Mesoamerican Reef Ecosystem

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	Press Release
	First Eco-health Report Card Issued for the Mesoamerican Reef – Most Reefs are in Poor to Fair Condition

BELIZE CITY, BELIZE, November 14, 2008

Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative released the first Eco-health Report Card for the Mesoamerican Reef today during the 2008 International Year of the Reef Symposium at the Radisson Fort George. The Report Card presents an easy-to-understand overview of the Mesoamerican Reef’s ecosystem condition and stewardship by providing a straightforward five-point grading system from ‘very good’ to ‘critical’ for seven reef indicators, combined into a novel Integrated Reef Health Index which synthesizes all the ecological reef data into one “Dow Jones” style index.

The 2008 MAR Eco-health Report Card is the first comprehensive health assessment of 326 reefs in the Mesoamerican Reef Ecosystem (MAR). The reef data were collected in 2006 through the Nature Conservancy / World Wildlife Fund Rapid Reef Assessment, with the participation of many local and international organizations (including Greenreef, Belize Audubon, Friends of Nature, TASTE, TIDE, Earthwatch, and Wildlife Conservation Society). (Link to full press release)

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	News Release
	Belize's Reefs and Mangroves Tagged with High Economic Value

BELIZE CITY, BELIZE, November 14, 2008 – Three key services provided by coral reefs and mangroves in Belize are worth an estimated US$395 million to US$559 million per year, according to a report released today during the 2008 International Year of the Reef Symposium at the Radisson Fort George, by the World Resources Institute and the World Wildlife Fund.

“Putting a dollar value on the goods and services provided by reefs and mangroves helps to translate them into a language that everyone speaks,” said Lauretta Burke, a senior associate at WRI. “Hopefully, these findings will contribute to well-informed decisions regarding the management of these critical resources.”

The report, Coastal Capital: Belize, estimates the annual economic value of coral reef- and mangrove-associated tourism in Belize at between US$150 million and US$196 million, accounting for between 12 and 15 percent of the Caribbean nation’s GDP. Benefits from reef- and mangrove-dependent fisheries contribute a further US$14 million to US$16 million to the economy. (Link to full press release)

 

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