evidence: Mayotte is located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique. The territory is geographically part of the Comoros islands but has been politically separate since the 1970s. The territory is also known as Mahoré, the native name of its main island, especially by advocates of its inclusion in the Comoros. [...] The territory of Mayotte encompasses the largest coral lagoon in the world, more than 1,000 square kilometers in size. Like other coral reefs worldwide, the health of Mayotte's reefs has declined in the past twenty years. Natural threats include cyclones and crown-of-thorns starfish, but most of the damage is being caused by the increasing population of the islands. Increased runoff from agriculture, overfishing, direct damage due to people walking on the shallow reef flats, and water pollution are taking a toll on the coral and other sea life. [...] Mayotte is a member of the Indian Ocean Commission, with a separate membership rather than as part of the Comoros.