Belize : Mesoamerican Barrier Reef Initiatives

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef region, located off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea, is home to many ecologically and economically important marine species.  Recognizing this, WCS supports scientific research, management, and policy oriented projects that aim to conserve the marine ecosystem and encourage sustainable use practices.  The goal of the project is to create and ensure a future for both the Mesoamerican marine ecosystem as well as the local communities that depend on its resources.

The Human Aspect
Local communities of the Mesoamerican barrier reef area rely heavily on this highly diverse reef system but engage in many unsustainable practices that damage and diminish the marine ecosystem.  In collaboration with local governments and fisheries departments, WCS helps develop science-based policies and marine reserve plans that seek to maintain biodiversity, protect the integrity of marine ecosystems, and ensure sustainable fisheries.  Ongoing projects also involve local people by providing them with opportunities to collaborate directly with WCS researchers during field activities. 

Threats
A major threat to the Mesoamerican barrier reef area is overexploitation of many of the ecologically and economically important marine species.  A lack of enforcement of existing legislation coupled with poor management has led to over-fishing of many Caribbean sharks and reef fish, such as Nassau Groupers, by the local people.  In addition successful conservation of many species is hindered by the lack of basic biological information on feeding, migratory, and mating behavior.

WCS Activities
Established in 1993, Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve includes the country’s largest no-take reserve as well as a multiple-use zone where limited fishing and recreational activities are permitted.  WCS’s Glovers Reef Marine Research Station, located at the reserve, serves as headquarters for our field presence in Belize as well as a ranger station for enforcement and management of the reserve.  A major focus of WCS’s work on the atoll is to demonstrate the value of the reserve, both to support conservation goals and to help sustain local fisheries. Field investigations include a fisheries data collection project that involves local fishing cooperatives, a socioeconomic monitoring program to document the importance of the atoll and reserve, and extensive field monitoring programs to evaluate the effects of reserve management on species such as queen conch, spiny lobster, and reef fish.  WCS researchers are also examining patterns of coral bleaching and algal growth in the reserve and are identifying mechanisms that may support reef recovery.

A new initiative within WCS’s research program is examining the effectiveness of MPAs (marine protected areas) in conserving highly migratory fish and economically important large fish, including sharks, groupers, and snappers.  The project is investigating the fishes’ movement patterns in relation to the boundaries of current and proposed marine protected areas.  Determining where the fish actually are will help evaluate the effectiveness of current MPAs and will inform recommendations for future reserve boundaries.  This new effort complements a long-standing program to promote conservation of sharks and rays on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. These species are particularly vulnerable to overfishing and are the focus of long-term WCS surveys designed to assess population abundance and identify conservation priorities.

Another key set of projects focuses on the declining population of Nassau groupers in Belize. WCS research in recent years has found that approximately one-third of the grouper spawning aggregations have disappeared due to overfishing in this area. WCS is working to increase monitoring for the species and improve the biological information available to manage and conserve Nassau groupers. An additional project is investigating the feasibility of restoring depleted wild stocks of Nassau groupers with hatchery-reared fish.

Important Next Steps
• Share research results with partners at all levels  (academics, managers, resource users)
• Supply managers with data to promote adaptive management
• Provide recommendations to strengthen the MPA network