The town has also started working toward being designated as a Japanese Geopark, highlighting the uniqueness of the island formed by coral reefs that have been rising for 100,000 years.

ISHIGAKI, Okinawa Prefecture--When underwater photographer Kazushige Horiguchi dived in waters off Ishigakijima island, he saw that a "miracle" had occurred. Horiguchi has taken pictures of coral ...

Coral reefs are marine structures created by calcifying coral animals and their algal symbionts. Coral reef ecosystems are generally high in biodiversity, most often found in shallow tropical seas ...