Why is the New Caledonia reef important?
Protecting healthy islands and reefs Considered among the last unspoiled sites on the planet, they are part of the territory’s ocean legacy. Scientists have shown that the reefs of New Caledonia have a much greater biomass of fish and density of sharks than do 63 other sites in 17 Pacific islands.
Where is New Caledonian Barrier Reef?
South Pacific
The New Caledonian barrier reef is located in New Caledonia in the South Pacific, and is the longest continuous barrier reef in the world and the third largest after the Great Barrier Reef of Australia and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.
What happened to the corals in New Caledonia?
Marine biologists are crossing their fingers after New Caledonia’s coral reef, a UN-inscribed natural wonder of the world, was hit by bleaching this year. Bleaching—when corals turn pale after tropical seas dramatically warm—has been the prelude to a catastrophic die-out in many parts of the world.
What caused the death of the coral reefs in New Caledonia?
A number of factors—from water pollution to disease—can irritate corals, causing them to expel the colored algae known as zooxanthellae that they live with symbiotically. The corals in the New Caledonia Barrier Reef have been lucky by most measures—a drop in local temperatures has allowed many of them to recover.
Where is the best coral reef in the world?
The 15 Most Beautiful Coral Reefs In The World
- Great Barrier Reef – Australia. Natural Feature.
- New Caledonia Barrier Reef – New Caledonia.
- Red Sea Coral Reef – Red Sea.
- Rainbow Reef – Fiji.
- Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.
- Raja Ampat – Indonesia.
- Palancar Reef – Cozumel, Mexico.
- Great Chagos Archipelago – Indian Ocean.
What Colour does coral turn when it dies?
What is coral bleaching? Coral bleaching happens when corals lose their vibrant colors and turn white.
How big is the Barrier Reef in New Caledonia?
Ecology. The reef systems of New Caledonia are considered to be the second largest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, the longest continuous barrier reef in the world with a length of 1.600 km and its lagoon, the largest in the world with an area of 24.000 square kilometers.
Are there any coral reefs in New Caledonia?
The barrier reefs and atolls in New Caledonia form one of the three most extensive reef systems in the world, and together with the reefs of Fiji, are the most significant coral reefs in Oceania.
When did New Caledonia become a World Heritage Site?
In January 2002, the French government proposed listing New Caledonia’s reefs as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO listed New Caledonia barrier reef on the World Heritage List under the name The Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems on 7 July 2008.
How many lagoons are there in New Caledonia?
This serial site comprises six marine clusters that represent the main diversity of coral reefs and associated ecosystems in the French Pacific Ocean archipelago of New Caledonia and one of the three most extensive reef systems in the world. These Lagoons are of exceptional natural beauty.