Dream A Dream

Have you ever thought about a place that never sleeps? Think about:

• busy avenues,
• multitudes of individuals sharing an area,
• inhabited homes– some by many, others by just one,
• endless shapes – stars, cylinders, spirals, tubes, spheres,
• a rainbow of colors – red, yellow, blue, purple, gold,
• all coming and going without getting tired?

A coral reef is nature’s wonderland. Anyone who has the opportunity to snorkel or scuba dive and contemplate life under the ocean water will be impressed by its richness and spectacular view.

Live A Dream
Recently, I had the opportunity to snorkel for the first time. This was an unforgettable experience. Nothing could have prepared me for the amazing show I was about to see.

It was a cold January morning. I took my luggage and headed to the airport. Destination: Belize.

Where is Belize?
Belize is a small country in Central America, just south of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Its neighboring countries are Mexico, in the north; Guatemala, in the west and south. The east coast of Belize is lined by the Caribbean Sea and hundred of islands called Cayes. Despite its small size, Belize possesses rich and diverse ecosystems.

Due to the strategic location of Belize, a transitional zone from subtropical to tropical climatic conditions, many ecosystems form part of this diverse country. Among the ecosystems to be found are the fresh water wetland ecosystems with marsh forest; the upland ecosystems with mountain pine ridge; lowland ecosystems with rainforests, and the coastal and marine ecosystems with mangroves and coral reefs.

What Are Coral Reefs?
Coral reefs are one the most diverse and productive ecosystems on earth. The shoreline of Belize is bordered by the largest Barrier Reef in the western hemisphere. They are considered among the healthiest in the Caribbean.

Many people refer to coral reefs as the gardens of the sea, and even though they look like beautiful gardens, with plants and flowers of different size and color; coral reefs are made of million of tiny animals, called polyps, which live together in a colony. Polyps are animals without backbones; they are invertebrates. The polyp is the soft part of the organism that resides within a protective limestone skeleton. When a polyp dies, another polyp piles on top of it, this way a massive reef is created. Coral barriers are like walls out in the sea. They offer protection from the breaking waves of water, defending land and properties from erosion.

Do you see the difference in color between this picture and the one above? The dark spots are the corals under the water. Corals give the dark coloration to the water. The clear water is an indication of no corals in the area; the sand is on the bottom of the sea. That’s why the color looks lighter.

A mutualistic symbiotic relationship takes place at the coral reefs. An alga, called zooxanthellae, lives inside the coral polyps. The algae, using the polyps’ waste, and in the presence of sunlight, produce food through photosynthesis that is then shared with the coral polyp. In exchange for the food, the coral provides protection and access to light to the algae. Zooxanthellae provide the coral with color since polyps themselves are transparent. When the algae die, the polyps bleach and turn white.

Why Are Coral Reefs Important?
Coral reefs are a high density area of biodiversity. Many of the species in the ecosystem are unique to these areas. Coral reefs are the homes to many marine species (fish, corals, plants) of the world. The coral communities are great indicators of the quality of the water and the ecological health of the ecosystem. When changes in the water occur, such as temperature, salinity, and clarity, coral reefs are affected by these changes, causing the bleaching and death of the corals.

Water pollution, sedimentation, coastal development, over fishing, careless tourism, water warming, are some of the reasons that are causing the deterioration of reefs. Because of the beauty and furthermore, the importance of them, coral reefs need to be protected.

• Become informed on the importance of the coastal and marine resources.
• Avoid buying out of season fish.
• Avoid littering.
• Become part of a conservation organization.
• If you visit a reef area, do not step on live corals.