Havana: Three new areas-a Cuabales mountain range, a migratory bird refuge, and a coral reef spanning over 20,000 hectares-in the province of Pinar del Ro, western Cuba, have been declared protected, it was reported today. These areas include the Sierra Preluda-Cuabales de Caj¡lbana located in the municipality of La Palma, the Sancho Pardo Bank in Sandino, and Punta Caribe south of San Luis.
According to Lao News Agency, Damaris Gallardo, deputy delegate of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (Citma) in Pinar del Ro, highlighted the scientific significance of the Cuabales de Caj¡lbana. The area stretches 160 kilometers across the Guaniguanico mountain range, shared between Pinar del Ro and Artemisa. The ecosystem is noted for its remarkable plant formation, which holds great scientific value due to its high degree of endemism and the presence of endangered species. Notably, the region features unique thickets and a pine forest on serpentine in the depression between Sierra Preluda and Caj¡lbana's southern slope.
Gallardo further explained that the Sancho Pardo Bank is crucial for the regional environment, serving as a center for releasing larvae of Antillean and Caribbean species into the Gulf of Mexico and the surrounding keys and continental coasts of North America. The area boasts 30 types of stony corals, 50 sponges, and 34 gorgonians. Additionally, the remains of a dozen significant shipwrecks, including the Pecio de los Astrolabios from 1607, have been found there, with recovered objects preserved and displayed at the Castillo de la Fuerza.
Regarding Punta Caribe, Gallardo noted that its unique integration of land and sea ecosystems supports a rich biodiversity. Its strategic location within the Mississippi biological corridor for birds makes it a vital feeding and refuge site for birds from Central America. Moreover, the area encompasses 2.5 kilometers of the Guam¡ River basin, characterized by lush vegetation, mangroves, and a diverse range of fish, crustaceans, and mollusks at the river's mouth.