What are Coral Reefs?
HOw are coral reefs threatened?
Not just in Honduras but all around the world coral reefs face threats. Here is an infographic to learn more about them.
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Remember to expand the infographic to read it.
Coral Reefs of Honduras
Watch the first two minutes of the video to check out the beauty of the Mesoamerican Reef in Roatán, Honduras. Then take a look at some organizations that are helping to preserve these beautiful ecosystems
Quick two minute video to appreciate the coral reefs in Honduras!
Preservation and Protection
Coral Reef Alliance
Protecting Reefs
The Coral Reef Alliance works with places all over the world to help protect reefs. They work with local organizations, communities, and governments to promote clean water, healthy fisheries, and habitat protection.
Clean Water
They help across Honduras to keep sewage out of the ocean and off coral reefs. In West End, Roatán, their support resulted in measurable reductions in fecal bacteria and coral disease in nearshore waters. They helped their partner, the Bay Islands Conservation Association Roatan, establish the water quality testing laboratory on the Bay Islands supporting wastewater treatments.
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Healthy Fisheries
Overfishing is a pervasive threat to the Mesoamerican Reefs because without herbivorous fish in the reef to help control the growth of algae, corals are pushed out for space. Even though much of the barrier reads are marine protected areas (MPA), the protection isn't enforced. They work with local members to create science-based management plans and improve MPA enforcement and creations.
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Habitat Protection
The Honduras Caribbean coast is a tourism hotspot. They work to build a culture of environmental stewardship within the tourism industry to help fund resource management. Additionally helping local community members find sustainable ways to benefit from tourism revenue and protect their coral reefs.
Check out their official website:
Photos on their Website by Antonio Busiello
Check out their official website:
Photos on their Website of Coral Nursery
Marine COnservation
The Cayos Cochinos Foundation has many projects to try to preserve and protect the Marine Protected Area,
which includes the following three.
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Coral Rescue and Restoration
To preserve and protect coral reefs, the foundation launched a coral restoration project in the Cayos Cochinos Archipelago Natural Marine Monument. The project includes various nurseries and over 500 coral fragments of the Acropora cervivornis species. Volunteers and trained staff work together to make he project happen.
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Mangrove Restoration
Their Mangrove Restoration project was born through the local Garífuna community initiative after realizing how important these ecosystems are when it comes to the protection of coastlines.​ A greenhouse was built with the help of the community to replant by the shores.​
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Hawkbill Sea Turtle Conservation
Since 1998, sea turtles in Cayos Cochinos have been studied under the management of the Honduras Coral Reef Fund (HCRF) as part of a Research and Conservation Program. The focus has been on hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), the only species recorded nesting in the area.
A volunteer researcher can assist in monitoring activities on the beaches and islands and also learn how to perform tagging. Additionally, under controlled conditions and supervision, they can participate in egg handling activities.
Fundación Cayos Cochinos
Roatán Marine Park
Community DevelopeMent
The Roatán Marine Park offers many programs and is dedicated to protecting marine and coastal ecosystems. One way the RMP contributes to protecting and preserving the coral of Honduras is through Community development. They achieve this in three components.
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Protect Our Pride
Their Protect Our Prife Program offers scholarships to obtain a Dive Master or Instructor degree and helps open doors for young people to employment and the dive industry. They work with the National Vocational Training Institue to curriculums related to tourism.
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Community Tourism​
Their goal is to promote entrepreneurship in local communities through the implementation of tourism units, creating ecological and community tours.
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Environmental Stewardship
They host community patrols, CRCR educational tours, and educational talks to help locals and visitors learn about the importance of local ecosystems and coral reefs. The patrols help create ambassadors and monitor the environment and the talks educate how to be responsible while around marine environments.​
Check out their official website:
Photo of one of their teams