Content on this page was last updated in 2010. Some of the
content may be out of date. For more information:
http://coralreef.noaa.gov The Republic of Palau (Belau) Palau
has a wide diversity of terrestrial and aquatic habitats Palau’s
remarkable diversity of plant and animal species is due not only
to its geographic location in relationship to southeastern Asia
and the Philippines, but also its wide diversity of terrestrial
and aquatic habitats. For example, coral reef habitats include
barrier reefs, channels through barrier reefs, lagoon patch
reefs, outer fringing reefs, island fringing reefs, fringing
reefs, sunken barrier reefs, offshore banks and reefs, and
atolls. Other habitats include shallow-water and deep-water
seagrass beds; beaches and rocky shores; estuaries; stratified
and vertically-mixed marine lakes; shallow and deep lagoon
areas, Halimeda meadows; sediment-laden bottoms; coastal,
riverine, and marine lake mangrove forests; forest and grassland
vegetation, including volcanic soil forest, riv