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Measuring the effectiveness of newly expanded legislation for MPAs in Belize through long-term, community-based monitoring of marine megafauna

Key Biodiversity Area Marine Protected and Conserved Areas Marine Managed Area
Livelihoods Management Effectiveness
Local communities Youth Farmers/Fishermen National/Local PA agency
Threatened Species Protected Areas Management Effectiveness (PAME) Awareness/education Capacity Building
19,992 EUR Array; Caribbean Jan. 14, 2024 – Dec. 12, 2024

Protected and conserved area(s) concerned

Turneffe Atoll and Lighthouse Reef Atoll

The BIOPAMA AC Objectives addressed

Support local communities’ initiatives aiming to enhance the livelihoods of local people whilst effectively contributing to protected areas management.

Priority need addressed

Assessing biodiversity viability.

Project activities

Establishing a science-based roadmap to revive Caribbean marine megafauna in MPAs can be achieved through the following activities:

  • Assembling a field research team of scientists, fisher associates and late secondary/tertiary level students to execute intensive training and monitoring activities for three-week periods at both atolls.
  • Utilising scientific long lines, underwater visual transects (UVCs), and baited remote underwater videos (BRUVs) to assess megafauna species presence, diversity, distribution and abundance at 80 established study sites across both atolls.
  • Assess the status of Fish Spawning Aggregations (FSAs) for commercially and ecologically important snapper species at two sites in both atolls.
  • Compile and analyse data from the monitoring effort and compare to previous years of standardised monitoring efforts to discern insights into the population trends of marine megafauna.
  • Share findings with TASA, BAS, Belize Fisheries Department, and other stakeholders and determine correlations between research findings and current management practices (e.g. enforcement, fisher access, fisheries extraction regulations, tourism activities) for the atolls.
  • Make strategic recommendations for future management practices and policies that promote sustained population recovery of marine megafauna in TA and LRA.
  • Seek long term funding mechanisms to ensure the continuation of the standardized monitoring and replication to other sites.

The change the project implementation will bring for the protected area(s)

Through long-term monitoring efforts, the project aims to determine whether the rewilding of marine megafauna is a sustained phenomenon at Turneffe and Lighthouse Reef Atolls. Results are expected to galvanize continued management efforts, inform management plans for the respective atolls, and demonstrate that, with strong stewardship practices, populations of long-lived and late maturing marine megafauna can rebound. The demonstrated success of the MPA model in place at Turneffe Reef Atoll and Lighthouse Reef Atoll will guide justification for replication at other sites.

Ultimately, the project will provide an empirical basis for measuring successful rewilding of ecologically and commercially important marine species throughout Belize and other parts of the region.

Download the project infofiche.

Implementing organisations

MarAlliance

Photo credits: © Rachel T. Graham / MarAlliance
Caribbean

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