Official Reef Re-opening

[ggunn]

Closing El Cielo to keep out the trash generating, sunscreen covered star fish fondling snorkelers isn’t such a bad idea.

Great place for SI when you’re down there but oh well.....

I have been on a couple of "Cielo Cruises". I went along with my group who wanted to go, but in fact I won't miss it if it's no mas. FWIW though, I saw lots of boats there and no one was throwing trash into the water. I also do not see a connection between sunscreen and the White Blight that is killing off the stony corals; the disease (if that's what it is) is new but sunscreen is not. I cannot speak to the "fondling" of starfish except to say that no one in our group did it.

 

[dbernard01]

We received the flags today - they are very poor quality and won't last a week in the wind.

View attachment 555137

Is there a list that exists of all the shops that will have the proper licensing? My daughter and I arrive on 1/16.

 

[Christi]

Is there a list that exists of all the shops that will have the proper licensing? My daughter and I arrive on 1/16.

This is a list of boats with permits - unfortunately the list doesn't name the shop that owns the boat. If you're in question regarding a specific shop, you can private message me and I can let you know or you can ask the shop the names of their boat(s) and check this list.

Embarcaciones autorizadas dentro del Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel

 

[NDL_Diver]

I am sure the reefs are completely healed and the closure was a complete success!

 

[gopbroek]

With the reopening of the southern reef can someone provide a conditions report? I would be interested to know:
1) General reef condition
2) Fish and critter status?
3) Have Lionfish, which were at a very low population level prior, re-invaded the reefs?
4) Has the development activity below Palancar Pier and Cielo ceased?

 

[Hank49]

Christi, Rivera -Mayan-news.com is reporting 1 of the 3 areas (El Cielo) will remain closed and that the dive operators have agreed to improve sustainable practices as a condition to reopening of the reefs. Do you know what the agreed to "improved sustainable practices" are? Has there been any discussion about having divers decontaminate their gear at the end of each day, which is the recommendation of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to deal with the Stoney Coral Tissue Loss Disease. See Citizen Participation | Florida Reef Tract Coral Disease Outbreak | Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary SCTLD is much more insidious than prior bleaching events or coral diseases due to the high mortality rate of the 22 species of coral that are affected. The U.S. and Florida governments have authorized the removal of heathy corals from protected areas to create "seed banks" at universities and aquariums around the country for the future because of fear that the 22 species will go extinct from the disease.

Re SCTLD, how prevalent was this 3 or 5 years ago? I haven't researched it yet. Perhaps it's been on the reefs for thousands of years but with weakened corals, due to pollutants and or, rising temperatures, it now has become far more wide spread?
I ask this because with shrimp diseases, many were "discovered" by the application of PCR testing AFTER many dead shrimp were observed and a major effort was implemented to find out why.

 

[gwklein]

Re SCTLD, how prevalent was this 3 or 5 years ago? I haven't researched it yet. Perhaps it's been on the reefs for thousands of years but with weakened corals, due to pollutants and or, rising temperatures, it now has become far more wide spread?
I ask this because with shrimp diseases, many were "discovered" by the application of PCR testing AFTER many dead shrimp were observed and a major effort was implemented to find out why.

If you want to do a quick research of the SCTLD check out Where is this Occurring? - AGRRA . The disease was first identified in the fall of 2014 off Miami. In 4 years it spread to almost all of Florida's coral reefs. At the end of 2018/beginning of 2019, it began appearing in other Caribbean locations. Depending on the type of stony coral, the mortality rate is 60-100%

 

[Memo Mendoza]

Attached is a Translation of the Cozumel Marine Park press release just before the reopening of the temporary closed reefs.

 

[Christi]

This is the same information I posted last week - FYI so people don't think it's a new release - it's the same one

 

[Christi]

I am sure the reefs are completely healed and the closure was a complete success!

No one ever thought this would happen and that wasn't the purpose - there has been much discussion about this