Study assesses health of reef

The marine environment of Belize has been described as one of the planet’s greatest natural assets. But how well is that asset holding up? Tonight at the Belize City Marine Terminal, we’ll get a report from the experts. This morning I got a preview.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting

In the past two years, the Belize Barrier Reef, the longest living reef in the Western Hemisphere has endured the stress of storms, anchors and bleaching. However, a 12-month study conducted on the Lighthouse Reef Atoll has revealed that while the reef has sustained some damage it is still very much alive.

Julianne Robinson, Marine Protected Areas Manager, BAS

“One of the things we are noticing is there is quite a lot of recruitment. Young coral is starting to grow where the larger ones have died.”

Julianne Robinson, the Marine Protected Areas Manager at the Belize Audubon Society says she is encouraged by the results.

Julianne Robinson

“At the moment the reef is in a fairly, if I can use the word, healthy state. There have been incidences of coral bleaching of damage due to storms as well as diseases. However comparatively speaking to the rest of the region I would say it is faring off just as well as everywhere else. Some interesting things we have found out with the populations within the protected areas have actually been sustaining themselves whereas outside the protective areas they have been depleting.”

The lecture and display, entitled “Secrets of a Belizean Reef Revealed,” gets underway at 7:30 at the Marine Terminal.