Coral protections lead UNESCO to remove Belize barrier reef from World Heritage Sites in Danger
In a victory for coral, UNESCO has removed the Belize barrier reef from the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger. The barrier reef of Belize is the largest barrier reef system in the Northern Hemisphere. The reef was included on the list of World Heritage sites in 1996, but then included on the list of sites in danger in 2009 due to oil exploration and mangrove destruction for real estate. Belize has implemented a moratorium on oil exploration in the entire maritime system of the country, which lead to the barrier reefs removal from the danger list. The purpose of the list is to bring awareness to threats facing World Heritage sites and to hopefully encourage corrective behavior.