· A Marine Jewel
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
· Looking Ahead

Global 200 Snapshot

The Mesoamerican Reef is the two largest barrier reef in the Atlantic.  

A Marine Jewel

The Mesoamerican Reef is so large, diverse, and pristine that it has been called the "jewel" of the Caribbean. This natural wonder stretches for 450 miles (720 km) through clear waters and is home to a high diversity of species.

Special Features

Compared to many parts of the Caribbean, the Mesoamerican Reef remains relatively intact. It is closely linked to coastal wetlands, lagoons, sea grass beds, and mangrove islands. This network of habitats supports nearly 60 coral, 350 mollusk, and 500 fish species. In addition, the ecoregion contains important examples of coral and lagoon formations called atolls, which are reefs built on sunken islands. But unlike atolls in the Pacific, these islands are not volcanic in origin.

	Some species of parrotfish protect themselves at night by wrapping up in mucous cocoons.

Wild Side

Hawksbill, green, and threatened loggerhead turtles nest on cays (small islands, pronounced "keys") and on the mainland. Several hundred threatened manatees, the largest population in Central America, graze on sea grass and find shelter in lagoons and mangroves. American crocodiles swim about, along with wide-ranging bull, nurse, reef, and hammerhead sharks. Stingrays, including the southern, cownose, and yellow species, swim among the coral, while green moray eels hide in crevices and schools of small fish watch out for barracudas and other large predators. Rainbow parrotfish live in caves and scrape algae and polyps from coral. Some angelfish use the reefs as cover at night. Magnificent frigatebirds, red-footed boobies, brown pelicans, and olivaceous cormorants fill the air.

Cause for Concern

Tourism, coastal development, overfishing, and oil spills are serious problems. Agriculture spurs deforestation, soil erosion, and siltation of marine habitats, while herbicides and fertilizers cause pollution. Global warming causes bleaching of reefs.

Looking Ahead

The future of this World Heritage Site looks promising, given its nearly pristine condition compared with many reefs in other parts of the Caribbean. However, threats from pollution, such as oil spills and sedimentation, and overfishing are likely to increase, putting more pressure on the biodiversity in the ecoregion. WWF’s strategy has been to work with Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico to manage the entire reef as a single ecosystem. A plan for managing the ecoregion was developed and approved by the four governments, and they have agreed to work with WWF and local conservation groups to strengthen the regional system of protected areas, manage regional fisheries, and conserve key species and habitats. Funding to support implementation of the management plan will come from the Global Environment Facility.