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Know the Seascape

The Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape (SSS) is a rich habitat of coral reefs, seagrass, mangroves, and abundant marine species occupying an area of at least 100 million hectares across the Sulu and Sulawesi Seas. The Seascape boundaries are shared among three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

As a major part of the Coral Triangle, the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape is at the core of the world’s marine biodiversity.

At least 38 million people live in the Sulu Sulawesi Seascape - 75 percent are in the Philippines, 21 percent in Indonesia and 4 percent in Malaysia. Their economic activities include agriculture, fishing, aquaculture, tourism and mining – all putting enormous pressure on the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape.

  

What are Seascapes?

Seascapes are large scientifically and strategically defined multiple use areas in which government, private organizations, and their stakeholders cooperate to conserve the diversity and abundance of marine life to promote human well-being.

Know more about CI's other priority seascapes

SSS map

Due to unsustainable practices and the increasing population in the area, conservation efforts must be strengthened to maintain the biodiversity of this critical ecosystem.

Conservation International's work in the SSS is focused on four biodiversity management units called marine biodiversity conservation corridors.

These corridors are pathways where fish larvae can be transported and distributed to key habitats and serve as migration routes for marine animals, making them priority areas for conservation action.

The four SSS corridors are the following:
       

Verde Island Passage Marine Biodiversity Conservation Corridor, one of the richest fishing grounds and a top tourist destination. Cagayan Ridge Marine Biodiversity Conservation Corridor, home to Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park – the only marine World Heritage Site in Southeast Asia declared by UNESCO.
       
Tri-national Sea Turtle Marine Biodiversity Conservation Corridor, a major nesting ground for sea turtles in the Southeast Asian region and the only transborder marine protected area spanning Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Balabac Strait Marine Biodiversity Conservation Corridor, an important passageway of marine life from plankton to fishes, sea turtles and marine mammals, and links the Sulu Sea to the South China Sea.