Akumal is a unique location, it is not only part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world but represents an optimal feeding, nesting and breeding habitat for marine turtles. It also contains a high diversity of natural environments, such as the jungle, the wetlands, the coastal dunes, mangroves, cenotes, inlets, sea grass meadows and coral reefs.
These environments hold rich biological communities with different conservation levels for research, offering several types of ecosystem-based values with services like the ecological, geological, economic, recreational, commercial, historic, educational, aesthetic and cultural. This wide array of assets gives this area great importance at a national conservation context.
Just like in a great part of the Mexican Caribbean, Akumal has been impacted by climate change and human activity, mainly through the exponential growth of tourism. One of the main challenges for biodiversity and habitat conservation nowadays is the need to promote the responsible use and exploitation of the coastal zones.
The type of projects that volunteers could be involved in are:
• Coral communities monitoring,
• Coral restoration,
• Non-take fishing area assessment,
• Sea grass monitoring,
• Community work and environmental education
Volunteers will be allocated to a particular focus dependent on the duration of their program.
You may choose to take part in this program for either 4, 6, 8 or 12 weeks. Please contact us for more details.
