Danajon reef system
| Danajon reef system | ||
|---|---|---|
| Waters | Lake Camotes | |
| archipelago | Central Visayas | |
| Geographical location | 10 ° 16 ′ N , 124 ° 17 ′ E | |
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| Number of islands | 40 | |
| Total land area | 624.30 | |
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The Danajon reef system (eng .: Danajon Bank ) is located in the south of the Camotes Sea , in the north of the island of Bohol and in the southeast of the island of Cebu . It is a complex of eight large coral reefs , of which the Caubyan and Calituban reefs form the only double barrier reef in the Philippines , which alone covers an area of 271.7 km². The Danajon reef system is the largest coral reef complex in the Philippines and its dimensions far exceed the coral banks in the world-famous Apo Reef Marine Natural Park on Mindoro Strait .
The Danajon reef system includes the islands of Mactan , Lapinin , the Olango Archipelago and 40 other islands. Geographically, the reef system extends from the Strait of Cebu to the waters off the island of Leyte . It has an extension of 72 km in length and the width varies between 9 and 25 km. The coastline, which the Danajon reef system is in front of, is approx. 699 km. The waters around the reef system cover an area of 2,476 km².
The waters around the Danajon reef system are described as a separate ecosystem and as a peripheral body of the Camotes Sea. The coral reefs extend over an area of 624.30 km², mangrove forests occupy an area of 52.50 km² on the coastline.
The Danajon reef system is one of the world's largest reef systems, one that is largely unknown and considered the least explored. It is of great ecological importance for the Asian region, not only as a marine ecosystem, but also as a resting and wintering area for migratory birds such as the snow heron ( Egretta eulophotes ).
Web links
- The Fisheries of the Central Visayas, Status and Trends PDF-Document 4.13 MB (English)
- Presentation of the double barrier reef on Oneocean.org (PDF; 286 kB)