This paper describes the unique natural communities and biodiversity of the upwelling coastal system along the Guajira peninsula in the southern Caribbean Sea. The Guajira peninsula has a small human population with limited infrastructure and limited opportunities for coastal research, yet its coastal upwelling system is unique in the Tropical Western Atlantic region. This report includes both field observations along with a review of literature on the biodiversity of coastal eastern Guajira. In addition, it identifies missing information on the coastal system that is key to its management and conservation. Mangrove wetlands along with submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) communities in a combination of consolidated and unconsolidated shorelines (e.g., rocky shores, cliffs, and beaches) form unique habitats in eastern Guajira. The diversity of these habitats is illustrated with the Bahia Hondita marine lagoon, where critical nursery habitat for several commercial valuable and endangered fisheries species, including sharks and sea turtles, is observed. Less information is available on more cryptic fauna, invertebrates, and coastal plankton species. Several anthropogenic factors are threatening species diversity in coastal Guajira, including overgrazing, mining, and target-species overfishing. Additional threats, such as extreme weather events (e.g., storms and droughts) as well as changes in coastal water quality, are also impacting species. The protection of the Guajira’s biodiversity would depend on local communities’ governance and empowerment as well as law enforcement for mining and agriculture operations. Management plans can include reducing land-based sources of pollution and building coastal resilience for climate change.

中文翻译：

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邻近瓜希拉半岛的南加勒比海上升流海岸系统的生物多样性

本文描述了加勒比海南部瓜希拉半岛沿岸上升流海岸系统的独特自然群落和生物多样性。Guajira 半岛人口稀少，基础设施有限，沿海研究机会有限，但其沿海上升流系统在热带西大西洋地区是独一无二的。本报告包括实地观察以及对瓜希拉东部沿海生物多样性文献的回顾。此外，它还确定了沿海系统的缺失信息，这对其管理和保护至关重要。红树林湿地以及固结和松散海岸线（例如，岩石海岸、悬崖和海滩）组合中的沉水水生植被 (SAV) 群落在瓜希拉东部形成了独特的栖息地。Bahia Hondita 海洋泻湖说明了这些栖息地的多样性，在那里观察到几种具有商业价值和濒危渔业物种（包括鲨鱼和海龟）的重要苗圃栖息地。关于更隐蔽的动物群、无脊椎动物和沿海浮游生物物种的信息较少。一些人为因素正在威胁沿海瓜希拉的物种多样性，包括过度放牧、采矿和目标物种过度捕捞。其他威胁，例如极端天气事件（例如风暴和干旱）以及沿海水质的变化，也在影响物种。Guajira 生物多样性的保护将取决于当地社区的治理和赋权以及采矿和农业经营的执法。