Atauro Island, a biodiversity paradise. One hundred kilometers in size, 642 marine species (photos)

ATAURO ISLAND

Crystal-clear sea, white beaches , and magnificent coral reefs. So far, it's a marine paradise like many others, but in reality, after a meticulous study conducted by the Conservation International Team , Atauro Island has achieved a world record: it's a biodiversity paradise , on a planet that fails to fully protect it, and in fact often wastes and puts it at risk.

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BIODIVERSITY OF ATAURO ISLAND

The island is very small, located between the Indonesian island of Wetar and the state of East Timor , in an area well known to biologists as the Coral Triangle. Very small, just 25 kilometers long, but unique in the world for its concentration of marine species : 642 in total , some very rare, others still unknown.

ATAURO ISLAND

And the surprises of this biodiversity paradise don't necessarily end there. The sea is constantly evolving, biodynamic balances are often shifting, and if we can stop the threatening hand of man, the number of species to be discovered could increase . Atauro, too, is a paradise for those who love the sea and nature.

WHEN ANIMALS AND NATURE ARE AT RISK :

• Climate change: one in six plant and animal species at risk
• Animals at risk of extinction, more than half of species are endangered (photo)
• Giraffes at risk of extinction: they're disappearing and no one's lifting a finger (Photo)
• Wild plants: 1371 species grow in Italy alone. But their habitat is at risk.
• Behaviors to avoid to protect health, the environment, and wild animals
• Climate change: how to concretely help animals and the environment