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Exceptional turtle season: exceptional effort
One of the most representative and iconic programs at CEA is the Marine Turtle Protection and Conservation Program, which officially started in 1995, just two years after our foundation in 1993. The very first efforts of turtle conservation in Akumal followed the standards that were promoted by the federal government, some state research institutes and individuals working in Quintana Roo.
The first years of the turtle camp run by CEA focused mainly on acquiring knowledge of the local environmental factors affecting turtle nesting as well as creating a permanent culture for the conservation of the turtles among the very scarce visitors and locals.
To paint a picture of the area in 1995, there were few inhabitants and most of them were working in the hotel sector. There were no commercial activities with turtles at that time. The buildings, houses and hotels in Akumal Sur, Playa Tortugas (Jade Bay) and Half Moon Bay were minimal---making the beaches suitable for turtle nesting. Despite these ideal conditions, the records of nestings were very small, which was also observed throughout the Quintana Roo coast in the different turtle camps.
Over time, the historic trends of both the loggerhead and green turtle nesting show a constant increase in numbers with noticeably higher records for the green turtles. 2017 was not the exception. On the contrary, this year represented an extraordinary season with the highest numbers registered in 23 years.
CEA efforts have accompanied such success. It has meant many hours of beach patrolling, constant volunteer recruiting and training, talks with the local community and tourists, outreach, an ample scope of institutional collaboration as well as informing the authorities and inviting or persuading them to take action when needed.
Over the years we have witnessed a constant deterioration of the beaches caused mainly by the construction of buildings, erosion, pollution, permanent breaching of the law and a busier tourist destination. Yet the nesting activity and our records show that the number of nests are increasing. Many monitoring techniques and data analysis have been implemented and scientific papers published which may lead to thinking we are working in the right way.
With this record number of green turtle nestings this past year and in the 23-year history, it is imperative to continue to further develop stronger collaborative efforts with the local communities, academic institutions and other non-profit organizations. And it is equally important to increase awareness and education among guests and tourists to Akumal.
Knowing our challenges from 2017, our focus for 2018 will be more and consistent communication with houses, hotels and condo owners, administrators and tourists; an increase in bilingual and well-trained staff; and the implementation of more efficient data-collection techniques and systems.
In this issue we share one of the latest scientific papers co-published by CEA in collaboration with British and Portuguese NGOs and academic institutions. The main objective of the paper is to find an effective tool that enables us to collect data of the nesting females in the field during the nesting process. This would allow our staff and volunteers to save time during data collection with the nesting females, as well as making the data collected more efficient and systematized among the four beaches we patrol.
There is reason to believe from our data and that obtained from other turtle camps in Quintana Roo that turtle populations are in recovery. Not only is this great news, but it is also an example of how a tourist destination can be compatible with conservation as steps with education and awareness of nesting beaches and best practices can help towards the recovery of a protected/endangered species.
However, water pollution, land-use change and plans of construction of new buildings in Akumal represent a constant risk and threat to the conservation of the turtles and we all must be vigilant to detect, record and inform the authorities of any attempts to breach the environmental laws. If we abide by the law then we can say Akumal is the "Place of Turtles" for eternity ...
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MAR REEF RESTORATION NETWORK
BIENNIAL MEETING HELD IN AKUMAL
For three days in September, CEA hosted the biennial MAR Reef Restoration Network. It was an event geared towards civil, government and academic institutions committed to the restoration and rehabilitation of reefs in the four countries (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico) of the MAR region. One of the goals of this year's conference was to map all the restoration projects currently taking place within the MAR (MesoAmerican Reef), and target potential sites for future restoration.
In addition to the afternoon working sessions among the network members to determine objectives and to establish guidelines for the next two years, several keynote speakers and leaders in their fields were in attendance to speak on topics ranging from coral reef crime scene investigation, climate change and coral reefs, and a holistic biological approach to restoration activities.
It was an incredible amount of work to prepare the event but very rewarding to be able to host it here in Akumal.
Special thanks to the event sponsors: MarFund, KFW, CCAD and Coperacion Alemana.
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MAR Reef Restoration Network participants in working group sessions and keynote speaker presentations over the course of the three-day meeting.
Photos by Cody Perhamus
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Perception Survey
Throughout the summer, CEA, with the support of Social Services students from UNAM-Sisal and UAM-Iztapalapa, conducted a perception survey on various aspects of Akumal's Fish Refuge. You may have completed the survey as well, as we published a link in our last newsletter.
We are in the midst of finalizing the report but, until it is published, here is a sneak peek at a few of the results.
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| CONSUMPTION OF FISH / ORIGIN OF FISH |
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In one particular section of the survey, respondents were asked about their consumption of fish and knowledge of its origin. While the majority of respondents consumed fish, only 30% knew the origin of the fish they consumed. This knowledge gap can pose challenges in preventing illegal fishing and consumption of illegally caught fish.
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Monitoring and Surveillance
The Monitoring and Surveillance activities within the Akumal Fish Refuge have been ongoing through the various approaches: video camera surveillance, day and night patrols of the refuge area by land and sea as well as surveillance by drone in remote areas, and satellite monitoring of boats.
In addition to the monitoring and surveillance, workshops have been conducted with the authorities to share information and outcomes, as well as training workshops for the Fishing Co-op of Tulum (SCPP "Pescadores de Tulum") who conduct a significant portion of the land and sea monitoring activities.
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A report of the activities and outcomes will be published in the coming months and we look forward to sharing it with you.
The main objective of the TNC Project, implemented by CEA in the Akumal Fishing Refuge Area and its surroundings, is "to monitor the fishing activity and the commercial species." Due to the high incidence of illegal fishing in Akumal, as well as the limited capacity of CONAPESCA to monitor this illicit activity, which is extremely detrimental to the health of Akumal's coastal ecosystem, Community Surveillance is crucial for the conservation of marine resources in the area.
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15TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL DE LA TORTUGA MARINA
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The 15th annual turtle festival was held on October 20, 21 and 29. As part of the organizing committee, CEA staff participated on the organizing committee, designed the visual assets (posters, banners, T-shirts, etc.), created the Carnival marionettes and staffed the activity booths each day.
The Carnival/parade was the newest addition to the festival, starting off the festival each day in the various towns. The Carnival was led by CECYTE Tulum marching band.
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Other popular activities were the hands-on games, crafts and puppet show---focused on education and awareness of turtles.
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A big thank you to the sponsors who provided their support and donations for the event T-shirts, prizes, food + beverage for volunteers and staff, printing, and supplies.
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NEXT RECICLATON: DECEMBER 29
A quick reminder that the next Reciclaton will be December 29 at the Akumal Duomo. Be sure to bring your clean and dry recyclables between 10 AM and 2 PM.
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Boulder star coral (Orbicella annularis) presenting partial bleaching
Photo by Baruch Figueroa-Zavala |
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Increasingly frequent severe coral bleaching is among the greatest threats to coral reefs posed by climate change. Since 2015, CEA has partnered with the Healthy Reefs Initiative (HRI), to implement the Bleach Watch coral monitoring in Akumal as part of the overall goal to provide sound information of the bleaching severity on the reefs within the MesoAmerican Reef (MAR).
With the aid of many other partners in México, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras, HRI is currently developing an evaluation of the 2017 bleaching event in order to determine its consequences on the reef condition. For the last few years, the MAR has been the object of increased coral bleaching as a result of the global-wide stress caused by the rise in the temperature and the acidification of the sea, coupled with local stressors such as water pollution.
The Bleach Watch coral reef monitoring took place in October in five different survey locations on the Akumal reefs by the Coastal Ecosystems Program Coordinator and three volunteers (Baruch Figueroa-Zavala, Eliza Lamson, Cody Perhamus and Erika Gress) with funding provided by HRI.
The surveyors collected details of the condition of a
total of 1,026 coral colonies,
registering information of coral bleaching, its severity, diseases and mortality levels.
The results showed that overall, between 60% and 80% of the coral colonies in Akumal presented mild to severe bleaching
in 2017, leading to the die-off of some 15% of the coral tissue in Akumal.
When the full report by HRI is released, we will be sure to link and share.
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THE BIGGEST NESTING SEASON EVER IN AKUMAL!
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2017 was indeed the biggest year on record with a total of 1,301 nests (loggerhead and greens) on the four beaches here in Akumal.
We'll be producing our Annual Turtle Report in the coming months with the significant details and data.
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ADOPT A TURTLE FOR CHRISTMAS
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It's that time of year! Are you struggling to find the right gift for the hard-to-buy-person on your shopping list?
Here's a quick and easy solution: Adopt a Turtle!
Your symbolic adoption of a turtle, a turtle mama or a turtle family will get you a PDF certificate recognizing your adoption which can be printed out and put into a nice envelope---talk about easy holiday shopping!
In addition, the recipient of your gift will get updates at the end of the turtle season---field notes and an image of your nest.
Whether it is a $30, $50 or $100 donation, the funds help support CEA's turtle program---seasonal staff, materials and equipment, and outreach activities---and each dollar is invested into the protection and conservation of the nesting activities on the beach.
With your support and your gift, we can do more.
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For those who adopted a turtle nest or a turtle family in 2017, you will be getting your updates in the coming month. We are working on the field reports (data and images) for your nests and families and can't wait to share them with you.
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READ ON
During the 2016 turtle season, CEA collaborated with researchers from Universidade de Aveiro and Operation Wallacea to collect data using developed software specifically created for collecting data on beach/nesting details alongside the traditional paper-based methods. The purpose of the research project was to set a benchmark and determine the software's performance, effectiveness and benefits of software for data collection in field work.
The full report, published in Nature.com, can be viewed by clicking the link below.
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STREAM IT
If you are interested in learning more about coral bleaching, we recommend watching
the documentary, Chasing Coral. (Available on Netflix)
The film describes every aspect of coral bleaching by a team of recognized coral experts and photographers in a thrilling visual experience.
And it also features one of CEA's staff members with his contribution.
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Volunteer Opportunities
We are in the midst of planning our volunteer activities for 2018. It looks like there may be some interesting new projects for volunteers to get involved in. Details coming soon!
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Your support helps our conservation efforts.
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