From the estuary of the Amazon in Brazil as far as the Cayenne peninsular in French Guiana there are a large number of wetlands lying behind the mangrove forests in dips formed in the alluvial sea deposits from the Amazon. They make up a series of aquatic (marsh) ecosystems* characterised by very different species populations. These differences result from the history of the biological colonisation of these environments and from the capacity of the animal and plant species to spread. The presence of man is virtually unfelt in these marshes and they are of very great bio-ecological value thanks to their originality, ecological riches, and patchwork of habitats they provide across the region. They have been colonised by specific plants suited to growing in peaty soils that are regularly waterlogged, and are home to many rare animals of significant heritage value* who live there either all year round or on a seasonal basis. Their biological riches are unanimously recognised be it locally, nationally, or internationally. Nevertheless, these marshes and their biodiversity* are relatively little-known, both in French Guiana and Brazil, due to their inaccessibility and the low level of funding the scientific community has to study, preserve, and enhance them. The Kaw marshes, a unique site of international importance The Kaw marshes constitute a set of ecologically remarkable habitats amongst the stagnant and semi-stagnant aquatic ecosystems along the coast of Frenc......