ESA launches new project to protect biodiversity     The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC) is a regional conservation programme established to protect endangered species, seas, forests and rivers and address issues of sustainable development. Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the five southern states of Mexico have endorsed the MBC. The corridor, represented by the colour yellow in the map, contains 5% of known global biodiversity.   The main island in this Envisat's MERIS image of the Caribbean Sea is Cuba, the largest and westernmost island in the West Indies. Its 3740-km coastline has coral islands and white, sandy beaches to the north. South of Cuba is Jamaica. The Caribbean Sea contains unique coral reefs, the only ones active in the Atlantic Ocean. Coral, however, can survive only in a narrow range of temperatures and a global rise in sea temperatures could threaten their survival and affect the economies of the region. Release date: 19 March 2007