Mexico - Diving for Marine Conservation

Come explore Pez Maya, home to a conservation site aimed at protecting the local coastal marine species and their coral reef homes, while also studying their populations. Participants will assist researchers in conserving a portion of the Mesoamerican Reef, which faces increased problems due to development in the nearby cities of Playa del Carmen and Cancun. Volunteers will help with long term goals to ensure the area will remain protected. Through education of the community and gaining specific knowledge on the functioning and elements of the ecosystem, participants will be better able to understand the biodiversity. The project will be split into two portions. Participants will be trained for the first three weeks on diving in order to obtain PADI certification for open water, study local specimen, and learn techniques for data collection. After this, volunteers will begin to directly assist with monitoring and researching including cleaning beaches, collecting information on coral and fish, helping with tasks such as chores and equipment prep, and reaching out to local people through education.