Pitons Management Area, Saint Lucia

This site is located in the southwestern part of the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. The core protection area covers 29 km². Pyton Mitta Ridge connects two volcanic plugs (770 and 743 m above sea level) The volcanic topography area includes geothermal fields, sulphur fumaroles, and springs. Coral reefs account for nearly 60% of the water area, and the reefs are inhabited by 160 species of finfish, 60 species of cnidarians, several types of coral, 8 species of molluscs, 14 species of sponges, 11 species of echinoderms, 15 species of arthropods, and eight species of insects. The main vegetation type on the land is tropical rainforest, which gradually transitions to sub-tropical rainforests and small-scale dryland forests and then to dwarf forests at the tops of the mountains.