Saving Our Protected Areas
A Legacy of Care for the Mesoamerican Reef
Photo: Alejandro José Castro
The Mesoamerican Reef System (MAR) sustains the food security, livelihoods, and well-being of millions of people from Mexico to Honduras. However, it faces critical threats, such as climate change, overfishing, and habitat loss.
Coastal and Marine Protected Areas (CMPAs) are essential for preserving critical habitats, protecting marine species, and maintaining ecological processes that sustain life in the region. Effective management turns them into key tools for reducing environmental threats and generating sustainable development opportunities for local communities.
MAR Fund drives the Saving Our Protected Areas program to consolidate a priority network of these areas to promote climate change adaptation, conserve natural resources and ecological processes, ensure connectivity and ecosystem services, and foster sustainable use of natural resources.
Photo: María del Carmen García
We work through:
- Effective management plans.
- Multi-stakeholder governance platforms.
- Participatory community monitoring.
This effort seeks to strengthen ecological connectivity, promote climate change adaptation, and ensure conservation and sustainable use of resources. In doing so, it protects the essential ecosystem services for SAM communities, and contributes to securing their well-being for future generations.
Projects:
Protection of Maritime Resources in
Central America III (Phase III)
Previous Projects
Completed projects continue to represent a valuable component of MAR Fund’s journey in the conservation of the Mesoamerican Reef. They are presented here as part of the historical record and collective learning that underpins current actions. Each one contributed knowledge, experiences, and results that strengthen regional management and the long-term protection of the MAR coastal and marine ecosystems.
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