Happy Birthday: Belize Barrier Reef Turns 10,000!

May 15, 2022

Earth’s second largest reef, the Belize Barrier Reef is celebrating its 10,000th birthday in 2022, according to scientists who have studied the origins and composition of the reef.  The Belize Barrier Reef is without question one of the world’s greatest natural wonders. The reef runs 190 miles from Mexico in the north to Honduras in the south and is part of the larger Mesoamerica Barrier Reef System.  It is the largest reef of its type in the Northern and Western hemispheres consisting of offshore atolls, several hundred sand cays, mangrove forests, coastal lagoons and estuaries.  The system’s seven sites illustrate the evolutionary history of reef development and are a significant habitat for threatened species, including marine turtles, manatees and the American marine crocodile.  Since 1996 the Belize Barrier reef has been designated as a UNESCO World heritage site in recognition of its importance as a marine habitat and global natural resource.

Happy Birthday Belize Barrier Reef!  Wishing you another 10,000 more years of good health!