Centro Ecologico: Akumal, Mexico, Ocean Research, Environmental Education, Sea Turtle Protection, Marine Research

Help Now! Become a CEA Friend!

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.

	CEA's Conservation Programs Marine and Coastal Protection Sea Turtle Protection Water Management Environmental Sustainablility Environmental Education Communications Learn more in our Frequently Asked Questions section. See what is happening on our Events Calendar.
	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.
	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.
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.

Marathon Support for
CEA Weather Station!

Gerardo Dominguez, CEA Friend and Akumalian, originally from Argentina, will be running in the Buenos Aires Marathon this October, and has generously offered to use this event to fundraise for CEA. He proposes to help raise money to buy a weather station for our lab. Our goal is to raise $2,000 USD for the station equipment and computer.

You can participate by donating in honor of Gerardo's run in the Marathon. Please click here to make your donation.

Click here to read more about this effort.

The Turtles Are Here!

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.

Nests – 28 June 2008:
Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) 72
Green (Chelonia mydas) 14
Click here for more details on our Turtle Report.

Turtle Walks

We will be conducting our Turtle Talks and Walks Monday through Friday throughout turtle season. In order to make your reservations, please stop by the CEA Center during the day and sign up in person. The Turtle Walks are limited to 10 people each night and we ask for a $10 USD donation per person, which goes directly to the Turtle Protection Program.

The Turtle Talk begins at 9 PM at the CEA Center; following the presentation the volunteers will take you on the Walk. These talks are very informative and will help you to know exactly what to look for and how to protect the turtles better.