×
A
A
A
Settings

Kiribati's Phoenix Islands Protected Area - one of world's largest intact oceanic coral archipelago ecosystems protected by UNESCO

Baku, October 19, AZERTAC

The Phoenix Islands Protected Area (408,250 sq km), the largest marine protected area in the Pacific, is globally exceptional and as such is a superlative natural phenomenon of global importance.
The property contains an outstanding collection of large submerged volcanoes, presumed extinct, rising direct from the extensive deep sea floor with an average depth of more than 4,500 metres and a maximum depth of over 6,000 metres. Included are no less than 14 recognised seamounts, submerged mountains that don't penetrate to the surface.
Moreover, the area contains approximately 800 known species of fauna, including about 200 coral species, 500 fish species, 18 marine mammals and 44 bird species.
The essentially pristine environment is home to the spectacle of large groups of charismatic aquatic animals, including bumphead parrotfish, Napolean wrasse, surgeonfishes, parrotfishes, groupers, maori wrasse, sharks, turtles, dolphins, manta rays, giant clams, which are rarely found elsewhere in the world.
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010, the Phoenix Islands Protected Area is the first site in Kiribati to be included on the World Heritage List.

 

Culture 2022-10-19 16:55:00