Disputed reef | |
---|---|
![]() Satellite image of Ardasier Reef by NASA. | |
Other names | Terumbu Ubi(Malay) Antonio Luna Reef(Philippine English) Bahura ng Antonio Luna(Filipino) đá Kiêu Ngựa(Vietnamese) 光星仔礁 Guāngxīngzǐ Jiāo(Chinese) |
Geography | |
Location | South China Sea |
Coordinates | 7°37′19″N113°51′39″E / 7.62194°N 113.86083°E /7.62194; 113.86083 7°37′19″N113°51′39″E / 7.62194°N 113.86083°E /7.62194; 113.86083 |
Archipelago | Spratly Islands |
Administration | |
State | Sabah |
Claimed by | |
City | Sansha,Hainan |
State | Sabah |
Municipality | Cijin,Kaohsiung |
District | Trường Sa,Khánh Hòa |
Ardasier Reef (7°37′19″N113°51′39″E / 7.62194°N 113.86083°E /7.62194; 113.86083), also known asMalay:Terumbu Ubi,lit. 'Yam Reef'; Antonio Luna Reef (Filipino:Bahura ng Antonio Luna);Vietnamese:đá Kiêu Ngựa;MandarinChinese:光星仔礁;pinyin:Guāngxīngzǐ Jiāo, is a triangular shaped feature on the SW extremity ofDangerous Ground in theSpratly Islands.[1]
It lies 26 km NNE ofSwallow Reef, and 9 km east ofDallas Reef, with the largeArdasier Bank extending 69 km ENE. Ardasier Bank, a sunkenatoll except for drying Ardasier Reef at its southwestern end, has a total area of 2347 km2, and its formerlagoon is up to 65 metres deep.[2]
Ardasier Reef is steep-to, except on its eastern side where it adjoins the Ardasier Bank. Its huge areas of sandy patches have an abundance of shy Guitar Sharks, Eagle Rays, Giant Reef Rays and other intriguing bottom dwelling creatures that bury themselves in the sand.
It is one of the areas in the Spratly Islands occupied byMalaysia. TheRoyal Malaysian Navy has maintained an"offshore naval station" there called "Station Uniform", since 1986.[3] TheFilipino name is named afterPhilippine revolutionarygeneral,Antonio Luna.