The Secret Life of Belize’s Mangrove Ecosystems: Key Nurseries for Juvenile Fish
They support remarkable biodiversity and deliver critical ecosystem services that sustain both marine and terrestrial life. Mangroves protect shorelines from erosion, filter water, provide nesting and roosting sites for birds, and, most importantly, act as nurseries for nursing and juvenile fish. While their global ecological value is well recognized, detailed scientific data on the role […]
Peggy’s Journey: A Tale of Hope, Homecomings, and Hard Choices for Sea Turtles
It’s been 30 years since I last touched this beach. My name is Peggy, and when I was just a tiny loggerhead hatchling -barely the size of your palm- I scrambled out of the warm sand and made a desperate dash to the sea. I remember the grit between my flippers, the ghost crab that […]
A Mesoamerican Love Commute: One Male Loggerhead’s Yearly Journey
Each year, a mature male loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) undertakes a precise journey between Belize and Honduras, timed not by the calendar but by the courtship season. Thanks to satellite tracking, we now have a complete annual cycle of his movements, revealing how one turtle’s consistent route offers insights into marine connectivity, habitat use, and […]
Mangroves: The Secret Guardians of Belize’s Fisheries
Mangroves: The Secret Guardians of Belize’s Fisheries Tangled roots rise from the water, creating a labyrinth of life beneath the surface. For juvenile fish, these coastal forests are more than just trees – they are sanctuaries, nurseries, and a foundation for sustainable fisheries. Mangroves are vital in Belize, where the economy and culture are deeply […]
A Beacon of Hope: Transforming Marine Conservation in Belize
Belize, renowned for housing the second-largest barrier reef in the world and three of the four atolls in the Western Hemisphere, is recognized as a hotspot for marine biodiversity and a vital area for ocean conservation efforts. At the heart of this marine paradise is Lighthouse Reef Atoll, celebrated for its crystal-clear waters and captivating […]
Inspiring Change: Engaging Students in Marine Conservation in Belize
Since Turneffe Atoll was designated as a Marine Reserve in 2012 by Minister Lisel Alamilla, it has become a hub for tourism and research. At MarAlliance, we’ve been deeply involved in studying this unique ecosystem, focusing on fisheries and the economic value of Turneffe’s environmental assets. Thanks to the support from the BIOPAMA program, we’ve […]
What happened to Gladden Spit’s whale sharks and spawning fish? A new project seeks to answer the communities’ questions.
Whale sharks and large aggregations of spawning reef fish were once the stars of Gladden Spit, attracting tourists from around the world and providing a lucrative source of income for at least six dependent communities. However, the predictable seasonal aggregations of whale sharks, which were studied from 1998 to 2004 as they fed on the […]
Lighthouse Reef Atoll – Belize
MarAlliance has been conducting research at Lighthouse Reef Atoll on an annual basis since 2007. We use scientific longline, Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV), and snorkel underwater visual census (UVC) to analyze long-term trends in the abundance of sharks, rays, turtles, and large finfish. We work in partnership with local fishers, university students, and other […]
Manatees in Belize
Earlier this month, we were lucky enough to stumble upon five manatees during a routine survey at Hol Chan Marine Reserve. In honor of Manatee Awareness Month, we put together this quirky, little video.
Making a Net Difference to Sharks and Rays
Scalloped hammerhead caught in a fishing net. Photo: Brian Skerry Traditional fishers in Belize were the first to see the losses in Belize’s fish and coastal wildlife that followed the introduction of unselective monofilament gillnets last century. “I haven’t seen a sawfish since the 90s, nets killed them off” shared Dan Castellanos, traditional fisher and […]
Ambergris Caye’s youth ready to beat plastic pollution
As part of our outreach and education program to change behaviors in demand and use of plastics, we recently joined forces with Rotaract Club of Ambergris Caye to create an interactive awareness raising campaign on how to curb the threat of plastic pollution. In one week’s time, outreach staff of both organizations reached over 500 […]
Monitoring a large shark aggregation that feeds wildlife tourism
Tourism focused on encounters with sharks and rays has increased dramatically worldwide as people increasingly seek out the animals they once feared, and are keen to experience the thrill of meeting large marine wildlife up close. Successful wildlife tourism is predicated on predictability, and one way of increasing the possibility that visitors will […]
“We’re gonna need a better BRUV”
“Wait, WAIT…WHAT WAS THAT?… go back… go back…!”. This is a familiar cry when we are reviewing footage from our underwater camera traps. Through this sneaky peep show of sorts we have made countless discoveries of big fish and other marine wildlife and their preferred habitats. And this work has been critical to understand the […]
Networking fishers across ocean basins
When Evan Cuevas grew up in the small un-electrified village of Monkey River in southern Belize, he never dreamt that he would become a trainer in good fishing practices. But that is exactly the journey this young lobster fisher embarked on earlier this year when he travelled half way around the world to the island […]