International Year of the Reef 2008


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Mexico

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Latest News

Iliana Ortega Bacmeister -
Biologist
National Comission for Protected Areas
ICRI Mexico
Av. Bonampak
SM 9, M 2 , Lote 10
Cancun, Q.Roo
CP 77503
Phone: (52) (998) 18 50 692

Recent and recent Activities

  • November 13th,2008 - Washington DC

    The Mexican Tourism Board, the Mexican Office of Environment and the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institute invited media, university students, researchers and people interested in tourism to an event entitled "Mexican Coral Reefs: achieving the conservation for a World Heritage Site", the main objective was to celebrate the International Year of the Reef. The event was held at the new Sant Ocean Hall exhibition of the Museum. Iliana Ortega gave a lecture on ICRI, IYOR activities in México, the importance of coral reefs, their main threats and what to do to protect them.

  • TV Cable Channel in Merida, Yucatan will start showing PSAs in favor of coral reefs and IYOR. The PSAs are edited extracts from the DVD Video of "Coral Connections" ( www.coralconnections.org
  • ECOSUR - El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, a Multidisciplinary Public Research Center of the Mexican Federal Government, that deals with environment and development in the southern border of Mexico, highlighted IYOR and coral reefs in the last issue of their magazine "ECOFRONTERAS". The magazine is available at: www.ecosur.mx/ecofronteras/ecofrontera/ecofront34/ecofronteras34.htm
  • On September 20th, for the International Clean Up Day, staff from the National Park of Cozumel, volunteers from scuba diving shops and general public carried on an underwater clean up. Almost 500 kilos of garbage (including snorkeling tubes, tires, plastic, glass bottles, wood, etc...) were collected from the bottom of the sea and in and coral reefs. This effort was continued the next day. Project Aware Foundation supported the event with clean up material.
  • On September 21st, Iliana Ortega was interviewed by Oscar Cadena a famous local reporter who has a local TV program called "ENCADENATV", the live interview was about IYOR, thr importance of coral reefs and their conservation efforts in Mexico. It lasted more than 8 minutes. During the coming weeks ENCADENATV will show "spots" about different MPAs in the region that have coral reefs and the DVD video of "Coral Connections".
  • A special edition about IYOR and the importance of coral reefs was recently broadcasted on radio program called "Club H2O", sponsored by the Potable Water Commission (CAPA) of Chetumal, Quintana Roo. Listen to the program (MP3 file)

Past Activities

  • Mexico will release IYOR telephone card To celebrate IYOR, three phone cards will be released by Telmex / Ladatel. Telmex is the largest telecommunication Company in Latin America. These cards will be distributed nation wide during the months of May and June. View the 3 phone cards
  • May and June 2008 - As part of their plan of actions to celebrate the International Year of the Reef (IYOR), the Amigos de Sian Ka'an/Global Vision International Team participated in the "Canoe Mayan Journey" organized by Xcaret on May 31st, 2008 from Xcaret to Cozumel, and on June 1st from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen, in the Mexican Caribbean, with the purpose of collecting funds needed for conducting studies that will generate new ways to protect the Mexican's Caribbean Coral System. [More...]

  • May 2008 - Central de Activos Publicitarios S.A. de C.V., a marketing and publicity company who relays all kinds of messages in the Metrobus of Mexico City (Bus Transportation), showed spots of the edited DVD video of Coral Connections - Sea Studios Foundation about coral reefs. This has an impact over 370,000 persons daily and it was projected in 67 buses with three screens each.

  • April 2008 - Radio coverage - Interview from Iliana Ortega about IYOR and the commemorative IYOR event in Cozumel by a regional radio channel in Cancun.

  • April 18th, 2008 - Commemorative IYOR event in Cozumel, Mexico

    On Friday, April 18th, 2008, in the island of Cozumel, Mexico celebrated IYOR with a full day of activities. In the morning a symposium about coral reef management and conservation was held, and lectures from well known coral reefs researchers such as Dr. Roberto Iglesias from the National University of Mexico (UNAM) were given. Other speakers were directors of MPAs in Mexico, who talked about how they manage with sustainable and not sustainable fisheries, pollution, environmental education for local communities, coral reef monitoring, etc. A representative of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System gave a lecture about the conservation achievements in the area. The symposium was held at the national university of the State of Quintana Roo, (UQROO), with a good audience that included college students, representatives of local, regional and national NGO's, and representatives of the Mexican Navy among others.

    A small exhibit with posters about research, conservation programs for coral reefs and IYOR posters was also held. In the afternoon, an official IYOR celebration was held at the Chankanaab Park, with participation of representatives from the Mexican Environmental Ministry (SEMARNAT/CONANP), state government, Mexican Navy, NGOs, researchers, National university of Mexico (UNAM), directors of MPAs, students and general public. IYOR planned activities in Mexico were presented.

  • April 2008 - Regional TV News coverage. TV Cancun interviewed Iliana Ortega (IYOR Focal Point in Mexico), about ICRI, IYOR and the relevance of the coral reef system. Also, a PSA is being showed on the national TV channel (Channel 40).

  • March 2008 - Regional Press coverage - Novedades Quintana Roo, a regional newspaper printed an article about conservation of coral reefs and activities in Mexico to celebrate IYOR.

  • February 2008 - Carnivals and Parades, in the cities of Mazatlan, La Paz, Veracruz and Cancun. During all the carnivals, floats with the theme of coral reefs circulated.

  • January 29, 2008 - Centro Ecologico Akumal (CEA) inaugurates the International Year of the Reef (IYOR) with a reefs' photo exhibit. The exhibit took place at CEA information center, where more than 120 people came to see the great images that locals and tourist provided. [More...]

  • The IV Mexican Congress of Coral Reefs was held in La Paz, Baja California Sur from October 24 to 26, 2007. The congress was organized by the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur in collaboration with the Northwest Biological Research Center, the National Polytechnic Institute, the Mexican Society of Coral Reefs and the National Commission of Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity. It was attended by 120 persons. During the congress, an IYOR presentation was made by Iliana Ortega Bacmeister.

    Plan of actions

    • Participation of different state Carnivals (La Paz, Cancun, Veracruz, Mazatlan) to support IYOR, where they adopt the coral reefs as a central theme.
    • Photo Exhibitions
    • Music Concerts
    • Phone cards with IYOR 2008
    • Conferences
    • Talks to school children
    • Publicity with TV, Radio and different media.
    • Join efforts; taking advantage of existing events where they can present and support IYOR.