In the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, a brackish lagoon system on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, human-induced changes in the hydrological system caused hypersalinisation of the soils. As a result, 30 000 ha of originally 51 000 ha of the mangrove forests growing in the lagoon's flood plain died. Presently, efforts are being made to reestablish the original hydrological system. Reforestation of the bare areas is planned with the three dominating mangrove species Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa and Rhizophora mangle