The Belize Barrier Reef is a group of coral reefs located along the coast of Belize. These reefs are about 300 meters (980 feet) from the shore in the north and extend up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) inland in the south. The Belize Barrier Reef is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which stretches for 900 kilometers (560 miles) from Cancún on the Yucatán Peninsula through the Riviera Maya to Honduras. This makes it the second largest coral reef system in the world, after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The reef is Belize's most popular tourist attraction, known for activities like scuba diving and snorkeling. It draws nearly half of the country's 260,000 visitors each year and is also important for Belize's fishing industry.

In 1842, Charles Darwin called the reef "the most remarkable reef in the West Indies."

In addition to the barrier reef, Belize has three unique Caribbean atolls: Turneffe Atoll, Glover's Reef, and Lighthouse Reef. Lighthouse Reef is the easternmost diving area in Belize and is home to the Great Blue Hole, which became famous after Jacques Cousteau explored it in 1970. Turneffe Atoll is located directly east of Belize City and is the closest of the atolls to that city. These different reefs offer a wide variety of scuba diving experiences, including underwater walls, tall rock formations, and flat reef areas spread across a large area of the ocean.

Species

The Belize Barrier Reef has many different types of plants and animals:

• 70 types of hard coral
• 36 types of soft coral
• 500 kinds of fish
• hundreds of invertebrate species

Since 90% of the reef has not been studied, it is estimated that only 10% of all species have been discovered.

Environmental protection

The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System protects a large part of the reef. It includes seven marine reserves, 450 islands, and three ring-shaped coral reefs. The system covers an area of 960 square kilometers (370 square miles), which includes:

• Glover's Reef Marine Reserve
• Great Blue Hole
• South Water Caye Marine Reserve
• Half Moon Caye Natural Monument
• Hol Chan Marine Reserve
• Islands include: Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, Caye Chapel, Carrie Bow Caye, St. George's Caye, English Caye, Rendezvous Caye, Gladden Caye, Ranguana Caye, Long Caye, Moho Caye, Blackbird Caye, Three Corner Caye, Northern Caye, Tobacco Caye, and Sandbore Caye.

In 1996, the reserve system was named a World Heritage Site because it is at risk and contains important natural habitats that help protect the variety of life in the ocean.

In December 2010, Belize became the first country in the world to completely stop a type of fishing called bottom trawling. In December 2015, Belize also banned oil drilling near the reef within 1 kilometer of the Barrier Reef.

Even with these protections, the reef still faces dangers such as ocean pollution, too much tourism, shipping, and fishing. Other problems include hurricanes, global warming, and rising ocean temperatures, which cause coral to lose their color and become more likely to die. Scientists say more than 40% of Belize's coral reef has been damaged since 1998. Between 2004 and 2014, temperature measurements in the lagoon near Wee Wee Cay showed a steady increase, from about 22.3°C to 32.4°C, which harms coral.

The Belize Barrier Reef has experienced major coral bleaching events. The first happened in 1995, with about 10% of coral dying, according to a report. A second event occurred in 1998 when Hurricane Mitch hit, causing a 48% drop in live coral across the reef.

It is often hard to tell if coral bleaching is caused by humans or natural events like storms. In Belize, this is easier to determine because the area has fewer people and less pollution compared to other coral reef regions. The reef is also in a more enclosed area.

When coral bleaching happens, many corals die, and the rest of the ecosystem tries to repair the damage. However, bleached corals are more likely to get sick, and disease often causes more coral deaths than the bleaching itself. If bleaching happens repeatedly, the reef may not recover.

Gallery

• A green sea turtle has a remora fish attached to its back
• A detailed look at a coral reef
• An aerial view of a barrier reef
• People snorkeling near a coral reef
• Fan-shaped corals found on the reef