CEA Electronic Communications Edition XXVIII, January 2005 Feliz Año Nuevo—Happy New Year From All of Us at CEA We all hope that 2005 is a healthy and harmonious year for us and our planet. With that in mind, our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to all of the victims of the Asian Tsunami. In the midst of such tragedy we see the wonderful quality of humans helping one another. We hope that this capacity of giving, concern and awareness might be a focus of all human interaction, whether among ourselves or with nature, this year of 2005. The CEA Center Announces New Presentations! We are pleased to announce CEA presentations for 2005. Two new presentations are being added to the popular 6:30 p.m. weekly lectures which are given in the CEA Center. Please stop by the Center when you are in Akumal to check the schedule and join us for challenging evenings with new ideas and information. Click here to see what the new presentations include. Cruise Ship Damages Reef off Puerto Aventuras by David Nuñez The following article was shared with government agencies, other NGOs, dive shops and the press last month. There was a great response on behalf of everyone except those actually responsible—the SeaDream Company and the government. Since the issue was first brought to attention, it appears that from now on the SeaDream II will be anchoring at Xpu-Ha instead. While this is good news for Puerto Aventuras, Xpu-Ha also lacks the facilities to receive a ship of that size. Let us hope that the SeaDream II does not cause any damage there. On December 10, 2004 the cruise ship SeaDream II arrived at Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo, which had not until then been an authorized port of call for cruise ships. Although the SeaDream Company sells itself as a "yacht club," its ships have 55 rooms and carry close to 200 people (110 guests, 90 personnel). This is clearly not a yacht, but a cruise ship. Perhaps the legal definition of yacht allows for this nonsense; I don't know. Neither do I know what sort of authorization or permits the boat has. But it doesn't matter, because what I wish to bring your attention is the serious damage to the reef that the ship caused during its stay. As can be seen in the photographs, the anchor chain lay directly on top of the reef and caused severe damage to corals and sponges, leaving deep furrows of destruction as it dragged back and forth on the ocean floor. Click here to read more. Concert for Conservation Our first-ever Concert for Conservation was a modest success. We had a great evening at the CEA Center and despite the fact that the main event was not what was expected, the other performances more than made up for it. Likewise, although ticket sales were not what we had hoped, we managed to raise slightly over $1,000 U.S. for our conservation programs. More importantly, we learned that there are plenty of local performers, artists and merchants willing to donate their time to help us out. All in all, it was a fun day and for future events we will rely more on these generous souls, which should allow us to lower our prices and attract more of an audience. A big thank-you goes out to the performers: Mauricio Mota & Bernardo Ron; Hun Batz; Gayathri Arumugham; and, of course, Rick Della Ratta, whose organization, Jazz for Peace, instigated all this. Thanks also to the Akumal restaurants that sponsored us: Lol-Ha; La Cueva del Pescador; Turtle Bay Café and Bakery; Que Onda!; and La Lunita. Thanks to Imelda's Ecocina for feeding the performers. Thanks are also due to Fundación Ecológica Bahia Principe for lending us their sound system and to the Municipality of Solidaridad for lending us the stage and chairs. Finally, we appreciate all the local artists and merchants who participated, and to the public who came to enjoy the day's events and support our organization. Celebrate Wetlands February 2, World Wetlands Day, marks the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in 1971, in Ramsar, Iran. The main wetlands we celebrate along the Mexican Caribbean are the mangroves—forested intertidal ecosystems. They are sediment-rich tropical coastal environments with trees, shrubs, ferns and palms adapted to both salt and fresh water. Mangrove roots project above the mud and water in order to absorb oxygen. They help stabilize coastlines, are home to many types of animals, and are important in maintaining coastal food webs and populations of animals that depend upon the mangrove at different stages of their life cycle, such as birds, fish, and crustaceans. Mangroves help regulate fresh water, nutrients and sediment inputs into marine areas, controlling the quality of coastal waters and working to control pollution through their capacity to absorb organic pollutants and nutrients. Finally, mangroves play a key role in storm protection and coastal stabilization. Unfortunately, the world's mangroves are being degraded by unsustainable exploitation practices—habitat destruction and pollution. In Mexico, for example, the law that protected mangroves was revoked in favor of tourism development, opening the way for destruction along the entire coast. While Mexico is number one in declaring Ramsar sites (specially designated wetland areas), with over 5 million hectares declared, it has removed legal support for mangrove protection. Our coastal wetlands are no longer protected. Many groups, like CEA, are working to help decision-makers understand the importance of mangroves and reverse the destruction that is currently underway. Celebrate wetlands! To learn more about mangroves we recommend you visit the following two sites: Coral Reefs and Mangroves of the World and Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Upcoming Events Two Renewable Energy Workshops for Akumal and the Yucatán February 28, 2005 Akumal, Mexico Sponsored by: RENEW Wisconsin and the Yucatan Environmental Foundation You can tap two of the Yucatán's most plentiful resources—sun and wind—to reduce energy costs in your residence, your business, or the properties you manage. You can also design a renewable energy system to reduce power outages! Two half-day workshops at CEA will introduce you to wind turbines (morning) and to solar collectors for electricity generation and water heating (afternoon). The workshops are ideal for your home, condo, property, or business—whether in Akumal or any place else in the world. To register for the workshop and to get more details, click here. Check our Web site often to learn more about CEA's programs and upcoming events. For example, with high season approaching, we are planning a casual get-together in the near future—details to be announced. Special Thanks again to Carlie Rodriguez and Scott Brandt, who made donations to CEA for each guest who attended their December 11, 2004 wedding in Playa del Carmen. Thanks as well to all the folks who joined in December and renewed your membership. Please check our CEA Friends Section to be sure you are listed. Feel free to add a personalized story or comment; please e-mail it to us. We are also grateful to Natalie Mladenov and Ryan McGrath who have told their wedding guests, "Making the journey to our wedding is the best present. Therefore, we respectfully request no gifts. If you wish, a tax-deductible donation to the Yucatan Environmental Foundation for CEA, noted for 'Wedding of Natalie Mladenov and Ryan McGrath' is much appreciated." Won't you please tell your friends about the organization? Many CEA Members join after being referred to CEA by people like you. If you have questions about how you can become more involved, please contact us. The Yucatan Environmental Foundation is the U.S. 501(c)(3) fiscal agent for CEA. All donations made through YEF for CEA are tax-deductible in the U.S. If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, or simply need to contact CEA, please click here.