representatives in the taxonomic groups Tricoptcra, Ephcmcroptcra, Diptera and Odonata, with some being included in the IUCN Red List (Or!lwles/es clara. 0. lrinilalis, and Phyloles/es ellie/ae). The Bahamas Arc/ripe/ago Ecoregiou: The entire region was shaped by sea level changes during the Pleistocene Icc Age, encouraging karst and cave development. The numerous caves and sinkholes in the Bahamas can reach depths of I 00 metres, representing the lowest sea level fi·om Pleistocene times. Today, the groundwater on many islands consists of a freshwater lens tloating on underlying sea water. Most of these islands contain much shallow water and swamps, some of them connected to fi·cshwater streams. Southern islands lack well-developed groundwater resources, although localized freshwater lenses do occur. Caicos island has the only standing fi·cshwatcr ponds, of which there arc seven. Literature from the eighteenth century rcp01t a large lagoon that ti:agmented as consequence of increased aridity ti·om land clearance (Keegan, 1993 ). The inland blue holes found in the Bahamas arc a unique type of cave ecosystem, with a layer of freshwater lying above a layer of salt water below. They were created during the icc ages, when sea levels were 400 feet lower and the Bahamas was a great exposed limestone platform. Stalactites and flowstonc present. within the caves were termed at these times when the caves were dry or above sea-level. Blue holes arc particularly abundant in the north of Andros Island, with other concentrations of blue holes occuring on Grand Bahama, Elcuthera and Mayaguana islands. Fauna tound in Blue Holes include Typhlatya shrimps, Cyprinodon variegats baconi, Lophogobius cyprinoids and Gambusia hubbi. lsopods of the genus Bahalana are endemic to the Bahamas with five species, originally described from Mount Misery Cave, Little Bay, Mayaguana Island, and later found in Duncan Pond Cave on Acklins Island. Tile Cuba Arclzipelago Ecoregiou: includes the island of Cuba, the Isla de Ia Juvcntud and 1,600 islets and cays. The island of Cuba is mostly tlat land rolling plains with mountain systems, such as the Sierra del Escambray, the western Sierra de los Organos and the rugged easterly Sierra Macstra. Much of the southern coast is low and marshy with wetland ecosystems. Cuba has over 200 rivers as well as small streams that arc dry in summer. The country's longest river is the Cauto. The highest point is the Pico Real del Turquino at 2,005 meters in the Sierra Macstra. The Sierra del Escambray mountain range in south central Cuba is characterized by rivers, watcrtalls and caves. Sierra de los Organoscontains many cave systems and underground rivers. Sierrn del Rosario mountain range has high pluviomctry and many waterfalls. Sierra Macstra is home to the headwaters of the area's most importnnt rivers, including El Cauto, Cautillo, Contrnmaestrc, Bayamo, Guisa and Guama, terming part of the extensive Cauto basin. In the southern purl of the Sicrrn, arc the dcltns of Mota and Macio. The Delta of the Cauto River is a biodiversity refuge and is a Ramsar site covering 61,700 hectares with extensive mangroves. It includes the Turquino Nacional Park and the Alejandro de Humboldt National Parle Wetlands can be tound throughout Cuba. They harbour a wide diversity of species including ducks, herons, gallinules and rails, many of which arc endemic to the island. The southern Zapata Peninsula and its surrounding areas contain extensive wetlands. The Cauto river flows into the Gulf of Guacanayabo in the cast of the island. The 48,000 hectares of the Cauto delta with its complex of estuaries and lagoons has been proposed as a Ramsar site. Cicnaga de Lanicron the Isle ofYouth consists of approximately 88,000 hectares of wetlands. The area also includes other habitats including semideciduous forest, freshwater coastal lagoons, mangroves, swamp grasses and small rivers. Humedal Rio Maximo-Cagi.icy is an extremely fragile marine-coastal ecosystem undergoing salinizntion. Located at the mouth of the rivers Maximo and Cagi.icy, with a number of keys in the shallow waters, this area is the largest nesting site tor flamingos in the Caribbean and is also a refuge for other migratory birds fi·om across the Americas. Large populations of American crocodile and Caribbean manatee, both vulnerable species, inhabit the Humcdal Rio Maximo-Cagiicy. 8 - 11 -