Cozumel, Quintana Roo — Mexico’s National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp) will keep five reef sites in the Cozumel Reefs National Park off-limits to visitors during August and September as part of a reef-rest program in effect since 2019.
The measure suspends water activities at Palancar Cuevas, Palancar Ladrillos, Colombia Somero, Colombia Intermedio and Colombia Profundo to temporarily reduce pressure from tourism and help the ecosystems recover.
The program was introduced after white coral syndrome was detected in 2018, followed by later bleaching events. Conanp said that during the pandemic, when tourist activities were suspended, some areas showed significant recovery, supporting the continuation of the temporary closures.
The federal agency asked visitors and tourism operators to respect the restrictions to help conserve the reefs and keep activities such as diving and snorkeling sustainable.
Although questions remain about the program’s results, since no public studies have been published to assess its impact, officials are keeping the measure as a tool to reduce tourist pressure on marine ecosystems.
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