Lighthouse Reef

The flora on the reef islands is mostly coconut trees. On the western half of Half Moon Caye there is a rare surviving example of an atoll siricote (Cordia sebestena) forest, while there is natural vegetation on Sandbore Cay. Half Moon Caye is home to a rookery of magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), as well as a nesting colony of some 4000 red-footed booby (Sula sula). A colony of white-crowned pigeons (Columba leucocephala) formerly nested on Long Cay but has been wiped out by overhunting. Other prevalent species are (in descending order of prevalence) blackcap basslet (Gramma melacara), bicolor damselfish (Pomacentrus partitus), brown chromis (Chromis multilineata), yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus), bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum), royal gramma (Gramma loreto), masked goby (Coryphopterus personatus), and sunshine chromis (Chromis insolata). Endangered and threatened animal species include the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), three species of sea turtles (hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)), the Belize endemic leaf-toed gecko (Phyllodactylus insularis), and the Allison's anole (Anolis allisoni). == Environmental protection ==

The reef has only partial environmental protection. The Great Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye have been designated as Natural Monuments and are UNESCO World Heritage Sites (as part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System) since 1996. The protected areas are and in size respectively. Additionally, 3 more areas are National Protected Areas: Northern Two Cayes (a Nassau Grouper & Species Protection site), Sandbore (a Spawning Aggregation Site Reserve), and South Point (another Spawning Aggregation Site Reserve). Despite the protection, the atoll suffers from human impact in the form of uncontrolled fishing and tourism. == See also ==