Baa Atoll is a Maldivian biosphere reserve of 75 islands under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme

Background

UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme profile for Baa Atoll in the Maldives gives its surface area as 144,024.00 ha, of which the total marine area is 142,984.00 ha and the terrestrial area only 1,040.00 ha, with a Year of Nomination: 2011. The Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve comprises 75 islands, 13 of which are inhabited. Baa Atoll has a warm, humid tropical climate, and the weather is dominated by two monsoon periods, a rainy monsoon from May to November and a dry monsoon from January to March. Coral reefs are the most important in terms of area and biodiversity, and the profile states that Maldivian coral reefs hold the richest diversity in the region and are the seventh largest in the world, accounting for about 5 per cent of the world's reef area, with approximately 250 coral species, 1,200 reef and reef-associated fish species, marine turtles, manta rays and whale sharks. The most important human activities are tourism and fisheries, and six islands have been developed as resorts for tourism.