Belize Barrier Reef

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Belize Barrier Reef The Belize Barrier Reef is a series of coral reefs straddling the coast of Belize, roughly 300 m (0.2 mile) offshore in the north and 40 km (25 mile) in the south. It extends for about 300 km (185 miles), making it the second largest coral reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It is Belize's top tourist destination, attracting almost half of its 260,000 visitors, and vital to its fishing industry. Charles Darwin described it as "the most remarkable reef in the West Indies" in 1842. The Belize Barrier Reef is home to a large diversity of plants and animals, one of the most diverse ecosystems of the world: * 70 hard coral species * 36 soft coral species * 500 species of fish * hundreds of invertebrate species With 90% of the reef still needing to be researched, it is estimated that only 10% of all species has been discovered. A large portion of the reef is protected by the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, which includes seven marine reserves, 450 cays, and three atolls. It totals 960 km² (370 miles²) in area, including: * Glover's Reef Marine Reserve * Great Blue Hole * Half Moon Caye Natural Monument * Hol Chan Marine Reserve * Cays include: Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, Caye Chapel, St. George's Caye, English Caye, Rendezvous Caye, Gladden Caye, Ranguana Caye, Long Caye, Maho Caye, Blackbird Caye, Three Coner Caye. Because of its exceptional natural beauty, significant on-going ecological and biological processes, and it contains the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity (criteria VII, IX, and X), the Reserve System has been designated as a World Heritage Site since 1996. Despite these protective measures, the reef is under threat from oceanic pollution, uncontrolled tourism, shipping, and fishing. Hurricanes, global warming, and the resulting increase in ocean temperatures are a particularly significant threat, causing coral bleaching. It is claimed by scientists that over 40% of Belize's coral reef has been damaged since 1998. Source: -- Wikipedia [http://www.wikipedia.org] .

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Ecological and Socio-Economic Impacts of Dive
ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF DIVE AND SNORKEL TOURISM IN ST. LUCIA, WEST INDIES Nola H. L. Barker Thesis submittedfor the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Science Environment Department University of York August 2003 Abstract Coral reefsprovide many servicesand are a valuableresource, particularly for tourism, yet they are suffering significant degradationand pollution worldwide. To managereef tourism effectively a greaterunderstanding is neededof reef ecological processesand the impactsthat tourist activities haveon them. This study explores the impact of divers and snorkelerson the reefs of St. Lucia, West Indies, and how the reef environmentaffects tourists' perceptionsand experiencesof them. Observationsof divers and snorkelersrevealed that their impact on the reefs followed certainpatterns and could be predictedfrom individuals', site and dive characteristics.Camera use, night diving and shorediving were correlatedwith higher levels of diver damage.Briefings by dive leadersalone did not reducetourist contactswith the reef but interventiondid. Interviewswith tourists revealedthat many choseto visit St. Lucia becauseof its marineprotected area. Certain site attributes,especially marine life, affectedtourists' experiencesand overall enjoyment of reefs.Tourists were not alwaysable to correctly ascertainabundance of marine life or sedimentpollution but they were sensitiveto, and disliked seeingdamaged coral, poor underwatervisibility, garbageand other tourists damagingthe reef. Some tourists found sitesto be
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Hol Chan: Demonstrating That Marine Reserves Can Be Remarkably Effective
Hol Chan: demonstrating that marine reserves can be remarkably effective The Hol Chan Marine Reserve lies oil Ambergris Cay, in Belize. Covering 2.6 km2. the reserve has been protected from all forms of fishing since 1987. Although small, Hol Chan contains a higher biomass of fishes per unit area of reef than we have seen anywhere else in the world. Enormous schools of grunts and snappers, so dense they almost obscure the reef. mingle with huge roving black groupers (Mycterot)era bonaci) and grey snappers (LuOanus griseus). The standing stock of commercially important species reaches 340 g/m: in the centre of the reserve, while at the periphery it averages 77 g/m 2, about double that in adjacent fished areas (Pohmin and Roberts 1993). This compares with values for lightly fished reel's of 27 g/m: for the Caribbean island of Saba. 65 g/m2 for the northern Red Sea (data collected using the same observer and method), and 24 g/m 2 at French Frigate Shoals (Polovina 1984), 49 g/m 2 for Bermuda (Bardach 1959), and 65 g/m 2 for Hawaii (Grigg 1994; data collected using different methods). The reserve also contained seven more species of commercial fishes than areas subject to fishing. The presence of large fishes in the reserve is particularly important to replenishment because of their disproportionately large contribution to egg production. In addition to boosting reproductive output, the reserve may also play an important role in protection of species which are vulnerable to fishing. Re/~,lvmes Bardach Jg (1959) The summer standing crop of fish on a shallow Bermuda reef.
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Hol Chan Marine Reserve Belize
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302232 Travelguide
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Hol Chan Marine Reserve Management Plan
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