Belize

Located off the coast of Belize, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the Western Hemisphere, with an ecosystem that includes over 500 species of fish and 130 species of birds, three endangered species of nesting sea turtles, and a large population of West Indian Manatees. The Glover’s Reef Marine Research Station, operated by the WCS Marine Program, is situated approximately 28 miles (45 kilometers) offshore on one of the three offshore atolls in the Belize reef system. The Glover’s Reef Atoll is about 32 km long and 12 km wide and is comprised of a deep lagoon with hundreds of patch reefs and pinnacles, a peripheral reef, and six sand cayes. All of the sand cayes are privately owned; Middle Caye is owned by WCS and serves as the base of the Marine Research Station. The focus of the research station is the conservation of marine wildlife at this complex and important coral reef system.

The mission of the Glover’s Reef Marine Research Station is to promote the long-term conservation and management of the Belize Barrier Reef through in-situ research, cooperative management, training, and education. The station successfully promotes the combination of both research and policy by serving as a scientific research station, marine park headquarters for the Government of Belize, and a location for students and the local public to be educated and trained about the reef system and conservation.

Glover’s Reef is probably the most biologically developed of the atolls within the Barrier Reef, and is comprised of three distinctive habitats: the lagoon floor, the patch reefs and the peripheral reefs. The diverse species found at Glover’s Reef make the region extremely important not only for biodiversity conservation, but also for the local economy. Economically important local species include the spiny lobster, the endangered Nassau grouper and the queen conch. Because of the economic importance of the region, both strong ties to the national government and the cooperation of local people are crucial to our success. To this end, involvement with the Glover’s Reef Advisory Committee (GRAC) is of utmost importance. The committee is made up of private landowners, local fishermen’s cooperatives, tourism operators, national and local government authorities and members of the conservation NGO community. Because the committee advises on Marine Reserve regulations and other matters, WCS is very involved with increasing their capacity through trainings and education on conservation issues.

As part of the work of the LLP at this site, seven seascape species have been chosen as key conservation targets in the Glover’s Reef seascape. These are: Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Nassau Grouper (Epinephelus striatus), Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), Star Coral (Montastrea spp.), Caribbean Reef Shark (Carcharhinus perezi), Queen Conch (Strombus gigas), and Black-Spined Sea Urchin (Diadema antillarum).