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The Coral Triangle, a six million square kilometer expanse covering the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste, is the world's epicenter of marine diversity, home to amazing wildlife, large human communities and critical economic resources.
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Common lionfish in Indonesia. The Coral Triangle has over half of the world's coral reefs, 75% of the world's coral species and 6,000 species of reef fish.
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The Coral Triangle, sometimes referred to as the "Amazon of the Seas." The red dots in this map show the 50 sites that photographer Jurgen Freund and writer Stella Chiu-Freund visited during their incredible photo expedition.
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Aerial view of the four main islands of Raja Ampat in Indonesia. The area is part of what have been scientifically determined to be the richest reefs in the world.
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Farmers glean the beach for seafood at low tide in Moromaho Island, Indonesia. The Coral Triangle is the source of daily sustenance and employment for over 120 million coastal people and its bountiful fisheries feed millions more around the world.
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A boy in Dili, Timor-Leste shows off what he and his friends gleaned after half an hour's work.
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Blue water mangroves with a gorgonian fan growing in the shallows in West Papua, Indonesia. A healthy coexistence between coral reefs and mangroves are made possible by strong currents that constantly carry nutrients and clean the surroundings.
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Spinecheek anemonefish in Papua New Guinea. The clownfish was made famous by the animated film "Finding Nemo." There are many other species of clownfish or anemonefish living in the tropical waters of the Coral Triangle.
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A traditional hunt for the critically-endangered leatherback turtle in Indonesia.
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Stevedore carrying a 95-kg yellowfin tuna in Palawan, Philippines. The Coral Triangle functions as a nursery for five economically important tuna species, with 50% of tuna in the world caught in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.
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Bleached hard corals in Papua New Guinea. Coastal ecosystems in the Coral Triangle are extremely sensitive to climate change, which will impact corals and marine resources through rising sea levels, warmer and more acidic oceans, and severe weather.
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Students monitor corals in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. Recognizing the tremendous value of the region, the six Coral Triangle countries have established the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF).