Coral Triangle
The Coral Triangle is a marine area extending from the islands of the Solomon Islands in the east on the north coast of New Guinea to the Lesser Sunda Islands to the west and past the east coast of Borneo to the Philippines in the north. It is one of the areas with the highest biodiversity ( biological diversity) in the sea at all, and covers an area of 5.7 million square kilometers, which is about half the size of the United States of America. Besides coral reefs, extensive seagrass meadows can be found here and on the coasts often mangrove forests.
- 2.1 Gallery of reefs at Liquiçá and Metinaro ( East Timor)
Importance and protection
On the islands of the region more than 150 million people. For about 2.25 million fishers of fish wealth is the basis for their survival. 88 % of coral reefs in Southeast Asia are considered at risk, for example by over-fishing and dynamite fishing, with particularly the Indonesian fishing industry is coming under fire. The catch and trade of live fish yielded 2002, an estimated income of 810 million U.S. dollars. Another problem is the phenomenon of coral bleaching. The touristic importance of the area is also not to be underestimated. The region offers with its colorful wildlife many attractive diving areas. Through tourism but damage can also occur.
Since the 1980s, WWF promotes the exploration of the region and regional projects in cooperation with local governments and fishermen's associations to find the best way of economic use. The WWF is trying to achieve when fishing the switch to environmentally friendly and resource-saving methods. This begins with the restricting of overfishing and continue the fight against uncontrolled and illegal fishing. From fishing primarily to the inhabitants of the islands in the region have a benefit. The goal is a functioning management of fishing quotas and the formation of marine protected areas in order to secure long-term biodiversity. Another focus has thrown to the conservation of marine turtles of the WWF.
In Bali, the Conservancy 's Coral Triangle Center (CTC ) was established in 2000, is to establish a network of protected areas in the Coral Triangle to create the kinds of retreat and relaxation rooms. The CTC operates this active labor in the construction of the protected areas, provides technical assistance (for example in the study ) and attempts to influence politics. Through information sessions and collaboration with various media and the local population is aware of the problem of marine protection. In Indonesia, worked closely with the National Committee for Conservation. The committee is working out policy proposals on fisheries management and marine protected areas. The CTC is providing technical and operational support. In September 2007, was also founded by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ), from 21 countries of the Coral Triangle Initiative ( CTI) to better protect the resources of the sea. With the WWF Coral Triangle Program, founded in 2008, WWF supports the CTI.
The CTC has focused its work on several ecoregions. In Indonesia, these are the Vogelkop Peninsula (New Guinea ), the small Sunda Islands and Sulawesi, Papua New Guinea, the Bismarck Sea and the Solomon Islands together with the Solomon Islands and the region of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia West Borneo. These regions are characterized by a particularly high diversity of species on the reefs.
Existing and proposed protected areas
The Komodo National Park has a sea area of 1817 square kilometers adjacent to 603 square kilometers land area. In the waters around the islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar 1,000 species of fish, 260 species of hard coral, 70 different sponges, 17 whale and dolphin species and two species of sea turtles. The country is known due to the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard in the world. Since the beginning of the protective measures that dynamite fishing was stopped and the surface covered with corals grew by 60 %.
The Wakatobi National Park is the largest marine national park in Indonesia. This work WWF and CTC together.
The Raja Ampat Islands have about 40,000 square kilometers, 1,074 species of fish and a huge variety of hard corals. There are probably as many different corals in no other place in the world. Currently, one counts 537 species.
The Derawaninseln on the coast of the Indonesian province of Kalimantan Timur have many coral reefs and hundreds of manta rays. In addition to its beaches, the green turtle nests and live in a unique saltwater lake four endemic jellyfish. The River Berau also ensures a wide diversity in the coastal waters. A reserve is here in planning.
The Kimbe Bay in Papua New Guinea has large coral reefs and is home to about 800 species of fish and 350 species of hard corals. Here you will find whales and dolphins, large schools of tuna and sharks. With a protection program that includes a network of protected areas, supporting local NGOs and educating the population about the need for protective measures, the CIC is trying to counter the threat posed by a rapidly growing population and destructive forms of fishing. First municipal protected areas have been established with the help of CIC.
The Solomon Islands consist of 922 islands and among the top ten countries with the world's greatest biodiversity. 2004 were identified and several additional hitherto unknown species possibly in a study 494 species of coral. With the Solomon Islands Government is currently working on a protection program.
On 27 July 2007 the Nino Konis Santana National Park was founded by East Timor, which is also 556 square kilometers, sea area under protection.
Fauna
With 600 species living in the area 75 % of all known corals. Among the 3,000 different species of fish in the region are prominent representatives such as clown fish, coelacanths, and the largest fish in the world, the whale shark. From high economic interest are the occurrence of yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna and skipjack tuna. 50 % of global tuna fisheries come from here. Six of the seven world's living marine turtles have their nesting areas here.
Here you find numerous species of sea snails, sea snakes, dugongs and several whale and dolphin species such as the humpback whale.
Gallery of reefs at Liquiçá and Metinaro ( East Timor)
Tree - Soft Coral
Nudibranch ( Nembrotha kubaryana )
Christmas tree worm ( Spirobranchus giganteus)
Parrotfish
Ornate Ghost Pipefish ( Solenostomus paradoxus )
False Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris )
Weißaugenmuräne ( Gymnothorax thrysoideus )
Swell
- The Nature Conservancy - Coral Triangle Center
- WWF Coral Triangle - Home to the world 's most abundant variety of corals and sea life
- WWF Coral Triangle Program