Mesoamerican Barrier ReefBy: Darcee Stock

What is overfishing?

As defined by the New Oxford American Dictionary,

overfishing is the depletion of the stock of fish in a body of

water by too much fishing

Overfishing in Belize

• Since back to the Mayans, Belize has been of great

importance to fishermen seeing how the Mesoamerican

reef has been plentiful with fish (Belize: A Path to

Sustainable Fishing , 2010)

• The marine biodiversity is being threaten by illegal

fishing and overfishing

• The quickly declining number of fish population could

affect the entire reef and lead to an ecological collapse

The Queen Conch

• Overfishing and illegal fishing has greatly reduced stocks

of grouper and snapper Belize fishermen have gone to

lobsters and queen conch’s (Belize: A Path to Sustainable

Fishing , 2010)

• From 1972 to 2006, the conch catch has fallen from 1.2

million pounds to 699,000 pounds

Why overfishing is an issue

• As mentioned before, overfishing affects the whole

biodiversity of the reef

• As well, fish itself provides many people with food less

fish = less food

Coral and zooxanthellae

• Coral and zooxanthellae (a marine algae) have formed a

symbiotic relationship in which zooxanthellae gives their

extra food to the coral which evidently provides the coral

with energy (What is Coral Bleaching)

• When coral expels zooxanthellae, the photosynthetic

pigments of the zooxanthellae which gives coral its colour

evidently leaves the coral as well which causes the corals

white skeleton to be revealed this is called coral

bleaching

What causes it coral bleaching?

• The primary cause of coral bleaching, and what most effects the coral of the Mesoamerican Reef, is high water temperatures (What is Coral Bleaching)

• Water that rises a few degrees for a month or so is enough to trigger coral bleaching

• With global warming, it is not a surprise that coral bleaching is happening more and more frequently

Why coral bleaching is a problem

• Since most corals need the food provided from the zooxanthellae, without them they begin to starve (What is Coral Bleaching)

• If conditions return to the way they were before, corals can regain their zooxanthellae and recover but the stress can cause problems with their growth and their reproduction

• If they do not regain their zooxanthellae or there is too much stress, the coral can die

Mesoamerican Reef and coral bleaching

• In 1998, a mass coral bleaching caused a great deal of

coral death on the Mesoamerican Reef (Annie Reisewitz)

• Research showed that in areas where the water was clean

and where there was less human activity, coral was able

to recover much quicker then those corals affected by

said things

WWF and the Mesoamerican reef

• One organization that is trying to help save the

Mesoamerican reef is the WWF (World Wildlife Fund)

• Although they are doing multiple projects, one thing they are

doing in particular is promoting sustainable fisheries

(Projects - Promoting Sustainable Fisheries , 2011)

• Through this, they are teaching local fishermen (all along the

reef) about ecosystem-based fishing practices

• As well, in Turneffe Atoll, they are working to protect the

spawning of grouper and snapper

 

Bibliography• What is Coral Bleaching. (n.d.). Retrieved June 27, 2011, from Australian

Gouvernment: http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/key_issues/climate_change/climate_change_and_the_great_barrier_reef/what_is_coral_bleaching

• Annie Reisewitz, J. C. (n.d.). Mesoamerican Reef: Low Stress Leads to Resilience. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from World Resource Institute: http://www.wri.org/publication/reefs-at-risk-revisited/stories/mesoamerican-reef

• Belize: A Path to Sustainable Fishing . (2010, January 7). Retrieved June 27, 2011, from Environmental Defense Fund: http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=49383

• Nuttall, N. (n.d.). Overfishing: a threat to marine biodiversity. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from 10 stories the world should hear more about: http://www.un.org/events/tenstories/06/story.asp?storyID=800

• Projects - Promoting Sustainable Fisheries . (2011). Retrieved June 27, 2011, from World Wildlife Fund: http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/wherewework/mesoamericanreef/surveyingclimatechangeimpacts.html

• THE THREATS TO OUR OCEAN FISHERIES: . (1999-2011). Retrieved June 27, 2011, from Marine Conservation: http://www.savethefish.org/about_ocean_fisheries_overfishing.htm