Belize Barrier Reef

Infobox World Heritage Site
WHS = Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System


State Party = BLZ
Type = Natural
Criteria = vii, ix, x
ID = 764
Region = Latin America and the Caribbean
Year = 1996
Session = 20th
Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/764Infobox_protected_area | name = Belize Barrier Reef
iucn_category = IV

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caption = The Barrier Reef is clearly visible along the Belizean coast.
base_width = 200
locator_x =
locator_y =
location = Belize
nearest_city = Belize City, Belize
lat_degrees = 17
lat_minutes = 18
lat_seconds = 56
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 87
long_minutes = 32
long_seconds = 4
long_direction = W
area =
established =
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body =

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 mile) long section of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is continuous from Cancun on the northeast tip of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico 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. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5064870.stm BBC News - 12 June 2006] ]

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

pecies

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 speciesWith 90% of the reef still needing to be researched, it is estimated that only 10% of all species has been discovered. [ [http://www.westminster.edu/staff/athrock/BELIZE/Reef.html Belize Barrier Reef Case Study] ]

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 [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/735941.stm BBC News - 4 May, 2000] ] , causing coral bleaching. It is claimed by scientists that over 40% of Belize's coral reef has been damaged since 1998. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5064870.stm BBC News - 12 June 2006] ]

References

External links

* [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/764 UNESCO World Heritage website]
* [http://www.unep-wcmc.org/protected_areas/data/wh/reef.html UNEP-WCMC Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System]
* [http://www.travelbelize.org/ Belize Tourism Board official website]