Heritage with Related Tags
Monte San Giorgio
Monte San Giorgio, a pyramid-shaped wooded mountain beside Lake Lugano, is considered the best fossil record of marine life from the Triassic period (245 to 230 million years ago). The sequence records life in a tropical lagoon environment, sheltered by offshore coral reefs and partially separated from the open sea. A wide variety of marine life thrived in this lagoon, including reptiles, fish, bivalves, ammonites, echinoderms and crustaceans. Due to the lagoon's proximity to land, the remains also include terrestrial reptiles, insects and plant fossils, making the fossil source extremely rich.
Rock Islands Southern Lagoon
The Rock Islands Southern Lagoon covers 100,200 hectares and includes 445 uninhabited volcanic limestone islands. Many of these islands are distinctive mushroom-shaped, set in a turquoise lagoon and surrounded by coral reefs. Adding to the beauty of the site is a complex coral reef system with more than 385 species of coral and different types of habitats. They support a wide variety of plants, birds and marine life, including dugongs and at least thirteen species of sharks. The site has the highest density of marine lakes in the world, isolated bodies of seawater separated from the ocean by land barriers. They are a special feature of the islands, supporting a large number of endemic populations, and new species are being discovered all the time. The remains of stonework villages, as well as cemeteries and rock paintings bear witness to the organization of small island communities over three thousand years. The abandonment of villages in the 17th and 18th centuries illustrates the impact of climate change, population growth and subsistence behavior on societies living in marginal marine environments.
Aldabra Atoll
The atoll consists of four large coral islands that enclose a shallow lagoon; the archipelago itself is surrounded by coral reefs. Due to its inaccessibility and the atoll's isolation, Aldabra has been protected from human impact and has therefore retained an estimated 152,000 giant tortoises, the largest population of any reptile in the world.
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
Tubbataha Reef Marine Park covers 96,828 hectares and includes the North Atoll, South Atoll and Jessie Beazley Reef. It is a unique example of the high density of marine life in the atoll; the North Island is a nesting site for birds and turtles. The site is an excellent example of a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100-meter vertical wall, an extensive lagoon and two coral islands.
Venice and its Lagoon
Venice was founded in the 5th century on 118 small islands and became a maritime power in the 10th century. The entire city is a masterpiece of extraordinary architecture, and even the smallest buildings contain works by some of the world's greatest artists, such as Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, and many more.
Doñana National Park
The Doñana National Park in Andalusia is located on the right bank of the Guadalquivir River, at its mouth into the Atlantic Ocean. The park is known for its diversity of biomes, especially lagoons, marshes, fixed and mobile dunes, scrub and shrubland. The park is home to five endangered bird species. It is one of the largest colonies of egrets in the Mediterranean, with more than 500,000 waterfowl wintering here every year.