•
•
•
•
Along the coast of Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and
Belize.
Largest coral reef in the western hemisphere
Amazing display of bio diversity, which is home to 65
species of stony coral, 350 species of mollusk and more
than 500 species of fish
More than 724 km long
 Farming
and mining practices
 Introduction
of unwanted species
Pesticides used in farming cause immense damage to
the Mesoamerican Reef.
1. Pesticides reach the reef due to poor infrastructure
and slopes and inclines near the water
2. Coral needs very special conditions to thrive, and
clean water is crucial
3. Chemicals cause irreversible damage
Along with its beautiful appearance, coral has many
wasteful uses including
 Concrete
 Calcium
 Souvenirs and jewellery
 Medical uses
Coral souvenirs common in gift shops
Coral mining is extremely damaging to the
Mesoamerican reef
 Reefs are built over thousands of years, and cannot
grow back quickly
 Other damage, like sand erosion and sedimentation
occurs
 The loss of coral has huge economic factors, and has
been determined to lose between $137,000 to $1.2
million dollars over 25 years per kilometer squared.
 Habitats for fish and other creatures are destroyed





The after math of the BP oil spill had a huge affect
on ecosystem in the surrounding area
145 million barrels of oil has leaked since the spill,
more than 2.5 million per day
More than 8.300 species have been affected by the
oil spill
Toxic chemicals were used to “disperse” the spill,
resulting in even more damage
Coral reefs rely on clean water, and the oil began to
contaminate these, destroying portions
When organisms are introduced to an area, it can
cause devastation. This has occurred in the
Mesoamerican reef, with things like the lion fish and
crown of thorns.





Introduced in the 1990s after an aquarium
was destroyed during a hurricane
Extremely evasive as it has no natural
predators
Efforts to reduce population were mainly
ineffective
The lionfish breeds extremely quickly, and
can release
Studies have shown lionfish reduce the
amount of coral fish by an estimated 80%



The crown of thorns is the second largest sea
star in the world
Outbreaks of crown of thorns cause
devastating and unchangeable destruction
when introduced to coral reefs, as they grow
rapidly and stop other coral from being able
to grow
Sodium bisulphate can be injected to prevent
over population
Despite many terribly destructive influences to
the Mesoamerican coral reef, there is a strong
movement trying to keep the reefs alive.




Organizations like Healthy Reefs for healthy people
work to educate, fundraise, and help protect the
coral reefs
Annual report cards are produced which give
detailed information on how the reefs are declining
Coral nurseries have been set up around Belize and
Mexico that grow extremely endangered coral and
have been very effective
Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras have all
made agreements to protect the coral reefs and
species
Protected areas have been established that
have made a huge impact on the health of the
reef. In these areas, there are many protective
features, including
 Maintaining endangered species
 Protecting habitat
 Banning excessive fishing
 Lowering the rate of dangerous introduced
species, like the lionfish
There has been seemingly irreversible damage
done to the Mesoamerican reef, however with
support we can keep this beautiful, bio diverse
and crucial part of our ecosystem alive.




Control of Lionfish in the Mesoamerican Reef - GlobalGiving. (n.d.).
GlobalGiving: donate to projects in the developing world supporting
education, health, women and children, and more. Retrieved June
27, 2011, from http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/control-ofinvasive-lionfish-in-the-mar-reef/
Healthy Reefs Healthy People - Healthy Reefs. (n.d.). Healthy Reefs
Healthy People - Healthy Reefs. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from
http://healthyreefs.org
ICRAN. (n.d.). ICRAN. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from
http://www.icran.org/
Mayan riviera: Dive in the Mesoamerican Reef System. (n.d.). Riviera
Maya Travel reservations rivieramaya playa del carmen cozumel
tulum yucatan mayan location. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from
http://www.rivieramaya.info/news/2008/02/dive-inmesoamerican-reef-system.html




NOAA Says Invasive Species Prevention and Control Focus Needed
on Non-native Lionfish. (n.d.). NOAA Public, Constituent and
Intergovernmental Affairs - HOME. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from
http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases2006/nov06/noaa06r499-4.html
National Geographic Mesoamerican Reef: Animals, Photos, Video.
(n.d.). National Geographic - Inspiring People to Care About the
Planet Since 1888. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/reef/reef.html
PhysOrg Mobile: Efforts to spear invasive lionfish not likely to curb
population, researchers say. (n.d.). PhysOrg Mobile: latest science
and technology news. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from
http://pda.physorg.com/news/2011-06-efforts-spear-invasivelionfish-curb.html
Visualizing the BP Oil Spill. (n.d.). IfItWereMyHome.com. Retrieved
June 27, 2011, from http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/disasters/bp