Guangdong Nanpeng Archipelago Wetlands

Tubastrea coccinea
Caretta caretta
Nautilus pompilius
Landscape of Nanpeng Island
Sousa chinensis
Chelonia mydas
Landscape of Zhongpeng Island 20150602

Guangdong Nanpeng Archipelago Wetlands

  • Country: 
    China
  • Site number: 
    2249
  • Area: 
    35,679 ha
  • Designation date: 
    16-10-2015
  • Coordinates: 
    23°16'N 117°15'E
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

Located in the northern section of the South China Sea, Guangdong Nanpeng Archipelago Wetlands cover a chain of four islands that support diverse habitats and ecosystems such as upwellings, rocky marine shores, coral reefs and algae layers. The Site is located at the interface of shallow coastal and deeper sea waters, and at the confluence of two upwelling zones. The average water depth is from 1.0 to 1.5 metres, but deeper water at the Site’s periphery contributes to its ecological character. The Site hosts a wide range of rare and endangered marine species such as the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus), whale shark (Rhincodon typus) and great seahorse (Hippocampus kelloggi), and birds such as the Chinese egret (Egretta eulophotes), Christmas frigatebird (Fregata andrewsi) and short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus). The islands are an important spawning ground for five threatened turtle species, and play an important role in the conservation of biodiversity not only in the biogeographic region but also in East Asia as a whole. The Site is extensively used for ecological and environmental research.

Administrative region: 
Shantou City of Guangdong Province

  • Global international designation: 
    • Other global designation
  • National legal designation: 
    • National Nature Reserve - Guangdong Nanpeng Archipelago Marine Ecological National Nature Reserve
  • Last publication date: 
    19-01-2016

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