St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
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Sea turtle conservation, St. Eustatius, Caribbean: Beach clean-up by STENAPA and Diergaarde Blijdorp
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Juvenile green tree lizard (Anolis bimaculatus), Panorama Point Trail in Quill National Park, Statia
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Usnea aka tree beard moss, old man's beard or beard lichen at the crater rim of the Quill, Statia
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Discover Statia: The Panorama Point Trail offers hikers views over St. Eustatius from the Quill
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Hiking Panorama Point Trail on Statia: Viewpoint overlooking St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
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Take a Minute in Statia 005: Aerial view of Quill & Oranjestad, St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
In case you'd like to dive into more details, here is some information on the National Park by STENAPA:
"Three National Park areas protect the high biodiversity and unique tropical ecosystems present on both land and sea and the total protected area covers 33km2 - almost twice the size of the island of St Eustatius. The national parks system was initiated by the Island Government in 1996 to protect diverse habitats on and around the island. The Government delegated management authority for the parks to a local NGO – St Eustatius National Parks Foundation. Numerous endangered or critically endangered species are protected through active research and monitoring programmes, including three species of sea turtles, the Antillean Iguana, Red Bellied Racer Snake, orchids, cacti and the endemic vine ‘Statia Morning Glory’.
The St Eustatius National Marine Park was created in 1996 and extends around the entire island from the high water line to 30m depth contour. The park covers an area of 27.5km2 and protects a variety of habitats, including pristine coral reefs (drop off walls, volcanic ‘fingers’ and ‘bombs’, spur and groove systems), 18th century shipwrecks and modern-day artificial reefs to promote fishing and dive tourism (including a 100m cable-laying ship). Within the Park are two actively-managed Reserves in which no fishing or anchoring is permitted to conserve marine biodiversity, protect fish stocks and promote sustainable tourism. In addition to regular mooring maintenance, patrols and research, the National Marine Park works closely with local dive centres to ensure that diving practices minimise impact on the reef."
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