Good News for the Coral Reefs Come from New Caledonia

UNESCO World Heritage Marine Programme has a lot in plans for the next half of the year, with some exciting endeavors and news, worth sharing right now.

The programme was created specifically to address the needs and importance of marine areas among the 193 natural properties listed as World Heritage. Since its establishment, UNESCO World Heritage Marine Programme is striving to safeguard the future of existing and potential marine areas of outstanding universal value. One such area, undoubtedly, is New Caledonia, home to one of the world’s most pristine coral reefs. Now, the New Caledonia government has agreed to set marine protected areas surrounding the reefs and to strengthen an existing one around Entrecasteaux, which is already a Unesco world heritage site.

This French overseas territory is home to a rich array of wildlife, and boast some of the world’s healthiest reefs. Why should we care about reefs? Covering only 0.1% of the ocean’s surface, coral reefs support a quarter of known marine species. Threatened by climate change, pollution, and overfishing, the reefs are in decline globally, and every step further in its conservation is a big deal.

联合国教科文组织世界遗产海洋计划（UNESCO World Heritage Marine Programme）为今年下半年制定了许多计划，其中包括一些令人兴奋的努力和新闻值得现在就分享。

该项目是专门为用于解决被列为世界自然遗产的193个海洋区域的需求以及重要性。自成立以来，联合国教科文组织世界遗产海洋计划一直致力于保护具有突出普遍价值的现有和潜在海洋区域的未来。毫无疑问，其中之一就是新喀里多尼亚，世界上最原始珊瑚礁的发祥地之一。现在，新喀里多尼亚政府同意在珊瑚礁周围设立海洋保护区，并加强已是合国教科文组织世界遗产的Entrecasteaux周围的现有保护区。

这个法国海外领土拥有丰富的野生动植物，拥有世界上最健康的珊瑚礁。我们为什么要关心珊瑚礁？珊瑚礁虽仅覆盖海洋的0.1％，但却支持四分之一的已知海洋物种。 受到气候变化、污染和过度捕捞的威胁，全球范围内的珊瑚礁数量减少，而保护珊瑚礁的每一步都是重要的一步。