Mount Panié is key to the health of New Caledonia’s world heritage reef, located in one of the world's largest protected areas. The Natural Park of the Coral Sea (Le Parc Naturel de la Mer de Corail) covers all of New Caledonia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which is home to 4,500 square kilometers of coral reefs, 25 species of marine mammals, 48 shark species, 19 species of nesting birds and five species of marine turtles.