St Maarten is a really biodiverse island, and is habitant to some threatened species. Following the BEST Methodology of the European Union, five Key Biodiversity Area or KBA were designated as a basis for protection of its variety of wildlife. We ask visitors to respect these habitats. The areas are :
– Marine Park & Eastern Islets (Key Biodiversity Area 1)
– Marine & Coastal areas outside the above (Key Biodiversity Area 2)
– Mullet Pond, Little Key and mangroves near the causeway – Simpson Bay Lagoon (Key Biodiversity Area 3)
– Ponds & Important Bird Areas (Key Biodiversity Area 4)
– Terrestrial areas and Caves (Key Biodiversity Area 5)
Subareas of this area are the Man of War Shoal Marine Park, Pelican Rock/ Molly Beday Islet / Hen and Chicks / Cow and Calf.
The Man of War Shoal Marine Park encapsulates 3100 hectares of the Proselyte Reef area, including 15 square kilometers of coral reefs and seagrass beds. It is home to humpback whales and dolphins. The site is proposed to be listed under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere programme.
Should you be aiming to dive on St. Maarten, we require to make use of the designated diving spots.
The Man of War Shoal Marine Park area is home to threatened coral and fish species like the Staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis), Elkhorn coral (A. palmata), Orbicella annularis (Montastraea annularis), Star coral (M. faveolata), Lamarck’s sheet coral (Agaricia lamarcki), Pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus), Nassau grouper ( Epinephelus striatus), Queen Triggerfish ( Balistes vetula), Lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus), Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus), Mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis), Cubera snapper (Lutjanus cyanopterus) and the sea turtle species Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas).
The islets to the east of St. Maarten in the direction of St. Barths are home to many birds as they are difficult to reach for humans. Pelican Rock even is a designated Important Bird Area.
Five important seabird species are the Laughing gull (Larus atricilla), Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), Bridled tern (Sterna anaethetus), Royal tern (Sterna maxima) and Brown booby (Sula leucogaster).
The areas have healthy coral reefs with high coral coverage. You can find seagrass beds around the islets, and also threatened coral and fish species like the Staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis), Elkhorn coral (A. palmata), Orbicella annularis (Montastraea annularis), Star coral (M. faveolata), Lamarck’s sheet coral (Agaricia lamarcki), Pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus), Nassau grouper ( Epinephelus striatus), Queen Triggerfish ( Balistes vetula), Lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus), Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus), Mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis), Cubera snapper (Lutjanus cyanopterus) – The islets are proposed to be listed under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.
The Marine and coastal areas not included under Key Biodiversity Area 1 but designated under Key Biodiversity Area 2 are the Simpson Bay Beach and seagrass beds, the Guana-Gibbs Bay and seagrass beds in front of Great Bay and Fort Amsterdam. These areas are especially important for its sea turtle habitat and foraging. Simpson Bay Beach and Guana and Gibbs Bay are important sea turtle nesting areas. The Nature Foundation tries to monitor these populations, especially those of the Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) and Green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). If you see paths of Sea Turtles, please let them know so they can help protect their breeding area!
This Key Biodiversity Area consists of Mullet Pond, Little Key and the mangrove forests near the causeway at the Simpson Bay Lagoon and the border between the French and Dutch side of the island.
Mullet pond is the southwestern side of the Simpson Bay Lagoon. It contains 70% of all mangroves of the Dutch side of the island. The Mangroves are interconnected with seagrass beds and form an important foraging and nesting area for birds and sea turtles. The area is proposed as a RAMSAR site and as part of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere program. Animals that can be found in this area are Green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), Mutton snappers (Lutjanus analis), Cubera snappers (Lutjanus cyanopterus)and Atlantic tarpons (Megalops atlanticus). NGO EPIC has made a walking route through this nature area.
Little Key is an island with mangroves, surrounded by seagrass beds. This makes it an important nursery and foraging area for fishes and sea turtles, amongst which threatened species. Birds also nest on this island.
The mangroves near the end of the causeway bridge connecting Princess Juliana Airport (SXM) to Marigot and Cole Bay , continuing towards the border at Concordia Monument are of great importance for threatened species. The mangroves connect with the seagrass beds and form an integrated ecosystem for nursery and foraging.
Mangrove ecosystems – Important habitat for threatened species – Connectivity with seagrass beds. Corridor: Simpson Bay Lagoon – The whole area of the Simpson Bay Lagoon, shared by France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is identified as an ecological corridor for island and marine species.
St. Maarten historically important pond areas are also important for the biological ecosystems of the island. Together with Fort Amsterdam and Pelican Rock, the ponds of Little Bay Pond, the Great Salt Pond and Fresh Pond form the five Important Bird Areas of St Maarten. In Key Biodiversity Area 4, Red Pond near Guana Bay is also added.
Key Biodiversity Area 5 is divided into the Top hills from Sentry Hill to Williams Hill, Emilio Wilson Estate, Geneve or Back Bay and Billy Folly Cave.
Historic landmark Emilio Wilson Estate is next to home to Rainforest Adventure Park and a Public Park also the habitat of various threatened and endemic reptiles. Like the Anguilla Bank Bush Anole (Anolis pogus), Anguilla Bank tree anole (Anolis gingivinus), gecko endemic to the Anguilla Bank of islands in the Lesser Antilles (Sphaerodactylus parvus), Island least gecko ( S. sputator), and the Anguilla Bank ameiva (Ameiva plei). Emilio Wilson’s park is proposed to be listed under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.
Geneve Back Bay in Guana Bay is home to threatened and restricted-range plant species like Gaiac (Guaiacum officinale) and Turk’s head (Melocactus intortus) Also, she is the habitat to threatened and endemic reptiles (Anolis pogus, A. gingivinus, Sphaerodactylus parvus, S. sputator, Ameiva plei) . Geneve Back Bay is proposed to be listed under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.
A failed guano mining project, Billy Folly Cave in the Billy Folly area is home to bats specific to the smaller Antilles and Puerto Rico (Brachyphylla cavernarum, Monophyllus plethodon) as well as threatened reptiles like the Reptiles (Anolis pogus) .
Mullet Bay and Dawn Beach are candidate Key Biodiversity areas, for being a habitat to the threatened species Eretmochelys imbricata, Chelonia mydas, Dermochelys coriacea. Protection of the latter is of the outmost importance as only ten nesting tracks per year are seen.
For those people interested to learn more about St. Maartens / St. Martins nature, we invite you to visit the Amuseum Naturalis, the St. Maarten Heritage Museum or to contact the Nature Foundation.
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