Mo’orea atoll, Society Islands, French Polynesia (S 17°29’, W 149°55’) Card 170x120mm with recycled envelope and biodegradable cello. Detailed caption on the reverse of the card. Card is blank for your own message.
Mo’orea atoll, Society Islands, French Polynesia (S 17°29’, W 149°55’)
Blue sky, turquoise sea, white sandy beaches shaded by coconut palms - in addition to such visions of paradise, the islands of French Polynesia harbour a great natural treasure; 10 percent of the coral reefs and 20 percent of the atolls on planet earth. The responsibility for protecting this precious heritage, which falls to France, is a great one – the less than 1 percent of the seabed that is actually covered in coral contains at least 100,000 different animal and vegetable species, and 20 per cent of the world’s population depends on these for its sustenance (it’s probable that more than 1 million coral species still remain to be discovered). Despite all this, humankind’s total annual investment in protecting these reefs is less than two thousand five dollars per square mile (a thousand dollars per square kilometre). Today, 60 per cent of the world’s coral reefs have been deteriorated by pollution, overfishing, tourism and rising water temperatures.
© Yann arthus-Bertrand/altitude - www.yannarthusbertrand.org - www.goodplanet.org
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