a crucial role in Climate change mitigation, limiting climate change by reducing the amount of Carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere, carbon dioxide in the atmosphe ...

(the uptake and storage of carbon by trees and plants that absorb carbon dioxide), and sediment filtration for near-shore ecosystems. In 2011 a project was started in order to evaluate the TEV, total economic value, of the Caroni Swamp. The study looks at the way the Caroni Swamp provides for Trinidad and Tobago and to the wider Caribbean. The study will also predict the potential damage that

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

can have on wetlands and ecosystems such as the Caroni Swamp. This study could provide strategies for preventing damage to other wetlands as well.

Scarlet Ibis

The Caroni Swamp is also a wonderful site for bird watching. It is home to over 100 bird species (my Tobago.info). In 1962 when Trinidad and Tobago gained independence from Great Britain, the Scarlet Ibis was chosen as the national bird of Trinidad. The Scarlet Ibis then gained protection and could no longer be hunted. The Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber), travels to Venezuela every day from the Caroni Swamp. The distance between the swamp and the mainland of Venezuela is about 11 miles (mytobagoinfo). During the evening, the Scarlet Ibis returns to the Swamp where it roosts in the mangrove trees (destination tnt). Watching the Scarlet Ibis return from feeding on the mainland of Venezuela is the main attraction for many tourists (mytobagoinfo). Their vibrant red feathers fill the sky as they return to the swamp (gotrinidadandtobago). The Scarlet Ibis’ bright red colour comes from the pigments from their food. Their diet consists of crustaceans, crabs small fish, mollusks, worms, and insects (aqua.org). The Scarlet Ibis is protected in Trinidad and Tobago but is at risk from

poaching Poaching is the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights. Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set against the huntin ...

and pollution of the Swamp.

Caroni Bird Sanctuary Tours

The Nanan's Bird Sanctuary Tours started in the 1930s and is named after Winston Nanan. Winston Nanan of Trinidad, was an acknowledged expert on the flora and fauna of the Caroni Swamp Bird Sanctuary. He helped get a petition signed along with his father, Simon Oudit Nanan, to make the Swamp a bird sanctuary. Nanan's Caroni Bird Sanctuary tours conduct lectured boat tours daily into the Caroni Swamp by trained guides. The tours include specialized bird watching tours, fishing tours, water sampling trips, educational and research trips, photography and filming trips, and also destination weddings at the Caroni Swamp.

Caroni Swamp Today

The Caroni Swamp still remains a popular tourist destination in Trinidad. Many tourists enjoy taking Nanan's tour guides to the Swamp. Climate change and pollution to the swamp is becoming a main concern as Trinidad and Tobago tries to conserve Caroni Swamp. Illegal hunting and harvesting of oysters as well as harvesting of mangrove bark seem to be a few of the problems for the Caroni Swamp. The government of Trinidad is trying to keep the Swamp conserved knowing that it not only provides for the flora and fauna but for humans as well.

Wildlife highlights

File:Great pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa) male Trinidad.JPG, Great pondhawk dragonfly ('' Erythemis vesiculosa'') File:Four-eyed fish (Anableps anableps).jpg, Four-eyed fish ('' Anableps anableps'') File:Trinidad tree boa (Corallus ruschenbergerii).jpg, Cook's tree boa ('' Corallus hortulanus'') File:Scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber).jpg, Scarlet ibis ('' Eudocimus ruber'') flying in to roost File:Scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber) roosting.jpg, Roosting scarlet ibis (''Eudocimus ruber'')

References

External links

Video overview
{{Trinidad and Tobago topics, state=collapsed Wetlands of Trinidad and Tobago Swamps of North America Swamps of South America Trinidad (island) Mangrove ecoregions Natural history of Trinidad and Tobago Important Bird Areas of Trinidad and Tobago Ramsar sites in Trinidad and Tobago