Biodiversity in the area high due to the interactions of different environments - coastal lagoons, river estuaries, coral reefs, and barrier beaches.

[1][2][3] Mangroves cover most of the east-facing coast of Yucatan, from Cancun in the north to the east side of Chetumal Bay in the south on the border with Belize.

[4] In the north, there is a 50 km stretch of mangroves from Cancun to the town of Playa del Carmen, opposite the island of Cozumel.

Further south are the coastal lagoons of Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, around which are 23 archeological sites of the Maya civilization.

There have been 96 species of mammals recorded in the area, including the jaguar (Panthera onca), puma (Felis concolor), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), and manatee (Trichechus manatus).