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September 2007
CEA Electronic Communications are in English and Spanish. Para leer este boletín en español, haz clic aquí.
Click on the images to see larger versions.
Remember to check our Home Page frequently for updates.
The Effects of Hurricane Dean on Akumal’s Turtles
As many of you know, after Hurricane Dean, Akumal beaches were damaged and most of our turtle nests were lost. CEA is working hard to locate as many nests as we can, even though the nest markers were washed away. As of September 14, we had found two Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) nests and released 178 hatchlings, and five Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) nests, with 446 hatchlings released.
Before Dean we had 82 Loggerhead and 67 Green Turtle nests, with 4,314 Loggerhead and 804 Green Turtle hatchlings released. Right before the hurricane, two Loggerhead and four Green Turtle nests were dug up and saved.
CEA continues working day and night to protect sea turtles. We sincerely thank you for your support in helping us complete this turtle season as successfully as possible.
Thank you for all of your comments and donations. Don’t forget you can assist us by reporting to us any problems with turtle protection around your hotels or condominiums, as well as on any beach you visit. For further information, read our recommendations for the turtle nesting season, or e-mail us.
Please note that we are not conducting any more turtle walks since the season is winding down. We will be having occasional hatchling releases at 7 p.m. until November. You don't have to sign up for it, and donations are more than welcome. We do suggest that you check with the CEA office to see when there will be releases.
Monitoring of juvenile turtles took place in Akumal Bay this past June. Please click here to read more about it. Remember, with your donations we can keep working.
The Effect of Hurricane Dean and Other Disturbance Factors on Akumal Bays
by Miguel Ángel Maldonado
Hurricane Dean affected Akumal’s bays with its storm surge, waves and high tropical storm winds. The coastal infrastructure suffered less damage than the beaches. However, the marine environments within the bays of Akumal, as well as the reef system developing in front of our coasts, were severely affected by the hurricane. Click here to read the entire article.
How Did Hurricane Dean Affect Water Quality in Akumal?
by Edith Sosa
Akumal suffered effects from Hurricane Dean and, although they were not serious, they were enough to modify the coastal ecosystem. We have received several questions on the state of Akumal’s beaches and water quality after the hurricane, so click here to read our answer.
Take a Look at Our New Turtle Program Blog!
Sea Turtle Protection, Conservation and Research Program
by Mariana Isunza
On May 21 I arrived at CEA as a volunteer in the Turtle Program. I came here to fulfill my 480 hours of social service that my university requires in order to get a degree. The real reason, or the one that mattered the most to me, was that ever since I was a little kid, I secretly wanted to be a marine biologist. So this was a great opportunity for me because I was doing what my university required, and I was fulfilling a dream. Click here to read the entire article.
CEA’s New Monitoring Divers: Dedicated to Natalie, Margo, Marta and Damon
by Joel Ortega
The third phase of volunteering in CEA’s reef monitoring subprogram started on June 11. Four volunteers arrived after crossing the Atlantic Ocean, and they began their adventures in the world of reef monitoring and diving in Akumal, México.
But before all that fun, they had to do some hard work to prepare! Click here to read the rest of the article.
Live the Experience!
Reef Monitoring Program
by Natalie Rachael Bryan
My first few weeks as a volunteer for CEA have been both challenging and rewarding. I knew when I signed up for the Reef Monitoring Program that the initial month would entail a lot of studying and hard work. In order to participate in the project, volunteers must learn to identify the local fish and coral species; I am studying the coral. It is quite daunting when you see the list of coral, in Latin, and realize that you need to know it all, but I’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge, so I just stuck to it and began to learn. We do regular "spot snorkels" which allow us to go out with our program leader to look at the corals and fish and get to know them in their natural habitat. Looking at books can never replace seeing them "wild!" Click here to read the entire article.
To Our Volunteers and Social Service Residents
We don’t have enough words to thank you for all of your work and smiles. Thank you very much and we will always miss you. Come back and visit!
Thank you, Rosario, Miguel, Nicole, Sanja, Harvey, Minerva, Diana, Maria, Jose, Ellen, Mathieu, Ahren, Clif, Alex, Diane, France, Kyla, Thalia, Charles, Chris, Milton, Aristurtle, Stransky, Mariana, Bea, Vladimir, Rodrigo, Miguel, Tania, Danielle, Margo, Natalie, Damon, Marta and Helene!
Marine Protected Areas Course
by Margo McShane
From July 1–8 CEA hosted the fifth Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) course, which was taught in conjunction with the National University of Mexico (UNAM), Florida International University (FIU) and Nova Southwestern University.
The course consisted of many lectures by a number of scientists, MPA managers and practitioners, as well as hands-on field trips including Cancún and Xcaret. Click here to read the rest of the article.
CEA Creates Educational Materials for Teaching Kids
by Mauricio Bautista
CEA, along with Fundación Ecológica Bahía Príncipe, celebrated International Environment Day with a workshop for hotel Kids' Clubs workers. The main objective of creating the educational materials is to raise environmental awareness among local and tourist children.
The activities involved themes such as the protection of coral reefs and turtles, and the importance of recycling. We had a snorkel tour, a turtle watch, and we visited Eco-Bahía Protected Park. At the end of the workshop we gave certificates for their donations and collaboration to: Mini club del Hotel Akumal Caribe Villas Mayas; Mini club del Hotel Palladium Colonial Resort & Spa;
Mini club del Hotel Bahía Príncipe Coba; Fundación Ecológica Bahía Príncipe Tulúm A.C.; Escuela Primaria José Vasconcelos; Escuela Primaria Monteverde; Escuela Primaria Prof. Gregorio Conrado Alarcón; and Escuela Primaria Octaviano Solís Aguirre.
We really thank the Hotel Gran Bahía Principe Coba for the use of their facilities for this event.
New Library for Junior High in Akumal Pueblo
by Paul Sánchez-Navarro
The group Transformar Educando, along with several other groups in Akumal including CEA, is working to build a small library at the Telesecundaria José Vasconcelos. The school is getting new bathrooms and the old ones are being converted into a library for the students. The overall cost of the work is $7,000 USD and donations are being accepted to complete the library soon. The Municipality and federal public library offices are also contributing to the main list of books available to start a library for the students. Please contact us if you would like to help out.
A Different Kind of Rocket Science
CEA frequently helps facilitate scientific and scholastic research in the Akumal area. Click here to read a report, in PDF format, by Chuck Willis, Harvard University, about the genetics of Sea Rocket, a beach plant.
Good Luck, Jorge!
All moments in life have cycles. After 10 years of working at CEA, our accounting manager, Jorge Vera, has joined his family on a new life journey in Chiapas, México. Everyone is sad to see him go and all CEA staff wish him the best.
Recent CEA Birthdays
September 22 – Mauricio Bautista Vega, Environmental Education Program Coordinator
September 14 – Edith Sosa, Water Quality Program Coordinator
July 14 – Gilbert Gutierrez Beltran, Information and Parking
July 11 – Armando Lorences Camargo, Marine Turtle Protection Coordinator
July 5 – Joel V. Ortega-Pimienta, Reef Monitoring Program Coordinator
July 4 – Refugia Poot Ek, Head of Housekeeping
Calendar of Events
October 6 – International Beach Clean-up Day Schedule of Activities
Since 2005 CEA has taken an active part in the Committee of Clean Beaches Cancún-Riviera Maya (CPLCRM). Click here to read more.
October 18 & 19 – Fifth Sea Turtle Festival, Tulúm
Mark your calendar and plan to attend our Third Annual CEA Festival, Save Our Seas, February 20 and 21, 2008. Contact us for more information.
Please continue to tell your friends about CEA! 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 sponsor 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.
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