https://tryout.nlbif.nl/resource?r=sxm_1 Checklist of terrestrial and marine species of Sint Maarten, Dutch Caribbean Roxanne-Liana Francisca

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rlmtfranci@gmail.com Stéphane Mariampillai-Bousquet

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stephane.mariampillai@gmail.com Leslie Hickerson Nature Foundation Sint Maarten Director

Cole Bay SX

director@naturefoundationsxm.org 2026-09-14 eng Checklist compiling species of all taxa recorded and observed by the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten from a selection of research and management activities in Sint Maarten and its waters up till 2026. This checklist includes both native and introduced species, providing a broad representation of the island’s biodiversity. Checklist GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type_2015-07-10.xml Inventoryregional GBIF Dataset Subtype Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_subtype.xml This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC-BY-NC 4.0) License. Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International https://spdx.org/licenses/CC-BY-NC-4.0.html CC-BY-NC-4.0 This checklist compiles species records collected through studies conducted across terrestrial and marine environments within the territorial boundaries of Sint Maarten, on the Dutch side of the island of Saint Martin. -63.333 -62.937 18.065 17.806 All observations were identified to their subspecies, species or genus level. class Holothuroidea phylum Arthropoda class Hydrozoa class Anthozoa - Octocorallia kingdom Chromista phylum Annelida class Polychaeta class Polypodiopsida class Florideophyceae class Phaeophyceae class Arachnida phylum Chordata phylum Cyanobacteriophyta phylum Rhodophyta class Liliopsida class Aves class Reptilia class Bivalvia class Diplopoda class Mammalia phylum Chlorophyta class Anthozoa class Maxillopoda class Gastropoda class Cyanophyceae phylum Echinodermata phylum Mollusca class Demospongiae phylum Tracheophyta phylum Porifera class Globothalamea kingdom Plantae kingdom Animalia class Magnoliopsida phylum Bryoza class Actinopterygii class Anthozoa - Hexacorallia class Insecta class Gymnolaemata class Elasmobranchii class Ulvophyceae class Echinoidea class Polyplacophora phylum Foraminifera phylum Ochrophyta class Scyphozoa class Cephalopoda class Ophiuroidea class Malacostraca class Asteroidea phylum Cnidaria The aim of this checklist is to provide a comprehensive overview of the species observed across the terrestrial and marine habitats of Sint Maarten. Island ecosystems are characterized by high levels of endemism and a remarkable diversity of unique biological adaptations. However, this biodiversity is increasingly threatened by anthropogenic pressures and the resulting degradation and loss of natural habitats. Due to their restricted geographic ranges and often isolated populations, island species are particularly vulnerable to population declines and extinction. It is therefore essential to document and monitor island biodiversity comprehensively, both to improve our understanding of these ecosystems and to ensure that species and their habitats receive appropriate protection and effective conservation measures.Sint Maarten is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, occupying the southern portion of the island of Saint Martin in the Lesser Antilles. The rapid expansion of the tourism industry has driven significant urbanisation and associated development, often outpacing efforts to adequately document, monitor and protect the island’s wildlife and natural ecosystems. The non-governmental organization, the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten, was founded in 1997 to improve the conditions through the conservation, management, and restoration of Sint Maarten’s natural ecosystems and wildlife.The Nature Foundation Sint Maarten has undertaken a range of research and ecosystem management activities aimed at documenting the species present on the island and assessing the condition and ecological health of its ecosystems. These activities have encompassed both terrestrial and marine environments and have documented a diverse range of native and introduced species. This checklist was compiled using species records obtained through these research and monitoring activities. Its primary objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of the species documented in Sint Maarten and to support evidence-based decision-making for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management and the protection of the island’s natural heritage. The checklist encompasses terrestrial and marine species across all major taxonomic groups and includes both native and introduced species. The dataset incorporates records from all studies conducted by the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten up to and including 2026, in which observational data on species presence and abundance were collected. The creation and dissemination of this comprehensive checklist of species recorded in Sint Maarten was made possible through funding provided by the Netherlands Biodiversity Information Facility, NL-BIF. We gratefully acknowledge the valuable contributions of VROMI, project CORENA (Laetitia Mathon, Sabrine Brismeur, Gaia Piccaluga, Grace Bregenzer and Liesel Tijn), Kevel Lindsay, Mark Yokoyama, Margot Mesnard, Natalia Collier, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean Sint Maarten, as well as all staff members and interns whose research and dedication have contributed significantly to advancing our understanding of the biodiversity and species of Sint Maarten. notPlanned Nature Foundation Sint Maarten

Cole Bay SX

info@naturefoundationsxm.org https://naturefoundationsxm.org/ Leslie Hickerson Nature Foundation Sint Maarten Director

Sint Maarten SX

director@naturefoundationsxm.org NA The study area encompassed all terrestrial and marine habitats within the Dutch side of the island of Saint Martin (Sint Maarten). Species observations recorded within the French side of the island were excluded from the dataset and are therefore not represented in this checklist. The checklist contains species recorded as observations during the studies. To ensure the accuracy of observed species, experts and identification guides were consulted. Field work was carried out in groups to ensure more reliability in data recording. Stéphane Mariampillai-Bousquet editor Roxanne-Liana Francisca editor Compiling a species checklist of all taxa recorded by the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten from a selection of research and management activities in Sint Maarten and its waters up till 2026. This project was funded by the nlbif Recorded species were observations in various terrestrial and marine habitats within the borders of Sint Maarten. All recorded observations were compiled up till 2026. 2026-09-04T22:43:41.740+00:00 dataset Mariampillai-Bousquet S, Francisca R, Hickerson L (2026). Checklist of terrestrial and marine species of Sint Maarten, Dutch Caribbean. Version 1.0. Checklist dataset. https://tryout.nlbif.nl/resource?r=sxm_1&v=1.0 http://ipt.nlbif.nl/resources/logo_NatureFoundationSXM_FullColor.png