United for the Reefs: Our Participation in the XIII Mexican and IV Pan-American Coral Reef Congresses
From October 13 to 17, 2025, the Healthy Reefs for Healthy People (HRHP) team actively participated in the XIII Mexican Coral Reef Congress (CMAC) and the IV Pan-American Coral Reef Congress (CPAC), held at the Cozumel campus of the Autonomous University of the State of Quintana Roo (UQROO). Organized by the Mexican Coral Reef Society (SOMAC), this event brought together specialists, students, authorities, environmental organizations, and local communities around a shared goal: strengthening science, cooperation, and collective action to conserve coral reefs.
Since its creation, SOMAC has promoted the exchange of knowledge and interdisciplinary collaboration in Mexico and across the region. This edition reaffirmed its role as an essential meeting point for those who study, manage, and defend reef ecosystems. Over five days, Cozumel became a vibrant space for scientific and technical dialogue, addressing the major challenges posed by climate change, including sessions on coral bleaching and discussions on opportunities for reef restoration and sustainable management.
For HRHP, this participation meant much more than institutional representation. It was an opportunity to share progress, consolidate partnerships, and reaffirm our commitment to collaborative, evidence-based conservation. More than ten scientific presentations cited or used information, methodologies, and indicators developed by our organization—demonstrating the reach of the Reef Health Index and the Mesoamerican Reef Health Reports (SAM) as key regional reference tools. In addition, HRHP team members co-authored several scientific presentations, leading two of them, reflecting the strength of our alliances with universities, NGOs, and conservation agencies.
Our Mexico Coordinator, Mélina Soto, had an outstanding role both in outreach and technical sessions. Before the congress began, she gave a public talk at the Cozumel Planetarium, presenting an updated overview of the SAM’s health and the collaborative actions promoted by HRHP and its partners. During the event, she delivered the lecture “20 Years of Science-Based Collaborative Actions to Restore Favorable Conditions in the SAM,” where she shared lessons learned from long-term monitoring and presented MAR+Invest, a blended finance model that aims to strengthen sustainable investments in marine conservation. She also participated in the national meeting to develop the Coral Reef Conservation and Restoration Program, contributing HRHP’s technical expertise and data to help inform more effective public policies.
Meanwhile, Israel Muñiz, HRHP’s Science Officer, presented preliminary results from the BleachWatch project—an initiative supported by MARFund’s Reef Rescue Initiative (RRI) and regional partners, designed to strengthen monitoring and early response to coral bleaching events. His presentation shared recent observations on bleaching patterns in the Mesoamerican Reef and encouraged discussion on strategies to improve cross-border cooperation in response to these events. He also served as moderator and scientific evaluator, further enhancing technical exchange among regional experts.
We are especially proud that two young collaborators linked to HRHP were recognized during the congress. Andrea Melina Fonseca Tovar, a master’s student at CINVESTAV, was honored for her research on the role of herbivorous fish in the Mesoamerican Reef System, while Bárbara Velázquez Rivera, a student at UABCS, received recognition for her study on the contribution of reef fish to ecosystem services in the Cozumel Reefs National Park. These achievements reflect HRHP’s positive impact on mentoring and supporting new generations of scientists committed to conservation.
Our participation in the XIII CMAC and IV CPAC reaffirmed the importance of working through evidence, collaboration, and transparency. Each presentation, talk, and meeting was an opportunity to share lessons, inspire new partnerships, and build joint solutions for reef health.
At HRHP, we firmly believe that science gains true meaning when it translates into collective action. The results and connections that emerged from this congress strengthen our commitment to continue generating useful, science-based knowledge—driving reef conservation and promoting public policies that ensure their long-term protection.
