Some top destinations for travel wish lists before they disappear…
BelizeBarrier Reef –
One of the most diverse reef ecosystems in the world is home to whale sharks, rays, and manatees, as well as sturgeon, conch and spiny lobsters. The Threat: the Belize Barrier Reef leads a tenuous existence. A section of the nearly 700-mile-long Mesoamerican Reef that reaches from Mexico to Honduras, theBelize reef suffered a severe bleaching in 1998, with a loss of 50 percent of its coral in many areas, including much of its distinctive staghorn coral. Since the bleaching, its decline has continued, due to global warming of the world’s seas, agricultural pollution, development, and increasing tourism, which has given rise to more coastal development and an invasion of cruise ships.
The Everglades – Florida
This 2.5 million–acre wetland encompasses cypress swamps, mangroves, sawgrass and pine savannahs. It’s the only place in the world where crocodiles and alligators share territory.The Threat: A host of dangers are putting this fragile wetland at risk: pollution from farms, invasive species, and encroaching development, not to mention the fact that 60 percent of the region’s water is being diverted to nearby cities and farms. As a result, The Everglades is now half the size it was in 1900. Worse, this is the sole habitat of theFlorida panther, and there are less than 100 of the creatures left in the wild. These big cats may be completely lost within the next 40 years as their habitat disappears (they’re not alone, either—at least 20 species in theEverglades are endangered, including turtles, manatees, and wading birds).
The nation is rich in coral reefs and endangered fish—like the giant Napolean wrasse, leopard shark, and some 250 manta rays (most with wingspans of 10 feet).The Threat: Few scientists hold out much hope for the Maldives—the world’s lowest nation—if global warming continues to melt the ice caps and raise sea levels. Its 1,190 small islands and atolls (200 of which are inhabited) scattered across theIndian Ocean rise a mere eight feet above sea level. In 2008, the President of theMaldives announced the government would start buying land in other countries, includingIndia, for future homes for citizens displaced by rising waters. In 2009, he held a cabinet meeting underwater to stress the islands’ vulnerability.
The Poles
The natural phenomena here are unique and inspiring: towering icebergs, Aurora Borealis, and majestic animals (penguins, polar bears, whales). The Threat: The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, the world’s largest non-profit ocean research group, has predicted that 80 percent of the emperor penguin population ofAntarctica will be lost, and the rest in danger of extinction, if global warming continues. In theArctic, the polar bear is also endangered by the steady loss of sea ice (which has decreased 3 percent per decade since the 1970s). As sea ice disappears at the poles, so do entire ecosystems: the phytoplankton that grows under ice sheets feeds zooplankton and small crustaceans like krill, which are on the food chain for fish, seals, whales, polar bears and penguins. Studies predict that with continued warming, within 20-40 years, no ice will form inAntarctica
The Tahuamanú Rainforest – Peru
Parrots and macaws feed off of the world’s largest salt lick. They share this pristine wonderland with endangered creatures like giant armadillos, ocelots, jaguars, and giant otters. The Threat: This magnificent rain forest in Peru‘s Madre de Dios region holds some of the last old-growth stands of mahogany inSouth America. But illegal logging is depleting the rainforest—and theU.S. is responsible for buying 80 percent of the mahogany. A single tree can create as much as $1 million worth of furniture. Loggers build roads, allowing farmers and hunters to enter, further crowding the indigenous people and destroying the delicate ecosystem. In nearby areas, gold mining has released mercury into the air and water
The Yangtze River Basin – China
Exotic creatures like giant pandas, dwarf blue sheep, Yangtze finless porpoises, and Siberian cranes call this region home—along with some 400 million people. The Threat: It’s too early to know the exact impact of the creation of China‘s massive, $24 billion Three Gorges Dam, but many, including the Chinese government, have acknowledged that the Yangtze Basin region is in danger of losing its most distinctive marine and animal life. Deforestation has occurred from clearing land for displaced farmers, and the reservoir has flooded villages, farms, factories, and mines, adding to the Yangtze River’s existing pollution from shipping, industry, agriculture and raw sewage. Landslides have also happened, and seismolo
