Glover's Reef Atoll, Belize

Photograph by Corey Jaskolski

The Belize Barrier Reef is the world's second largest barrier reef system and the largest reef complex in the Atlantic-Caribbean area. Because of its high biodiversity, it was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1996 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Coral reefs are among the most productive and diverse ecosystems on Earth. They are vitally important for ocean health and the world economy, providing food, habitat, materials for new medicines, and income from tourism. They also protect shorelines from storm damage and erosion and absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere, counteracting global warming.

Today coral reefs are increasingly threatened by warming waters and the changing acidity of the sea. They are being battered by more and more violent hurricanes and degraded by a growing number of visitors who can literally love reefs to death.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature observes that "to most people oceans are remote, seldom visited, and not often thought about—they are virtually 'invisible' to them in their day-to-day lives," resulting in "lower than desirable understanding and awareness of the role and importance of oceans."

WildCam Belize Reef is a partnership among National Geographic, the IUCN, and the United Nations Foundation. Our mutual goals are to connect people to the oceans and reefs of the world, improve awareness of World Heritage, and promote conservation of these rare treasures.

Take an unprecedented underwater peek into this remote and globally important ecosystem.