The corals around Panaon Island in the southeastern Philippines form some of the healthiest and most climate-resilient reefs in the world, and they’re now a legally protected seascape. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the Panaon Island Protected Seascape law on Aug. 29. It creates a 61,204-hectare (151,200-acre) marine protected area within the Pacific Coral Triangle, a marine biodiversity hotspot that’s been called the Amazon of the Sea. The region is home to more marine species than anywhere else in the world.    “This is one of the rare places where coral reefs remain in excellent condition, and we now have a chance to keep them that way,” Von Hernandez, vice president of conservation nonprofit Oceana in the Philippines, said in a statement. In 2020, Oceana led a three

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