Environmental Threats to
the Mesoamerican Barrier
Reef
BY SIAN BUNIO
Introduction
 The Mesoamerican Reef is the
2nd largest in the world and
stretches along the coasts of
Belize, Mexico, Guatemala
and Honduras. It offers
wetlands, lagoons and coral
reefs. Recently there has been
a need for establishing plans
and policies to protect the
marine ecosystem
surrounding the reef. Farming
and mining practices as well
as unwanted species will be
evaluated as possible threats
in the preservation of the reef.
Farming Effects
 Erosion is a natural process which, by the wind the, the water
and other natural elements, removes the soil layer by layer.
Although it is a natural process human impact has increased
the amount of run off. Through farming and the use of
fertilizers with high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen the
run off from the land contains more pollutants than ever
before. The increasing demand for construction materials
has led to deforestation. This increases the amount of
nitrogen in the soil, because the nitrogen fixing bacteria in
the roots of trees are not capable of absorbing it for other
uses.
 Toxic substances such as herbicides and pesticides can
become very harmful to the barrier reef ecosystems. As the
toxic substances get into the food chain biomagnifications
causes the concentration of toxins in the organisms to
increase. The higher up the food chain it goes the more
harmful it becomes.
Mining Effects
 The idea of sea mining emerged in the 1960’s with the
goal to extract minerals such as copper and zinc. Many
countries wish to exploit the resources the under water
environment has to offer. Consideration for the fragile
ecosystem has been greatly neglected. By mining
underwater the surface of the floor will rise up and bring
with it sediments that can affect the organisms in the
habitat. The currents could carry these pollutants into
different areas and affect other ecosystems. The analysis
of the consequences has not been fully completed which
indicates that the deep sea mining exploitation is an
unstable way to retrieve resources.
British Petroleum Oil Spill
 On April 20, 2010 BP
spilled more than 25,00
barrels of oil a day into the
northern Gulf of Mexico
after the oil rig exploded
and sank. Oil from the rig
flowed from the floor to
about one mile until the
spill was capped on July
15. The extent of the
damage to the marine
ecosystem is yet to be fully
determined.
Effects
 The oil spill created many
problems. The oil on the surface of
the water prevented oxygen from
reaching the organisms below
which needed it to survive. Many
animals who lived on the surface or
needed to reach the surface for air
were unfortunately coated with the
thick substance.
Oil Spill Clean Up
 The oil spill in April 2010 was the
largest oil spill in the new
Millennium . Marine danger was
imminent at that time and now the
efforts to suppress the damages are
satisfactory. The coastal
community had come together to
address the problem. Louisiana
state authorities had closed all
commercial and recreational
fishing east of the Mississippi river
and volunteers had come from the
cities to help the authorities clean
beaches and save wildlife.
 http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/
2010/08/06/west-wing-weekdispatches-gulf
Mesoamerican Reef Species
 The Mesoamerican Barrier
Reef is home to many
different species. This rich
tapestry of organisms
provides a ecosystem for
many different
populations. It ranges
from species such as the
endangered salt water
crocodile to sea turtles and
back to mammoth whale
sharks.
Unwanted Species
 The lionfish is a venomous marine fish that is found
mostly in the Indo-Pacific and aquariums. They are
characterized by their red, white and black stripes and
spiky tentacles. In the 1990’s they were unintentionally
introduced into the Atlantic ocean after an aquarium
turned over. They eat most species of fish and have
become a sizable predator. In the past 10 years the
population size has increased at a rapid speed. They can
produce 30 thousand eggs every 4 days and with no
competition the lionfish population continues to grow.
Soon enough the large population with have to extent
their boundaries and will make their way into the
Mesoamerican Reef ecosystem.
Lionfish
 The consumers below the lionfish in the food chain
would suffer significantly because their population is
limited to the level below theirs. With the increase of
lionfish the other levels would not be able to keep up and
therefore possible disappear in that area. With the
expansion of the lionfish in other geographical locations
this could be a ongoing problem.
 In the Florida Keys they have come up with a resolution
to the expanding lionfish population. Every year they
host a lionfish hunt competition, where divers collect as
many lionfish as they can. This tournament allows for the
population of lionfish to be monitored.
Lionfish
 Lionfish in the Florida
Cays:
http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=rxz4pwML
2s&feature=player_embe
dded
Protective Measures
 The Lionfish hunt in the Florida Keys is one example
of how the inhabitants are doing their part to protect
the aquatic ecosystem. By collecting lionfish once a
year the number goes down which in turn balances
out the food chain so there is not a large gap between
consumer numbers. With a less rapid increase in the
population, the geographical expansion will be
reduced, positively affecting other marine
ecosystems and their species.
Proposal
 The Mesoamerican Leadership Program has a goal to
conserve the reef and other ecosystems like it by
prompting conservation projects which will tackle the
main threats to the reef. These threats include run off of
pollutants, global warming, oil spills, excessive fishing
and unwanted species. Its mission is to help locals
develop conservation projects which can improve
conditions all along the coast. The mission is monitored
by the leadership program. Each community must vary
their priorities locally to create a meaningful impact. This
program motivates local leaders to come forward and
empower them to help develop projects which envelope
the idea of sustainable use and conservation of the reef
across the 4 countries.
Proposal
 The potential long term
impact is that within the next
5 years the project plans to
launch sixty conservation
projects that will have
significant impact to the
health of the reef. The World
Wildlife Fund (WWF) works
with Belize, Mexico,
Guatemala and Honduras to
manage the reef as an entire
ecosystem. The project is
funded by the Global
Environment Facility.
Conclusion
 The Mesoamerican Reef is a natural wonder that
must be preserved. Even though it remains relatively
intact there is the threat from tourism, deforestation,
erosion, run off and global warming. All effect the
reef in a different way. The reef is linked to
numerous habitats and ecosystems which could all
be damaged in the event of drastic change. It is
important to act now to protect the biodiversity of
the future. By finding alternative means to protect
this ecosystem the biodiversity of this jewel will feel
less pressure and have a promising future.
References
 Images
http://archive.wri.org/image.cfm?id=2679
http://nasailor.com/2010/11/23/lionfish-hunting-season-isopen-on-florida-coast/
http://www.turneffeatoll.org/videos/problem-of-invasivespecies
http://www.oilspillnews.net/wpcontent/uploads/2010/09/1284519617-74.jpg
http://www.grandpacliff.com/Animals/Fish/ImgSharks/shark-whale-mouthopen2-pt.jpg
http://cancun.travel/en/files/2008/08/submarina.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/XJJAs93Exj4/TYFpbJjwllI/AAAAAAAAAF8/RxnGA_N_Dws
/s1600/1297695646-86.jpg
References
 Farming and Mining
http://pdf.wri.org/reefrisk_caribbean_landbased.pdf
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/653840/how_dee
psea_mining_could_destroy_the_cradle_of_life_on_earth.html
 BP Oil Spill
http://www.keysnet.com/2011/06/25/352421/researcher-on-bpspill-if-it-happened.html
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/05/03/bp-oil-spillclean-up-to-cost-nearly-5-billion/
 Proposal
http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/save-the-mesoamerican-reef/
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/profiles/g200/g235.
html