Ecología, Investigación y Educación
CEA's Mission is to monitor the impact of development in the regional ecosystems and culture; to report findings and their significance to the public through education; and, through education, to influence public policy.
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CEA's Conservation Programs
Learn more in our Frequently Asked Questions section.
See what is happening on our Events Calendar.
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As an environmental conservation organization, CEA has a wide range of programs aimed at studying and protecting the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System from the effects of unsustainable development. CEA's projects include: Water Quality Monitoring; Hydrological/Geological Studies, Advanced Waste Treatment Solutions; Coral Reef Research and Bay Monitoring; Recycling; Sea Turtle Monitoring; and much more. Click here to learn more.
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Visitor Info
In addition to conservation programs, CEA offers programs for visitors and eco-tourists. To find out more, visit the Visitor and CEA Center Programs Section. First-time visitors to the area may want to start by checking out our Visitor Information Section. Please visit our site often to see what is new and In the News.
Coming to visit Akumal? In the meantime, please visit out CEA Links section.CEA Links is a great resource to find places to stay and eat in while at Akumal!
To review the proposed plan for Akumal please click here. This proposal is in Spanish and contains many maps. This is an abbreviated version.
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Akumal—The Place of the Turtle in Maya—is home of Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA). As a non-profit organization, working to protect the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, CEA facilitates academic research, environmental education, cultural exchange and policy influence.
For more information about CEA and all the various programs, please wander through our site. Please feel free to e-mail us for more information or to receive our electronic Newsletters. And, next time you are in Akumal, please drop by CEA´s Information Center, located in the heart of Akumal at the north end of Akumal Bay.
Turtle photo in header compliments of Gonzalo Arcila.
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The Turtles Are Coming!
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The 2008 Nesting Season has begun in Akumal. We hope this will be a very successful nesting season and invite you to join us in managing the beaches so each nesting mother can come ashore and find a great place to dig a hole and leave her eggs, and then safely make it back to sea. Stay posted throughout the season to see updated numbers on nests and hatchlings in Akumal.
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May 23rd is World Turtle Day
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Celebrating these endangered species. Help us celebrate by following these simple guidelines when you are on the coast:
- Change lights facing the beach areas to amber or red colored bulbs; or even better, change the direction of the lighting so lights shine from the edge of your property toward the building, not toward the beach. Bright lights disorient the turtles.
- If you are going to be on the beach at night and need some light, use amber or red light on your flashlight, illuminating the path only.
- Do not leave objects (beach chairs, floats, kayaks, etc) on the beach, as they may obstruct the turtles’ path as she crawls up the beach to find a place to nest.
- Do not make excessive noise at night from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., during the nesting season (May to October). The noise frightens the turtles.
- If you see a turtle arriving, making a nest or laying her eggs, do not approach her, nor shine a light towards her, and please, no flash photos. Please notify Centro Ecológico Akumal staff (CEA) of any sightings.
- If you see hatchlings coming out of the sand, stay nearby and make sure they find their own way to the sea. Do not pick them up or play with them.
- When you visit the beaches, please pick up any garbage even if it’s not yours. Help us to keep the beaches clean.
- Always dispose of plastic waste properly; so much plastic is floating around at sea and the turtles mistake it for food, filling their bellies with toxic plastics and eventually dying.
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