Belize Barrier Reef

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Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Brain coral off the coast of Belize.
State Party Flag of Belize Belize
Type Natural
Criteria vii, ix, x
Reference 764
Region† Latin America and the Caribbean
Inscription history
Inscription 1996  (20th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
† Region as classified by UNESCO.
Belize Barrier Reef
IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
The Barrier Reef is clearly visible along the Belizean coast.
The Barrier Reef is clearly visible along the Belizean coast.
Location Belize
Nearest city Belize City, Belize
Coordinates 17°18′56″N 87°32′4″W / 17.31556, -87.53444

The Belize Barrier Reef is a series of coral reefs straddling the coast of Belize, roughly 300 m (0.2 mile) offshore in the north and 40 km (25 mile) in the south within the country limits. The Belize Barrier Reef is a 300 km (185 miles) section of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System which is continuous from Cancun on the northeast tip of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and continues through to offshore Guatemala, making it the second largest coral reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It is Belize's top tourist destination, attracting almost half of its 260,000 visitors, and vital to its fishing industry [1].

Charles Darwin described it as "the most remarkable reef in the West Indies" in 1842.

Contents

[edit] Species

The Belize Barrier Reef is home to a large diversity of plants and animals, one of the most diverse ecosystems of the world:

With 90% of the reef still needing to be researched, it is estimated that only 10% of all species has been discovered [2].

[edit] Environmental protection

A large portion of the reef is protected by the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, which includes seven marine reserves, 450 cays, and three atolls. It totals 960 km² (370 miles²) in area, including:

Because of its exceptional natural beauty, significant on-going ecological and biological processes, and it contains the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity (criteria VII, IX, and X), the Reserve System has been designated as a World Heritage Site since 1996.

Despite these protective measures, the reef is under threat from oceanic pollution, uncontrolled tourism, shipping, and fishing. Hurricanes, global warming, and the resulting increase in ocean temperatures are a particularly significant threat [3], causing coral bleaching. It is claimed by scientists that over 40% of Belize's coral reef has been damaged since 1998 [4].

[edit] References

  1. ^ BBC News - 12 June 2006
  2. ^ Belize Barrier Reef Case Study
  3. ^ BBC News - 4 May, 2000
  4. ^ BBC News - 12 June 2006

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
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National Parks, Natural reserves, and Wildlife sanctuaries in Belize

Bacalar Chico · Burdon Canal Nature Reserve · Blue Hole National Park · Great Blue Hole · Caracol · Chiquibul National Park · Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary · Columbia River Forest Reserve · Community Baboon Sanctuary · Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary · Five Blues Lake National Park · Glover's Reef Marine Reserve · Guanacaste National Park · Half Moon Caye Natural Monument · Hol Chan Marine Reserve · Laughing Bird Caye · Marco Gonzales · Mexico Rocks · Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve · Payne's Creek National Park · Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area · Shark Ray Alley · Shipstern Nature Reserve · Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary · Turneffe Atoll

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