10 Years of Collaboration & Conservation MESOAMERICAN REEF REPORT CARD AN EVALUATION OF ECOSYSTEM HEALTH 2018 MESOAMERICAN REEF HEALTH REPORT CARD 2018 1% VERY GOOD 13% GOOD 17% CRITICAL NORTHERN QUINTANA Meso- ROO American Reef 32% FAIR 319 SITES 37% POOR 1% VERY GOOD 11% 12% GOOD 22% GOOD 20% CRIT CRIT COZUMEL 28% Mexico 29% Belize FAIR 134 SITES FAIR 94 SITES 38% 39% POOR POOR CENTRAL Mexico QUINTANA ROO 6% 20% CRIT 30% GOOD CRIT 28% Guatemala Honduras POOR 10 SITES 81 SITES SOUTHERN QUINTANA 70% POOR ROO 46% FAIR BANCO CHINCHORRO NORTHERN BARRIER TURNEFFE LIGHTHOUSE REEF CENTRAL Belize BARRIER GLOVER’S REEF ROATAN GUANAJA SWAN ISLANDS UTILA SOUTHERN BARRIER CAYOS COCHINOS COASTAL HONDURAS Guatemala N Honduras 0 50 100km Reef Health Index (RHI) ● Very Good 4.3 – 5.0 ● Good 3.5 – 4.2 ● Fair 2.7 – 3.4 Poor 1.9 – 2.6 ■ Critical 1.0 – 1.8 □ Subregions MESOAMERICAN REEF HEALTH REPORT CARD 2018 1% VERY GOOD 13% GOOD 17% CRITICAL NORTHERN QUINTANA Meso- ROO American Reef 32% FAIR 319 SITES 37% POOR 1% VERY GOOD 11% 12% GOOD 22% GOOD 20% CRIT CRIT COZUMEL 28% Mexico 29% Belize FAIR 134 SITES FAIR 94 SITES 38% 39% POOR POOR CENTRAL Mexico QUINTANA ROO 6% 20% CRIT 30% GOOD CRIT 28% Guatemala Honduras POOR 10 SITES 81 SITES SOUTHERN QUINTANA 70% POOR ROO 46% FAIR BANCO CHINCHORRO Threshold Values for Indicators (ASSIGNED THE HIGHEST RANK MEETING THESE MINIMUM VALUES) NORTHERN Fleshy Herbivorous Commercial BARRIER Grade Coral Cover Macroalgae Fish Fish Cover Biomass Biomass TURNEFFE Very Good 40% 1% 3,290 1,620 Good 20% 5% 2,740 1,210 Fair 10% 12% 1,860 800 Poor 5% 25% 990 390 LIGHTHOUSE Critical <5% >25% <990 <390 REEF CENTRAL Biomass in g/100m2; Cover in percent benthic cover Belize BARRIER Fish biomass modifications based on new a and b values; and adjustments for total vs fork length as described in the online supplement (healthyreefs.org) Grades assigned to the class meeting these minimum values (maximums for macro algae) GLOVER’S REEF ROATAN GUANAJA SWAN ISLANDS UTILA SOUTHERN BARRIER CAYOS COCHINOS COASTAL HONDURAS Guatemala N MESOAMERICAN REEF REPORT CARD 2018 CARD REEFREPORT MESOAMERICAN Honduras 0 50 100km Reef Health Index (RHI) ● Very Good 4.3 – 5.0 ● Good 3.5 – 4.2 DATA SOURCES (and number of sites) • Data collected June – September 2016. ● Fair 2.7 – 3.4 Mexico: Barco Lab UNAM (65), HRI (27), COBI (18), CEA (12), CONANP Sian Ka’an (12) Belize: HRI (36), ERI/UB (22), WCS (10), TIDE (9), UNC (7), Blue Ventures (5), Hol Chan (5) Poor 1.9 – 2.6 Guatemala: HRI/CONAP/FUNDAECO/Semillas del Océano (10) ■ Critical 1.0 – 1.8 Honduras: HRI/CORAL/BICA Utila/CINVESTAV/CEM/INCEBIO/ITST-UNAH (81) □ Subregions A full list of data contributors can be found online in the 2018 Report Card supplement at www.healthyreefs.org | 1 F l Ma le ra cr s o er o h KEY FINDINGS C v a y o lg C a e SUBREGIONS RHI Overall, the Mesoamerican H l Reef is in ‘fair’ condition with e a r i b 2.8 c i r F v e a reef health index score of is o m h h ro s us Com Fi 2.8 out of 5. We evaluated 319 sites for reef condition, finding 1% very good, 13% good, 32% fair, 37% poor, and 17% critical. Reef health has improved from poor in 2006 (2.3) to fair (2.8) in 2016, as in 2014. Honduras has the highest Reef Health Index (3.0) followed by Belize and Mexico (2.8) and Guatemala (2.0). Three of the four indicators improved over the decade, including coral cover Photo © Claudio Contreras Koob/ILCP (18%), herbivorous fish (2,731 g/100m2) and commercial fish (909g/100m2). The only indicator with no improvement A DECADE OF MAKING and a ‘poor’ ranking is fleshy macroalgae A DIFFERENCE now 23%—up from 12% in 2006. The Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) supports our culture, The increase in coral cover included coral species important for reef building and fisheries, tourism, coastal protection and biodiversity. coastal protection. The Healthy Reefs Initiative (HRI) collectively and quantitatively assesses reef health and informs 21% of corals bleached in 2015/16, science-based management recommendations. with no mortality noted, although higher bleaching in 2017 is a concern. Over the past 10 years, we have conducted rigorous science in support Coral recruitment has remained stable, of management. Our reliable measures of reef condition allow us to but overabundant reef competitors are identify the most urgent threats and responses. HRI training workshops a concern. continue to strengthen scientific capacity. Our partners are scaling-up and We now have 47 marine protected improving management in 47 MPAs spanning almost 60,000 km2. Through areas, covering 57% of the territorial our Regional Coral BleachWatch Network, we have quickly mobilized and sea, but only 3% of the sea is fully supported teams of partners across the region to monitor coral bleaching. protected from fishing. HRI convenes annual partner meetings, enabling us to achieve a common Fully-protected replenishment zones voice and collectively accelerate conservation action. Together, we have (RZs) are working, with a doubling of shaped policy, such as protecting herbivorous fish in 3 of 4 countries. commercial fish over the past decade. Big reproductive fish are primarily in the It has been 20 years since the four country leaders signed the historic RZs and are critical to replenishment. Tulum Declaration, committing to protect the MAR’s shared resources. Our science-based knowledge and collective management efforts New management interventions are need to be accelerated—particularly to reduce pollution and increase being piloted to restore herbivory. Stronger efforts are needed to replenishment zones. Our 2018 Coral Reef Report Card includes a 10-year reduce nutrient pollution to combat perspective on reef health and conservation aimed to ensure our reefs will macroalgae proliferation. endure and thrive into the future. Cover photo © Luciano Candisani/iLCP 2 SUBREGIONS REEF HEALTH BY SUBREGION AND COUNTRY SUBREGIONAL ANALYSIS NORTHERN QUINTANA Subregion / RHI # Sites Live Fleshy Commercial Herbivorous ROO Country Coral Macroalgae Fish Fish (% cover) (% cover) (g/100m2) (g/100m2) Reef Health Index (RHI) Nothern 2.5 47 17 22 665 2521 by Subregion Quintana Roo ▼ Very Good 4.3 – 5.0 Cozumel 3.5 18 17 17 3,226 ● 2,851 Good 3.5 – 4.2 Central Quintana Roo 2.3 40 13 26 988 1,555 Fair 2.7 – 3.4 (Sian Ka’an) ▼ Poor 1.9 – 2.6 Southern 2.3 22 18 24 572 1,738 Critical 1.0 – 1.8 Quintana Roo COZUMEL Banco 2.8 7 11 ● 17 1,590 1,438 Chinchorro MEXICO 2.8 134 15 23 1,139 2,092 Nothern Barrier 2.8 17 12 33 ● 1,194 3,104 Mexico Complex CENTRAL QUINTANA Central Barrier 1.8 18 17 24 139 978 ROO Complex ▼ Southern Barrier 3.8 13 12 22 2,002 4,194 Complex ▲ Turneffe 2.5 26 17 14 ● 585 2,063 Lighthouse SOUTHERN 3.3 8 19 20 1,746 2,441 QUINTANA Reef ▲ ROO Glover’s Reef ▲ 2.3 12 16 18 363 2,173 BELIZE 2.8 94 16 21 876 2,384 CHETUMAL MAHAHUAL GUATEMALA 2.0 10 27 ● 18 43 ● 433 ● Coastal 2.8 20 23 28 452 2,976 Honduras ▲ BANCO CHINCHORRO Cayos Cochinos 2.8 11 16 26 683 5,662 ● Utila ▲ 3.5 9 21 30 1,467 4,233 NORTHERN BARRIER Roatan ▼ 3.3 25 26 25 688 5,453 TURNEFFE Guanaja 2.8 16 19 31 481 4,138 Belize HONDURAS 3.0 81 22 27 675 4474 BELIZE Mesoamerican CITY 2.8 319 18 23 909 2,731 Reef CENTRAL BARRIER ● Regional Best Values LIGHTHOUSE ● Regional Worst Values REEF ▲ Subregions that improved from 2015 SWAN ISLANDS DANGRIGA ▼ Subregions that declined from 2015 GUANAJA GLOVER’S REEF ROATAN SINCE OUR SUBREGIONS 5/16 IMPROVED 2015 UTILA SUBREGIONS REPORT 4/16 DECLINED COASTAL PUNTA SOUTHERN HONDURAS GORDA BARRIER CAYOS COCHINOS LIVINGSTON TELA PUERTO LA CEIBA PUERTO CORTES N BARRIOS 0 50 100km Guatemala Honduras MESOAMERICAN REEF REPORT CARD 2018 | 3 CHANGES Photo © Pete Oxford/iLCP TEN YEARS OF CHANGE Analysis by country provides insight and a call to action Legend: indicators over time at all sites The Reef Health Index improved from 2.3 to 2.8 over the past decade. Compared to global trends Commercial Fish Herbivorous Fish of widespread reef decline, these encouraging results of recovery are a testament to the benefits Coral of collaborative management. Each country’s unique history and management efforts affect the Fleshy Macroalgae (#) Parentheses represent status of the four reef indicators. These trends are an urgent Call to Action for country specific number of sites surveyed management responses. Note different axis values. MEXICO BELIZE GUATEMALA HONDURAS 3500 30 2800 30 1400 30 5600 35 4900 3000 25 2400 25 1200 25 30 ) 2 4200 2500 20 2000 20 1000 25 20 3500 2000 1600 800 20 15 15 2800 15 (g/100m 1500 1200 600 2100 15 10 10 1000 800 400 10 1400 10 5 5 500 400 200 700 5 Cover Percent 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2006 2009 2011 2014 2016 2006 2009 2011 2014 2016 2006 2009 2011 2014 2016 2006 2009 2011 2014 2016 Fish Biomass (121) (48) (63) (86) (134) (140) (66) (68) (94) (94) (5) (0) (4) (8) (10) (60) (16) (58) (60) (81) Mexico shows a slow, steady In Belize, parrotfish biomass Coral cover is higher and In Honduras, relatively high coral increase in coral cover since 2005.