WWF at work: the Mesoamerican reef
Nov 24th, 2010 by wwftravel
elkhorn coral © Anthony B. Rath / WWF-Canon
The jewel of the Caribbean Sea, the Mesoamerican Reef is a rich tapestry of fringing reefs, atolls, patch reefs, sea grass pastures and mangrove forests. It’s an ancient natural system dating back 225 million years.
Stretching nearly 700 miles from the northern tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula to the Bay Islands in northern Honduras, the Mesoamerican Reef is part of a larger interconnected system of currents and habitats that stretch throughout the Caribbean Basin and beyond. It acts as a natural barrier against severe storms for Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras.
The Mesoamerican Reef is unique in the Western Hemisphere not only for its size, but also because of its array of reef types and luxuriance of corals. It hosts more than 65 species of stony coral and more than 500 species of fish, including the largest fish in the world, the whale shark.
WWF has placed a high priority on protecting the Mesoamerican Reef. Since the mid-1980s, we have worked with the governments of Belize, Guatemala and Honduras to establish marine reserves and wildlife refuges, protect coral reefs, educate the public and train communities and scientists how to better manage protected areas and preserve coral reef systems.
Among our work:
Protected areas management: We work with governments to implement sound conservation management and finance practices in the region’s network of protected areas. This network, if well-managed, will benefit communities that rely on fishing, tourism, agriculture and forestry for livelihoods.
Sustainable fisheries: We collaborate with local fishermen and the commercial fishing industry to eliminate destructive fishing practices, implement sustainable fishing practices (such as the use of environmentally friendly fishing traps) and advocate regulation of access to fishing grounds. We also promote alternate sources of income to help sustain local economies and livelihoods.
Safeguarding watersheds: We are collaborating with industry leaders to implement better management practices of key watersheds by reducing the use of fungicides, pesticides and herbicides while mitigating soil erosion in major agricultural sectors.
Addressing climate change: Rising temperatures are threatening the Mesoamerican Reef. We are researching the impact of climate change, altered rainfall and coral bleaching.
Sustainable tourism: We work with hotels, governments and tourists to raise awareness of conservation issues surrounding the reef. WWF conducts tourism strategy workshops to help create better tourism industry practices. Sustainable tourism is also a large component of our work in the Riviera Maya, a heavily traveled part of the reef.
Empowering the locals: By showing locals how the positive impacts of conservation can increase their quality of life, we empower local communities to become stewards of nature. We train individuals and organizations with new skill sets, provide environmentally friendly equipment, facilitate policy dialogue and obtain funding for conservation activities.
Visit the Mesoamerican Reef with WWF on our Ultimate Belize Safari, March 12-20, 2011.