GLOVER'S REEF MARINE RESERVE

GLOVER’S REEF MARINE
RESERVE
Annual Report
January - December 2009
A Snapshot of Long Caye Wall, Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve, photograph courtesy of Alicia Eck
Submitted To:
Isaias Majil
Belize Fisheries Department
Prepared By:
Alicia Eck - Manager
Elias Cantun -Biologist

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page Number
1. Acknowledgement ……………………………………………………………… 3
2. Introduction ……………………………………………………………… 4
3. Enforcement ……………………………………………………………… 6
3.1 Patrols ……………………………………………………………… 6
3.2 Warnings and Charges …………………………………………………………….. 7
4. Monitoring ……………………………………………………………… 20
4.1 Nassau Grouper Monitoring …………………………………………………… 20
4.2 Long –term Atoll Monitoring Program ………………………………………… 24
4.3 Conch Surveys ……………………………………........................ 30
4.4 Lobster Surveys ……………………………………………………………… 33
4.5 Turtle Surveys ……………………………………………………………… 36
4.6 Catch/ Effort Data ……………………………………………………………… 39
4.7 Coral Bleaching Survey ……………………………………………………………… 41
4.8 Tourism Visitation ……………………………………………………………… 44
5.0 Staff ………..…………………………………………………….. 46
5.01 Staff Behavior ……………………………………………………………… 46
5.02 Staff Leave ……………………………………………………………… 46
6.1 Meetings/ Trainings ……………………………………………………………… 47
7. Educational Public Awareness …………………………………………………… 49
8.0 Fuel Usage ……………………………………………………………… 51
9.0 Revenue ……………………………………………………………… 51
10. Equipment and Infrastructure …………………………………………………… 52
11. Recommendations ……………………………………………………………… 52
12. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………… 52
List of Graphs
Graph 1: Patrol Frequency January through December 2009 …………………... 7
Graph 2: Fishermen Visitation January through December 2009 ………………….. 9
Graph 3: Infractions Within GRMR 2009 ………………….. 17
Graph 4: Amount and Sizes of Nassau Groupers in 2009 Surveys ………………….. 22
Graph 5: Fish Species Seen During 2009 SPAGS ………………….. 23
Graph 6: Amount and Sizes of Juvenile & Adult Conch in CZ 2009 ……….. 25
Graph7: Amount and Size of Conch Species in GUZ 2009 ………………….. 26
Graph 8: Male & Female Lobsters Found in CZ 2009 ………………….. 27
Graph 9: Amount & Sizes of Male & Female Lobsters in CZ 2009………………….. 28
Graph 10: Amount and Sizes of Different Commercial Fish in CZ 2009 ……….. 29
Graph 11: Amount and Sizes of Juvenile and Adult Conch in CZ 2009 ……….. 31
Graph 12: Amount and Sizes of Juvenile and Adult Conch in GUZ 2009 ……….. 32
Graph 13: Amount & Sizes of Female Lobsters in CZ 2009 ………………….. 34
Graph 14: Amount & Sizes of Female Lobsters in GUZ 2009 ………………….. 35
Graph 15: Turtle Species Sighted in 2009 Surveys ………………….. 37
Graph 16: CPUE Data collected in 2009 ………………….. 40
Graph 17: Tourism Visitation for 2009 ………………….. 45
Graph 18: Fishermen Percentage of Different Visitors to GRMR in 2009 ……….. 46
2

1. Acknowledgements
Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve would like to thank the Fisheries Department for their
support, advice and assistance to the Reserve, especially to Mr. Isaias Majil.
A special thank you is extended to the staff of Glover’s Reef who assisted within the last
quarter with the Implementation Plan namely Elias Cantun, Gilford Martinez and Luis
Novelo. Also thanks to all volunteers who assisted us especially Samuel Novelo from
our sister reserve, South Water Caye Marine Reserve. Our gratitude goes out to the
Conservation Compliance Unit as well especially to Elvis Williams, Calman Hall,
Dwaine Garcia and Randolph Coleman. They have put hard work into the execution of
the implementation plan for GRMR.
Our Gratitude also goes out to WCS for their continued logistical support at Middle
Caye.
3

2. INTRODUCTION
Glover’s Reef is uniquely position deep within Belize’s territorial waters, and it is
recognized by many to be a spectacle of the Caribbean. In fact, Glover’s as it is
frequently referred to, according to Dahl et al. (1974), is said to be, “the prototypic atoll
of the Caribbean, which is not only the best develop biologically, but also possess the
greatest diversity of reef types.”
Formed almost seven million years ago by faulting offshore resulting in submarine
escarpments, Glover’s Reef is Belize’s best formed coral atoll structure, with an
approximate area of 260 km 2 and dimensions of 32 km long and 12 km wide. In addition,
it is the Southernmost of Belize’s three offshore atolls and is about 75 km southeast of
Belize City, and 45 km east, from the mainland.
Historically, because of its geographical location, Glover’s Reef was once an important
trading post for the indigenous Mayas of Meso-America, more than 900 years ago.
However, in more recent times, the atoll once served as a refuge for British buccaneers.
As a matter of fact, the name Glover’s is derived from the famous British pirate, John
Glovers. Nowadays, Glover’s Reef is renowned, and acclaims international recognition,
for its majestic cayes, vibrant marine flora & fauna, and of course, its unique reef
structure, which is rugged, and resembles a mountain like precipice, of “spectacular walls
and coral canyons.” But above all else, the area is treasured for its geological & scientific
attributes.
It was a result of the latter, that in 1993, Glover’s Reef was officially designated as a
marine reserve. According to (Munnings et al. 2002), the reserve was established by the
government to maintain the ecological process, to preserve the genetic diversity, to
maintain natural areas for educational and research, to provide social and economic
benefits through ecologically sensitive recreation and tourism, and to achieve sustainable
use of its resources through wise management of the species and their habitats. To date,
Glover’s Reef is the third largest marine protected area in Belize and is managed by the
4

Belize Fisheries Department. (This text was extracted from the Glover’s Reef Marine
Reserve Management Plan)
The Glover’s Reef Atoll is a unique area that needs special attention and good planning is
needed to protect the resources on this atoll. The implementation plan for 2009 was
carried out and about 85% of the objectives scheduled for the year was accomplished.
The implementation plan included specific objectives such as enforcement, staff training,
research and data gathering of commercial fishing catch per unit effort data, lobster
density surveys, lobster biological data collection, conch density surveys. We also
assisted WCS with in water turtle monitoring surveys and the LAMP.
This past year was a very productive year for GRMR. Monitoring accomplished for this
year included collecting catch per unit effort from commercial fishermen, lobster surveys,
and conch surveys and Spawning aggregation surveys and Coral Bleaching Surveys.
Unfortunately no Synoptic Monitoring was accomplished this year.
Enforcement and Surveillance were top priorities this year at GRMR and several charges
were levied against fishermen this year. The infractions for this year varied. Most
infractions by fishermen this year had to do with possession of undersize conch, not
having a valid fisherfolk license and possession of undersize and soft shell lobster.
There were also several trainings and workshops that were attended by BRMR staff.
There were many meetings that staff attended. Trainings ranged from Data Analysis
Training to CSI for the Coral Reef, Connectivity Workshops, Coral Bleaching
Workshops and Conservation Network meeting, a Shark Workshop.
5

3. ENFORCEMENT
The exploitation of our marine resources is becoming an increasing issue as people try to
balance extraction of these resources in a sustainable manner. The Zones within the
Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve have been set up in a way to protect key habitats to
support commercially viable species. The staff of GRMR throughout 2009 had increased
their efforts to ensure that fishermen and other users of GRMR abide to the Rules and
Regulations of GRMR and to the Fisheries Legislations.
3.1 Patrols
In 2009 efforts were placed into the patrolling of the entire atoll however because of the
limited resources we have we did not do this every day. The monthly fuel allotment had
been increased during the year therefore we had a bit more fuel to increase the daily runs
to the northern part of the atoll. Resources were focused in the Northern Region
specifically when sailboats were in that area.
Patrols were scheduled for twice a day, however, when there was bad weather or base
activities to do then we only patrolled once a day. In 2009 we also encountered
difficulties in acquiring fuel in the earlier part of the year due to not being able to acquire
a fuel card from government.
For most of 2009 we only had one vessel operational. The other engine for the smaller
skiff is in Belize City and arrangements are being made to take it out to the atoll shortly.
July was the month that had the most frequency of patrols. A summary of the patrol
statistics can be seen in the table below.
6

GRAPH 1: Patrol Frequency January through December 2009
3.2 Warnings and Charges
When 2009 begun Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve was under new management and new
strategies to curb illegal activities were being implemented. As the first quarter of the
year progressed staff recorded and issued warnings to offenders with the first offense
then staff started charging repeated offenders. This was done in this manner so that
fishermen were given a second chance to do the right thing. Most of the infractions were
for possession of undersize conchs. Some persons had expired licenses and one person
was charged for a lobster infraction.
During the first quarter special efforts were put into the monitoring of the SPAG site in
January and February. This was collaboration between the Department and World
Conservation Society (WCS). A boat with CCU officers would come out from Belize
City with fuel provided by WCS and they would do special patrols for 5 days to the
SPAG site to try and ensure there were no illegal activities occurring over the site.
7

As the year moved into the second quarter most of the violations that were committed
were at the middle of the quarter in May when 6 fishermen were charged with infractions.
Most of the infractions this quarter were for possession of undersize conchs and in June it
was for possession of undersize lobsters. Some persons didn’t have fisher folk licenses
and two persons were charged for fishing within the no take zone of GRMR.
Special efforts were also put into the enforcement of the closed lobster season. We
increased patrols before the lobster season as to ensure that fishermen were not fishing
for lobster before the season opened. Just before the season opened a CCU officer
assisted us and we had two reserve vessels on standby in case of night fishing.
During the third quarter the GRMR staff was again vigilant with patrols. The only times
when we did not do patrols twice a day was when we had other base activities to do such
as base cleanups, however, the staff patrolled at least one time for the day except if the
weather was bad and many night patrols were done this past quarter as well. In this past
quarter the patrol frequency was up. As the quarter progressed we accomplished more
patrols. Most violations were encountered in the month of August. In this third quarter
we also got a newly constructed tower, donated by WCS. We used this tower to
determine where fishing vessels were located then planned out patrols according to that.
In the last quarter of the year GRMR staff still stayed focused on the usual enforcement
issues that were encountered throughout the year such as checking boats for undersize
conch and lobster. The focus of the enforcement crew also shifted a bit this last quarter
and night patrols were increased. Staff encountered new difficulties as 2009 was coming
to an end because piracy started happening in the night time instead of the day time and it
was difficult to patrol the MPA during the night time.
Throughout the year staff also looked at the amount of fishing vessels that visited GRMR
and tried to get the amount of fishermen that used the area for that month. There were
gaps in the data but staff tried to collect data every month. Data shows that there were a
total of 591 fishing vessels that visited GRMR and 2,708 fishermen who used the area.
8

This is an approximation and overlaps occur because these numbers were determined by
adding fishing vessels and fishermen on a daily basis and not by trips taken. Below
shows a chart with the amount of vessels and fishermen who visited GRMR for 2009.
GRAPH 2: Fishermen Visitation January through December 2009
For 2009 a total of thirty-eight (38) charges were brought against fishermen and sisteen
(16) warnings were issued. Most charges levied were done for possession of undersize
conch which amounted to thirty-three (33). There were five (5) charges levied for
undersize lobsters, three (3) for soft shell lobsters, three (3) for invalid fisherfolk license,
one (1) for not having a valid fisherfolk license, one (1) charge for using a spear-gun,
three (3) for fishing within a no take zone, one (1) for possession of parrot fish, one (1)
for possession of sea turtle, two (2) for allowing persons to fish without a valid fisherfolk
license, and one (1) for not having a commercial vessel license.
Throughout the year there were some stories of interest that I would like to make note of
again. There were charges levied for possession of sea turtle against fishermen from
Hopkins. There was another incident where we found a bag of 6 parrot fish but we didn’t
see which fisherman threw it overboard so we couldn’t charge anyone for it. We did
9

however, identify that the bag was from a fisherman that was nearby by the name of
Edilberto Rivero.
Bag with parrot fish found floating
There was a report from fishermen that some other fishermen were setting traps in the
reserve. Reserve staff looked into this matter immediately in conjunction with the
fishermen who reported the incident and located one of the fish traps. We still have not
identified who is setting the traps.
Trap picked up by reserve staff near the North East Channel
10

We also suspected a boat by the name of Michayla to be fishing inside the conservation
zone but when we checked them they had already reached the boundary of the reserve.
As the year progressed we had more and more issues with fishermen fishing within the
no take zone in the night time. We strongly suspect a boat by the name of Jane A but
could not prove it.
On a patrol to Northern Lighthouse on May 29 th , we went looking for the Port Authority
persons who came out to put up the lighthouse in that area. Upon reaching there we did
not see a vessel but instead we saw the old lighthouse sitting on the reef. A damage
assessment was consequently done on May 31 st and an email was sent to Mr. Majil and
Mr. Azueta. Port Authority stated that they will be in this area on June 3 rd to take the
lighthouse off the reef which never occurred. To this date the lighthouse is still sitting on
the reef. The damage assessment report was forwarded to Mr. Majil and the matter is
being looked into. I recommend that they be charged for these damages.
Lighthouse Tower on
Reef
Osprey Nest
11

Following is a table that shows all the fishermen that were changed this year along with
the outcomes.
TABLE 1: Shows Fishermen Along with Their Offenses and Outcomes
Date Name or Offense Quantity Action Outcome
Person
Taken
12/01/09 Francisco J. Pena Possession of 29 Charged Pending
undersize conchs
12/01/09 Edward Cruz Possession of 17 Charged Pending
24/01/09 Jose Alamilla
undersize conchs
Possession of soft 3 soft shell Charged Case
shell lobsters and and 1
Adjourned
undersize lobster undersize
until Feb 23 rd
then March
26 th . Found
guilty and
Charged $600
24/01/09 Hernando Rivero Possession of 10 None, was
undersize conchs
still in shell
25/01/09 Juan Baki Possession of 10 None, was
undersize conch
still in shell
25/01/09 Eddy Rivero Possession of 15 None, was
undersize conchs
still in shell
25/01/09 Julius Foreman Possession of 42 None, was
undersize conchs
still in shell
25/01/09 Elmer Cruz Possession of 27 None, was
undersize conchs
still in shell
25/01/09 Lemul Cruz’s Possession of 36 None, was
undersize conchs
still in shell
25/01/09 Randy Patt Possession of 10 None, was
undersize conchs
still in shell
27/01/09 Francisco I. Possession of 13 Charged Found Guilty,
Gomez
undersize conchs
Charged $575
28/2/09 Emilio Camara Fishing without a 1 None,
valid fisherfolk
warning
license
issued
1/03/09 Roneldy A Patt Possession of 7 Charged Found Guilty.
undersize conchs
Charged $255
4/03/09 Yojelino A. Possession of 8 None, was
Palmero
undersize conchs
still in shell
4/03/09 Edwardo Natt Possession of 2 None
undersize conchs
4/03/09 Jacubo Castillo Possession of 3 None, was
undersize conchs
still in shell
4/03/09 Agustine Desidero
Rivero
Possession of
undersize conchs
6 Charged Did not show
12

Date Name or Person Offense Quantity Action
Taken
6/03/09 Francisco Lopez Possession of 12, 7 MC None he
undersize conchs
left the area
6/03/09 Barnabe Verde Possession of 10 None, was
undersize conchs
still in shell
8/03/09 Ranhel F. Possession of 3 None, was
Caballeros undersize conchs
still in shell
9/03/09 Buezo Possession of 4 None, was
undersize conchs
still in shell
Outcome
10/03/09 Chrispino B. Verde Possession of 14 None, was
Jr.
undersize conchs
still in shell
6/03/09 Edward Morel Possession of 5 None, was
Ortega
undersize conchs
still in shell
9/03/09 Esdwin A. Buezo Possession of 4 None, was
undersize conchs
still in shell
24/03/09 Jose Peraza Possession of 58 Was within Pending for
undersize conchs
the shell April 7
but he was
charged
th
30/03/09 Cipriano Flores Possession of 21 Charged Pending for
undersize conchs
April 7 th
30/03/09 Sergio M. Flores Possession of 16 Charged Pending for
undersize conchs
April 7 th
31/03/09 Victoriano Reed Possession of 19 Charged Pending for
undersize conchs
April 7 th
03/04/09 Edilberto J. Rivero Possession of 7 Charged Pending
undersize conchs
20/04/09 Francisco Javier Possession of 4 Charged Pending
Pena and Armin
Patt
undersize conchs
20/04/09 Elidoro Jimenez Possession of 4 Charged Pending
undersize conchs
20/04/09 Edwardo Cruz Possession of 8 Charged Pending
16/05/09 Damascus Ramos
undersize conchs
Fishing without a
Did not Pending
valid fisherfolk
show. Have
license, no
summons
commercial boat
for him to
fishing license,
show up at
fishing within the
GRMR
Conservation
Zone, employing a
fisherman without
a valid fisherfolk
license
court.
13

Date Name or
Person
16/05/09 Glen Nunez Fishing without a
valid fisherfolk
license, fishing
within the GRMR
Conservation
Zone
18/05/09 Collin Jones Possession
Undersize conch
of
18/05/09 Hermojenes G. Possession of
Reina
Undersize conch
18/05/09 Martin D. Pariente Fishing without a
valid
license
fisherfolk
18/05/09 Oscar Rojas Possession of
Undersize conch
1/07/09 Semion Castillo Possession of
undersize lobster
03/07/09 Jesus A. Pena Possession of
undersize lobster
24/07/09 Hectpr H. Aguillar
Jr.
Possession of
softshell crawfish
24/07/09 Deiny Nekdaie Possession of
undersize lobster
24/07/09 Graciano A. Tun Possession of
undersize lobster
Offense Quantity Action
Did not Pending
13
show. Have
summons
for him to
show up at
court.
Charged Pending, June
9 th Outcome
Taken
, 2009
36 Charged Pending, June
9 th , 2009
Charged Pending, June
9 th , 2009
34 Charged Pending, June
9 th , 2009
3 Charged
for
possession
of
undersize
lobster
Pending
2 Charged
for
possession
of
undersize
lobster
Pending
2 Charged
for
possession
of
undersize
lobster
Withdrawn
1 Charged
for
possession
of
undersize
lobster
Withdrawn
1 Charged
for
possession
of
undersize
lobster
Withdrawn
14

Date Name or
Person
24/07/09 Marquitos
Mendez
H.
Possession of soft
shell crawfish
24/07/09 Marcos F. Tun Possession of soft
shell crawfish
19/08/09 Diostenes Saldana Invalid
fisherman’s
license
19/08/09 Lennox Maximo Allowing
Diostenes Saldana
to fish with and
invalid
fisherman’s
05/09/09 John Ventura,
Dalton Roaches,
and Elroy Nasario
license
Possession of a
sea turtle
14/09/09 Edilberto Rivero Possession of
Parrot fish
16/09/09 Micheal Jackson Fishing within a
no take zone
16/09/09 Roberto Garbutt Using a spear gun
within GRMR
16/09/09 Javier Hercules Possession of
undersize Lobster
Offense Quantity Action
Taken
1 Charged
for
possession
of
undersize
lobster
Withdrawn
1 Charged
for
possession
of
undersize
lobster
Withdrawn
Charged Pending
Charged Pending
1 Charged Pending
6 Warning We couldn’t
prove that it
2 Warning
Outcome
was his.
Warning We met them
on the
boarder of the
reserve.
Charged Pending
15

Date Name or Offense Quantity Action
Person
Taken
1/10/09 Raymond Possession of 21 none
Castillo undersize conch
1/10/09 Santos Alvarez Possession of 38 none
undersize conch
1/10/09 Bernaldo I Verde Possession of 24 none
undersize conch
1/10/09 Sanasermo Possession of 163 none
Torres
undersize conch
1/10/09 Duel Z. Verde Possession of 11 none
undersize conch
9/10/09 Leonard Gaboral No fisherfolk
Verbal
license
Warning
Outcome
N.B Note that these five fishermen arrested above were told to report to the office to be
charge and when they showed up the report done by fisheries officer Luis Novelo could
not be found. I contacted him and he said he left a note on Mr. Julio Maaz desk stating
that the report was done and was in Mrs. Inez’s computer and that he couldn’t print the
report due to some trouble with the printer.
Date Name or
Person
Offense Quantity Action Taken Outcome
15/11/09 Arnulfo Verde Possession of 8 Charged for No Show.
undersize
possession of Pending Jan
conch
undersize conch 11 th
15/11/09 Alberto Palmero Possession of 7 Charged for No Show.
undersize
possession of Pending Jan
conch
undersize conch 11 th
15/11/09 Udelberto Monoz Possession of 8 Charged for Pending Jan
undersize
possession of 11th
conch
undersize Conch
15/11/09 Jacinto Verde Possession of 7 Charged for No Show.
undersize
possession of Pending Jan
conch
undersize Conch 11 th
15/11/09 Taulfo Rivero Possession of 10 Will be charged Pending
undersize
with possession
conch
of
conch
undersize
22/11/09 Jose Rodriguez Possession of 26 Charged for Fined $200 +
undersize
possession of $5 cost of
conch
undersize Conch court and
$20/ conch
($725)
16

Date Name or
Person
22/11/09 Edwardo Ortega Possession of
undersize
conch
22/11/09 Edelberto Rivero Possession of
undersize
conch
22/11/09 Yorjelino A.
Palmero
Possession of
undersize
conch
10/12/09 Dalmer Pott Possession of
undersize
conch
Offense Quantity Action Taken Outcome
20 Charged for
possession of
undersize Conch
63 Charged for
possession of
undersize Conch
29 Charged for
possession of
undersize Conch
24 Charged for
possession of
undersize Conch
Fined $100+
$5 cost of
court
and$20/conch
($505)
Fined $200 +
$5 cost of
court and
$20/ conch
($1465)
Fined $200 +
$5 cost of
court and
$20/ conch
($785)
Fined $100+
$5 cost of
court
and$20/conch
($585)
17

GRMR staff also took note of the fishing vessels that visited the area and recorded them.
A list of these vessels was compiled and can be seen below.
Table2: Show a List of the Captains and vessels that uses the GRMR for 2009
Boat Name Captain Amt of Crew Type
Ibzan Hernando T Rivero 3 Vessel
Sandy Noe II 8 Sailboat
Inri Juan C. Monuz 7 Sailboat
Yeseiri Mateo Rivero 3 Vessel
Ubafu Juan Monuz 12
Ubafu Jose Rodriguez 14
Sailboat
Sailboat
Sandy Noe I Elmer O. Cruz 5 Sailboat
Princess Leobilildo S. Tamai 5 Sailboat
Tormento Francisco Lopez 10 Sailboat
La Bonita Taulfo Rivero 9 Sailboat
Princess Ceasar Munoz 9 Sailboat
Chico Luke Nunez 4 Skiff
Twins Anthony J. Nunez 3 Skiff
Lennox Lennox Maximo 3 Skiff
Cpt. Gravil Wilmer E Limas 2 Skiff
Noelia Carlos N Reyes 3 Skiff
Diara Anastacio Castillo 5 Dug Out Canoe
Ella Romeldo R Catzim 10 Sailboat
Vision Estevan C Solis 14 Sailboat
Nixa Meridaldo Allen 6 Sailboat
Adinely Fidel Villamil 6 Sailboat
Los Babes 4 Skiff
Marisol Hijinio Tzul 9 Sailboat
Sandynoe Alberto Palmero 9 Sailboat
18

Boat Name Captain Amt of Crew Type
Ginie Oscar Mena 7 Sailboat
Leah Jean 5 Skiff
Gloria Anna Henry Mckenzie 7 Skiff
Leolily Eddie Tamai 7 Sailboat
Yeseiri Ardulfo Rivero 3 Skiff
Michaela Michael Jackson 4 Skiff
Weez Michael E Craig 3 Skiff
Julia Yorjelino Palmero 5 Sailboat
Brisiedy Jose Tzul 13 Sailboat
50 Cents Jairo R. Sedacy 3 Vessel
Williams Dominie Williams 3 Skiff
Vivian Denmar Ventura 2 Skiff
Claricia Robert Casimiro 3 Skiff
Ellen Aaron Nasario 3 Skiff
Seagull Rodney Castillo 2 skiff
Damasco Damasco Ramos 2 skiff
Ginie Oscar Mena 10 Sailboat
Baby J Steven Ledlan 2 Skiff
Look to the east Paul Mark 3 Skiff
Yeseiri Ardulfo Rivero 4 Skiff
La Guadalupana Benjamin Tun 12 Sailboat
Beverly Salamon Andrews 4 Skiff
Mary A Floyd Arana 2 Skiff
Deep Blue Brian Young 4 Boat
JJ Kirk Rodriguez 2 Skiff
Jessie Robert Casimiro 3 Skiff
19

4.0 Monitoring
4.1 Nassau Grouper Spawning Aggregation
Introduction
Th spawning aggregation monitoring of the endangered Nassau groupers (Epinephelus
striatus) for this year 2009 was conducted at the northeast channel for the month of
January and February at the beginning of the year only where most of the activities are
been observed. This survey usually takes place after every three to five days after the full
moon of these two months. The Nassau groupers are considered as an endangered species
under the IUCN red list and are known to be decreasing drastically at most of the other
spawning aggregation sites throughout the country of Belize. Many efforts are being
made to fully protect these endangered species one being a closed season for Nassau
Grouper from 1 st December to March 31 st of the following year where no one should
have in their possession any Nassau groupers and the closure of the SPAG site where
these fish gather to spawn. It is very essential to conduct these monitoring of the Nassau
groupers at these spawning sites to determine their population, size and to ensure that
measures taken for their protection are functioning. Results of the constant monitoring of
this fish species may be used to make management decisions in case of further depletion.
The Glovers Reef Marine Reserve staff which included Elias Cantun, Alicia Eck, and
Luis Novelo; along with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s staff which included
Virginia Burns, Mervin Nunez, Tony Nunez, Randolph Nunez, and Alex Tilley
monitored the site this year. There was also a consultant who assisted the team from
Friends of Nature who lead the team regularly conducting these Spawning Aggregation
surveys. The site is located approximately 20 miles from the south end of the reserve up
to the Northeast channel called the grouper bank.
Method
These surveys lean towards monitoring the Nassau Grouper populations as well as their
behavior. Other groupers and other fish species also come to this site to aggregate and
spawn, these are also studied and data is collected. For these two months a total of
eleven dives were conducted, most of them were 30 minute dives. The morning dives are
20

normally conducted around 10:30am and the evening dives varied between 3:30pm and
5:00pm depending on the state of the weather but should rather be conducted on the later
part of the evening at sunset where most of the spawning activities have been observed in
the past years of these surveys. In the month of January only four dives were conducted,
no other dives were conducted due to bad weather. In February, seven dives were done.
Other data collected at the site included: date, time, and surface conditions. The standard
procedure used for monitoring these spawning aggregations was adapted from the
Spawning aggregation monitoring protocol. The groupers were observed, the species
were identified, and an estimated amount was counted and placed under a size category.
Observations of their coloration and behavior were also recorded.
Result
Of these ten dives conducted at the SPAG site, the largest amount of Nassau groupers
observed was in the month of February which was on the first dive. It numbered to one
thousand three hundred (1,300) and this was observed on the first day of survey for that
month. The lowest amount of Nassau groupers seen was in the month of January on dive
1 and dive 2 while the highest amount for the month of January studied was on dive 4
with a total of (900). The lowest amount of groupers seen in February was totaled to an
amount of (800) on the fourth dive. What was observed also was a number of other fish
species present on most of the dives of the two particular months the survey took place.
The Nassau groupers studied spawning was observed in small groups of 9 – 12 fishes
about every 30 seconds or so and on this day; it was observed that the smaller fishes were
the ones spawning. Furthermore, it was also noted that about 95% of the fishes have
been changing in coloration during the entire aggregation and had some type of grouping
and most were gravid. Other fish species seen at the site included Yellow fin Groupers,
Black Groupers, Dog Snappers, Barracudas, Bar Jacks, and several types of parrot fishes,
Ocean trigger fish, rainbow runner, King fish, and also horse eye jacks.
A graph has been placed below to show the amount and sizes of amount and sizes of the
Nassau Groupers and the other fish species seen for the surveys.
21

GRAPH 4: Illustrates the amount and sizes (cm) of Nassau Groupers studied during
the surveys conducted in the year 2009.
The graph above illustrates the amount and sizes (cm) of all the Nassau groupers studied
during the two months of the year that these surveys are conducted. It shows that on the
first month the survey was conducted the population was low and an increase in size and
population was observed in the February survey.
22

Conclusion
GRAPH 5: Illustrates the Fish Species Seen During SPAG 2009.
For 2009 spawning aggregation survey it was observed that during the two months these
surveys were conducted only one spawning incident was observed which was in the
month February. Some data on these fishes behavior were also observed and recorded.
Each dives conducted usually last about 30 minutes for each survey; the maximum depth
that most of this species were seen was at a 100 ft, and temperatures ranged between a
minimum of 77 o F and 84 o F. It was also observed that these species were seen to be
more active just before sunset. The maximum amount of fishes seen was 1,300 and the
largest size, ranges between 91–100 cm. Some of these fishes was observed with hooks
and lines attached to their mouth which shows signs that pouching is still occurring in
these SPAG site. A hook with line was also cut away from one of these fish and was
released.
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4.2 Long-term Atoll Monitoring Program (LAMP)
Introduction
The first LAMP survey was conducted from the 2 nd to the 9 th of February, while the
second survey was done from the 28 th to the 31 st of May. The team consisted of six
individual’s: two fisheries staff and four WCS staff. Most of the survey conducted took
place in the mornings while some surveys took place in the forenoon due to other
monitoring that needed to be accomplished in the earlier part of the days. This survey
contains thirty-three designated sites that are frequently monitored, nineteen in the
general use zone and fourteen in the conservation zone. These sites are ranged from
shallow sandy flats known as conch area and others are patch reefs which are habitats for
lobsters, sea urchins and most of the commercial fish species as well as conch.
Method
This monitoring is very important for several reasons, one is to monitor the population,
sizes of different marine species that are fished for commercial use and other parameters
such as meteorological sampling for example temperatures and precipitation, other
samples taken is the oceanographic samplings which is done to check for temperature,
salinity, and turbidity of the sea, and also samples for biotic productivity are taken. To
conduct the survey the team actually had to snorkel for approximately an hour around
each patch reefs, searching into crevices for lobsters, conchs, fin fishes and sea urchins.
The other method used for sand flats is the transect line method which is mostly used for
monitoring conch (Strombus gigas ). There two 50 meter transect lines are place down
and whenever conch found on either side their shell length, shell width, and lip thickness
are measured. Any signs of egg laying or signs of copulation if found is recorded and
these conchs are not disturbed. For lobsters which are found mostly on patch reefs
between crevices, an hour snorkeling is conducted all depending on the amount of
individual participating in the survey. When found they are identified as (Panulirus
argus), which is the Caribbean spiny lobsters or (Panulirus guttas) known also as the
spotted spiny lobster, then with a tickle stick their carapace length are measured in (mm).
24

For fin fish, an estimated size is collected in (cm) from the head tip to the fork tail length
and the fish species are identified.
Below are graphs that show the amount and sizes of conch, lobsters and finfish studied in
both zones: the general use zone and the conservation zone.
GRAPH 6: Illustrates the Amount and Sizes of Juvenile and Adult Conch Studied in
the Conservation Zone for 2009
The graph above shows the amount of juvenile and adult conch studied for the year 2009.
It shows that seven hundred and fifty three juvenile conchs were studied in total total for
the entire year. Breaking it down into three different surveys conducted shows that for
the first survey conducted in the month of February two hundred and sixty four (264)
juveniles were found while for May one hundred ninety nine (199) was studied and for
August two hundred and ninety (290) juvenile conchs were studied. For adult conch
studied a total amount of two hundred and sixty-two (262) was studied for the entire year.
For the month of February a number of forty seven (47) conchs were observed and for
May an amount of one hundred and thirty-seven (137) were seen. For August seventy
two (72) were studied and four (4) Milk Conch all in the Conservation Zone.
25

GRAPH 7: Illustrates the Amount and Sizes (mm) of the Three Different Conch
Species Studied in the General Use Zone for 2009
The graph above shows that a total of one thousand six hundred eighty-six (1,686) conchs
were studied for the entire year in the General Use Zone. For the year three surveys were
conducted. The first one in the month of February showed an amount two hundred and
forty three (243) juvenile conchs, nine (9) adult conchs and two (2) milk conchs were
studied. For May one hundred and ninety nine (199) juveniles were observed and one
hundred and thirty seven (137) adults. The last survey was conducted on the month of
August with one thousand two hundred and forty four (1,244) conchs observed and
studied. It shows that one thousand ninety seven (1,097) juveniles and one hundred and
forty eight (148) adult conchs were identified and studied for that month.
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GRAPH 8: Illustrates the Amount and Sizes (mm) of Male and Female Lobsters
Studied in the Conservation Zone for the Three Surveys Conducted for 2009
The graph above shows that a total of thirty five (35) lobsters were studied in the General
Use Zone for the entire year. It shows that in February six (6) were male lobsters and
three (3) were female lobsters while twelve (12) male and six (6) female lobsters were
studied for the month of May. For the last survey which was conducted in the month of
August two (2) males and six (6) females were observed and studied. During these
surveys all lobsters studied ranged between 20-40mm to 141-160mm.
27

GRAPH 9: Illustrates the Amount and Sizes (mm) of Male and Female Lobsters
Found in the Conservation Zone for 2009
The graph above shows that a total of sixty lobsters were studied in the general use zone
for the entire year. It shows that in February six male lobsters and six were female
lobsters were observed while twenty three male and ten female lobster was studied in the
month of May. For the last survey which was conducted in the month of August eight
males and seven females was observed and studied. During these surveys all lobsters
studied ranged between 20-40mm to 161-180mm.
28

GRAPH 10: Illustrates the Amount and Sizes (cm) of Different Commercial Fish
Species Studied in the Conservation Zone
The chart above shows that twelve (12) different fish species were studied in
Conservation Zone and in the General Use Zone. In the Conservation Zone it shows that
five hundred and sixty eight (568) Princess Parrotfishes were seen ranging from (5-50cm),
thirty three (33) Redtail Parrotfishes ranging between (10-40cm), ninety four (94)
Stoplight Parrotfishes ranging between (10-50cm), four hundred and eighty four (484)
Striped Parrotfishes between (5-40cm), thirty two (32) Yellowtail Parrotfishes between
(10-40cm), nineteen (19) mutton snapper ranging between (20-50cm), six (6) Black
Groupers ranging between (20-40cm), fourteen (14) Nassau groupers between (20-45cm),
twenty (20) Hogfish between (10-60cm), and one (1) Queen Triggerfish that range
between (20-30cm). In the General Use Zone twenty-three (23) Redband Parrotfishes
were observed ranging between (5-30cm), ten (10) Princess Parrotfishes ranging between
(5-15), three (3) Redtail Parrotfish ranging between (10-30cm), six (6) Stop light
Parrotfishes ranging between (10-40cm), twenty one (21) Striped Parrotfishes ranging
between (5-15cm), two (2) Yellowtail parrotesfish ranging between (10-30m), one (1)
Mutton Snapper ranging between (20-30cm), four (4) Black Grouper ranging between
29

(20-50cm), thirteen (13) Nassau groupers ranging between (10-40cm), and two (2)
Hogfish that ranged between (20-30cm).
Conclusion
For this survey conducted it was observed that the population in juvenile conchs has
roughly the same in the both zones where the survey took place in the General Use Zone
and the Conservation Zone. The Conservation Zone had a total amount of two hundred
and sixty four (264) juvenile conchs, while the General Use Zone showed a total of two
hundred and forty three (243) juveniles leaving the conservation zone with a lead of
twenty one (21) which are close in abundance. For the adult population forty seven (47)
were studied in the Conservation Zone and nine (9) in the General Use Zone, which has
extraction pressure from fishermen. It was also noted that more Milk Conchs were seen
in the Conservation Zone than in the General Use Zone. During the survey a quantity of
lobsters were studied. Six (6) male lobsters and six (6) female lobsters were seen in the
Conservation Zone, whereas in the General Use Zone six (6) males were observed and
three (3) female lobsters. This shows that almost the same amount of lobsters are seen in
both zones this could indicate that they were gone due to the weather that was out at the
time. As for fin fish species it shows that roughly the same quantity was observed in both
zones.
4.3 Conch Survey (Strombus gigas)
Introduction
The conch (Strumbus gigas) surveys for this year was conducted before the opening of
the conch from the 19 th to the 22 nd of September and after the closing of the season which
is from the 13 th to the 17 th of July. The team for the first survey consisted of four reserve
staff and one WCS staff: Mr. Cantun, Ms. Alicia, and Mr. Martinez, Mr. Novelo and
Randolph Nunez from WCS. For the surveys conducted after the closing of the season,
Mr. Cantun, Mr. Martinez, and Mrs. Eck were the staff that did the surveys.
The survey includes collecting data from fourteen different designated sites. Seven of
these sites are in the Conservation Zone and the other seven in the General Use Zne. The
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habitat type where these surveys took place was in the sand flats area of the marine
reserve.
Method
for each survey conducted at these sites, five 30 meter transect tapes were deployed five
meters apart from each other perpendicular to the reef crest of the sand flat area. These
transect begun behind the reef crest and run to the 15m depth contour towards the main
land.
The quantity of conch that are observed in the transect swims are retrieved and the lip
thickness, shell length and shell width are measured using a caliper and the data is
recorded, except for those copulating and spawning adults. Upon completion of the
measurements, all animal are returned to sea and in most cases to the area of capture.
Below are graphs showing the frequencies and sizes of adult and juvenile conch collected
during the surveys.
GRAPH 11: Illustrates the Amount and Sizes (mm) of Juvenile and Adult Conch
Found in Conservation Zone 2009
31

The graph above shows the amount of juveniles and adult conch studied in the
conservation zone. It shows that before the opening of the season which is the month of
September a total of thirty one (31) juvenile conchs were studied and for July which is
the closing season a total of seventy six (76) juvenile conchs was studied. For adult
conchs found and studied in the Conservation Zone a total of seventeen (17) was studied
before the opening of the season and twenty eight (28) was studied after the closing of the
conch season. The conch studied range from between 80mm to 300mm in shell length.
GRAPH 12: Illustrates the Amount and Sizes (mm) of Juvenile and Adult Conch
Found in General Use Zone 2009
The graph above shows the amount of conch studied in the General Use Zone which are
juveniles and adult conch. It shows that before the opening of the season which is the
month of September a total amount of five hundred and twenty one (521) juvenile conchs
were studied and for July which is the closing season a total of two hundred (200)
juvenile conchs were studied. For adult conch found and studied in the General Use
Zone a total of fifty seven (57) was studied before the opening of the season and sixteen
32

(16) after the closing of the conch season. These conch studied range from between
60mm to 300mm in shell length.
Conclusion
This year’s survey was conducted on two different occasions which is the opening and
closing of the conch season. For the closing it was observed that most of the conch
studied was seen half buried or some buried in the sand flat areas. This usually takes
place when there is a change in weather temperature or whenever cold fronts and strong
winds from tropical waves are present. During the survey some copulating was also
observed, for them no data was collected nor were they molested.
4.4 Lobster Survey
Introduction
The lobster survey for the closing of the season was conducted from the 21 st to the 25 th of
February and another survey was conducted in June before the opening of the lobster
season. These surveys are to assess the lobster population after each closing and opening
of the season which is on the 15 th of February and the 15 th of June. The species targeted
were the Spiny Lobsters (Panulurus argus) and Spotted Lobster (Panulurus guttatus).
Morphological data gathered were: sex, carapace length and species. Fourteen patch
reefs were surveyed in total. Seven sites are located within the Conservation Zone and
the other seven are located within the General Use Zone. Each patch reef was surveyed
for half an hour per individual due to the fact that if it was two individuals conducting the
monitoring it should last half hour, however if conducted by one individual the survey
must take an hour.
Method
The method used in this survey is to swim, and snorkel around each patch for half an
hour each. The patch reefs are therefore snorkeled and all rocks and crevices where
searched for lobsters. These lobsters observed are visually categorized underwater by
carapace length in (mm) using a tickle stick. The individual counted the number of
lobsters found along the patch reefs and record it. The persons participating in the survey
33

will also record the following information for each lobster such as: sex, presence of eggs
or tar spot, and also the carapace length. Below are the graphs showing the status of
female and male lobsters found in the Conservation and in the General Use Zone for both
surveys conducted for the entire year of 2009.
GRAPH 13: Illustrates the Amount and Sizes (mm) of Female Lobsters Studied in
the Conservation Zone FOR 2009
The graph above shows that a total of one hundred and twenty four (124) female and
male lobsters were studied in the Conservation Zone for the two surveys conducted for
the entire year. These lobsters studied range from between 30mm to 180mm in carapace
length.
34

GRAPH 14: Illustrates the Amount and Sizes (mm) of Male Lobsters Found in the
Conservation Zone
The graph above shows that a total amount of fifty nine (59) male and female lobsters
were studied in the General Use Zone for the two surveys conducted before and after the
lobster season. These lobsters range from between 30mm to 180mm in carapace length.
Conclusion
After analyzing the data it has shown that the conservation zone had more lobsters than
the general use zone. This shows that the reserve is working towards protecting this
species. It also prove to show that there is more female lobsters that were studied and
also shows that they are reproducing due to the fact that there have been visible signs of
tar spot and some had a orange egg mass under their abdomen.
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4.5 Turtle Survey
Introduction
This year’s first turtle survey was conducted from the 25 th to the 29 th of April and the
other survey was done in the month of November 2009. These surveys consisted of
fourteen different site locations on the fore reef around the entire atoll. Most of the survey
was accomplished between the hours of 9:00am to around 4:30 pm. This year’s first
team was consisted of eleven individuals, four from BFD Glover’s, the biologist from
Caye Caulker, one fisherman from Hopkins village and five staff from WCS. The team
for the month of November consisted of fifteen individuals seven from BFD from four
different marine reserves and six of WCS staff and two staff from the BAS. During these
surveys some particulars were collected by the recorder at the different sites. When a
turtle was seen or captured the visibility, the depth and the time the survey started and
end was recorded as well as other data such as salinity, GPS location, and water
temperature. The amount of Turtles seen during these surveys amounted to seventy (70)
in the month of April and eighty six (86) for November.
Method
The same method was used from previous turtle monitoring to conduct these surveys.
Eight individuals are usually place parallel to one another and to the reef crest some areas
are from the drop off of the wall and are spaced from each other usually at a distance of
about ten to fifteen feet. All surveys are done by snorkeling. The individuals
participating are all prepared to free dive, follow and chase any turtle species, if caught
the turtle is placed in the boat and the data collectors assigned will take down their
measurements such as the head width, carapace width and length with a caliper and a
measuring tape to measure over the curve measurements. Some other measurements
from the plastron, from the vent and the tip of the tail were also collected. Then they the
turtle is weighted and a tissue sample is taken from the back part of their left flippers and
two tags were placed on their front flippers on either side. Below is a graph to show the
captures and sightings of the different turtle species.
36

GRAPH 15: Shows the Amount of Turtle Species sighted and Type and the Amount
Captured during 2009 Surveys
The graph above shows that a total amount of seventy (70) turtles were observed on the
first survey conducted on the month of April, of which fifty seven (57) were Hawksbill
Turtles that were sighted and sixteen (16) of that amount was captured. It also shows that
ten (10) Green Turtles were sighted of which two (2) were captured and three (3)
Loggerhead Turtles were seen of which only one (1) was captured. For the survey
conducted on the month of November a total of eighty six (86) turtles were observed. Of
this amount seventy six (76) were Hawksbill Turtles, nine (9) were Green Turtles and one
(1) was an unknown species which was seen but couldn’t be able to identify due to the
visibility. The graph also shows that the amount of turtles captured was twenty six (26)
that were Hawksbill Turtles and Green Turtles and four (4) Hawksbill Turtles recaptured.
Conclusion
For this year’s turtle survey more turtles were sighted meanwhile a lesser amount was
studied compared to previous years of monitoring. It was still observed that the
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Hawksbill Turtles are still more in abundance in the area than the Green Turtles which
are rare in sightings. The Loggerheads which is the species that we have seen so far the
biggest have still remain the same and no other smaller sizes or juveniles have been
sighted in the surveys, however, none was sighted in the November surveys. We
continue to receive comments from individuals who use the area that they have been
seeing more turtles in their dives and also along patch reefs of the lagoon. Below are two
pictures showing a capture of a loggerhead turtle during the survey conducted in April.
38

4.6 Catch & Effort Data from Commercial Fisherman
Introduction
There were several commercial fishing vessels that visited the marine reserve this past
year. The only thing is the exact numbers are unclear. What is certain is that they visit
the area more than one time per month. For the year a total of Fifty (50) different fishing
vessels visited the area to conduct commercial fishing activities. Most of the fishing
vessels were either sailboats or small skiffs that either come from far up north from
Sarteneja Village or the village of Hopkins. Most of these vessels visited the reserve at
least twice per month some up to three times. The CPUE data was collected from most
of these commercial vessels with as much data as could’ve receive during the time span
being here.
CPUE data for the year was collected from all fishing vessels and is not cumulative for
their entire fishing trip. The fifty vessels were in GRMR for different periods of time for
this year and some stayed up to 3 to 7 days before delivering their products to either a
39

cooperative or sold them locally. These fishermen mostly spend an average of 6.5 hours
in the water all depending on the weather which at times got bad and no work was done.
Below is a graph showing the CPUE data for the different months of the year for 2009.
Graph 16: Illustrates CPUE Data on the Different Commercial Marine Species
Collected from Different Fishing Vessels for 2009
The graph above shows that for this year’s CPUE data, a total of 6,817 lbs of lobsters,
14,685 lbs of conch, 4,279 lbs of whole fish and 1,890 lbs of fish fillet data was collected
from these fishing vessels. The graph also shows that in the month of October more
conch production was extracted by fishermen, which was because of the opening of the
conch season. February and September was the month with the least amount of
extraction, with only one hundred (100) lbs of conch in February and with nineteen (19)
lbs of whole fish and one hundred (100) lbs of fish fillet.
40

Conclusion
This year’s data collection shows that more conch species were extracted throughout the
year across the month while for lobsters it continues to be the same. It always shows that
more extraction usually happens on the beginning of most of the seasons then start
declining after several weeks into the season. More fishing activities have also been
conducting this year at one particular site that have recently been discover and seems to
be a big bank with deeper fish and larger fish species.
4.7 Coral Bleaching Survey
Introduction
There were two coral bleaching surveys conducted this year. One was done in the month
of February 2009 from the 10 th to the 12 th and the other was conducted in October. The
individuals that participated in conducting the monitoring were Mr. Cantun and Mr.
Novelo both staff from the fisheries department at Glover’s.
The sites that these monitoring took place were two fore reef sites and two back reef sites,
of which three is located in the Conservation Zone and one in the General Use Zone. The
survey for February was conducted late due to fact that other survey was been conducted
at the same time and in October only two sites were monitored due to bad weather. The
sites which are the designated site where these monitoring were conducted ranged from a
depth of about 3 to 15ft.
Method
The methods use in this survey is the Bar Drop Method which has been discussed, and
also implemented minor changes to the original methodology that was used in the
October 2008 bleaching survey.
Since it was two individuals that conducted this survey, it states in the methodology that
more than one surveyor will then record the data they find at each given sites. Whereas at
each site 200 colonies are to be counted so if there are two surveyors then each would
count 100 colonies. After recording 50 colonies on the first transect you then swim 5
41

meters away and begin a new transect, counting 50 more colonies. Each site should
therefore have 4 “transects” of 50 colonies each if two persons are conducting the survey.
The methodology also states that only stony corals and fire corals are recorded, which
should only be greater than ten (cm). It is also important to record any form of diseases
sited only if time is available, but the recording of the 200 colonies is the main priority in
this survey per site. Recording the percentage of current mortality in corals is also
conducted, so as to have a proper procedure on the coral’s ability to recuperate from any
bleaching incident.
The February results show that three of our four sites had corals that were pale or partly
bleached. Most of the coral colonies were partly bleached and only site two had coral
colonies that were pale bleached. Site two was made up of mostly Past and Mann species
and these were the corals that were affected. Site three was made up of Aaga, Mann, Past
and Ppor and Mann and Ppor which were the coral species that were mostly affected.
Site four was made up of mostly Mann, Mcav, Past, and Ppor and Mcav, Ppor, Aaga
were the species that were affected. Below is a table reflecting the percentage of each
site that was affected.
DATA SUMMARY
Site #1 Site #2 Site #3 Site #4
% Affected 0.0% 0.5% 2.0% 3.5%
% Bleached 0.0% 0.0% 2.0% 3.5%
Total Species with Disease 0 0 0 0
% Disease Infestation 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Total Recent Mortality 0 0 0 0
% Recent Mortality 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
TABLE 3: Shows the Data Summary for all Four Sites Monitored in February 2009
42

PERCENT CORAL COLONIES
Percent Coral Colonies Site #1 Site #2 Site #3 Site #4
% Aaga colonies 26.0% 6.0% 23.5% 3.5%
% Acer colonies 1.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
% Aten colonies 0.5% 10.0% 0.0% 0.0%
% Cnat colonies 0.0% 7.0% 0.5% 1.5%
% Dlab colonies 0.5% 2.5% 1.0% 4.0%
% Dsto colonies 0.5% 5.0% 1.5% 0.0%
% Dstr colonies 2.5% 5.0% 0.5% 0.5%
% Malc colonies 1.5% 0.5% 0.0% 0.0%
% Mann species 19.0% 16.0% 28.0% 26.0%
% Mcav colonies 0.0% 3.0% 0.0% 10.0%
% Past colonies 17.0% 19.0% 18.0% 24.5%
% Ppor colonies 20.5% 6.5% 15.5% 21.5%
% Ssid colonies 0.0% 7.5% 0.5% 6.0%
TABLE 4: Shows the Colonies Affected in the Coral Bleaching Event in February
2009
PERCENT CORAL BLEACHING
Site # 1 Site # 2 Site # 3 Site # 4
% Pale (P) 0.0% 0.5% 0.0% 0.0%
% Part Bleached (PB) 0.0% 0.0% 2.0% 3.5%
% Whole Bleached (WH) 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
% Affected 0.0% 0.5% 2.0% 3.5%
% Bleached 0.0% 0.0% 2.0% 3.5%
TABLE 5: Shows the Percent Coral Bleaching in February 2009
In the October 2009 monitoring only Site 3 and Site 4 was monitored due to weather
conditions. This monitoring showed that there was a high percentage of Coral Bleaching
that occurred during this time as Site 3 had 9.5% of its area affected and Site 6 had 7.5%
of its area affected. The species affected at Site 3 included Aaga, Dlab, Mann, Mcav,
Past and Ppor for Site 3 and Aaga, Apal, Cnat, Dlab, Dstr, Mann, Mcav, Past, Ppor. For
both sites it seems that the species greatly affected were Aaga, Dlab, Mann, Past and Ppor.
Below is a table summarizing the data recorded for October 2009.
43

DATA SUMMARY
Site #3 Site #4
% Affected 9.5% 7.5%
% Bleached 3.0% 1.5%
Total Species with Disease 4 3
% Disease Infestation 2.0% 1.5%
Total Recent Mortality 54 46
% Recent Mortality 0.3% 0.2%
TABLE 6: Shows the Data Summary for the Two Sites Monitored in October 2009
PRECENT CORAL COLONIES
Percent Coral Colonies Site #1 Site #2
% Aaga colonies 29.0% 19.5%
% Apal colonies 0.0% 0.5%
% Cnat colonies 0.0% 7.5%
% Dlab colonies 1.5% 4.0%
% Dstr colonies 0.0% 3.5%
% Mann species 24.0% 26.0%
% Mcav colonies 2.0% 3.0%
% Past colonies 15.5% 20.0%
% Ppor colonies 28.0% 15.0%
TABLE 7: Shows the Colonies Affected in the Coral Bleaching Event in October
2009
PERCENT CORAL BLEACHING
Site # 3 Site # 4
% Pale (P) 6.5% 6.0%
% Part Bleached (PB) 3.0% 1.5%
% Whole Bleached (WH) 0.0% 0.0%
% Affected 9.5% 7.5%
% Bleached 3.0% 1.5%
TABLE 8: Shows the Percent Coral Bleaching in October 2009
4.8 Tourism Visitation
Introduction
Tourism visitation for this year 2009 amounted to one thousand three hundred seventy
one (1,371) daily visitors, one thousand four hundred thirty two (1,432) weekly visitors
and seventy five (75) fly fishermen. The month of March and April were the months that
show more daily visitations while in January, March and April more weekly visitors were
44

observed. The month with the least visitation was the month of October with only four
visitors that came for the day and the least amount of weekly visitors was observed in the
month of September. The majority of fly fishing activities were conducted in the months
of March and April as well. Below is a graph of the amount of daily and weekly
visitations and the amount of fly fishing activities for the entire year.
GRAPH 17: Illustrates the Amount of Tourism Visitation for the year 2009
The graph above shows that more daily visitation than weekly visitation occur at the
reserve for this entire year. It also shows that the majority of fly fishing activities were
observed in the month s of April and March. The graph also shows that october was the
month with the least visitation. Below is a chart showing the percentage of the visiation
for this year.
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Chart 18: Shows the Percentage of the Different Visitors at the Reserve for 2009
The percentage for the visitation to the marine reserve on the chart above illustrates that
17% percent of the visitation occur on in the month of April and the 1% was the least
observed in the month of October.
5.0 Staff
Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve currently has on staff Ms. Alicia Eck as Manager, Mr.
Elias Cantun as Reserve Biologist, Mr. Gilford Martinez and Mr. Luis Novelo as Park
Rangers. The GRMR has full staff up to date.
Mr. Cantun received 3 letters relating to his job behavior this year. He was issued these
letters as warnings to improve his behavior and job skills.
5.1 Staff Leave
� Ms Eck came back from her vacation leave on January 19 th , 2009.
� Mr. Cantun was on sick leave from April 11 th – 14 th , 2009.
� Mr. Cantun was on emergency leave in May 2009.
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� Mr. Martinez went on vacation leave from May 28 th – June 12 th , 2009
� Ms. Eck took vacation leave from October 26 th – November 5 th , 2009
� Mr. Novelo took vacation leave from November 6 th – 19 th , 2009
� Mr. Cantun took vacation leave from December 7 th – 22 nd , 2009
6.0 Training/ Meetings
Staff training should always be a priority for any reserve and it is no different in Glover’s
Reef. The staff especially the Biologist is constantly being trained since researchers visit
the GRMR on a regular basis. The Glover’s Reef staff has assisted the Fisheries
Department and other reserves in activities that are important for the successful
management of the fisheries industry and protected areas in Belize. These areas most
naturally require the technical know–how and experience to successfully manage them.
a.) Ms. Eck attended one meeting this past quarter. It was the Glover’s Reef
Advisory Committee (GRAC) meeting on March 19 th , 2009. It was held in
Dangriga and was a fruitful meeting.
b.) Ms. Eck went to one Turtle Working Group meeting on April 7 th in Belize City
where upcoming activities for the Turtle Expo was discussed.
c.) Ms. Eck attended a Management Effectiveness Meeting held in Belize City on
May 17 th , 2009 where a survey form was filled out for Zoe Walker who was the
consultant hired to assess the management effectiveness of the MPA’s in Belize.
d.) Another meeting attended by Ms. Eck was the GRAC meeting held in Belize City
on May 28 th , 2009. This meeting was chaired by Ms. Eck because Mr. Majil was
out of the country and Mr. Azueta had another meeting at this same time.
e.) Ms. Eck also attended a coral reef training held on GRMR by Tim McClanahan
from May 12 th -17 th , 2009. The training was interesting. Tim discussed his
survey methods to do reef and predation assessments for the patch reef in the
GRMR atoll. After discussions about previous data collected we went out and
helped Tim collect data for this year. The data collected was very detailed
especially the rigorousity data collected. I think however that for coral bleaching
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the method that we are currently using is best instead of the one that time
proposed as it is too subjective.
f.) From June 15 th – 20 th Ms. Eck attended a statistics analysis course in Belmopan
City given by Dr. Burton. The course was an intensive course which covered an
introduction to Statistics, Frequency distributions, Analysis of Distributions,
Hypothesis testing, Regression and correlation, T-tests and Analysis of variance.
The course was very compact however, everyone walked away learning some of
everything covered.
g.) On June 9 th , Ms. Eck and Mr. Novelo participated in a shark workshop held at
GRMR by WCS personnel. They learned about sharks and gave valuable input
into the discussions and learned the methods used for catching and tagging sharks.
h.) Ms. Eck attended a manager’s meeting on July 21 st , 2009 in Belize City. The
meeting was held to discuss upcoming trainings and new deadlines for monthly
reports which is on the 25 th of each month. We also discussed the revised and
new regulations that have been signed by the Fisheries minister, which we will
start to enforce on August 1 st , 2009. On September 7 th Ms. Eck attended another
meeting held with fishermen to discuss the spear-fishing regulations. As a result
of that meeting the spear-fishing regulations were put on hold.
i.) On September Ms. Eck along with Mr. Cantun and Mr. Novelo attended a general
staff meeting on July 30 th , 2009 in Belize City. The meeting was held to discuss
upcoming changes within the Fisheries Department and to listen to staff concerns.
j.) Ms. Eck attending a GRAC meeting held on September 3 rd . It was held in
Dangriga town.
k.) Mrs. Eck attended a meeting on October 15 th , 2009 in Belize City with Mr. Majil
and WCS staff. This meeting was held to discuss issues related to operations on
Middle Caye.
l.) Ms. Eck attended a Connectivity Workshop in Belize City from November 8 th -
12 th , 2009.
m.)Mr. Cantun attended a Remote Sensing Tools workshop in Belize City from
November 16 th - 18 th , 2009.
n.) On December 7 th , 2009 Ms. Eck attended a GRAC meeting in Belize City.
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7.0 Education/ Public Awareness
Recently conservation groups as well as government agencies have realized that
environmentally educating people is an integral part in their understanding of Marine
Reserves and the usage of these areas in a sustainable manner. The staff of Glover’s Reef
also has similar beliefs and we believe that education should go hand in hand with
enforcement.
Majority of the public awareness was done to tourist who visited the area about ongoing
research projects and to fishermen concerning the Fisheries Regulations. The resort
owners were also spoken to about keeping the park regulations. As the year progressed
and the Fisheries Department signed new laws on the staff of GRMR worked hard at
educating the fishermen with these new regulations. Some of the major laws that were
passed on the fishermen was the no killing of Parrotfish and some grazers, fish fillet
having a skin patch, Nassau Grouper size regulations and of recent the expiration date of
the fisherfolk license and special licenses for GRMR.
Ms. Eck assisted with a Turtle Expo held in Hopkins village on May 27 th , 2009. The
Turtle Expo was held at the Holy Family RC School and catered to the Standard 4, 5 and
6 students. The turtle expo was successful in getting across to the students the
importance of sea turtles and to inform them of some of the basic laws that govern sea
turtles. The live turtle was a hit as well with the children of the community.
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A cleanup campaign was conducted on the 24 of October along the reef crest behind the
research station from 6:00am in the morning to 8:30am. The team consisted of eight
individuals, the reserve staff and three other volunteers from the Chiquibul reserve. An
attempt to do this cleanup was done last month and the week before but the team that was
supposed to come out didn’t show up because of the weather. A total of 13 Bags of
garbage were collected and taken into Dangriga for disposal. Below are some pictures
showing the cleanup in process.
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8.0 Fuel Usage
The fuel gotten from the Fisheries Department is used for daily operations at the GRMR.
This included patrols, collection of park fees, monitoring and staff change over in
Dangriga. Almost all the fuel used by the reserve was gotten from the department except
a few gallons for turtle monitoring. Below is a table showing fuel usage for the year.
Time of the Year Amount of Fuel Used
January - March 766 gallons
April – June 878 gallons
July – September 795 gallons
October - December 1170 gallons
Total 3,609 gallons
9.0 Revenue
Below are the sums for ticket sales from January through to December, 2009. The total
amount of revenue collected for this year is $64,580.
Deposits Made 2009
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� January 2009: $9,160
� February 2009: $7,020
� March 2009: $10,210
� April 2009: $4,885
� May 2009: $8,940
� June 2009: $5,845
� July 2009: $3730
� August 2009: $2430
� September 2009: $970
� October 2009: $750
� November 2009: $730
� December 2009: $7,095
10.0 Equipment and Infrastructure
a.) GRMR 1 and 2 engines have been serviced this year but as we end the year one
engine on GRMR 1 needs servicing again and the engine for GRMR 2 needs to be
taken back to the reserve.
b.) The zinc and lumber to fix the field station’s Building. We have managed to fix
half the roof but now the verandah’s need fixing. Requisitions have been
submitted and we are waiting on the purchase orders.
c.) The solar system at GRMR has been installed.
d.) Marker Buoys on the southwestern part of the marine reserve have been replaced
but some have already disappeared. We suspect that someone is losing/ cutting
them off.
e.) The enforcement tower for fisheries has been completed and is in use by staff.
There needs to be one more addition of rails to the second floor which will be
done at a later date. The structure at the top has been painted by Mr. Martinez.
The rails will be painted by Mr. Novelo when they have been constructed.
11.0 Recommendations
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A.) A freezer is gotten for the reserve as soon as possible.
B.) The toilet for the Fisheries Building be built and the building is repaired so that
we don’t have another accident.
12.0 Conclusion
The staff at Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve is working hard towards continuing its input
into the fishery database and holding its status as a functional marine reserve. To achieve
this staff is working hard on acquiring the necessary training needed to conduct proper
surveys and to properly manage the reserve. The staff continues to work along with
stakeholders to sort out any issues that they have and to try and make the fee system work
as smoothly as possible.
The GRMR staff continues to work hard at carrying out activities of the implementation
plan and the constraints seem to be the manpower and the weather. Patrols continue to be
random but we patrol the entire atoll on a regular basis. The most common infraction
seems to be the possession of undersize conch both inside the shell and outside the shell.
We continue to be efficient by combining all our daily activities together especially to
incorporate the collecting of fees along with daily patrols. We will also continue with our
monitoring programs. I would like to extend thanks again to everyone who made this
year’s work plan possible.
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