The Coral Reef is suffering because of the limited iron availability – Puerto Morelos

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It is widely held that coral bleaching occurs when temperatures and solar radiation are high, overwhelming antioxidant defenses in the algal endosymbionts and their coral hosts. Little understood are the biological mechanisms underlying such destabilization under stressful conditions.

An international research team led by marine biologist Malcolm Shick and chemical oceanographer Mark Wells of the University of Maine School of Marine Sciences studied the symbiotic coral Stylophora pistillata from the Great Barrier Reef to fathom the role of iron limitation on coral bleaching. Iron and other trace metals are essential for photosynthesis, antioxidant defenses and other metabolic processes.

Their study is the first to demonstrate that limited iron availability exacerbated the high-temperature stress in S. pistillataby decreasing its photosynthetic efficiency and antioxidant defenses.

The implication is that the degree of coral stress in natural environments under high light and temperature may be modulated by trace-metal nutrition.

The findings of the research team, which included scientists from the University of Western Ontario and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, were published in the journal Limnology and Oceanography.

Provided by University of Maine

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Puerto Morelos, a little jewel in the middle of the Caribbean.

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A Little information about Puerto Morelos

Puerto Morelos is a town in Quintana Roo on the Yucatan Peninsula, about 20km south of Cancun. It is both a fishing village and a resort and diving/snorkeling destination. It is located roughly halfway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen on the Caribbean coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.

Puerto Morelos town hosts snorkeling and sport fishing boats while yachts dock in a man-made harbor just south of town. The village Puerto Morelos used to be the embarkation point for the car ferry to Cozumel, but that now leaves from Calica, a major port south of Playa del Carmen.

Puerto Morelos is the ideal location for those who want a quiet beach vacation away from the glitz, but with ample tourist amenities. The Puerto Morelos downtown has just two principal streets and you can walk from one end to the other in about 15 minutes.

 You can get by with English in Puerto Morelos, but Spanish is not superfluous. Most places accept US dollars and some accept Credit Cards. Almost all prices are quoted in Mexican pesos and it is generally cheaper to pay in pesos, than in US dollars.

 The Puerto Morelos reef just off shore is part of the Great Mesoamerican Reef, the second largest reef system in the world and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. In 1998 the reef in front of Puerto Morelos became a protected National Marine Park, actually called “Puerto Morelos National Marine Park”; preserving its rich biodiversity and making this area one of the best preserved of the Great Mesoamerican Reef. Buildings in Puerto Morelos are limited to three stories by local bylaws, to preserve the village type of character.

Nowadays Weddings on the Beach in Puerto Morelos are very popular, because its a great place with lots of nature and an incredible view to the Caribbean Sea where you can hold small Weddings to the biggest one.

There are two parts to Puerto Morelos, the former fishing village on the coast, now Hotels, Condominiums, Restaurants and Tourist shops, and the second part about 2 Km. inland and adjacent to Highway 307, on the western side, called La Colonia de Puerto Morelos by locals. The inland portion is mainly single level dwellings for the local workers.

Random fact of Puerto Morelos.

The Original Lighthouse at Puerto Morelos In 1967 the structure was tilted over in Hurricane Beulah. It has since survived Hurricanes Gilbert in 1987 and Wilma in 2005 that’s been the last to hit Puerto Morelos, but has not been knocked down.

The new Puerto Morelos light house replacing this one is visible in the background.

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Why Snorkeling is so great in Puerto Morelos

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Why is Snorkeling so Fun and fresh?

Snorkeling is fantastic fun for all; as long as you can swim, people of all ages can snorkel and enjoy the wonders of the underwater world. Snorkeling is where you swim on or through the water whilst being equipped with a snorkel and mask. Using a snorkel and mask allow the swimmer to swim underwater and enjoy observing the sea life for an extended amount of time because the snorkel allows the swimmer to breath normally via the breathing tube.

To use the snorkel you put on the eye mask as if you would put on goggles, ensuring the snorkel tube passes just above the left ear, and insert the mouth piece in your mouth. Bite down on the mouthpiece and submerge your head in the water. To make sure no water was left in the snorkel tube exhale sharply to clear any water, this process is called purging.

When using a snorkel breathe normally and swim with caution, because the rapid movement usually fills the tube with water. All snorkel will have a valve by the mouth piece, which eliminates all the water and prevents access to water, however remember the tube must be above water when swimming to prevent water coming in from the top.

There are many benefits to snorkeling. Snorkeling is easy to learn and does not require extensive training, like diving and it doesn’t require using a large amount of equipment while swimming. This is especially great for kids because there is no age limit to snorkel, the only requirement is knowing how to swim.

You are restricted in the depths of water you can explore while snorkeling, however particularly in tropical climates there is still much to be seen just below the surface. There are many shallow reefs from a few meters below sea level, which is an ideal place for snorkeling, as you can see a great variety of corals, sea animals, plants and other organisms.

There is also the opportunity to night snorkel, using an underwater flash light you can get a glimpse of the nocturnal sea life, moray eels, shrimps, squid and lobsters for example are a lot more active at night . The coral itself also looks a lot different at night, if you enjoy snorkeling during the day it is worth checking out the night life underwater too, it is a great experience

As the article states snorkeling can be a joy for all, if you fancy splashing out then I recommending making snorkeling part of a vacation, Snorkeling can be fantastic abroad with great scenery and different sea life. I recommend Puerto Morelos for a great location for snorkeling.

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Info from: Narticle

Whale Shark in The Mexico’s Caribbean

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Something else you can do while staying at our Cabanas.

As the largest fish in the sea, reaching lengths of 40 feet (12 meters) or more, whale sharks have an enormous menu from which to choose. Fortunately for most sea-dwellers—and us!—their favorite meal is plankton. They scoop these tiny plants and animals up, along with any small fish that happen to be around, with their colossal gaping mouths while swimming close to the water’s surface.

The whale shark, like the world’s second largest fish, the basking shark, is a filter feeder. In order to eat, the beast juts out its formidably sized jaws and passively filters everything in its path.  The mechanism is theorized to be a technique called “cross-flow filtration,” similar to some bony fish and baleen whales.

The whale shark’s flattened head sports a blunt snout above its mouth with short barbells protruding from its nostrils. Its back and sides are gray to brown with white spots among pale vertical and horizontal stripes, and its belly is white. Its two dorsal fins are set rearward on its body, which ends in a large dual-lobbed caudal fin (or tail).

Preferring warm waters, whale sharks populate all tropical seas. They are known to migrate every spring to the continental shelf of the central west coast of Australia. The coral spawning of the area’s Ningaloo Reef provides the whale shark with an abundant supply of plankton.

Although massive, whale sharks are docile fish and sometimes allow swimmers to hitch a ride. They are currently listed as a vulnerable species; however, they continue to be hunted in parts of Asia, such as the Philippines.

Are you coming down to Mexico and want a great place to stay and to this tour? Contact Us

Taken from National Geographic

¿What is a Cabana or Cabaña?

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A cabana is a small, tent-like structure designed to offer shade. It is typically used at a beach or alongside a pool. In addition to providing shade, cabanas are often used as dressing rooms. Some cabanas are even used as rooms for cooking meals to be consumed near the water. A cabana can be either temporary or permanent but is almost always freestanding.

In tropical climates, cabanas are typically small huts. These shade structuresare usually built with thatched roofs. However, when designed for use near pools or in popular beach-vacation spots, they often have frames made of wood, aluminium or steel. Sometimes, they are even constructed of man-made materials, like plastic. The type of material used is greatly influenced by the cabana’s intended use and the budget of the buyer/user.

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Well, in my personal opinion, a cabana is a hut made of grass, and depending if you put walls or not to them, you can consider them rooms to sleep in, which is really comfortable, as long as you have mosquito nets! Mayan people say that sleeping in a cabana is really comforting because the cosmic rays get through the grass really easily and recharge you full of energy!

Why don’t you try it your self! Visit our Cabanas

Bodas en la Playa, Arroz o pétalos de flores?

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bodas en la playa¿Arroz o pétalos de flores?

El arroz según la costumbre oriental, es símbolo de la abundancia, de la riqueza que le espera a la nueva pareja.Aventar arroz a la salida de la ceremonia religiosa, si bien es una arraigada costumbre en México, poco a poco ha ido cediendo ante la moda de aventar pétalos de flores, -básicamente rosas-. Esto se debe por un lado, a que muchas personas preocupadas por la crísis alimenticia, piensan que podría ser un desperdicio echar arroz a una pareja, y que sea pisado por los asistentes y al no recojerlo, además se vuelve un tanto riesgoso al momento de caminar.

Y el aroma de las flores, como que evoca al romanticísmo que en ese instante tan único e irrepetible, está disfrutándo la pareja de recién casados.

Queda a la libre elección de cada pareja o de quien le ayuda a preparar su boda. Lo que si es de mal gusto y poco elegante, es efectuar ambas costumbres. ¿Usted ya pensó cúal le agradaría mas?

Visite nuestra página de bodas!

Por qué las aguas de nuestro Caribe son color azul Turquesa?

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Para aquellos que les gustan las explicaciones detalladas:

Las intensas gamas de azul del mar Caribe están relacionadas con su limpieza, su profundidad y con las leyes físicas que obedece la luz. Las moléculas del agua absorben de manera selectiva las distintas longitudes de onda del espectro visible. Las ondas de frecuencias cercanas al rojo son absorbidas rápidamente, por eso el agua tiene tonos azulados, complementarios de los rojizos. Las frecuencias azules pueden viajar muchos metros a través de las aguas claras y profundas del Caribe y su dispersión produce el efecto turquesa. Las partículas orgánicas en suspensión también influyen en el colorido, ya que dispersan la luz azul.
Pero el magnetizante turquesa no es exclusivo del Caribe. Otras regiones del mundo disfrutan de mares teñidos del mismo color, pero lo que ocurre es que no han sido tan explotadas publicitariamente como los caribeños.

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Snorkeling Puerto Morelos

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snorkeling-the-reef-puerto-morelos

Coral reef protection is a process of maintaining a healthy coral reef. Coral reefs are fragile environments that are very vulnerable to damage from boat anchors or accidental groundings. Boaters can protect coral by dropping their anchors on sandy patches of sea bed. Accidental groundings by boats can obliterate large areas of coral reef. Lettuce corals and branching corals such as elkhorn and finger coral are extremely fragile, but even massive boulder corals can be crushed or snapped off and turned upside down to die by a sailboat keel. Groundings in sand, or even the churning action of propellers, can cause major localized siltation, indirectly killing adjacent corals.

There are two types of stresses associated with reef systems: natural and human-induced. The effects of these stresses can range from negligible to catastrophic. However, reefs are not well adapted to survive exposure to long-term stress. Some examples include agricultural and industrial runoff, increased sedimentation from land clearing, human sewage and toxic discharges.

Thats why we ask you to be very responsable when snorkeling in our tours, we need to protect the reef so it can be there for future generations!

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