A large part of the coral reef of New Caledonia was listed on July 7, 2008 in the World Heritage List of UNESCO.
The 33rd French site listed on the global heritage, the coral reef of New Caledonia is the second entirely natural reef, after the Gulf of Porto in Corsica and is the first French overseas site registered as World Heritage. The New Caledonian lagoon is the second largest continuous barrier reef in the world after that of Australia. Out of a total area of 23,400 km2, UNESCO recognizes some 15,000 km2 representing six sites.
These six marine areas represent the most important diversity of coral reefs and associated ecosystems in the French archipelago of New Caledonia. The marine biodiversity of the archipelago is exceptional with 9,372 identified species including rare and endemic species. New Caledonia is a veritable sanctuary...
Its coral reefs being recognized by the international scientific community as having characters of outstanding universal value. This wealth is of course the incredible diversity of coral formations: 150 types of coral reefs in the New Caledonian lagoon have been listed in the 965 studies on the planet. This listing is a great success; it reinforces the already substantial efforts to ensure the conservation of this aquatic jewel, both extraordinary and fragile.
