The Miskito Cays (Spanish: Cayos Miskitos) are an archipelago of small cays and reefs with an area of 27 km2 located off Mosquito Coast in the Caribbean exclusive economic zones of Honduras[2][3] and Nicaragua.[4][5][6] They are part of the Gracias a Dios Department in Honduras and the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region in Nicaragua. The Miskito Cays are composed of 76 formations that include estuaries, coral reefs, cays, seagrass beds, and islets, of which 12 of the formations are covered with vegetation and consequently form islands which are lined with white sand beaches.[7]
| Designations | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Cayos Miskitos y Franja Costera Immediata |
| Designated | 8 November 2001 |
| Reference no. | 1135[1] |
In Nicaragua, the Miskito Cay (Cayo Miskito), also known as Cayo Mayor, is the largest and most important cay located in the center of the archipelago measuring 37 km2. Other main islands are Maras Cay, Nasa Cay, and Morrison Denis Cay. The Miskito Cays Biological Reserve is one of 78 protected areas of Nicaragua, it was declared a protected area in 1991. The cays, along with a stretch of the adjacent mainland coast, have been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.[8]
References
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- ^ "Cayos Miskitos y Franja Costera Immediata". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ Chollett, I.; Stoyle, G.; Box, S. (2014-03-01). "Honduran Miskito Cays: among the last unexplored reef systems in the Caribbean". Coral Reefs. 33 (1): 155–155. doi:10.1007/s00338-013-1084-3. ISSN 1432-0975.
- ^ "Miskito Cays | X-Ray Mag". xray-mag.com. 2023-12-19. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ^ "Miskito Cays". vianica.com. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ^ "FAU - Reed Explores Miskito Cays off Honduras". www.fau.edu. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ^ "A case for redefining the boundaries of the Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion". ResearchGate. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "The Miskito Cays". ViaNica. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
- ^ "Miskito Keys and terrestrial landscape". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
14°23′N 82°46′W / 14.383°N 82.767°W
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