Roatan Barrier Reef Facts - BlueBahia

ROATAN, United States MO Islands - Aug. 3, 2018 - PRLog -- Also known as the Jewel Of The Caribbean, the reef system runs for over 600 miles along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is home to over 60 species of coral, 350 species of mollusks and 500 species of fish.  Many endangered species call the reef system home, including several species of sea turtles, some coral species and some species of crocodile.

The sea manatee population of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is the largest known throughout the world's oceans.  Although they numbered in the low hundreds in the 1970s, their population is now estimated as high as 1500. Although no longer considered endangered, they are still listed as threatened.

Another sea mammal that calls the barrier reef areas home is the dolphin.  Popular species found around the reef system include the bottlenose, the rough-toothed and the spotted dolphins.

The world's largest fish, the whale shark, inhabits the reef area around the Honduran Bay Island of Utila during the feeding season.  The whale shark is attracted by blooms of plankton and krill as well small fish and crabs.

Coral, which comprises the backbone of the reef system, is under threat due to bleaching which is thought to be caused by warming waters and runoff from coastal development.

Mangrove trees play a crucial role in protecting the ability of coral to grow.  The tree roots reduce the size of harmful waves, protect the coral from shore run off and shelter eggs of fish and other sea life.

Sea grasses play a similar role to mangrove trees by filtering the water, trapping silt and preventing seabed erosion.  Parrotfish also improve growing conditions for coral by eating algae which inhibits the free growth of coral.

Lionfish, on the other hand, have been found to be harmful to the coral beds.  This invasive species from the Indo-Pacific prey upon fish and other organisms which promote coral growth.

The Mesoamerican Reef, including the Roatan Barrier Reef, was put on the UNESCO List Of World Heritage In Danger in 2009.  It's thought that coastal development, offshore oil drilling and mangrove deforestation were prime causes.  Many of the countries dependent on the reef system for fishing and tourism have been working on plans to reverse this damage and the reef is currently not on the list.

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