Organizations join efforts to “Find the Whales” in the Mesoamerican Reef System
Photo: Fundación Albatros
- A digital education game was recently created to raise awareness on the importance of conserving the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere.
- It is available on Steam for Windows computers and on App Store and Google Play for mobile devices.
(April 18th 2023) Healthy Reefs Initiative (HRI), Mesoamerican Reef Fund (MAR Fund), The Nature Conservancy (TNC Belize) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF Mesoamerica) launched today “Find the Whales – Mesoamerican Reef” a free educational mobile game about coastal and marine conservation in the Mesoamerican Reef System. It was developed by Thought Generation, a non-profit organization based in Canada, which produces free educational games for children.
In the game, available in English and Spanish (https://findthewhales.com/, https://findthewhales.com/espanol/), players are challenged with four quests that lead them to conduct different tasks where they will explore mangroves, coral reefs and the deep sea, and will encounter amazing wildlife but will also learn about the various threats that this ecoregion faces.
The game features characters such as oceanographers and marine biologists that provide instructions to players on how to perform a quest and gives information on how to help protect the various species and coastal marine habitats. These instructions come from valuable inputs provided by different real-life conservationists from the four organizations. These insights are the result of hours of work invested by these technical experts who were committed to making sure that the game could become the education tool it actually is.
According to Marisol Rueda Flores, Communications Consultant from Healthy Reefs Initiative, this video game provides the opportunity to learn about the threats our coasts and reefs are suffering from, but most importantly how to contribute on improving the health of the interconnected ecosystems around the Mesoamerican Reef as if we all were scientists, and learning about the amazing species living in these areas.
María José González from MAR Fund indicated that the game is a great opportunity for children of the region to learn more about their marine natural resources and to introduce them to important conservation issues like the protection of Fish Spawning Aggregation (FSA) in a fun way.
“Find the Whales” is a journey that will take the players, especially the younger ones- to explore and learn from an interactive experience that will introduce them to this ecosystem for the first time or will present a different view for those who are related to it. In the end, the purpose shared by the four organizations is to increase and improve the players’ appreciation of the Mesoamerican Reef and motivate their involvement to conserve it.
Shared by four countries: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, the Mesoamerican Reef System is the largest transboundary reef system in the world and contains the world’s second longest barrier reef. The system stretches along more than 1,000 km of coastline and is a hotspot for biodiversity including endangered marine turtles, more than 60 types of corals and more than 500 fish species.
Julie Robinson from The Nature Conservancy in Belize explained that the Mesoamerican Reef provides shelter for numerous marine species that in turn support the health and sustenance of millions of people along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. Nonetheless, the Mesoamerican Reef is threatened by unsustainable human activities on the coast as well as inland activities such as agriculture and ranching that pollute waterways on their way to the ocean. Creating this game platform that highlights the threats but also encourages individuals to take action in protecting our reef system is a major step to achieving the overarching goal to ensure food security, and create healthier, more resilient coastal habitats.
Nadia Bood, Senior Program Officer for WWF Mesoamerica indicated that “this game will not only be engaging but offers the opportunity for players to learn about and virtually connect with important environmental conservation initiatives we have ongoing within the Mesoamerican region; including restoring mangroves”.
Citizens living in the four countries that share this ecosystem but also communities from abroad are encouraged to play and be part of the team of explorers that are summoned to “Find the Whales” and have a glimpse of the wonder that the Mesoamerican Reef is.
About Healthy Reefs Initiative
The Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative was launched in 2003 on the premise that healthy reefs are essential to sustaining healthy people. In turn, only when local people are healthy and thriving can they be expected to protect the reefs and other natural resources upon which their livelihoods and quality of life depend. The main goals of the Healthy Reefs Initiative are to: 1) Promote the adoption and application of Healthy Reefs indicators by managers, policy makers and other leaders concerned with the integrity of the Mesoamerican Reef Ecosystem; 2) Standardize the analysis and interpretation of reliable scientific data to improve reef ecosystem management; and 3) Serve as an open forum for information sharing and networking among science and conservation partners. The Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative encourages dialogue and collaboration to strengthen efforts to protect the Mesoamerican Reef. You can download our Report Cards on the Health of the Mesoamerican Reef and other materials here: www.healthyreefs.org. Follow us on Facebook as https://www.facebook.com/HealthyReefsForHealthyPeople and find us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube as: @HealthyReefs.
About MAR FUND
The Mesoamerican Reef Fund (MAR Fund) is a regional, private environmental fund with the objective of supporting the protection of the Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) ecoregion, shared by Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. Its mission is to drive regional funding and partnerships for the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of the MAR. MAR Fund was established by four pre-existing environmental funds: Protected Areas Conservation Trust (Belize), Fundación para la Conservación de los Recursos Naturales y de Ambiente (Guatemala), Fundación Biosfera (Honduras) and Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (Mexico).
MAR Fund operates as an ecoregional planning and coordinating body which prioritizes projects and allocates funding through different channels, such as small grants and large, multiannual projects. MAR Fund grantees include community organizations, NGOs, governmental organizations, academia and individuals. Visit www.marfund.org for more information and follow us on Facebook as https://www.facebook.com/MARFund, on Instagram as @mesoamericanreef, on Twitter as @MAR_Fund and You Tube /MARFund/.
About The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. TNC has been working in Belize for the last 31 years alongside the Government and local organizations. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters, and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably, and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 72 countries and territories: 38 by direct conservation impact and 34 through partners, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.
About WWF
WWF is an independent conservation organization, with over 30 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit www.wwfca.org for the latest news and media resources and follow us on Facebook and Instagram as WWF Mesoamerica and @WWF_MAR on Twitter.