Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System

Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System
Ecology
RealmNeotropical
Geography
Area106,629.5 km2 (41,169.9 sq mi)
CountriesBelize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico
A coral skeleton from the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, Quintana Roo, Mexico

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS), also popularly known as the Great Mayan Reef or Great Maya Reef, is a marine region that stretches over 1,126 kilometres (700 mi) along the coasts of four countries – Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras – from Isla Contoy at the northern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula south to Belize, Guatemala and the Bay Islands of Honduras. It is the second-longest reef system in the world.[1]

It includes various protected areas and parks including the Belize Barrier Reef, Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, Hol Chan Marine Reserve (Belize), Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve, and the Cayos Cochinos Marine Park. Belize's coastline, including the Belize Barrier Reef, is home to approximately 30% of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System.

Aerial view of Caye Caulker in Belize

It begins near Isla Contoy on the northern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula and continues south alongside the Riviera Maya including areas like Cozumel and Banco Chinchorro. It then continues south along the eastern coast of Belize including many cayes and atolls. It extends to the north-east corner of Honduras. It is the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere.[2]

  1. ^ "Meso-American Reef". IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Database. 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Mesoamerican Reef". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved April 11, 2024.