Philippines continues its efforts to implement the designation of the Tubbataha Reefs National Park (TRNP) as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA)
In celebration of the International Year of the Reef, the Philippines continues its efforts to implement the designation of the Tubbataha Reefs National Park (TRNP) as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA). The designation was approved by the International Martime Organization (IMO) in 2017. PSSA is an area that needs special protection through action by IMO because of its significance for recognized ecological or socio-economic or scientific reasons and which may be vulnerable to damage by international maritime activities.
The Tubbataha Reef National Park covers 130,028 ha, including the North and South Reefs. It is a unique example of an atoll reef with a very high density of marine species; the North Islet serving as a nesting site for birds and marine turtles. The site is an excellent example of a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100-m perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons and two coral islands.
The Tubbataha Reef National Park was also inscribed in the World Heritage List by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1993.
