[4] The lagoon is connected to the ocean by only two narrow inlets, so the tidal range – which is already minor in this part of the Gulf of Mexico – is negligible.

[4] Oceanographically, the Laguna Madre is considered a hypersaline lagoon; this indicates that it is usually much saltier than the ocean, due to being nearly landlocked in a semiarid environment.

[4] According to the National Biodiversity Information System of Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO) in Laguna Madre and Delta del Río Bravo Flora and Fauna Protection Area there are over 1,515 plant and animal species from which 72 are in at risk category and 51 are exotics.

[2] It includes some of the best-preserved areas in the Mexican portion of the pastizal, and serves as a wildlife corridor for large mammals like jaguar, ocelot, oncillo, puma, and lynx.

[1] The 1.4 million acres (5,700 km2) under legal protection are in the municipalities of Matamoros, San Fernando and Soto la Marina, in the state of Tamaulipas.