Cocos Marine Conservation Area facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cocos Marine Conservation Area |
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| Área de Conservación Marina Coco | |
Location of the area, labeled ACMC in the Pacific ocean waters of the country.
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| Location | Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica |
| Governing body | National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) |
The Cocos Marine Conservation Area (also known as Spanish: Área de Conservación Marina Cocos (ACMC)) is a special ocean area near Cocos Island in the Pacific Ocean. It's managed by an organization called SINAC (which stands for National System of Conservation Areas) in Costa Rica. Their main goal is to protect the amazing nature found here.
This important conservation area stretches from the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula all the way to Cocos Island. Cocos Island is a unique place. It has tall hills, is often cloudy, and gets a lot of rain all year round. Inside the Cocos Marine Conservation Area, you'll find the famous Cocos Island National Park and two other special ocean areas that help protect marine life.
This area is home to an incredible variety of living things! Scientists have found 235 types of plants, 400 kinds of insects (65 of which are found nowhere else in the world!), and 5 types of reptiles (2 of these are unique to the island). There are also 3 kinds of sea turtles, 100 types of birds (13 live there all the time, and 3 are unique to the island). In the ocean, there are 50 types of arthropods (7 unique), 57 types of crustaceans, 600 types of sea snails and clams, and 250 types of fish.
Some of the cool fish you might spot include the whitetip shark, the amazing hammerhead shark, speedy yellowfin tuna, colorful parrotfish, giant manta ray, and the jurel.
Contents
Protecting the Ocean and Island
The Cocos Marine Conservation Area includes several important protected zones that help keep its unique wildlife safe.
Cocos Island National Park
This park protects Cocos Island itself, which is a small, remote island known for its lush rainforests and waterfalls. It's a very important place for many land animals and plants.
Submarine Mountains Marine Management Area
This area protects the waters all around Cocos Island National Park. It's like a giant underwater park! It helps keep the ocean healthy for all the fish, sharks, rays, and other sea creatures that live there. Protecting these waters is super important because many marine animals travel long distances and need safe places to live and find food.
See also
In Spanish: Área de conservación Marina Cocos para niños
