Belize Barrier Reef

Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	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.
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. It extends for about 300 km (185 miles), 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.

Species

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

• 70 hard coral species
• 36 soft coral species
• 500 species of fish
• hundreds of invertebrate species

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

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:

• Glover's Reef Marine Reserve
• Great Blue Hole
• Half Moon Caye Natural Monument
• Hol Chan Marine Reserve
• Cays include: Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, Caye Chapel, St. George's Caye, English Caye, Rendezvous Caye, Gladden Caye, Ranguana Caye, Long Caye, Maho Caye, Blackbird Caye, Three Coner Caye.

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].

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

External links

• UNESCO World Heritage website
• UNEP-WCMC Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System
• Belize Tourism Board official website

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