Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
Tubbataha, a no-take marine park of 96,828 hectares in the Philippines, protects pristine coral atolls and the sea life that seeds the Sulu Sea (UNESCO).
Image: Ron Van Oers / UNESCO via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO).
Last reviewed: 2 sources cited
A no-fishing reef in the middle of the Sulu Sea holds far more fish than a typical healthy reef.
In 2023, Tubbataha's average fish The total amount of living material, like the wood and leaves in a forest. Measuring it shows how much carbon plants store. Glossary was 76-100 tonnes per km², against 21-40 for healthy reefs elsewhere in the Philippines (IUCN).
Source: IUCN World Heritage Outlook, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
Explain Like I'm 10
- Tubbataha is a group of coral reefs far out in the sea in the Philippines.
- Nobody is allowed to fish there, so the fish can grow big and have lots of babies.
- Baby fish drift out from the reef and help fill fishing grounds around it.
The Five W's of Tubbataha
Who
The Philippine government, which protects the park; it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
What
A no-take marine park that protects coral atolls, reef walls and deep sea.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
When
Inscribed as World Heritage in 1993; yearly reef monitoring since 1997 (IUCN).
Source: IUCN World Heritage Outlook, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
Where
In the centre of the Sulu Sea, Philippines, covering North and South Atolls and Jessie Beazley Reef.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
Why
Low fishing pressure keeps the reef healthy and lets it help supply fisheries beyond its boundaries.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
Connected Solutions
- Palau National Marine Sanctuary A Pacific nation that made most of its sea a no-fishing zone.
Impact Statement
Government solution · active
The reefs support over 360 species of coral and almost 700 species of fish (UNESCO).
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
For Further Information: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
Tubbataha has recorded some of the largest densities of grey and whitetip reef sharks in the world (IUCN).
How This Saves People & the Planet
For People
The park helps support fisheries outside its boundaries across the Sulu Sea (UNESCO).
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
For Nature
Whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles and nesting seabirds find a refuge there (UNESCO).
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
Learn More About Tubbataha
Want to go deeper? UNESCO describes the park.
For Further InformationRelated Solutions
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