A expedition telling the story of the beauty and biodiversity of the coral triangle through a series of photographs is a new project organised by the WWF to educate the Filipino public about the need to protect one the world’s most biologically diverse and threatened ecosystems, also known as “the Amazon of the seas”

The coral triangle stretches 27,000 square kilometres across one-fourth of the world’s islands and covers the seas of six countries: Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, The Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.

Celebrated wildlife photographer Yogi Freund and his wife Stella will be embarking on the 18 month expedition to capture the wildlife, people of the region and threats faced by the triangle on film exploring how these interact and overlap. The project has been named the WWF and Freund Expedition and will document the work done by the WWF to conserve this global centre of marine diversity.

The triangle is home to 600 of the 800 known corals in the world, 2700 species of fish, six of the seven marine turtle species and a vast array of other wildlife.

Unfortunately behind the spectacular beauty is the reality that human actions are a real threat to the reefs. The Philippines and Indonesia are home to the world’s most threatened coral reefs, less than 30% of the reefs in the Philippines are currently in a good condition and are being destroyed by chemical pollution, acidification and destructive fishing practices.

“Taking photos is the easy part, but it’s keeping your eyes open that was really hard. There are times when I was really stunned by the locals’ practices and how they treat the marine animals. Sometimes I need to re-compose myself and remember my task of documenting what’s happening to provide more information to the public,” said Freund.

The Philippines lies at the heart of the triangle and Verde Island Passage is one of the most important links to the global coral reef system in the world, known as “the centre of the centre of marine biodiversity”.

Of the number of residential leisure destinations in this area sadly very few private sectors take an interest in preserving their coral reefs. Hamilo Coast a hotel complex in the region is one of these few and works closely with WWF Philippians to conserve the marine wildlife, participating in ecologically sustainable community development.

“We conducted an initial baseline study two years ago to check the health of reefs and the quality of marine life in the area and found out that these sites have the most potential for being declared as MPAs because of the biological attributes,” said Joel Palma, WWF-Philippines Vice President for conservation programs.

“However, the survey also revealed that the area has been subjected to various environmental stresses caused by illegal means of fishing, resulting in the deterioration of conditions of the coral, reef fish, and seagrass or macrolagal communities,” explained Palma.

It is hoped that the images from the WWF/Freund Project will send a clear message to Filipinos that is time to protect their coastline and oceans and will open people eyes to the wealth of life and beauty hidden beneath the sea.