Foto: Rock Islands (bron: -)

Palau - Rock Islands Southern Lagoon covers 100,200 hectares and includes 445 uninhabited limestone islands of volcanic origin. Many of them display unique mushroom-like shapes in turquoise lagoons surrounded by coral reefs. The aesthetic beauty of the site is enhanced by a complex reef system with more than 385 species of coral and various types of habitats. These support a wide variety of plants, birds, and marine life, including dugongs and at least thirteen species of sharks. The site holds the highest concentration of marine lakes, separated from the ocean’s saltwater. These are among the island’s special features. Remains of stone villages, burial sites, and rock paintings bear witness to an ancient culture of small island communities over a period of three centuries. The abandonment of these villages in the 17th and 18th centuries illustrates the effects of climate change, population growth, and the cost of living on a society.

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