The world's longest barrier island system exists along the coasts of Louisiana, Texas and Mexico in the Gulf of Mexico. Part of this island system at the mouth of the Rio Grande River includes the enormous Laguna Madre (or "Mother Lagoon") whose mosaic of coastal wetlands, freshwater ponds and native grasslands provide critical habitat for migratory raptors, songbirds, waterfowl and shorebirds, and the Kemp's Ridley sea turtle.

The lagoon is one of only five known hyper-saline estuary systems in the world. Of the 44 species of fish identified in the Gulf of Mexico as commercial or recreational, 37 have been found in the Laguna Madre. It is home to many commercial and sport fish species, including speckled sea trout, redfish and flounder.

A rich variety of wildlife depends on the Laguna Madre for survival — 90 percent of all redhead ducks winter in the lagoon. Its marshes and swamps are ideal homes for the reddish egret, brown pelican, peregrine falcon, piping plovers, jaguarundi and ocelot.  

A birder's paradise under siege

Laguna Madre is the most important wintering waterfowl habitat on the entire east coast of Mexico—its estuaries, bays and marshes are critically important for migratory shorebirds and neotropical songbirds.

Today, the entire coastal region of southern Texas and northeast Mexico and its wetlands, marshes, bays, lagoons and barrier islands are coming under increasing pressure from resort development, sewage, agricultural run-off, commercial boat traffic and dredging.
 

Efforts to protect the Mother Lagoon

The Mexican government recently decreed 1.4 million acres of the Laguna Madre a protected area. The Nature Conservancy and Pronatura Noreste (PNE) are now working with the government and partners to develop a management plan for the area to ensure its long-term protection.

The two organizations are also using conservation easements to establish a network of 17 private ranches that are home to some of the best remaining Tamaulipan thornscrub - a highly endangered dry habitat unique to the area.

Long-term objectives to design bi-national conservation strategies for the Laguna Madre include developing private land conservation techniques in cooperation with local landowners and identifying long-term sources of local revenue to help protect the surrounding native grasslands.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Photographer/Org (prickly pear cactus); Photo © Photographer/Org (cheetah).