Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems
The series of sites consists of six marine groups representing the main diversity of coral reefs and associated ecosystems in the French Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia, and is one of the three most extensive coral reef systems in the world. These lagoons are of extraordinary natural beauty. They are characterized by an extremely high diversity of coral and fish species, a wide variety of habitats from mangroves to seagrasses, and the highest density of coral reef structures in the world. The New Caledonian lagoons have intact ecosystems, healthy populations of large predators, a wide variety of species, and large fish. They provide habitats for many iconic or endangered marine species, such as turtles, whales, and dugongs, which have the third largest population of dugongs in the world.