MontagueS

Sean Montague

Collaborator Contributions

Ichthyologist (ik-thee-OL-uh-gist): a scientist who studies fish.

Ichthyologist

Find out more about the field of ichthyology and the vast collection of fishes at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History --the largest in the world! Find out how these collections were used to solve an international fish mystery.

<p>The Aldabra Atoll site in the Seychelles was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982. The site is comprised of a coral reef surrounding four large coral islands, which enclose a shallow lagoon. Protected from human influence, Aldabra’s beaches are safe nesting habitat for hawksbill turtles (<em>Eretmochelys imbricata</em> – pictured here), one of the Indian Ocean’s largest congregations of nesting green turtles (<em>Chelonia mydas</em>), and the world’s second largest breeding populations of greater and lesser frigate birds (<em>Fregata minor</em> &amp; <em>Fregata ariel</em>). The site also provides a refuge to 100,000 Aldabran giant tortoises (<em>Dipsochelys dussumieri</em>), one of the few surviving giant tortoise species of the Indian Ocean region.</p>

Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles

The Aldabra Atoll site in the Seychelles was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982. The site is comprised of a coral reef surrounding four large coral islands, which enclose a shallow lagoon.

<p>The Tubbataha Reefs National Park site in the Philippines was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993. The site is an example of a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100 m (330 ft) perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons, and two coral islands – all of which supports a diverse marine community. The waters surrounding the atolls provide refuge to several hundred species of fish (including 11 types of shark), 46 kinds of coral, and 11 cetaceans (whales and dolphins). The park’s land area provides nesting grounds for seven species of seabird, as well as the endangered hawksbill and green turtles (<em>Eretmochelys imbricata</em> and <em>Chelonia mydas</em>).</p>

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Philippines

The Tubbataha Reefs National Park site in the Philippines was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993. The site is an example of a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100 m (330 ft) perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons, and two coral islands – all of which supports a diverse marine community. The waters surrounding the atolls provide refuge to several hundred species of fish (including 11 types of shark), 46 kinds of coral, and 11 cetaceans (whales and dolphins).

<p>The Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park site in the Philippines was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1999. The site’s topography varies from flat plains to rolling hinterlands and hills to mountain peaks, encompassing a complete mountain-to-sea ecosystem and providing significant biodiversity conservation habitat. One of the park’s unusual features is its spectacular limestone karst landscape (shown here), with its underground river emerging directly into the sea.</p>

Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Philippines

The Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park site in the Philippines was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1999. The site’s topography varies from flat plains to rolling hinterlands and hills to mountain peaks, encompassing a complete mountain-to-sea ecosystem and providing significant biodiversity conservation habitat. One of the park’s unusual features is its spectacular limestone karst landscape (shown here), with its underground river emerging directly into the sea.

<p>The West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord&nbsp;and&nbsp;Nærøyfjord&nbsp;site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2005. The site's two fjords, among the world's longest and deepest, are considered archetypical fjord landscapes and among the most scenically outstanding anywhere. Their exceptional natural beauty is derived from narrow and steep-sided crystalline rock walls that rise up to 1,400 m from the Norwegian Sea and extend 500 m below sea level. The site features geological structures such as submarine moraines (undersea remnants of glacial activity), as well as colonies of seals (<em>Phoca vitulina</em>) and porpoises (<em>Phocoena phocoena</em>).</p>

West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, Norway

The West Norwegian Fjords - Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2005. The site's two fjords, among the world's longest and deepest, are considered archetypical fjord landscapes and among the most scenically outstanding anywhere. Their exceptional natural beauty is derived from narrow and steep-sided crystalline rock walls that rise up to 1,400 m from the Norwegian Sea and extend 500 m below sea level.

<p>The New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998. The islands are particularly notable for the abundance and diversity of nesting pelagic seabirds and penguins (including macaroni penguins, <em>Eudyptes chrysolophus</em>, pictured here). There are over 120 bird species in total, including 40 seabirds, five of which breed nowhere else. The islands support major populations of 10 of the world’s 24 species of albatross. And almost 6 million sooty shearwaters (<em>Puffinus griseus</em>) nest on Snares Island alone.</p>

New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands, New Zealand

The New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998. The islands are particularly notable for the abundance and diversity of nesting pelagic seabirds and penguins (including macaroni penguins, Eudyptes chrysolophus, pictured here). There are over 120 bird species in total, including 40 seabirds, five of which breed nowhere else. The islands support major populations of 10 of the world’s 24 species of albatross.

<p>The Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino site in Mexico was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993. The sanctuary contains important breeding and wintering sites for the grey whale (<em>Eschrichtius robustus</em> – pictured here), harbor seal (<em>Phoca vitulina</em>), California sea lion (<em>Zalophus californianus</em>), northern elephant seal (<em>Mirounga angustirostris</em>), and blue whale (<em>Balaenoptera musculus</em>). The lagoons are also home to four species of endangered marine turtles: leatherback (<em>Dermochelys coriacea</em>), green (<em>Chelonia mydas</em>), hawksbill (<em>Eretmochelys imbricata</em>), and olive ridley (<em>Lepidochelys olivacea</em>).</p>

Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino, Mexico

The Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino site in Mexico was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993.

<p>The Sian Ka’an site in Mexico was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987. The site’s name means “Origin of the Sky” in Mayan and contains tropical forests, mangroves, and marshes, as well as a large marine area intersected by the Caribbean Barrier Reef. On land there are 1,200 plant species, five species of felines (including jaguars and ocelots), as well as threatened tapirs and peccaries. Aquatic animals include manatees <em>(Trichechus manatus</em>) and nesting colonies of jabiru storks (<em>Jabiru mycteria</em>), frigate birds (<em>Fregata magnificens</em>), brown pelicans (<em>Pelecanus occidentalis</em>), and roseate spoonbills (<em>Platalea ajaja</em>).</p>

Sian Ka'an, Mexico

The Sian Ka’an site in Mexico was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987. The site’s name means “Origin of the Sky” in Mayan and contains tropical forests, mangroves, and marshes, as well as a large marine area intersected by the Caribbean Barrier Reef. On land there are 1,200 plant species, five species of felines (including jaguars and ocelots), as well as threatened tapirs and peccaries.

<p>The Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California site in Mexico was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2005. The site is important for its diversity of oceanographic processes, including wind- and current-driven upwelling, tidal mixing, and hydrothermal vents – all of which contribute to its extraordinary biological diversity. There are 890 fish species (90 of which occur nowhere else), 34 kinds of whales and dolphins, 25 species of coral, over 4,800 invertebrates, the poisonous yellow-bellied sea snake, and 90% of the world’s Heermann’s gulls. Within the site are breeding and nursery grounds for 30,000 California sea lions (<em>Zalophus californianus</em>), as well as feeding and wintering grounds for five of the world’s eight species of marine turtles: leatherback, hawksbill, loggerhead, black or Pacific green, and olive ridley.</p>

Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California, Mexico

The Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California site in Mexico was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2005. The site is important for its diversity of oceanographic processes, including wind- and current-driven upwelling, tidal mixing, and hydrothermal vents – all of which contribute to its extraordinary biological diversity. There are 890 fish species (90 of which occur nowhere else), 34 kinds of whales and dolphins, 25 species of coral, over 4,800 invertebrates, the poisonous yellow-bellied sea snake, and 90% of the world’s Heermann’s gulls.

<p>The Ha Long Bay site in Vietnam was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994. The site’s 1,600 islands and islets form a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars surrounded by species-rich waters, including a tremendous diversity of marine algae and over a thousand varieties of fish.</p>

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

The Ha Long Bay site in Vietnam was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994. The site’s 1,600 islands and islets form a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars surrounded by species-rich waters, including a tremendous diversity of marine algae and over a thousand varieties of fish.