The Chiriquí - Azuero region stretches along almost half of the southwestern coast of Panama. Of all the mangroves found on the Pacific Coast of Central America, the mangrove forests which fringe this coast are considered the most healthy and diverse as well as the most critically threatened. The core zone of this landscape is Coiba Island, the largest island in the Pacific of Central America and one of the biggest marine parks of the world. The island is mainly forested and is home to at least 4 endemic species of birds and mammals and refuge for the scarlet macaw. The excellent conservation status of the island is mainly due to the establishment, in 1919, of a penal colony. However, the colony is scheduled to close at the end of this year and the future protected status of Coiba is unclear.