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Laguna Sontecomapan
The Sontecomapan lagoon is located inside the volcanic mountain mass of the Tuxtlas region in the state of Veracruz, between the river basins of the Coatzacoalcos and the Papaloapan Rivers. Its only and permanent connection with the ocean takes place in a channel named the Sontecomapan Barrier, where the greatest depth of the lagoon is registered at 5.5 meters, leaving the rest with a shallow average of 2 meters. A warm and humid climate characterizes the lagoon, and low salinity levels are typically due to the large fresh water influx. The system is divided into several zones. A barrier expands from the beach to Roca Morro and El Real channel, which includes the area around La Palma River and ends in a channel that opens up and forms, to a great extent, the lagoon. Sontecomapan is further divided into three partial zones, thanks to two deltas formed by the Coscoapan River. The lagoon’s littoral is bordered by mangrove forests, which do not visibly change throughout the year. Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa and Rhizophora mangle are the dominant species, reaching heights between 15 and 25 meters with an associated flora rich in epiphytes, arboreal and herbaceous species occur around transitional areas, with riparian vegetation in areas with a direct fresh water influence. Among the most frequent arboreal species are some with perennial high forest elements, such as Andira galeottiana, Dalbergia brownie, Ficus insipida, Pachira aquatica, Pithecellobium belizense, Calophyllum brasiliense, and Vochysia hondurensis. Sontecomapan is also characterized by the seagrass Ruppia maritima, which unlike seagrasses in other warm climate areas, does not present a uniform development that correlates with annual weather changes. The lagoon hosts the crab species Callinectes sapidus and C. rathbunae, which are fished commercially and supply the market regions of Catemaco, Santiago, Tuxtla and San Andres Tuxtla. Together, the states of Veracruz and Tamaulipas account for 70% of the two species in Mexico. Additionally, Sontecomapan hosts a community of molluscs, formed by sixty species of the Gastropoda and Bivalvia classes, and of saline-brackish origin in most of the cases. Among the gastropods, epifaunal herbivorous–scrapers are abundant, whereas among the bivalves, the majority are infaunal filter feeders. Neritina reclivata, N. virginea and Mulinia lateralis represent the most abundant, frequent and dense species of the lagoon. The area is free of oil exploitation complexes, chemical plants or industrial operations. In the seventies, the Sontecomapan was considered one of the richest mangrove vegetation zones in the country and a highly productive lagoon. Coordinates: 18.55° N 95.01° W Selected Characteristics: (Castaneda and Contreras, 2001) Surface Area: 9 km2 Average Depth: 2.0 m References: Castaneda L.O. and F.E. Contreras. 2001. Serie: Bibliografia Comentada sobre ecosistemas costeros mexicanos 2001. Centro de Documentacion Ecosistemas Litorales Mexicanos. Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Unidad Iztapalapa, Division C. B. S. Depto. de Hidrologia. Publicacion electronica (CD). ISBN:970-654-912-9. Mexico, D.F. Keywords: Lagoon, Freshwater influx, Low salinity, Mangrove, Crab, Seagrass |
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Web electronic publication. http://www.gulfbase.org, 02 September 2010. |
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