Climate Action Mexico Project #5928

Help Rebuild the Gulf of Mexico Barrier Reef

by Action Change (Formerly GVI Trust)

Project Report | Nov 8, 2018
$1,737.64 USD Raised for Coral Restoration

By Miguel Angel Lozano Huguenin | Program Manager

Dear Supporters,

The significant conservation efforts of our partners, Healthy Reefs for Healthy People and Centro Ecologico Akumal, advocate for protecting the threated Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (MBR), the second largest reef in the world. The MBR contains an amazing biodiversity of more than 500 fish species and 60 types of coral. It is crucial to protect this ecosystem because of the diversity of
environmental services it provides to millions of people, such as: coastal protection, commercial fish nursery, and tourism.

Since it started operation in Mexico, Healthy Reefs for Healthy People and their various partners have conducted more than 854 field surveys, counted over 40 thousand corals, and helped to change governmental policies which have helped to improve reef health. Centro Ecologico Akumal has been monitoring the health of the reef in front of the bays of Akumal for the past 15 years, as well as being responsible for the introduction of a No Fishing Area in front of Akumal Bay in 2015.

Additionally, they started 5 coral nurseries to help regrow and replenish the coral Acropora cervicornis which is a keystone species in the MBR. All that work involves many hours underwater as well as gear and equipment suffering wear and tear as a result of hard use. Our partners needed the support of all of us to keep up with all that incredible hard work. So, GVI Akumal held a fund raising event called “ReefMaster Race” raising money in order to provide our partners with scuba diving equipment and the materials needed for coral nurseries and restauration. The event involved a rally/race in which 5 teams of volunteers and staff had to overcome several test in their own unique way while trying to be the first to arrive at the finish line. By participating in this event and getting their friends and family members involved, volunteers at GVI Akumal were able to raise $1’737.64 USD to be used in diving
equipment and material for the coral restoration project of our in country partners Healthy Reefs for Healthy People and Centro Ecologico Akumal. Again GVI Akumal showing our commitment to work and help on the preservation of the marine ecosystems, in this case the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.

With Love,

GVI Akumal Team

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Jul 25, 2018
Empowering Local Organizations Protect Their Oceans

By Miguel Angel Lozano Huguenin | Program Manager

Dear Supporters,

This quarter our Marine Base in Akumal had the opportunity to be able to assist Amigos de Sian Ka’an, a local NGO with whom GVI has been working in collaboration for the last 15 years in a diversity of activities of scientific research, environmental education and volunteer work all focused on conservation of the environment. In specific the coastal environment of the Mexican Caribbean coast in Quintana Roo, with the diversity of tropical ecosystems in the area.

GVI and Amigos de Sian Ka’an have a special bond due to their common objectives of marine environment conservation, fact that was clearly shown through the collaboration of Amigos de Sian Ka’an by accepting the use of their facilities inside the natural protected area of Sian Ka’an for the last 15 years as a the base of GVI Pez Maya.

On this particular occasion GVI was able to raise funds to cover the expenses of the SCUBA diving insurance, DAN, for four of Amigos de Sian Ka’an’s biologist that work on the marine conservation program. Jethro Aguilar Rosales, Manon Rinaldi and Rosa Maria Loreto now have a proper SCUBA diving insurance coverage to help them continue with their reef monitoring, monitoring and control of invasive marine species as well as all the rest of the field work they carry on in the name of marine ecosystems conservation.

With this action, GVI helps promote the conservation of the marine environment by empowering local partners in their ongoing work in marine conservation. Strengthening ties with local actors that share the same environmental objectives as GVI. Making sure that the Caribbean ocean and its unique reef ecosystem, the second largest in the world, will be here of future generations to enjoy and be able to use in a sustainable manner.

Thank you for all your support!

GVI Akumal

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Apr 25, 2018
Donations to Our Partners

By Peter Jones | Base Manager

The partnership between GVI and CEA signed

Dear Supporters,

The start of 2018 has been a very exciting time here for the Mexico Marine Program. We have moved to Akumal to support the Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA), this has been a large step up working towards the GVI 20 yr strategy to become a leader in educational and experiential training. The move went very well and I would like to thank Alonso from Amigos de Sian Ka´an (ASK) for helping us out on the day with the move! This was a large move and has been a credit to the field staff here that within the first 3 months of the year and only having been in Akumal for 6 weeks, we, with the help of all the current volunteers are already monitoring sites in the area and collecting quality data. This is a huge achievement and a great platform on which we aim to build with our new partners.

This phase we have not had time to run any charity events as the move and drive to succeed in our primary objectives has been all consuming, having said this however we still remain committed to our other partners and are in the process of donating our solar system to ASK to continue its great work at Pez Maya. Renewable energies is the future and it makes far more sense for that system to be used in a place where it really is so useful. We are also donating some regulators to Comunidad y Biodiversidad (COBI). We have often leant equipment to COBI so they can continue the monitoring done by the residents of Punta Allen but given the expense of equipment its very satisfying to be able help them in this small way.

Over the next year we aim to deliver more PADI training to these men and women to make them ever safer divers whilst protecting parts of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.

Thank you for your continued support!

All the best,

Mexico Akumal

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