World’s largest marine reserve, a group of Islands in the Indian Ocean Rival Galapagos Islands, Great Barrier Reef are in Ecological Diversity. Information states that the proposed marine reserve would protect a group of 55 islands located in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The group of island known as the Chagos Archipelago, the islands and their surrounding waters cover 210,000 square miles (544,000 square kilometers), an area larger than France.
The Chagos Archipelago and its surrounding waters comprise the British Indian Ocean Territory, an overseas territory of the U.K. Following a three-month public consultation, the U.K. government is now considering the designation of a Chagos Protected Area, which would safeguard the area’s rich diversity of marine life by prohibiting extractive activities, such as fishing. More than 275,000 people from around the world have signed petitions supporting this designation.
Joshua S. Reichert, Managing Director of the Pew Environment Group, which is a member of the Chagos Environment Network (CEN), told that if the group of island designated it would establish a conservation legacy almost unrivalled in scale and significance anywhere in the world’s oceans.
Experts believe that if designated the Chagos Islands would provide an important global reference site for research in crucial areas such as ocean acidification, coral reef resilience, sea level rise, fish stock decline and climate change. Dr. Heather Koldewey, Curator, Aquarium Projects, said that the Zoological Society of London is proud and excited to be engaged in the initiative to protect the Chagos Islands, one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on Earth.
