What is the name of the coral reef located off the coast of Belize that is a UNESCO site?

The Belize Barrier Reef is the UNESCO-recognized coral reef system located off the coast of Belize.

This reef is a roughly 300-kilometre section of the much larger Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which continues along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. It lies at varying distances from shore—close to the mainland in the north and farther offshore in the south—and includes barrier reefs, fringing reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, and hundreds of cayes.

UNESCO designated the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System a World Heritage Site in 1996 because of its exceptional biodiversity and important natural habitats. The protected system supports dozens of hard and soft coral species, around 500 fish species, sea turtles, manatees, crocodiles, seabirds, and many invertebrates.

A frequent mix-up is calling it simply a single reef. The Belize Barrier Reef is a network of reefs and associated habitats within a protected reserve system. It is also distinct from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and Florida’s Reef Tract, although all are major tropical reef ecosystems.