On land and at sea, New Caledonia is a sanctuary for global biodiversity, with a species endemism rate of around 80%. The archipelago is one of the 35 biodiversity hotspots identified on the planet.

In terms of marine biodiversity, New Caledonia has the second longest reef in the world. It is home to 20% of the world’s biodiversity and more than 9,000 marine species, including 400 species of coral, 2,000 species of molluscs, 4,000 species of crustaceans, 2,300 species of fish, 26 species of sharks, 12 species of marine snakes, 27 marine mammals and 5 species of turtles. Some species are particularly closely monitored and are the subject of dedicated action plans, such as marine turtles and dugongs, commonly known as “sea cows”.