Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System
As the population of the world continues to grow from its current population of over 6 billion, at the rate of nearly a quarter of a million a day, the natural ecosystems in the world are being constricted and forced into change. The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System is a section of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System that stretches approximately 1000 Km (620 miles) from Cancun to Honduras. This section of the reef system is roughly 300 Km (190 miles) and is home to over 100 coral species and nearly 500 species of fish.
Those numbers are considered to be minuscule compared to estimates by scientists based on the accounts that only about 10% of the reef has been researched. From marine life to plants and birds there are so many different life forms that call this area home. It would be impossible for me to list and describe all of the life forms from this area, but to list a few, they range from sea turtles, to over five hundred species of fish. There are over 100 known forms of coral in this region, and many more species of plant life, fish, and other organisms that are yet to be listed, due to the size of the region only about ten percent has been studied.
There are mammals like whales and dolphins, as well as manatees that live in this ecosystem. The plant life in the reef is what brings the natural beauty to the area. Sea grass, sponges, soft and hard coral, mangrove forests and other regions that are hot spots for snorkelers and other tourists that are interested in the beauty that the reef has to offer. When you look at natural areas like the reef system, and other areas that are uninhabited by man, the interrelationships between the species of the areas are incredible.
The food chain always fits into these areas because that is how our world survives. Overpopulation of any species could damage the world that we call home, and cause major depletion in resources, so with the broad spectrum of creatures living in and around this coastal region there is an abundance of organisms, but no overcrowding based on one particular species. All areas house sea life that feed and reproduce in these regions, and the fishing market also helps control overpopulation of certain marine life.
There are more creatures in these waters than are known, according to most scientists because of lack of funding for the region about 90% of the area has yet to be studied. The human interaction affecting the reef system has many different ways of change in the area. As I said before the population of some of the marine life in the area can be held in check by fishing of these waters, but if left uncontrolled the overfishing in the area can leave species fighting extinction.
There are three species of sea turtles that are striving to keep their numbers up in this region. The other main problem with human interaction is coral bleaching. There are different ways that coral can be bleached, and it is not always caused by human interaction but there has been an increase due to pollution, fishing, tourism and global warming. When bleaching occurs large sections of coral dies off, and can cause disease to spread to the surrounding areas.
It has been claimed that over 40% of the coral in the reef system has been damaged since 1998. Global warming has been called into question with the changes that have been happening and the rising temperatures of sea water, and how those temperatures affect the organism in these waters, and the waters all over the world. Rising temperatures can cause biological issues all over the world, and unlike you and me the other species do not have the luxury of just turning on their air conditioners and staying inside.
Protecting the world’s natural areas and ecosystems should be one of our main goals, but it always seems to slip through the cracks of importance until it is either too late to make a change, or it doesn’t fit into everyone’s busy schedule. The United Nations has listed the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System as “World Heritage in Danger” a distinction that has been used to help protect this area, but it is also a distinction proving that it had been neglected by all of us.
Since the distinction of World Heritage Site has been bestowed on the reef system there have been many recommendations made to keep this area a natural beauty and landmark for the future. •Cancel all land leases and titles granted within the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (BBRS) World Heritage Site that took place after 1996 •Place a permanent prohibition on the sale /lease of lands within the WHS •Prohibit dredging and alterations of mangroves within and in close roximity to the WHS •Complete, adopt and implement the Coastal Zone Management Plan •Adopt and implement the revisions aimed at strengthening the Mangrove Protection Regulations •Fill gaps in marine protected areas, including an increase in the amount of marine territory under full protection (now less than 4%) •Revise the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations and process to include stronger consideration for the cumulative impacts of developments •Adopt and implement the National Protected Areas Co-Management Framework for Belize We urge the government to keep collaborating with non-governmental partners.
Unfortunately, reversing the trend of reef decline is increasingly more difficult. With ideas like these in order and the help of national organizations this area should be able to thrive for many years, and stay an open area and natural beauty for all who want to take part in the landmark that it is. Protecting these areas around the world may be difficult and seem unnecessary to some people but it is a part of the world that we live in even though we may not see it every day it is an area that if lost could have drastic affects on the rest of the world.
I think that the moves that have been made to aid in the protection of this region have been great decisions and the right choices for the long term preservation of the area. I also think that with the help of national governments and worldwide associations like the United Nations Foundation it has become easier for the smaller surrounding nations to stand firm in their ideals about protecting the reef system.
I wish that it was a region that could be safeguarded, but obviously that is an idea that would take resources that are completely unattainable. I think that by enforcing pollution laws and overfishing in the regions and the surrounding areas we should be able to control the damage that is being done by human hands. Also by controlling the tourist developments we can ensure that any problems that may arise by over populating the area with human interference would be held to a minimum.
I only wish that there was more that I could do to help prevent further damage by the events from our past. Years and years of air pollution that has caused ozone pollution and global warming will have future affects for the ecosystems around the world and they will continue to be affected by these disasters that we no longer have control over. We can do our best to make changes now but the ill effects that have already begun cannot be reversed and the problems that are arising in the region cannot be averted.
As long as we do what we can now so that the future generations have the chance to see what beauty this world has to offer than the difference that we try to make will be worth the effort that we give. With natural beauty and areas like lagoons and the Blue Hole, this area of the world has been a tourist hot spot for many people for many years. Along with tourism, over fishing and the endangered species that inhabit these areas of the world the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System has been a topic of preservation for the last few decades.
Pollution, global warming and severe storms have caused concern for this majestic ecosystem that should not only be a haven for sea life, but a form of visual beauty and a spectacle of life the way the world was before industry, technology and impatience took over the world. Handwerk, B. (2009) Expedition to Explore Belize Barrier Reef. NationalGeographic. com Wells, S. (Unknown) Belize Barrier Reef. Westminster. edu UNEP. (2009) Belize Barrier Reef System. Eoearth. org
