Preserving paradise in Puerto Morelos - thestar.com
The reef here in Puerto Morelos is part of the Mesoamerican Reef, an ancient ecosystem dating some 225 million years. At nearly 1,000 kilometres in length and stretching along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, it is the second-largest barrier reef in the world — and a source of pride and concern for the local community.
The people of Puerto Morelos, worried about how tourism and overfishing was causing permanent reef damage, petitioned the Mexican government to establish the reef as a protected area. In 1998, 20 kilometres of the reef offshore from the village was set aside as a protected natural area and named Parque Nacional Arrecife De Puerto Morelos, or Puerto Morelos Reef National Park.
Pax explains how fragile the reef is, how it functions as a natural barrier to storms and hurricanes and is critical to the survival of plant and animal species. The slightest touch can
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