From the 7th to the 13th of March, San Pedro Town hosted its Reef Week with a series of activities highlighting the importance of protecting its marine ecosystem. The week-long event ended with a beach and sea clean-up, but not before spreading education, awareness, and reminding islanders of the need to take care of Belize’s Barrier Reef and the sea.
The event started with a swim to the reef on the first day. The following days included educational events such as virtual presentations and trivia night. The week also touched on important topics like mapping endangered coral species and information about diseases like Stony Coral. Another part of the Reef Week San Pedro saw beach and sea clean-ups, with piles of rubbish fished out of the water near the reef and from the shorelines. On the last day, a group of volunteers raked the sea floors and beaches one last time. Most of the debris included glass bottles, plastic, and in some instances, gillnets.
The educational event was organized in less than a week and initiated by islander Carina Paz. She is happy about the event’s outcome and thanked everyone who came on board and made Reef Week San Pedro possible. Paz looks forward to the event next year with far more activities and participation from the island community.
