Belize barrier reef. Belize Barrier Reef in North America: description, features and interesting facts Ecology and conservation tasks
Where is the Belize Barrier Reef located? along the coast of Belize at a distance of 13 - 24 km
Geography of the Belize Barrier Reef
Located in the Atlantic Ocean, the Belize Barrier Reef is included in the list of objects included in the natural heritage of the Earth. It is the second most important reef in all the oceans and second only to the Great Barrier Reef. Its main part is located in the territorial waters of Belize. On its area there are three atolls and 450 shoals and islets.
The Belize Barrier Reef is protected by UNESCO. The maximum negative impact on the reef is associated with a hurricane that occurred in 1998. As a result, 48% of corals were lost. Now the reef is gradually recovering.
The reef is a good place for divers. This is facilitated not only by the most beautiful seascapes, but also by warm sea water, the temperature of which during the year is in the range of 23-28 °C. Up to 130,000 tourists go here every year to see with their own eyes all the diversity of life on the ocean reef. That is why there are a large number of diving centers and dive equipment rental centers on the coast along the reefs. San Pedro is the most convenient settlement for those who want to go to the reef.
What can you see when going to the reef
The reef ecosystem consists of a colossal number of living organisms: hard corals, soft corals, fish, invertebrates, sea turtles, crocodiles, manatees.
Reef - an area on which there are several reserves and protected areas. Here are the main ones:
- Glovers Reef - marine reserve;
- The Great Blue Hole is a large natural cavity;
- Half Moon Key is a natural monument. Flocks of almost a hundred species of birds nest here. Among them there are very rare ones, which include the red booby;
- Hol Chan is another marine reserve.
Belize City itself is worth a visit.
The Belize Barrier Reef has been on the World Heritage List since 1996. It has the same important status as Machu Piccha, the Grand Canyon and other famous natural monuments. What are the reasons to consider the reef a unique landmark of the planet?
The Belize Barrier Reef is the largest in the Western Hemisphere and the second largest coral reef in the world. It is a group of reefs, consisting of hundreds of shoals and islets. The group also includes 3 coral atolls. These are ring-shaped reefs with beautiful lagoons. The reef stretches along the sea coast of Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula.
Its length is 300 kilometers. The area of seven protected water areas is 960 sq. km. km.
The coral reef ecosystem is very diverse and at the same time extremely fragile. A quarter of all existing marine animals and plants live in this corner of the ocean. There are hundreds of species of soft and hard corals and fish. Belize reef sheltered the rarest animals that are on the verge of extinction. Among them: green and big-headed sea turtles, sharp-snouted crocodile, hawksbill turtle and manatee.
Biodiversity:
- 70 types of hard corals
- 36 types of soft corals
- 500 kinds of fish
- hundreds of species of invertebrates
At the same time, according to scientists, only 10% of the species diversity of the reef has been discovered.
The biggest threat to reef life systems comes from marine pollution., uncontrolled tourism and fishing using cyanide. Scientists warn that if the situation is not changed, then in just 20-40 years 70% of the planet's corals will disappear. For this reason, the reef was taken under the protection of UNESCO.
Underwater panorama near the Barrier Reef
According to experts, today the Belize Barrier Reef is recognized as one of the few places on the planet that have preserved almost pristine nature.
For diving enthusiasts, the warm waters of the Belize Reef are the best place to be.
Another attraction of this corner of nature is the Blue Hole. It is located on Lighthouse Reef and is protected by the World Heritage Organization. The pioneer of this beautiful underwater corner is the French explorer of the underwater world, Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The blue hole is a sinkhole of dark blue water surrounded by living coral.
The diameter of the funnel reaches 300 m. Its depth is more than 100 m.
Underwater walk deep into the funnel only for professional scuba divers. Beginners in diving can have an unforgettable experience swimming in the clearest waters at the edge of the Blue Hole.
Just six kilometers from the reef, to the southeast, is the Hol Chen Underwater Park. The area of the reserve is 8 sq. kilometers.
Another attraction of those places is an island called Half Moon Key. The ridge of the island is covered with amazing soft corals.
The island itself has become home to hundreds of bird species. Half Moon Key is also protected by the World Heritage Convention.
Photo
Coordinates : 17°15′45″ N. sh. 88°03′10″ W d. / 17.26250° N sh. 88.05278° W d. / 17.26250; -88.05278(G) (I)
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Belize Barrier Reef- a chain of coral reefs 280 km long, running along the coast of Belize at a distance of 13 - 24 km from it. It is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, stretching for 900 km from the northern tip of Yucatan to the coast of Guatemala. This reef system is the largest barrier reef in the Atlantic Ocean and the second largest in the world after Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Tourism
The Belize Barrier Reef is the main tourist attraction of Belize, it is visited by up to 130 thousand tourists a year. The reef is also important from a fishing point of view. The seabed between the reef and the mainland is sandy, in some places there are islands overgrown with mangroves. In the eastern part, where the sea depth increases dramatically, there are three separate atolls - Turnef, Glovers Reef and Lighthouse Reef.
The water temperature in the reef area fluctuates slightly throughout the year - 23-25 ° C in winter, and 25-28 ° C in summer. On the islands there are sea resorts with diving centers. In the center of Lighthouse Reef is the famous Great Blue Hole - a large sinkhole flooded by the sea.
Biodiversity
Environmental Protection
The Belize Barrier Reef reserves include seven marine reserves, 450 reefs and three atolls. The total area of protected areas reaches 960 km². They include:
Despite protective measures, the reef ecosystem is constantly under the threat of pollution and destruction due to uncontrolled tourism, shipping and fishing. Hurricanes, global warming and the resulting rise in water temperatures also pose threats such as coral bleaching. According to scientists, more than 40% of Belize's reefs have been damaged since 1998.
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An excerpt characterizing the Belize Barrier Reef
The countess had not yet had time to answer her, when Prince Andrei entered the drawing room with an anxious and serious face. As soon as he saw Natasha, his face lit up. He kissed the hand of the countess and Natasha and sat down beside the sofa.“For a long time we have not had pleasure ...” the countess began, but Prince Andrei interrupted her, answering her question and obviously in a hurry to say what he needed.
- I have not been with you all this time, because I was with my father: I needed to talk to him about a very important matter. I just got back last night,” he said, looking at Natasha. “I need to talk to you, Countess,” he added after a moment's silence.
The Countess sighed heavily and lowered her eyes.
“I am at your service,” she said.
Natasha knew that she had to leave, but she could not do it: something was squeezing her throat, and she looked impolitely, directly, with open eyes at Prince Andrei.
"Now? This minute!… No, it can't be!” she thought.
He looked at her again, and this look convinced her that she had not been mistaken. - Yes, now, this very minute her fate was being decided.
“Come, Natasha, I will call you,” said the countess in a whisper.
Natasha looked with frightened, pleading eyes at Prince Andrei and at her mother, and went out.
“I have come, Countess, to ask for the hand of your daughter,” said Prince Andrei. The countess's face flushed, but she said nothing.
“Your suggestion…” the Countess began sedately. He remained silent, looking into her eyes. - Your offer ... (she was embarrassed) we are pleased, and ... I accept your offer, I'm glad. And my husband ... I hope ... but it will depend on her ...
- I will tell her when I have your consent ... do you give it to me? - said Prince Andrew.
“Yes,” said the Countess, and held out her hand to him, and with a mixture of aloofness and tenderness pressed her lips to his forehead as he leaned over her hand. She wanted to love him like a son; but she felt that he was a stranger and a terrible person for her. “I'm sure my husband will agree,” said the countess, “but your father ...
- My father, to whom I informed my plans, made it an indispensable condition for consent that the wedding should not be earlier than a year. And this is what I wanted to tell you, - said Prince Andrei.
- It is true that Natasha is still young, but so long.
“It could not be otherwise,” Prince Andrei said with a sigh.
“I will send it to you,” said the countess, and left the room.
“Lord, have mercy on us,” she repeated, looking for her daughter. Sonya said that Natasha was in the bedroom. Natasha sat on her bed, pale, with dry eyes, looked at the icons and, quickly making the sign of the cross, whispered something. Seeing her mother, she jumped up and rushed to her.
- What? Mom?… What?
- Go, go to him. He asks for your hand, - said the countess coldly, as it seemed to Natasha ... - Go ... go, - the mother said with sadness and reproach after her daughter, who was running away, and sighed heavily.
Natasha did not remember how she entered the living room. When she entered the door and saw him, she stopped. “Is this stranger really become my everything now?” she asked herself and instantly answered: “Yes, everything: he alone is now dearer to me than everything in the world.” Prince Andrei went up to her, lowering his eyes.
“I fell in love with you from the moment I saw you. Can I hope?
He looked at her, and the earnest passion of her countenance struck him. Her face said: “Why ask? Why doubt that which is impossible not to know? Why talk when you can’t express what you feel in words.
She approached him and stopped. He took her hand and kissed it.
– Do you love me?
The most interesting country of Belize is located in Central America. Interesting She, first of all a huge number of attractions. For example, a huge amount of architecture of the Mayan Indians. This country is quite small, the entire state is located on a small area of 23 square kilometers. The inhabitants of Belize are also not numerous, according to the latest estimates, there are no more than 3 hundred thousand people.
Despite such modest figures, Belize is constantly visited by many tourists. They go for interesting 1 textures, interesting architecture that is older than our civilization, beautiful beaches and interesting adventures.
Description
Along the coast of modest Belize is a large barrier reef, which has the same name with the country. The length of this reef is almost three hundred meters. Some refer to the Belize Reef as part of the Mesoamerican Reef, if this is correct then the length of the entire huge reef is almost a thousand kilometers. In other words, this reef system is the largest in the entire ocean. This reef is very rich in flora and fauna, but scientists have studied no more than one tenth of this mysterious formation.
Since the reef is not well studied, a lot of divers from all over the world come to this place. Someone comes here just to relax and get new impressions, while someone is driven by more ambitious plans, for example, to find some unknown animal or plant.
But no selfish goals can diminish the beauty and charm of the nature of the barrier reef. This island is located at a distance of more than fifteen kilometers from the coast, has very clean water, interesting flora and fauna.
The blue hole of this reef attracts the least attention of tourists. It was noticed in the seventy-second year of the twentieth century. Now all scientists call it the Great Blue Hole. This place is one of the most amazing on the planet. If you look at the hole with the naked eye, it will be impossible to see its bottom. Everything would be fine, the rest of the ocean also does not see the bottom, however, this part of the ocean has a blue-black color. In addition, the notability of the hole lies in its ideal shape. If you do not know about the origin of this phenomenon, you might think that this is a miracle of nature. However, scientists understand where this hole came from and there is no special mysticism in its appearance.
The origin of this blue hole was substantiated by the same scientist who discovered it. In order to find out where the blue mountain came from, the scientist sank to the bottom despite the appearance of the absence of the latter, it is only one hundred and twenty meters under water. The scientist explained the appearance of this phenomenon by the fact that earlier the level of the world ocean was much lower, therefore, in place of the hole there was an ordinary cave, the vault of which collapsed when the latter sank under water. This explains the ideal diameter of the hole and its color, because the walls of the cave do not allow the sun to pass through, so it is dark in the circle.
However, it is worth paying tribute, if the water were not so clean, such a wonderful view would definitely not exist. Indeed, in good weather, the visibility of this part of the ocean is more than a few tens of meters, which is even more than on the Russian Lake Baikal. For diving enthusiasts, a very interesting sight will appear, because at a shallow depth, just three dozen meters away, you can see interesting stalactites that have been in this cave since ancient times.
This reef is very fond of sharks, however, these types of predators do not pose a danger to humans. In order to see the depths of this reef, you need to undergo special training. Otherwise, a person may suffer due to pressure drops.
The reef is currently in danger. Corals are very capricious creatures that react sharply to changes in temperature. Just a few degrees of warming can cause irreparable harm. The sight of dead corals is very sad, because there are a huge number of animals on the living, and the dead corals turn gray and lose all their inhabitants. Now scientists are working to prevent the death of this amazing island.
What can be seen on the reef
This place is primarily suitable for diving. Those who love to practice it will see a lot of new and unusual things. Those who love a relaxing beach holiday can enjoy it on amazing beaches. As mentioned earlier, the flora and fauna of the Belize reef is not well understood, so it will be interesting for curious tourists to explore it.
In 1996, the Belize Barrier Reef was inscribed on the World Heritage List. Now this reef has the same status as Machu Picchu in Peru, the Grand Canyon in the United States and other outstanding monuments of nature and culture. Why is this reef classified as an "Outstanding World Value"?
Preservation of valuable heritage
The Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest coral reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and is considered the largest in the Western Hemisphere. It stretches for 300 kilometers along the Yucatan Peninsula, including most of the coast of the Central American country of Belize. The reef (actually a whole series of reefs) consists of about 450 shoals, or islets, and three coral atolls - ring-shaped reefs with picturesque lagoons. The seven water areas of this reserve, covering an area of 960 square kilometers, are under the special care of the World Heritage Convention.
Coral reefs need to be protected because they contain a quarter of all marine plants and animals. In terms of biological diversity, the coral reef ecosystem is second only to tropical rainforests. However, scientists warn that if we continue to pollute the seas, use cyanide to fish and do not control tourism, then within 20-40 years, 70 percent of all corals on the planet will die.
There are 70 species of hard and 36 species of soft corals and 500 species of fish in the protected area of the Belize Barrier Reef. Rare and endangered species of animals live in the waters of the reef, such as the loggerhead and green sea turtles, the hawksbill turtle, as well as the manatee and the sharp-snouted crocodile. Speaking about the amazing diversity of marine life in this corner of the ocean, coral reef explorer Julian Robinson said: “The Belize Barrier Reef provides many unique opportunities for explorers and tourists alike. […] This is one of the few places where you can still observe the pristine nature in all its glory, but even here it is in danger.”
One of the most beautiful places for underwater walks is the Blue Hole, located on the Lighthouse Reef, about 100 kilometers from the coast of Belize. This part of the reserve is also under the protection of the World Heritage. French oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau told the world about it during an expedition to the Calypso in 1970. Nestled in the middle of a turquoise sea, the Blue Hole is a limestone sinkhole with dark blue water fringed by living corals. It reaches approximately 300 meters in diameter and more than 120 meters deep. Previously, before the sea level rose, there was a dry cave in the place of the Hole. Over time, the ceiling of the cave collapsed. The walls of the funnel go down vertically by about 35 meters. At this depth, you can see ledges on the walls from which huge stalactites hang. From here a stunning panorama opens - in this place the visibility is 60 meters. In addition to sharks, there is almost no living creatures in the Blue Hole. Scuba divers should take into account that such a dive can cause decompression - it is not for beginners. But the crystal clear waters at the edge of the Blue Hole are perfect for snorkelling.
Nearby is another site that is inscribed on the World Heritage List - the quiet islet of Half Moon Key, a refuge for the rare red-footed booby. About 98 other bird species also live here. Half Moon Key extends 1,000 meters deep and is covered with magnificent soft corals. These underwater landscapes leave no one indifferent. 
As we have seen from this article, the Belize Barrier Reef is a valuable heritage that must be preserved for future generations. The destruction of the reef could lead to "dangerous impoverishment of the heritage of all peoples."