Melanie McField mcfield@healthyreefs.org via coral.aoml.noaa.gov <\/p>\n
Apr 2, 2014
\nOf interest to the Coral Reef Community – the latest report from the
\nHealthy Reefs Initiative<\/p>\n
No Reef Left Behind: Is Management of the Mesoamerican Reef Making the
\nGrade?<\/p>\n
The coral reefs of Mesoamerica – Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico –
\nare known for their striking beauty and colorful diversity, but are we
\ndoing enough to protect these natural underwater treasures? That is the
\nfocus of a just published study by the Healthy Reefs Initiative. Their 2014
\nEco-Audit of the Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) Countries is a systematic
\nmultinational evaluation involving four countries, over 50 organizations
\nand more than 350 analytical documents – and is thought to be the only
\nmulti-national environmental audit of its kind globally.<\/p>\n
The region-wide results for 2014 measured a ‘Fair’ level of positive
\nimplementation (2.9 out of a possible score of 5.0); with Belize
\nmaintaining the highest score (3.2) followed closely by Mexico (3.1),
\nHonduras (2.7), and Guatemala (2.4). The theme with the highest ranking
\n(Good) was *Research, Education and Awareness* (3.9), followed by *Marine
\nProtected Areas* (3.4), which also showed good improvement since the last
\naudit. *Sustainability in the Private Sector *got a “Poor” score (2.4),
\nalthough it showed improvement since the last audit. *Sanitation and
\nSewage Treatment* had the lowest score (2.3) with no improvements.
\nAdditional NGO and government effort in improving sanitation will not only
\nbenefit the regions reefs but also the health of the millions of people
\nliving along the coast.<\/p>\n
The full press release is attached. The Eco-Audit brochure and all
\ndocumentation can be downloaded from www.healthyreefs.org.<\/p>\n
Regards<\/p>\n
Melanie<\/p>\n
—
\nMelanie McField, PhD
\nDirector, Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative, Smithsonian
\nInstitution
\n1648 NE 47th St, Ft Lauderdale FL 33334
\nCell: 754 610 9311 Tel: 954 990 8842
\nemail: mcfield@healthyreefs.org
\nwww.healthyreefs.org<\/p>\n
Join the International Society for Reef Studies
\nwww.fit.edu\/isrs\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Melanie McField mcfield@healthyreefs.org via coral.aoml.noaa.gov Apr 2, 2014 Of interest to the Coral Reef Community – the latest report from the Healthy Reefs Initiative No Reef Left Behind: Is Management of the Mesoamerican Reef Making the Grade? The coral reefs of Mesoamerica – Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico – are known for their striking beauty … Continue reading [Coral-List] 2014 Eco-Audit on Mesoamerican Reef<\/span>