The Coastal and Marine Reserve, Congal, is located in southwestern Esmeraldas province, close to the town of Muisne. The reserve features beach, estuarine, mangrove, wetlands and humid tropical forest habitats, which account for the regions high biodiversity and local endemism.

The Reserve is part of the Western Ecuador Chocó-Darién bio geographical region, which is the world’s fourth “Biodiversity Hotspot” where less than 24.2% of original primary forest cover remains. These Chocó-Darién intact mangrove habitats are also considered among the most important in the world providing multiple environmental and social benefits.

Additionally, the reserve is part of the Mangrove Wild Life Refugee of Muisne and is located in the buffer zone of the Mache Chindul National Ecology Reserve. The Reserve protects over 500 hundred hectares of publicly owned mangroves and was the first mangrove reserve of it kind created in the Muisne area. The reserve’s purpose is to develop projects in the fields of coastal ecosystems and marine conservation, organic and environmentally friendly aquaculture, farming and forestry.

These projects, once tested, may be applied in local communities to provide sources of income and to reduce the pressure on already overexploited and threatened natural resources.
 
Objectives:
• Develop projects in the fields of coastal ecosystems and marine conservation, organic and environmentally friendly aquaculture, farming and forestry, mainly organic shrimp and fish production to preserve the important mangrove habitat.

• These projects, once tested, may be applied in local communities to provide sources of income and to reduce the pressure on already overexploited and threatened natural resources.

• The Reserve also pursues the creation of the first large coastal marine reserve in mainland Ecuador. In this area it is possible to find coral reefs, sea horses, sea cucumbers, lobsters, several species of rays, etc.

Projects and activities:
• Mangrove and tropical humid forest restoration
• Marine conservation
• Community outreach and direct involvement
• Management of aquaculture and forestry systems
• Organic farming
• Biological inventories
• The enhancement of terrestrial and aquatic wildlife species is one of the main projects being developed at Congal. It includes land crabs, shrimp, agouti, fish, clam species and in the future green iguana hatchlings.

Since October 2004, the Reserve is carrying out a sea turtle monitoring program in order to determine their conservation status.

• Click here to volunteer in Congal