Nat. Geo.’s Kenneth Brower & Brian Skerry along with a team visited and photographed several places along the Mesoamerican Barrier reef. “Central America’s Mesoamerican Reef is half the length of its famous Australian counterpart but in many ways more remarkable”, this reef system is more than 600 miles along the coasts of a handful of Central American countries (Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras).
The article talks about the complex ecosystem surrounding the barrier reef and “each component of this tripartite world of mangrove, sea grass, and coral reef.”
Mangroves form multiple lines of defense for the reef system as well as provide mulch which is consumed by fungi and bacteria which is in turn consumed by tiny worms and crustaceans and the food chain continues.
Sea grass bed is made up of several species of sea grass which have been identified and named in the article. Manatees and sea turtles really dig deep into the sea grass beds to find what goodies are left there for them.
The coral reef, like all reefs across the tropics, is threatened by ocean acidification and warming episodes caused by climate change. Overfishing, coastal development, and the accelerating pace of oil exploration are worrisome too. But at dusk in springtime, when the moon is full, age-old magic still happens… This leads to seasonal whale shark sightings in Belize.
This and much more accounts for unbelievable snorkeling and diving experiences. Exploring the reef system and looking at the diverse marine life of this small country should definitely be at the top of your bucket list. You just cannot pass up the opportunity to be in the presence of such beauty.
Click here to read this magnificent article where National Geographic features Central America’s Mesoameican Barrier Reef.
