Blue and Regenerative Economy

Promoting sustainable enterprises and businesses with a positive impact on the reef that strengthen the local economy and promote a blue economy in the region.

Photo: Roxana Chávez

The Mesoamerican Reef System (MRS) sustains the food, employment, and well-being of thousands of people, but faces threats such as climate change, overfishing, pollution, and habitat loss. To address these challenges, MAR Fund promotes a blue and regenerative economy program that seeks a balance between economic development and the health of marine and coastal ecosystems.

This model fosters enterprises, partnerships, and financial models that deliver benefits for coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses, and the communities that depend on them.

  • The blue economy promotes the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and job creation, while ensuring the health of marine ecosystems.
  • The regenerative economy prioritizes initiatives that not only minimize impacts, but actively restore and strengthen natural systems.

MAR Fund brings together initiatives, activities, and partnerships that combine financing, technical assistance, and capacity building to create conditions for the emergence of enterprises and projects with a positive environmental impact.

Initiatives:

MAR+Invest

Foto: Reefy
It is a pioneering business development and blended finance mechanism that drives enterprises with a positive impact on the reef, in protected marine and coastal areas of the MRS. It mobilizes private capital while integrating technical assistance, business acceleration, transactional services, capacity building, and measurable impact.

This initiative, funded by the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, is coordinated by MAR Fund and implemented in partnership with the Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (FMCN), Sureste Sostenible, Healthy Reefs for Healthy People (HRHP), New Ventures, and Viwala.

Visit the MAR+Invest page

Women of the MRS

Foto: ODECA
Supports women-led enterprises that strengthen the resilience of marine and coastal ecosystems and local economies.

From climate change leadership projects to the transformation of invasive species such as lionfish into crafts, this initiative has benefited 17 projects in Guatemala and Honduras, while also identifying and prioritizing new opportunities in the region.

Learn more about Women of the MRS

Results to date:

+ 0

Companies with positive environmental impact in the region

+ 0

initiatives mapped, led by women in the region, of which 13 are being supported by MAR Fund.

0

entrepreneurs and investors interested in regenerative initiatives.

USD+ 1 mill

mobilized in capital for reef-positive businesses.

Photo: XXXX

Resource Library

Taller inicial de la 2ª. convocatoria

Del 1 al 3 de julio de 2025, se llevó a cabo en Ciudad de Guatemala el Taller Inicial para los proyectos seleccionados en la segunda convocatoria del proyecto «Protección de los Recursos Marítimos en América Central III (Fase III)”, una iniciativa financiada por la Cooperación Alemana a través del KfW, en el marco del programa Salvando Nuestras Áreas Protegidas de MAR Fund.

Durante tres días, 31 representantes técnicos y administrativos de 16 áreas protegidas marino costeras de México, Belice, Guatemala y Honduras se reunieron para fortalecer capacidades, intercambiar experiencias y alinear estrategias para una implementación efectiva y coordinada de sus proyectos.

También participaron organizaciones de sociedad civil que acompañarán la ejecución de estos proyectos.

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