The Placencia Lagoon - Coastal Zone Management Authority and ...

OBJECTIVES
To identify and document the characteristics of the estuarine system of the Placencia
Lagoon within the context of influences from adjoining catchments and the Belize Barrier
Reef Lagoon.
To elucidate the vulnerability of the Placencia Lagoon to the potential impacts of land use
changes including human settlement and aquaculture development.
To assess the current status of the Placencia Lagoon based on key water quality
indicators.
HYPOTHESIS
The spatial and temporal fluxes of pollutants within the Placencia Lagoon are regimented
largely by the physical characteristics of the lagoon coupled with the attributes of the
terrestrial and coastal oceanographic zones of influence.
Water quality deterioration and habitat degradation in the estuarine system can be
accelerated by improper waste disposal and effluent discharge.
STUDY AREA
The Placencia Lagoon is a semi-enclosed coastal lagoon located in Southern Belize
between 16°30’ and 16°40’ N latitude and 88°20 and 88°25’ W longitude (Fig. 1). The
Placencia Lagoon is 3.4 km wide at its widest extent, 20 km long and covers a surface
area of 30 km 2 . At mean sea level (MSL), the average depth of the lagoon is about 1.5 m.
The lagoon is physically influenced by the coastal oceanographic conditions of the
Southern Barrier Reef Lagoon and the terrestrial conditions of the surrounding
catchments.
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