The infrastructure of the Center is also available to local organizations. Wetlands are one of the world's most productive ecosystems and also the most threatened. They shelter enormous quantities of unique plant and animal species, which in many cases, are in danger of extinction. Wetlands are essential for hydrological and ecological processes and play an important part in the subsistence of a large number of communities. Despite their importance, approximately one-third of the world's wetland areas have been drained during this century.
Wetlands are lakes, swamps, ponds, torrents, rivers, marshes, shores, estuaries, and mangrove areas.
They can be natural or artificial bodies, permanent or temporary, stagnant or running, fresh, brackish or salty, including shallow marine areas. Included are many habitat types, including coastal areas and even coral reefs. Written by Marvin Amador, Costa Rica Today 15 May 1997, posted here 16 June 1997, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.