Crisis Looms: Atlantic Reefs in Quintana Roo Facing Extinction

Projections for the next 30 years indicate that 26 out of 85 species in the Atlantic reefs are at a critical risk of extinction due to severe bleaching events. Updated assessments reveal that between 45.88% and 54.12% of shallow corals are at high risk. The area continues to deteriorate due to escalating stress factors related to climate change, diseases, pollution and various human-induced damages.

These findings come from researchers at the Institute of Marine and Limnology Sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). They have urged local authorities to revoke the permits of those violating environmental laws through construction activities.

Beyond the environmental impact, the economic and fishing activities in areas such as the Mexican Caribbean, which includes Cancún, Puerto Morelos, Cozumel and Mahahual, will also be affected. A significant portion of the local economy, which relies on tourism activities on the reef, is at risk.

"If we start to lose corals, the wide-ranging benefits they provide to humans begin to diminish. We must really care about what is happening to them," warned the researchers.

Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems, housing the largest number of species in the sea. "They are very important from a biological point of view," emphasized Lorenzo Álvarez Filip, a researcher at the Academic Unit of Reef Systems in Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, from UNAM's Institute of Marine and Limnology Sciences (ICML).

He further added that the loss of reefs or corals would first impact the species that depend on them. However, humans also rely on them, particularly in coastal areas. Coral reefs create a solid three-dimensional structure, known as reef barriers, which are crucial in tropical regions as they protect sandbanks from waves, wind, and storms or hurricanes.