Coastal plants possess remarkable adaptations that allow them to thrive in harsh, windswept environments. Many, like those near the ocean, have seeds that can float to colonize other beaches. These species are tolerant of both salt and intense sun. Some, such as the mangroves, can also endure unstable soil and have their roots inundated by brackish water, a mixture of river and ocean water.
In Costa Rica, where they are known as manglares, mangrove forests are zones where the changing tides mix fresh and salt water. These woody plants have special physiological mechanisms that allow them to tolerate the high salt concentrations of tropical seas. Despite belonging to several different plant families, they are studied together because of their shared habitat and way of life.
Mangrove ecosystems are considered fundamental for the sustainability of local communities, providing a wide range of social, environmental, and economic benefits. Their productivity is notably high; red mangroves, for instance, can produce 8 grams of dry organic matter per square meter per day—a rate of carbon fixation significantly higher than most other marine or terrestrial communities.
This vast coastal corridor between Quepos and Parrita is a vital feeding and roosting area for a large number of resident and migratory birds from North and South America, including sandpipers, plovers, terns, and herons. The mangrove is also home to a diverse array of other species, such as fresh and saltwater fish that use it as a nursery, American crocodiles, white-faced capuchins, boa snakes, and anteaters
