Tubbataha Reef

The Tubbataha Reef (Filipino: Bahurang Tubbataha) is an atoll coral reef and a Natural Marine Park in Sulu Sea, Philippines composing of two huge atoll (the North Atoll and South Atoll) and the smaller Jessie Beazley Reef. The park is a Marine Protected Area (MPA) located 150 kilometres (93 mi) southeast of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan according to the reefs' official website but according to United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the reefs are 181 kilometres (112 mi) southeast of Puerto Princesa City. The reefs are considered part of the island municipality of Cagayancillo, Palawan, which is located roughly 130 kilometres (81 mi) to the northeast of the reef. According to the official website of the Natural Marine Park, Tubbataha covers 97,030 hectares (239,800 acres; 374.6 sq mi) while UNESCO measures the reefs at 130,028 hectares (321,310 acres; 502.04 sq mi).

In December 1993, the UNESCO declared the Tubbataha Reefs National Park as a World Heritage Site under the protective management of the Philippines Department of National Defense (DND) and technical supervision of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) and the Department of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR). In 1999, Ramsar listed Tubbataha as one of the Wetlands of International Importance. In 2008, the reef was nominated at the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

The national park considered to be the global center of marine biodiversity. Research of scientists visiting the reefs since the 1980s revealed that the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park contains no less than 600 fish species, 360 coral species, 11 shark species, 13 dolphin and whale species, and 100 bird species. The reefs also serve as a nesting ground for Hawksbill and Green sea turtles.