Adaptive Management in the Southern Belize Reef Complex

The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) is proud to announce investments of $389,530.06 in new grants! This grant to the Southern Environmental Association is the third to be awarded. Keep in tune with the news as we award two more! Our next stop is the Community Baboon Sanctuary! To read more on these awards click this link: http://bit.ly/x0ttst. For photo and video updates check our Facebook page: facebook.com/pactbelize!

The Southern Environmental Association (SEA) is a non-governmental organization established to  ensure improved community involvement in the conservation and co-management of the natural resources in Southern Belize. Currently, SEA co-manages three important marine protected areas in Southern Belize in conjunction with the Belize Fisheries Department and the Belize Forest Department: Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve (GSSCMR), the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve (SCMR) and the Laughing Bird Caye National Park (LBCNP). SEA’s project will be implemented in two of these protected areas: GSSCMR and SCMR.

GSSCMR lies within the central region of the Barrier Reef off the coast of Placencia Village. This area of Barrier Reef contains the best-developed and most continuous reef due to its elevation, good water quality, and modified wave regime. SCMR encompasses the southernmost section of the Belize Barrier Reef. The reserve includes twelve sand or mangrove cayes; namely, Northeast Sapodilla Caye, Frank's Cayes main, east and west, Nicholas Caye, Hunting Caye, Lime Caye, Ragged Caye, Seal Cayes I and II, and two unnamed sand cayes.

The PACT Board approved a Medium-Sized Grant ($99,992.56) for their 1-year project entitled “Applied Science Guiding Adaptive Management within GSSCMR and SCMR.” In 2010, SEA commenced implementation of its Conservation Action Plan for the Southern Belize Reef Complex which sought to enhance coordination between its enforcement and science programs to support adaptive management in the sites it co-manages.  This project seeks to utilize the results of the 2010 - 2011 scientific data analysis to support SEA’s ongoing work and to continue the necessary monitoring required for informed adaptive management decisions within GSSCMR and SCMR.  The major goal is to ensure that information from the scientific monitoring program feeds directly into the management decision making process and the management effectiveness evaluations of the marine protected areas and the organization. Since both sites are multiple use marine reserves it is critical to monitor and conduct continuous data analysis to determine the effects of allowable extractive activities on the resources and to implement management strategies that ensure a sustainable level of extraction. The project will seek to achieve this through the implementation of an enhanced scientific monitoring program and the development of a more effective special permitting structure for the spawning aggregation site at GSSCMR.