Coral Reef Restoration & Conservation In Mexico

Thank you for your continued support of our coral reef research project in Mexico. 

Your contributions support vital work in conserving the Mesoamerican Coral Reef System. A reef that stretches over 1000 km along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras.   This reef system supports more than 500 species of fish and 65 species of stony coral.

Climate change, compounded by issues such as overfishing, pollution and the impacts of coastal development affect the health of the coral reef system. It's vital that we take action to restore the health of the reef.  

One of these actions is coral reef restoration via coral reef nurseries.

We have worked with our partner Inapesca to transfer the Coral Estrella Montaña (Orbicella Faveolata) from our coral nursery to the reef. 

To do this, we remove the coral trays from the nursery and clean them up. Next, we clean an area of the reef to plant a cement dome, and finally, we plant the coral fragments in the cement, which eventually will grow over.

The coral fragments  grew in our nursery for 6 months and finally reached a size where we could move them out into the ecosystem to grow into larger colonies.

The method of coral fragmentation we and our partners use is a 5 step process:

1)  We take a section of a healthy coral from a large, strong wild colony.

2) We move coral to a controlled lab environment to be fragmented, this increases the speed of which the coral can grow.

3) The coral fragments are kept in a lab to heal and begin growing.

4) Fragments are moved to a nursery near the area they will be planted.

5) The fragments are moved into the reef ecosystem to grow by themselves.

Its rewarding to be part of this process with our partners and we look forward to monitoring the success and reporting to you.

In June we took the time to enjoy World Reef Awareness Day. It was an opportunity to reflect on how vital the ocean’s coral reefs are, as well as how fortunate we are to get to experience them every day!  

We appreciate your support and recognise that your donations can make projects like the coral reef nursery effective.

Thank you,

The Mexico team

Introduction

We apprectiate your ongoin support in addressing coral reef conservation and restoration.

The Mesoamerican coral reef system, also known as the Great Mayan Reef, is the second largest barrier reef system in the world and spans over 1, 000 Km. It's is home to more than 500 species of fish and 65 species of stony coral.

Unfortunately, the  Mesoamerican coral reef system is currently facing many threats, including climate change, overfishing, pollution and costal development.

Several initiatives and strategies have been implemented to restore the reef system. These include: coral gardening, reef restoration and monitoring programs, fisheries management, and addressing ´polluting and coastal development.

Restoring the Mesoamerican coral reef system requires a multifaceted approach that involves collaboration between local communities, NGOs, government agencies and other stakeholders, including the work we are able to do on this project.

Coral nursery

The end of last year and the start of 2023 have been tough years for the coral conservation and restoration in Puerto Morelos, Mexico.  Our main partners, who lead the coral restoration project, had their budget cut which led to several challenges.

One challenges was that in February, all the coral colonies had to be transplanted to the coral nursery in  the reef  and surrounding areas.  Currently the nursery has over 300 elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) colonies growing plus over 350 coral fragments of other coral species that were given asylum.  Also, mature coral colonies of several coral species were transplanted in the area surrounding the nursery as a temporary site for them.

Besides the relocation of the corals, the team continued carrying out activities to assist on the main objective of the restoration and conservation of this magnificent ecosystem.

Reef monitoring

From December to March,  we had 29 volunteers assisting in the field. Training in Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment Methodology  and preparing to gather date on the health of the reef. Undertaking 7 monitoring dives for doing citizen science (coral watch, fish refuge monitoring and invertebrate monitoring). Carrying out 10 maintenance dives for in the  coral nursery, cleaning the corals, removing dead colonies and collecting data on the evolution of the corals on the nursery as well.

Besides the coral nursery, the team was busy doing three monitoring dives in the site where the ´1,500 colonies of staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis and prolifera )  were transplanted last year, thus doing 36 benthic transects in the site during the three months. This dives, even though they are in shallow waters, do test the training and physical aptitudes of the team.  Doing two dives, spending a little over 3 ours underwater. Death rate for the corals in this site has been difficult to determine due to the fact that coral colonies growing out have fused between them. Then again this is a good sign, since growing colonies indicate good environmental conditions.

Coastal Dune restoration

Our team undertook a special task this year.  Coastal dunes and coral reefs are interconnected ecosystems that can have a significant impact on one another. Coastal dunes provide a natural buffer between the land and the sea, protecting coastline from erosion and storm surges. They also play a crucial role in filtering and purifying freshwater before it enters the ocean, which can help reduce the amount of pollution and sediments that reaches the coral reef.

The health of coastal dunes and coral reefs is closely linked, and disturbances in one ecosystem can have a negative impact on the other. Protecting coastal dunes and coral reefs is critical for maintaining the  health and resilience of coastal ecosystems and for the well-being of the communities that depend on them.

GVI Puerto Morelos team was asked to participate in January for 8 days in a coastal dune reforestation project in the National Park of the Reefs of Puerto Morelos. Planting on the dunes hundreds of native coastal plants on the dunes that help stabilize the system thus indirectly lending a hand in the conservation of the near reef.

And, as always, carrying out beach cleans on several beaches inside the park. Assisting in the recollection of rubbish, separating it into different categories and sending all that is reusable to our local partners for its proper treatment. Over 210 kilograms of refuse ( recyclable and nonrecyclable) were removed from the beach.

Summary

The goal objective for our project of 265 thousand new coral colonies by 2022 has come and gone, and sadly due to diverse factors the goal has not been achieved.  So far over 48 thousand colonies of corals of 12 different species have been produced in the laboratory. And of those, over 24,396 of them were transplanted back into the reef in 20 different sites along the Mexican Caribbean. Challenges have arisen and will be surpassed.  

With the generous help from our supporters and donors we can continue working on the conservation, restauration and sustainable use of the coral reefs in the Mexican Caribbean for the enjoyment of future generations.

As always, all of this wonderful work couldn’t have been accomplished without the help of our supporters and supporters, a great shout out to you all!!!

Thank you!!!

The Mesoamerican reef system, the second largest coral reef system in the world, is under severe stress from different factors. This ecosystem  has evolved from a reef health  index (RHI) of 2.3 in 2006 to a better RHI of 2.8 in 2018. Showing a slow but steady  improvement in the health condition of the reef. Sadly, this ended in 2021 when the last surveys showed a RHI of 2.3 again. At the moment only 5% of the coral reef ecosystem is classified as it being in a good or very good state. With 31% of the ecosystem now being classified as in a critical condition.

But we are still making light at the end of the tunnel.

 In 2022, we have continued assisting our partners with the coral reef restoration project, not only in the laboratory and tanks but also with the installation and maintenance of in reef coral nursery and the follow up monitoring of a transplant of coral fragment to new site.

The in reef coral nursery started was started in April 2022 with  an initial 299 coral fragments of Acropora palmata  from 6 different genotype pools. Our team has been undertaking weekly maintenance dives of the in reef nursery and collected data on the evolution of the young coral colonies at the same time.  The results of the evolution of the coral fragments in the nursery  have been so positive that the site currently has over 500 coral fragments from different species.

In 2021, 1´500 coral fragments of two species, Acropora cervicornis and Acropora prolifera were transplanted into a new site.  Monitoring and maintenance to his site has been carried out by our team every  two weeks. Cleaning the coral fragments from algae, collecting data relevant to their development and removing algae predator ( Hermodice carunculate : fireworms). On the last monitoring of the site, 295 coral clusters were reported. Even though at first site it might look like a sever diminishing of the total number of coral clusters, it actually is a good number. Many of the coral colonies have grown big enough for fusion with each other generating a bigger coral colony.

At the same time, we are continuing with the marine aquaculture program focused on incrementing the presence of the Maguimithrax spinosissimus, or Caribbean King Crab, in the coral reef. Specifically in the sites where coral restorations activities are being carried out.

As far as the monitoring of the  health of the reef, we continue to train participants in reef monitoring techniques following the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment Protocol.  From August to November, 2022, 69 new reef monitors have been trained. Getting them to fine tune their diving skills and learning about the reef ecosystem, the interaction with other ecosystems and the different species that inhibit them. So far two different sites have been monitored,  collecting data on the health of the reef and shared it with our different partners so they can use it to determine proper paths to follow for the conservation of the reef.

With more than four years already under the bridge since the start of the coral restoration project,  doing coral cloning through coral fragmentation and assisted fertilization. The objective of 265 thousand new corals in the reef by 2022 was not achieved for many different reasons. But support for the project has continued and through the positive results generated so far, authorities and supports have extended their commitment to the conservation and restoration of the coral reef ecosystem. With your help, this project continues to grow and allowing an opportunity for the conservation and restoration of this magnificent an unique ecosystem.

As always with the huge help from your support, GRACIAS!!!!!!

Thank you for your continued support of our marine conservation project.

One of the key projects we work on is coral restoration and we provide support at the INAPESCA's coral lab up to 3 times a week.  We help with the micro-fragmentation process, preparing the fragments to be placed in the tanks. Such delicate work!

Needless to say, we love our turtles and as we head into nesting and hatching season, we work on cleaning the beach and removing obstacles to help ensure the turtles have a safe passage to lay their eggs.

Did you know that sand castles/pits dug on the beach could potentially hinder or even trap turtle hatchlings? You too can do your part to help avoid that after a day at the beach!

At the heart of what we do as ocean protectors, we strive to educate people from all over the world, collaborate with local communities, and work with governmental organisations on various conservation projects to the best of our ability. It is our mantra to support the UN sustainable development goal "Life Below Water" to promote the sustainable use of marine resources for sustainable development.

World Reef Day was on June 1st.  We celebrated the importance of coral reefs and raised awareness of the impact of human activities that can damage or kill them. Coral reefs are incredibly sensitive to temperature, water quality and sunlight availability.  Pollution from chemical and nutrient runoff and ocean acidification brings about a decrease in water quality. Tourism activities introduce the use of sunscreen and can stir up sediment, which decreases the amount of sunlight and can smother the reef.

Education is a key to change and the more we can highlight the issues affecting coral reefs and work towards monitoring and restoring the reef, we can contribute to a positive impact.

We love our reefs and work hard every day to protect them and we hope you will join in too!

In 2022 we already started training new participants in reef monitoring techniques following the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment Protocol.  Getting them to fine tune their diving skills and learning about the reef ecosystem, the interaction with other ecosystems and the different species that inhibit them. We have already collected data on the health of the reef and shared it with our differente partners so they can use it to determine proper paths to follow for the conservation of the reef.

With four years already under the bridge since the start of the coral restoration project,  doing coral cloning through coral fragmentation and assisted fertilization. So far we have only been able to reach 35% advance on our objectives. Having generated and relocated in the reef 79.5 thousand coral so far, one third of our total objective of 265 thousand corals by 2022.  A big challenge but something we are sure can be done, needs to be done to be able to give another huge step in the conservation of the magnificent coral reef ecosystems.  We are proud to announce that through your generous donations we are currently in the process of expanding our Coral Lab to increase the scope and reach of our work. As always with the huge help from your support, GRACIAS!!!!!!