Country: Turks-Caicos Is.
Administrative region: Middle Caicos (Island)
Central co-ordinates: 21.84237 N, 71.83479 W
Area: 5.24km²
A(i)Site contains one or more globally threatened species, B(ii)Site contains an exceptional number of species of high conservation importance, B(iii)Site contains an exceptional number of socially, economically or culturally valuable species, C(iii)Site contains nationally threatened or restricted habitat or vegetation types, AND/OR habitats that have severely declined in extent nationally
This site qualifies as a TIPA due to being one of the five best sites for the threatened orchid Encyclia caicensis. It also meets the thresholds for both criterion B(ii) and (iii), due to having 10 species (greater than or equal to 20%) from the list of species of high conservation importance and 28 species (greater than or equal to 15%) from the list of socially, culturally or economically valued species. This site qualifies under criterion C(iii) for threatened habitats, due to being one of the five best sites for the coastal scrub and ironshore habitats.
This TIPA is situated at the north-western end of Middle Caicos and encompasses the entirety of Crossing Place, including Juniper Hole and Indian Cave, and extends along the coast as far as Mudjin Harbour, encompassing the north-eastern part of Fish Ponds.
This site is one of the five best sites in Turks and Caicos for the threatened orchid Encyclia caicensis. Species of high conservation importance found at this site include Agave inaguensis, Chromolaena Lucayan and Encyclia inaguensis. This site is exceptionally botanically rich, being the TIPA with the second highest number of socially, culturally or economically valuable species in the network. The site supports species such as Guiacum sanctum, Coccothrinax inaguensis, Mammillaria nivosa, Bursera simaruba and four of the five native Encyclia orchids. Other interesting botanical features include a population of the bromeliad Wittmackia lingualata, very rare in TCI, which grows at the top of Indian Cave.
This TIPA consists largely of scrubland and coastal scrub, with additional large areas of limestone thicket, palustrine marsh and swamp and coastal coppice. On the north-eastern coastal side of the TIPA, there are areas of herbaceous dune and iron-shore. The coastal area around Juniper Hole is one of the five best sites for the ironshore habitat, which consists of weathered coastal limestone which forms large spikes. This site is also one of the five best sites in Turks and Caicos for coastal scrub, which occurs on limestone or sandy coastal ridges. Here, the coastal scrub is dwarfed and includes large dunes covered in dune grass.
Part of this TIPA is recognized as an area of outstanding natural beauty and is designated under planning ordinance as a nature reserve. However, there remain pressures from development within the area. Other threats include the impact of severe storms and also fires.
Bryan Naqqi Manco, Department for Environment and Coastal Resources, Turks and Caicos Government
Junel Blaise, Department for Environment and Coastal Resources, Turks and Caicos Government
Dodly Propser, Department for Environment and Coastal Resources, Turks and Caicos Government
Amy Barker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Sara Bárrios, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Elloise Budd, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Stuart Cable, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Colin Clubbe, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Marcella Corcoran, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Thomas Heller, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Juan Viruel, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Tim Wilkinson, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Date of first assessment: 14th Feb 2025
Species | Qualifying sub-criterion | ≥ 1% of global population | ≥ 5% of national population | 1 of 5 best sites nationally | Entire global population | Socio-economically important | Abundance at site |
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Encyclia caicensis | A(i) | ![]() |
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Encyclia caicensis
Habitat | Qualifying sub-criterion | ≥ 5% of national resource | ≥ 10% of national resource | 1 of 5 best sites nationally | Areal coverage at site |
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Ironshore | C(iii) | ![]() |
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Ironshore
General site habitat | Percent coverage | Importance |
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Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Sand Dunes | ![]() |
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Caves and Subterranean Habitats (non-aquatic) - Caves | ![]() |
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Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry Shrubland | ![]() |
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Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes | ![]() |
Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Sand Dunes
Caves and Subterranean Habitats (non-aquatic) - Caves
Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry Shrubland
Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes
Threat | Severity | Timing |
---|---|---|
Residential & commercial development - Tourism & recreation areas | Medium | Ongoing - increasing |
Climate change & severe weather - Storms & flooding | High | Ongoing - increasing |
Natural system modifications - Fire & fire suppression | Medium | Past, likely to return |
Residential & commercial development - Tourism & recreation areas
Climate change & severe weather - Storms & flooding
Natural system modifications - Fire & fire suppression
Bryan Naqqi Manco, Junel Blaise, Dodly Propser, Amy Barker, Sara Bárrios, Elloise Budd, Stuart Cable, Colin Clubbe, Marcella Corcoran, Thomas Heller, Juan Viruel, Tim Wilkinson (2025) Tropical Important Plant Areas Explorer: Crossing Place (Turks-Caicos Is.). https://tipas.kew.org/site/crossing-place/ (Accessed on 20/06/2025)