Pantanos de Centla Biosphere

Pantanos de Centla Biosphere protects the largest wetland system in Mexico and Central America, covering over 302,000 hectares and supporting the highest concentration of West Indian manatees in the Gulf of Mexico. This surpasses #10 Mapimí Biosphere Reserve in species richness, sheltering jabiru storks, roseate spoonbills, and critically endangered Morelet's crocodile alongside unique floating meadows of water hyacinth that shift dramatically between seasons. The reserve's manatee population density is six times greater than the average Mexican wetland, with surveys counting 125 individuals in recent censuses.