'%Healthy Reefs for Healthy People - A Guide to Indicators of Reef Health and Social Well-being in the Mesoamerican Reef Region%'%by Melanie McField and Patricia Kramer%

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own efforts in conservation.

bringing torrential rains that produced catastrophic

flooding and landslides. The result was tragic -- more

Other similar efforts are underway in a number of

than nine thousand lives lost14. On the reef, the

places around the world (e.g., Chesapeake Bay,

combination of coral bleaching and Hurricane Mitch

USA, and Moreton Bay, Australia) and globally. The

impacts plus chronic "background" stresses led to

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment was a multiscale

dramatic reductions in live coral cover (loss of 50%

assessment of the consequences of ecosystem

live coral cover and greater in some places)15,16.

change for human well-being and the analysis of

Of course, the reef has been subjected to various

policy or management actions to enhance well-being

disturbances over the years, but the last decade has

and ecosystem conservation. It involved over 1,300

been particularly damaging.

experts from 95 countries as collaborators on a series

of reports and had a four-year core budget of US$17

Over the past decade, the number and extent of

million. Despite these resources, the reports often

marine conservation and monitoring programs in the

lacked sufficient data, particularly those that could

region have grown rapidly. In fewer than 30 years, the

capture the important linkages between ecosystems

number of marine and coastal protected areas has

and social well-being.

increased from a handful of coastal areas to more than

60 marine and coastal protected areas, safeguarding

The Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative is

over 2.8 million hectares of land and sea17. At the

working towards similar objectives on a much smaller

same time, our marine resources have faced growing

scale and with a particular focus on the region's

global, regional and localized threats. Recovery from

coral reefs and associated marine ecosystems.

coral disease and bleaching events has been slow,

Our efforts will help to ensure the long-term health

at best. The overall result is ongoing degradation,

and sustainability of this extraordinary ecosystem

despite stepped-up conservation efforts18,19.

complex for generations to come. This guidebook

-- a compilation of standardized, science-based

We have come to realize that we need to advance our

tools ("indicators") for assessing and interpreting the

understanding of the real drivers of ecosystem health

signs of reef health and associated social well-being

in the MAR, and to improve the way in which we track

-- represents a major step in that direction.

and evaluate our ecosystems, our society, and our

"Gift to the Earth Celebration - March 2000" in Tulum Mexico. Celebrating the governments of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and

Honduras for their commitment towards conservation of the Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion. In the photo Julia Carabias, former

Minister of the Environment, Mexico; Kathryn Fuller former President and CEO, WWF-US; and Roger Sant, former President of the

Board, WWF-US.