Now anyone who sees a whale shark, a giant manta ray, or a sea turtle in the Caribbean can help protect them using their cell phone. The international organization Mar Alliance (dedicated to protecting large and vulnerable marine species) launched Marap, a new app that allows users to record sightings of giant marine animals in Quintana Roo and other areas of the Caribbean.
The tool functions as a large, living map of the ocean. Whenever a fisherman, diver, or tour operator sees an important marine species, they can record it in the app and send the exact location thanks to the GPS system. With this information, scientists can learn where they live, where they move, and which areas need the most protection.
Quintana Roo is home to some of the most important sites in the world for these species. Places like Isla Contoy, the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, and the coasts of Holbox and Playa del Carmen are temporary habitats for whale sharks, bull sharks, giant manta rays, and sea turtles. During peak season alone, between July and August, more than 400 whale sharks have been observed feeding simultaneously in the waters of the Mexican Caribbean.
The app will also be used to report problems at sea, record fishing logs, and organize community activities focused on ocean conservation. According to biologist Cecilia Gutiérrez Navarro, a member of Mar Alliance, the goal is for coastal communities themselves to directly help protect marine life through what is known as “citizen science.”
Researchers explained that these reports will make it easier to track vulnerable species such as hammerhead sharks, silky sharks, giant manta rays, and turtles, as well as evaluate whether protected natural areas are truly effective in conserving the Caribbean’s biodiversity.
Experts consider Quintana Roo to have become one of the most important marine biological corridors in Latin America, due to the large number of giant species that pass through its waters each year, which also strengthens tourism activities such as diving and responsible marine wildlife viewing.
Source: quintanaroo.quadratin
