Help Rebuild the Gulf of Mexico Barrier Reef

Dear Supporters, 

On January 12, 2019, the GVI Puerto Morelos base officially started operations. Receiving volunteers and interns from around the world that arrive to collaborate with the ongoing Mesoamerican coral reef conservation and restoration project.

Continuing work with our in country partner CRIP (Regional Research Center of fisheries), this quarter we have strengthen our collaboration by initiating activities  in our new base inside the installations of CRIP in Puerto Morelos. So far 28 volunteers have had the opportunity to create a positive impact while collaborating with the ongoing coral reef restauration program of our partners. Staff and volunteers daily have an opportunity to collaborate in the laboratory phase of the program, carrying on coral cloning through fragmentation and helping out in the maintenance of the small coral colonies in laboratory while they reach the size required for them to be transferred to the coral nurseries in the ocean. Some of the same volunteers and staff have also had the great opportunity to help out in the maintenance of the coral nurseries on the ocean, transplanting coral fragments to the nurseries and monitoring the development of the corals in the nurseries.

All of this work has been carried on besides the coral reef ecosystem monitoring that we undertake. Volunteers undertook science training and so far our team has been able to monitor 2 different sites using the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGGRA) system.  The data collected thought this monitoring activities is transmitted to our in country partners (CRIP, HR, CONANP) to help them determine the health of the reef ecosystem and assist them on management decisions for this ecosystem.

Also, on the 7 of March, the GVI team took on the Coral thon fundraising event. Volunteers and staff participated in a fun and demanding, bicycle, obstacle race and beach cleaning to raise funds to buy laboratory equipment needed buy our country partners for the coral reef restauration program. Through this activities, we show our commitment to the restauration of the Mesoamerican coral reef and its conservation.

We have accomplished a lot of our goals in collaborating with our in country partners in the main objective of the conservation of the some of the coral reefs communities of the Mesoamerican Reef System. Helping out in the field and laboratory activities in the process of conserving this wonderful marine ecosystem. Specially by being able to get our volunteers involved hands on different tasks that are involved in this process of conservation, but the most important part, giving our volunteers and people from the local community an opportunity to learn about the coral reef ecosystem, its importance economically, socially and environmentally. Through these actions we have been able to create a clear picture and conscience of the need to work on the conservation and restauration of this ecosystem. We still have a long way to travel to be able to accomplish our goals. The coral reef restauration program has an ambitious objective of transplanting 260’000 new corals by the year 2020.  We are still a long way from this objective but with the generous help from our supporters and donors we can continue working to achieve this objective.

As always, all of this wonderful work couldn’t have been accomplished without the help of our supporters and supporters, a great shout out to you all!!! Thank you!!!

Mexico Marine