Why is Tubbataha Reef a World Heritage Site?
In 1993, Tubbataha was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It was recognised as one of the Philippines’ oldest ecosystems, containing excellent examples of pristine reefs and a high diversity of marine life. It is also an important habitat for internationally threatened and endangered marine species.
What is the significance of the Tubbataha Reef?
The Tubbataha Reef is an important habitat sustaining a high diversity of marine life providing the Sulu Sea and eastern coastline of Palawan with fish and invertebrate larvae. In the late 1980s exploitative fishing and the use of massively destructive fishing methods threatened the ecosystem.
Do you consider Tubbataha Reefs as nature’s legacy to mankind?
Answer Expert Verified In a subjective tone, the Tubbataha Reefs is a truly a nature’s legacy for mankind. This uniqueness and beauty of the Tubbataha Reefs is even recognized by leading international organizations such as the New 7 Wonders of Nature organization and the UNESCO.
Is the Tubbataha Reef protected?
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is a marine protected area and world-renowned scuba diving site. It is home to more than 1,200 marine species, including sea grasses and algae, corals, sharks, rays, fishes, sea turtles, seabirds and marine mammals.
What happened to Tubbataha?
The USS Guardian minesweeper ran aground on the Tubbataha Reef, a Unesco World Heritage Site, in January 2013. It caused damage to more than 2,345 sq m (25,240 sq ft) of coral. The ship was eventually dismantled to avoid causing further damage.
What makes Tubbataha Reef beautiful?
It is a unique example of an atoll reef with a very high density of marine species; the North Islet serving as a nesting site for birds and marine turtles. The site is an excellent example of a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100-m perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons and two coral islands.
Who protects Tubbataha Reef?
The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (Philippines) has been officially designated as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA)—and an “area to be avoided”—by the International Maritime Organization.
How deep is Tubbataha Reef?
Average depth in this area is 65 feet (20 meters) and can reach to 200 feet (61 meters) deep. It has steep wall with overhangs, swim throughs and crevices. The reef top is covered with some beautiful hard corals and you can find sharks laying on the sandy area also you can see giant reef ray there.
How does the absence of mangroves affect the coral reef?
Answer: The destruction of mangrove forests in the coastal wetlands is drastically decreasing the amount of natural tannins in the water and thus subjecting the nearby coral reefs to undue UV radiation. In effect, the reefs are being sunburned and eventually coral bleaching occurs.
What is being done to protect coral reefs?
EPA protects coral reefs by implementing Clean Water Act programs that protect water quality in watersheds and coastal zones of coral reef areas. EPA also supports efforts to monitor and assess the condition of U.S. coral reefs, and conducts research into the causes of coral reef deterioration.
What happens if mangroves are destroyed?
The rate of mangrove loss is significantly higher than the loss of any other types of forests. If deforestation of mangroves continues, it can lead to severe losses of biodiversity and livelihoods, in addition to salt intrusion in coastal areas and siltation of coral reefs, ports and shipping lanes.
What will happen if destruction of coral reefs continues?
If the rest go, the consequences would be dire. Sea life has the most to lose. Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor. Without reefs, billions of sea life species would suffer, millions of people would lose their most significant food source, and economies would take a major hit.
What is killing the coral reefs?
Despite their importance, warming waters, pollution, ocean acidification, overfishing, and physical destruction are killing coral reefs around the world. Genetics is also becoming a larger area of coral research, giving scientists hope they might one day restore reefs with more heat tolerant coral.
What would happen if the oceans died?
What the great majority of people do not understand is this: unless we stop the degradation of our oceans, marine ecological systems will begin collapsing and when enough of them fail, the oceans will die. And if the oceans die, then civilization collapses and we all die.
Is ocean life dying?
“Global warming, combined with the negative impacts of numerous other human activities, is devastating our ocean, with alarming declines in fish stocks, the death of our reefs, and sea level rise that could displace hundreds of millions of people.”
What will the ocean look like in 2050?
By 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans. We live on a blue planet; the world’s oceans cover three quarters of the Earth. (30 to 40% of the carbon dioxide from human activity released into the atmosphere dissolves into oceans, resulting in the creation of carbonic acid.)