Eight new natural wonders added to World Heritage list
1 / 8 The Socotra archipelago in Yemen has been dubbed the Galápagos of the Indian Ocean. It is especially rich in flora and fauna; about 37% of Socotra’s plant species, 90% of its reptile species and 95% of its land snail species cannot be found anywhere else in the world

2 / 8 The Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona, which includes the Glarus Overthrust, has been studied since the 18th century as an exceptional and dramatic display of mountain building through continental collision.

3 / 8 Mount Sanqingshan national park in eastern China's Jiangxi province has been added to the list due to its outstanding natural beauty. The...

Eight new natural wonders added to World Heritage list
1 / 8 The Socotra archipelago in Yemen has been dubbed the Galápagos of the Indian Ocean. It is especially rich in flora and fauna; about 37% of Socotra’s plant species, 90% of its reptile species and 95% of its land snail species cannot be found anywhere else in the world

2 / 8 The Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona, which includes the Glarus Overthrust, has been studied since the 18th century as an exceptional and dramatic display of mountain building through continental collision.

3 / 8 Mount Sanqingshan national park in eastern China's Jiangxi province has been added to the list due to its outstanding natural beauty. The park contains a unique array of forested, fantastically shaped granite pillars and peaks concentrated in a relatively small area.

4 / 8 Canada’s Joggins Fossil Cliffs contain the best and most complete known fossil record of terrestrial life in the Coal Age, over 300m years ago. The remains of amniotes, the first reptiles in the Earth’s history, are visible, as well as fossil trees, animals and plants.

5 / 8 Saryarka is a largely undisturbed area of Central Asian steppe and lakes in the Korgalzhyn and Naurzum state nature reserves in northern Kazakhstan. It is a crucial stopover point for for globally threatened species and provides feeding grounds for up to 15-16 million birds. Saryarka is also home to the critically endangered saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica)
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6 / 8 The tropical lagoons and coral reefs of New Caledonia form one of the three most extensive reef systems in the world. They are home to an exceptional variety of coral and fish species and have intact ecosystems with healthy populations of big fish and top predators

7 / 8 Surtsey, in Iceland, is a new island formed by volcanic eruptions in 1963-67. Its legal protection since creation means that the island is a pristine natural laboratory, free from human interference, that has provided a unique scientific record of the process of colonisation of land by plants and animals

8 / 8 The three core zones of the Monarch butterfly biosphere reserve protect eight overwintering colonies ...

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6 / 8 The tropical lagoons and coral reefs of New Caledonia form one of the three most extensive reef systems in the world. They are home to an exceptional variety of coral and fish species and have intact ecosystems with healthy populations of big fish and top predators

7 / 8 Surtsey, in Iceland, is a new island formed by volcanic eruptions in 1963-67. Its legal protection since creation means that the island is a pristine natural laboratory, free from human interference, that has provided a unique scientific record of the process of colonisation of land by plants and animals

8 / 8 The three core zones of the Monarch butterfly biosphere reserve protect eight overwintering colonies of the monarch butterfly in the oyamel fir forests of central Mexico. Perhaps a billion monarch butterflies overwinter here in close-packed clusters every year after a 3,500-4,500km journey. Witnessing this unique phenomenon is considered to be an exceptional experience of nature

Coral reefs under threat

1 / 6 Coral in Raja Ampat, Papua, Indonesia. Coral reefs are a vital part of the ocean ecosystem, providing a habitat for more than a quarter of all marine species, and generating an income for an estimated 200 million people worldwide

2 / 6 Severely degraded coral reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The most recent status of coral reefs report shows that 20% of the world’s coral reefs have been effectively destroyed and show no immediate prospects of recovery. Some 24% of the world’s reefs are under imminent risk of collapse through human pressures and a further 26% are under a longer term threat of collapse

3 / 6 This porites pukoensis...

Coral reefs under threat

1 / 6 Coral in Raja Ampat, Papua, Indonesia. Coral reefs are a vital part of the ocean ecosystem, providing a habitat for more than a quarter of all marine species, and generating an income for an estimated 200 million people worldwide

2 / 6 Severely degraded coral reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The most recent status of coral reefs report shows that 20% of the world’s coral reefs have been effectively destroyed and show no immediate prospects of recovery. Some 24% of the world’s reefs are under imminent risk of collapse through human pressures and a further 26% are under a longer term threat of collapse

3 / 6 This porites pukoensis, a rare species of lobe coral found in Hawaii, is listed as critically endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature "red list" of threatened species. Coral reefs are under threat from coastal development, pollution and agricultural runoff, dynamite fishing, bleaching, ocean acidification and tourism

4 / 6 Black band disease is another threat to coral, seen here progressing across a colony of favia speciosa on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Australian scientists have reported an increase in coral disease on surveyed reefs in recent years, while coral disease has had a major impact on Caribbean reefs where it has destroyed 80% of coral in the past 20 years. Scientists believe that the increase in disease in some areas may be linked to higher sea temperatures

5 / 6 Corals are also under threat from natural predators. Outbreaks of the crown of thorns starfish have become a cause of huge concern on Australian and Indo-Pacific reefs. The starfish, which has a voracious appetite, eats the delicate polyps on the outside of the coral and leaves behind just the calcium carbonate skeleton. Outbreaks have occurred when the starfish have found favourable conditions in areas with increased nutrients in the water from run-off and settled en masse

Little Kelso Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

6 / 6 Another natural predator is the drupella snail, which feeds on coral tissue like that of this acropora muricata coral on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia....

5 / 6 Corals are also under threat from natural predators. Outbreaks of the crown of thorns starfish have become a cause of huge concern on Australian and Indo-Pacific reefs. The starfish, which has a voracious appetite, eats the delicate polyps on the outside of the coral and leaves behind just the calcium carbonate skeleton. Outbreaks have occurred when the starfish have found favourable conditions in areas with increased nutrients in the water from run-off and settled en masse

Little Kelso Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

6 / 6 Another natural predator is the drupella snail, which feeds on coral tissue like that of this acropora muricata coral on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Using specialised mouth parts, it feeds on living coral tissue and leaves behind white scars. A relatively common inhabitant of Indo-Pacific reefs, it has been responsible for extensive coral reef damage