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  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • WHAT IS MAR FUND?
    • MESOAMERICAN REEF
    • MISSION & VISION
    • FOUNDING MEMBERS
    • ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
    • BOARD OF DIRECTORS
    • THE TEAM
    • CONTACT US
    • JOB OPPORTUNITIES
    • MAR NEWS
  • VICTORIES
    • GENERAL
    • MEXICO
    • BELIZE
    • GUATEMALA
    • HONDURAS
  • PROGRAMS
    • SAVING OUR PROTECTED AREAS
      • SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM
      • CONSERVATION OF MARINE RESOURCES IN C. A. PROJECT
      • PROTECTION OF MARITIME RESOURCES IN
        CENTRAL AMERICA III
      • RE-GRANTING WITH OAK FOUNDATION
    • FISHING FOR THE FUTURE
      • MAR FISH
      • FISH REPLENISHMENT ZONES (FRZ)
      • LIONFISH
    • CLIMATE CHANGE
      • REEF RESCUE INITIATIVE
      • MANGROVES
      • GAGGA
    • BELIZE MARINE FUND
    • CLEAN WATER FOR THE REEF
    • CROSS-CUTTING: MAR+INVEST
  • NETWORKS
    • MAR CONNECTIVITY NETWORK
    • REGIONAL MANATEE WORKING GROUP
    • REEF RESTORATION NETWORK
  • DONORS
  • ALLIES
  • LIBRARY
    • ANNUAL REPORTS
    • UPDATES ON ACTIVITIES
    • MAR FUND DOCUMENTS
    • FINANCIAL FACT SHEET
    • TECHNICAL FACT SHEETS
    • MBRS
    • GENDER AND FISHING
    • RESPONSIBLE COASTAL SOCIETIES
    • MAREA
    • LA OLA
    • VIDEOS
  • DONATE
    • CASE FOR SUPPORT
    • GIVING
      OPPORTUNITIES
    • DONATE NOW
    • GLOBAL GIVING
  • WEBINARS
    • WEBINARS 2025
    • WEBINARS 2024
    • WEBINARS 2023
    • WEBINARS 2022
  • ESMS SYSTEM

MAR Connectivity Network

Introduction

Our team builds on successful academic and management partnerships that spans five-years between CONANP (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas), ECOSUR (El Colegio de la Frontera Sur), CINESTAV (Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados), NOAA Early Life History Unit at SEFSC, NOAA Physical Oceanography Department at AOML, and the University of Miami-RSMAS (Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science). As a result of this interdisciplinary work, we are obtaining preliminary research and management results including assessments of larval reef fish biodiversity, distribution and relevant coastal oceanographic dynamics.

This includes fishes that are ecologically and socioeconomically important to the Mesoamerican reef system such as snappers, groupers, parrotfishes and hogfishes. Two broad questions drive this research:

  1. What is the level of larval dispersal and recruitment connectivity within and amongst the Mesoamerican reef, the Dry Tortugas, and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s reserves?
  2. Is there evidence of self-recruitment within these marine reserves? Reef fish populations are part of one of the most complex ecosystems in the marine environment.

They are also the most heavily exploited part of the ecosystem and have been pushed to extremely low levels throughout the wider Caribbean. Despite the importance of these populations, relatively little is known about most stages of their life cycles or their interaction with small and mesoscale oceanographic patterns. Important information such as adult spawning behavior, location, and depth of spawning aggregations and recruitment is mostly unknown. Little is known about the status of these fish populations in the western Caribbean along the Meso-American reef system, though stocks there are generally considered to have suffered relatively less exploitation.

There are also significant gaps in our understanding of the complex circulation patterns along the western Caribbean’s Yucatan coast where the Caribbean Current and the Loop Current connect and flow into the Gulf of Mexico (Figure). This area plays a potentially important but still unknown role in the route of subtropical gyre circulation which drives the biological production and transport of larvae throughout this region. This research project was designed to provide a baseline study of the fisheries oceanography of the western Caribbean during winter spawning and to provide a basis for future fisheries management decisions.

In addition to multiple inshore surveys that targeted nursery habitats for juvenile and newly settled fishes, shipboard oceanographic surveys were also conducted to establish a baseline of ichthyoplankton abundance and distribution regionally along the reef. Some of the goals and results of this collaborative project include, 1) data applied directly to developing and updating local and regional management plans, and 2) technology/training transfer for future capacity-building in the local communities and academic institutions, and 3) tools and deliverables for local governmental agencies, resource managers, and stakeholders.

The figures below depict sampling locations in relation to MPAs and preliminary results from our fisheries-oceanography cruise in 2006. Grouper (Serranidae) abundance is shown per station at different depths. Also attached is the map with the 14 initial priority MPAs for the MAR Fund.

Because the MAR region has at least 63 coastal and marine protected areas that are part of the national MPA systems of the four countries, the decision to work with a smaller number of areas to integrate the initial network was made. The idea is to begin with a smaller group of priority conservation areas and to incorporate additional groups of areas progressively. To select the priority areas, MAR Fund facilitated a process that included the participation of different actors from the four countries. The methodology that was designed for this purpose was applied initially through four workshops to obtain the national priorities. These results were then analyzed at a regional workshop, in which the number one priorities for the region were defined.

The initial network of 14 areas includes the sites indicated in Table.

MPA Capacity-Building and Mesoamerican Reef Connectivity Workshop For further information on connectivity in the MAR, please visit these links:.

First Regional Connectivity Workshop

Presentations

Metas y Resultados Samantha Whitcraft & Estrella Malca / NOAA

Mejorar la capacidad regional mediante la creación de una Coalición de Conectividad SAM de administradores y científicos; proveer un mecanismo y un calendario para las comunicaciones/colaboraciones entre los administradores, ECOSUR, Fondo SAM y NOAA-CIMAS-RSMAS.

Priorización de APMC del SAM Claudio González / MAR Fund

Seleccionar participativamente una red de áreas protegidas marino costeras prioritarias dentro del contexto regional del Sistema Arrecifal Mesoamericano, para la inversión inicial.

Spawning Aggregations Research Eloy Sosa / ECOSUR

Campo activo de investigación. Antecedentes en 1910s, de nuevo cobró fuerza desde fines de los 1980s.

Larval Reef Fish Research Lourdes Vásquez / ECOSUR

Larval Reef Fish Research Lourdes Vásquez / ECOSUR.

Oceanography Research Laura Carrillo / ECOSUR

Oceanography Research Laura Carrillo / ECOSUR

Larval reef fish and fisheries oceanography research, Mesoamerican Reef – Overview Samantha Whitcraft & Estrella Malca / NOAA

Larval reef fish and fisheries oceanography research, Mesoamerican Reef – Overview Samantha Whitcraft & Estrella Malca / NOAA

Case Study: Fisheries Oceanography in the USVI; management implications & applications Trika Gerard / NOAA

Case Study: Fisheries Oceanography in the USVI; management implications & applications Trika Gerard / NOAA

Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Yum Balam Rafael de la Parra /CONANP

Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Yum Balam Rafael de la Parra /CONANP

Parque Nacional Isla Contoy Dr. Jaime González / CONANP

Parque Nacional Isla Contoy Dr. Jaime González / CONANP


Santuario del Manatí Víctor Manuel Hernández / SEDUMA

Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos.

Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel Ricardo Gómez Lozano / CONANP

Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel Ricardo Gómez Lozano / CONANP

Reserva de Biosfera Banco Chinchorro / Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Xcalak María del Carmen García Rivas / CONANP

Reserva de Biosfera Banco Chinchorro / Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Xcalak María del Carmen García Rivas / CONANP

Corozal Bay Wildlife Sanctuary Zoe Walker / SACD

Corozal Bay Wildlife Sanctuary Zoe Walker / SACD

Southwater Caye Marine Reserve Juan Chub / Belize Fisheries Department

Southwater Caye Marine Reserve Juan Chub / Belize Fisheries Department

Port Honduras Marine Reserve Marlon Williams / TIDE

Port Honduras Marine Reserve Marlon Williams / TIDE

Refugio de Vida Silvestre Punta de Manabique Edelweiss Hildebrand / Fundación Mario Dary

Desarrollar un sistema de manejo integrado del ecosistema marino-costero de Punta de Manabique, que permita el mantenimiento de sus procesos ecológicos esenciales y la sostenibilidad en la producción de bienes y servicios derivados: manejo forestal, caza, pesca, tránsito, turismo y desarrollo comunitario.

Roatan Marine Park Jenny Myton / Roatán Marine Park

Roatan Marine Park Jenny Myton / Roatán Marine Park

Sandy Bay West End Marine Reserve Jenny Myton / Roatán Marine Park

Sandy Bay West End Marine Reserve.

Green Reef Environmental Institute Valentín Rosada

Green Reef is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of Belize’s barrier reef complex and the associated marine environment in order to maintain the integrity of the ecosystems for the benefit of all humans.

Comunidad y Bidoversidad A.C. Constanza Ribot

Comunidad y Bidoversidad A.C. Constanza Ribot

Agenda

Agenda

Este es un taler para promover una mayor comprensión de la conectividad biofísica a lo largo del Sistema Arecifal Mesoamericano (SAM) y su rol potencial en la gestión a escala de ecosistemas de las áreas protegidas a través del intercambio de experiencias e ideas entre la administración y el personal científico para identifcar metas convergentes/comunes a largo plazo (ver documentación de apoyo adjunta:

  1. Mapas de oceanografía para pesquerías de NOA-ELH/ECOSUR y
  2. Mapa de AMPs prioritarias del Fondo SAM).

Participant List

Participant List

Press Release

Press Release

Más de 40 expertos de México, Belice, Honduras, Guatemala y Estados Unidos se reunieron del 17 al 19 de mayo del presente en el “Taller de Capacitación Regional sobre Áreas Marinas Protegidas: Conectividad en el Arecife Mesoamericano” celebrado en el Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) unidad Chetumal.

Second Regional Connectivity Workshop

Introduction

Second Regional Connectivity Workshop

2nd Regional WORKSHOP: MPA Capacity-Building and Mesoamerican Reef Connectivity

Participants: regional natural resource managers, staff and stakeholders that work with/in the prioritized MAR MPAs.

Purpose: This is the 2nd Regional workshop to promote a better understanding of the bio-physical connectivity along the Mesoamerican reef (MAR) and its potential role in ecosystem-scale management of associated protected areas. This workshop is intended to be a practical, hands-on approach in connectivity research and data acquisition.

Where:

Day 1: El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Day 2: Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Xcalak, Quintana Roo, Mexico. When: March 13 -14, 2012

Goals:
The workshop goals are a result of the three priorities established by local managers in the 2010 workshop held in ECOSUR, Chetumal, Q. Roo:

  1. Workshop goal: provide hands-on training by experts and exchange experiences in connectivity research in the Mesoamerican region in recruitment, invasive species (lionfish) and transport patterns.
  2. Management goal: support capacity building in the MAR region by training of local managers and the “training of trainers” in connectivity issues and invasive species (lionfish) with parallel protocols.
  3. Connectivity Research goal: to obtain comparable baseline information on a regional basis, our goal is to carry out at least one simultaneous network-wide activity utilizing the training acquired in this workshop, by combining the biological and oceanographic components in the network of MPAs (at least one MPA per country).

During the workshop, a proposal will be developed by participants (managers, NGOs and academic partners) that they can coordinate, execute and analyze, with the following components:

  1. simultaneous collections of recruitment (fish) using settlement traps and
  2. combination of the biological data with continuous sea temperature measurements by deployment of data loggers.

Agenda

Agenda


Day 1

9:00 – 9:15 Welcome & Introduction: workshop goals and expected results (ECOSUR/NOAA-UM/MAR Fund)

9:15 – 10:30 Mesoamerica reef connectivity research & regional updates from MPA representatives (Government, academic or NGOs): overview presentations by members of the Network on research, management and connectivity related work in the region. (Each presentation will have 15 minutes).

10:30 – 10:45 Coffee break

10:45 – 13:00 Cont. Mesoamerica reef connectivity research & regional updates from MPA representatives (Government, academic or NGOs): overview presentations by members of the Network on research, management and connectivity related work in the region. (Each presentation will have 15 minutes).

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch

14:00 – 16:30 Parallel Sessions

14:00 – 15:15

Group 1

Demonstrative deployment of biological gear, microscope activities, how to prepare the database of larval observations. Led by Lourdes Vasquez-Yeomans and Estrella Malca.

Group 2

Introduction to data formats and instrumentation deployment (programming) using the web developed database for the MRS connectivity group. Examples: oceanographic equipment, experimental set up and deployment. Led by Laura Carrillo, PhD. 15:15 – 16:30 Group 2. Demonstrative deployment of biological gear, microscope activities, how to prepare the database of larval observations. Led by Lourdes Vasquez-Yeomans and Estrella Malca. Group 1. Introduction to data formats and instrumentation deployment (programming) using the web developed database for the MAR connectivity group. Examples: oceanographic equipment, experimental set up and deployment. Led by Laura Carrillo, PhD.

16:30 – 16:45 Coffee break

16:45 – 17:45 Invasive species in the Mesoamerican Reef:Lionfish module, Part 1. Led by Eloy Sosa with collaboration from R. Gomez (CONANP)

16:45 – 17:15 Introduction (E. Sosa) – 30 mins

17:15 – 17:45 Overview of actions against lionfish (R. Gómez) – 30 mins


Day 2

06:00 – 7:30 Transportation to Xcalak, a fishing village within the Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Xcalak (PNAX). Breakfast will be inside the bus, during the trip.

7:30 – 9:00 Field activity to collect deployed gear (biological and oceanographic). This includes: Activities on juvenile/larval fish recruitment: biological collecting, equipment set up and discussion. Led by Lourdes Vasquez-Yeomans and Estrella Malca. Field activity on coastal oceanography: oceanographic equipment, experimental set up and deployment. Led by Laura Carrillo, PhD.

9:00 – 10:00 Lionfish collection. Activity coordinated by PNAX staff (J. Gómez).

10:00 – 10:20 Coffee break

10:20 – 12:30 Invasive species in the Mesoamerican Reef:Lionfish module, Part 2. Led by Eloy Sosa, R- Gomez (CONANP), N. Hernandez (PNAC), J. Gómez (PNAX), E. Caamal (PNIC) and O. Alvarez (CONANP)

10:20 – 10:40 Measuring key data on lionfish abundance (N. Hernández & E. Sosa) – 20 min

10:40 – 10:55 Methods for evaluating abundance (E. Sosa & E. Caamal) – 15 min

10:55 – 11:10 Fisher participation in control programs, Puerto Morelos case-study (O. Alvarez) – 15 min

11:10- 11:25 Public participation in control programs, Xcalak case-study (J. Gómez) -15 min

11:25 – 12:00 Discussion and concluding remarks (R. Gómez and E. Sosa). 35 min

12:00 -13:00 Lunch

13:00-14:30 Data analysis of collections/ sample analysis

13:00 – 13:45 Biological data – 45 min

13:45 – 14:30 Oceanographic data – 45 min

14:30 – 16:30 Project development by participants led by workshop organizers Coordinate and establish objectives, tasks, time frame, expected results, end date, communication protocol for simultaneous deployment of the Connectivity Network in the MAR region.

16:30 – 16:45 Coffee break

16:45 – 17:30 Workshop wrap up & conclusions (Summaries and lessons learned/discussions)

17:30 – 19:00 Transportation to Chetumal

Participation List

Participant List

Summary Results 2012

Summary Results 2012

As planned, this 2nd Regional Workshop took place on March 13 and 14, 2012, in the installations of ECOSUR, in Chetumal, with the second day dedicated to field activities in Xcalak National Park.

Gallery Photo

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Documents

Documents

Directorio ECOME

Informe consolidado final – ECOME

Estudio de corrientes en el Mesoamericano

Presentación primer foro de análisis para fortalecer a las áreas naturales protegidas estatales.

Pesca Marina

Sosa-Cordero, E. y Angélica Ramírez González. 2011. Pesca Marina. p. 183-189. In: C. Pozo, N. Armijo y S. Calmé. (Eds.). C. Pozo, N. Armijo Canto y S. Calmé. (Eds.). Riqueza Biológica de Quintana Roo. Un análisis para su conservación. Tomo I. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR)-Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO)-Gobierno del Estado de Quintana Roo-Programa de Pequeñas Donacionaes-PNUD.

La pesquería de langosta Pa­nu­li­rus argus es una actividad de relevancia ecológica, social y económica en las costas de Quintana Roo

Sosa-Cordero, E. 2011. La langosta, pesquería emblemática de Quintana Roo. p. 221-227. In: C. Pozo, N. Armijo Canto y S. Calmé. (Eds.). Riqueza Biológica de Quintana Roo. Un análisis para su conservación. Tomo I. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR)-Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO)-Gobierno del Estado de Quintana Roo-Programa de Pequeñas Donacionaes-PNUD.

Parque Nacional Isla Contoy – Verano 2010

Trabajo de campo / Field Work y laboratorio. Colectamos datos oceanograficos (temperatura, salinidad, corrientes, etc) conjunto con colectas de larvas y juveniles de peces en el Parque Nacional Isla Contoy en Agosto 2010. Este trabajo es producto de la colaboracion de NOAA, ECOSUR, CONANP

Ir a Taller

Connectivity Workshop 2010

Ir a Taller

This handbook is a product of the Coral Reef Targeted Research & Capacity Building for Management Program (CRTR)

Preserving Reef Connectivity: A Handbook for Marine Protected Area Managers aims to help managers of coastal areas, in particular those of coastal marine protected areas (MPAs), understand and apply the concept of connectivity work. By Dr. Peter Sale among others.

MAR fish postlarvae and juvenile catalogue

Consolidated Report of the 2013 – 2016 Connectivity Exercises (ECOME) in the MAR


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20 years protecting Mesoamerican Reef (2005-2025).