Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems

New Caledonia is fringed by one of the three largest reef systems on Earth, and six marine clusters of these Pacific lagoons form a serial site of exceptional beauty and richness. From mangroves to seagrass meadows, the waters shelter an unrivalled variety of coral and fish, healthy populations of large predators, and emblematic creatures such as turtles, whales and one of the world's biggest dugong populations. UNESCO inscribed the Lagoons of New Caledonia as a natural World Heritage Site in 2008.