The Sulu-Celebes Sea LME is comprised of the Sulu and Celebes Seas, which are separated from each other by a deep trough and a chain of islands known as the Sulu Archipelago. The LME is bounded by northern Borneo (Malaysia), the southwest coast of the Philippines and Sulawesi Island (northern coast of Indonesia), but most of the LME falls within the archipelagic waters of either the Philippines or Indonesia. The LME covers an area of about one million km², of which 1.03% is protected, and contains 6.17% and 0.22% of the world’s coral reefs and sea mounts, respectively (Sea Around Us 2007). A complex oceanography results from the Celebes’ strong currents, deep sea trenches, seamounts and active volcanic islands. The LMEs tropical climate is governed by the monsoon regime. During the southwest monsoon months, the northern and central parts of the region are affected by typhoons, which bring intense rains and destructive winds to coastal areas. There are more than 300 major watersheds and 14 major estuaries in the region.
Area
1,039,939 km²
Perimeter
10,100 km
Region
Asia, SIDS (Asia), South-Eastern Asia
Countries
Cambodia, China, Fiji, Global, Indonesia, Korea Democratic People's Republic of, Korea Republic of, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Regional, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Viet Nam
Budget
263.00M US$
Total Cost of the Projects
59.00M US$
GEF Allocation to the Projects