The current marine World Heritage sites are based on large coral reef systems. The Great Barrier Reef and the Belize Barrier Reef are the two largest barrier reefs in the world. The reef and associated fauna is also protected at Tubbataha Reef Marine Park in the Philippines. The Philippines is host to around 1,500 species offish and 400 species of coral and the Great Barrier Reef around 1,500 species offish and 350 species of coral. Other sites include coral reefs within the boundaries of more terrestrial parks such as Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles. Coral reefs can be found globally but the reefs surrounding 6 countries account for more than 50% of the total cover. In Australia this is represented by the Great Barrier Reef and to a smaller extent Shark Bay, Western Australia and the Lord Howe Island Group. Important sites in Indonesia are represented by Ujung Kulon National Park and Komodo National Park. There are no natural World Heritage Sites in Papua New Guinea, Fiji or the Maldives. Mangroves are shrubs and trees that live in the intertidal zone. These are represented by 69 taxa, which although have a wider distribution than the coral reefs, are also restricted to 30N and 30S. Mangrove communities are less diverse than reef systems, but are unique in their ability to provide habitat for marine and terrestrial species alike. In addition, they are important in the stabilisation of shorelines and their protection from coastal storms. It has been estimated that over 50% of the world's mangrove forests have already been lost, due to natural and human causes, such as the clearance trees for shrimp farms. The most species rich mangrove communities are distributed in the Indo-pacific. This diversity can be seen in World Heritage sites such as, Kakadu National Park and to a lesser extent Shark Bay, Western Australia and Komodo National Park, Indonesia. The Sundarbans, India and Bangladesh are an important remaining site of mangrove diversity. There are no sites containing mangroves in Papua New Guinea, the Philippines or Malaysia. A map (Map 1 8) illustrating the distribution of mangroves and coral reefs within World Heritage sites accompanies this report. 10. Key Findings There are currently 150 natural and mixed (cultural and natural) properties inscribed on the World Heritage list. Using these identified criteria, a coarse GIS analysis was undertaken to determine those natural and mixed World Heritage sites that are of particular importance for biodiversity. Table I summaries this information on a site-by-site basis. Further breakdown of this information at criteria level is contained in the "Tables" section of this report. In summary a total of 141 sites have been identified as being of particular importance for biodiversity in this study. These are represented within 64 countries and extend over 142 million ha of protected areas. Criterion (iv) 95 sites Udvardy Biogeographical Provinces 96 provinces currently contain I or more natural or mixed World Heritage sites. Provinces best represented include the following: Mediterranean Sclerophyll — 9 sites Oriental Deciduous Forest 7 sites East African Woodlandsavannah 7 sites West African Woodlandsavannah 6 sites 12