evidence: Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve (SCMR) is the most southern of the marine protected areas in Belize, and encompasses the southernmost tip of the Belize Barrier Reef. The reserve covers an area of 321,623.5 acres (approximately 130,156 ha) and contains fourteen palm-fringed sand or mangrove cayes, fringe reefs, natural lagoons, and key spawning aggregation sites (SPAGs). [...] Ecosystem Importance – The reserve forms part of the Southern Belize Barrier Reef Complex (SBBRC), one of the 17 barrier reef regions that compose the Mesoamerican Reef System. The reef system is home to more than 65 species of stony coral, 350 species of mollusk and more than 500 species of fish (1). There are numerous species that live in or around the reef system that are endangered or under some degree of protection, including the following: sea turtles (green sea turtle, loggerhead sea turtle, leatherback turtle, and the hawksbill turtle), the queen conch, the West Indian manatee, the splendid toadfish, the American crocodile, the Morelet’s crocodile, the Nassau grouper, elkhorn coral, and black coral.