The Bajo Pepito coral nursery, located in the Costa Occidental National Park of Isla Mujeres, Punta Cancún, and Punta Nizuc, has suffered damage after the passage of hurricanes Beryl and Helen, as well as tropical storms such as Nadine.
Arturo González González, director of the park, reported that two areas of the nursery, each with approximately 400 corals, were affected.
The most damaged species are the elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) corals.
The nursery, which belongs to the Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp), can house up to five thousand coral fragments, although it currently has three thousand fragments in good condition.
Recovery and reorganization work is already underway, and the nursery structures are being renovated to strengthen their capacity for coral cultivation.
González González highlighted that the nursery is part of the Great Mayan Reef, which is part of the Mesoamerican Reef System, the second-largest barrier reef in the world.
However, more than 60% of the Caribbean’s coral reefs are threatened due to human activity and climate change.
During storms, brigades of divers from Conanp and environmental organizations conduct tours of natural reefs in search of “fragments of opportunity,” damaged corals that can be rescued.
The fragments that cannot be attached again to the reef are transferred to the nursery for recovery.
Once these fragments grow large enough, pruning is carried out to reinsert them into their original ecosystem.
In contrast, Claudia Padilla Souza, environmental consultant, stated that the Bioarmonia artificial coral installed in Punta Sam is in perfect condition.
The corals of the elkhorn species, which were moved from the maritime area known as Bajo Pepito, are growing successfully and have generated a school of fish around them, which promotes the success of the project. This strategy seeks to increase the number of healthy and diverse coral colonies to conserve marine life and recover affected reefs.
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