It’smiddayoffthecoastofCancún,Mexico.You’reonaboatgettingreadyforareefdive.Youcheckyourgearonelasttime,thentipbackwardofftheboatintotheclear,cool water.


Asyouswimdown,youstarttoseesomething—somethingneartheseabed.Youcontinueyourdescenttonearly10 meters(32feet).Andthere,youcomeface-to-facewith… anotherface.Notanotherdiver,butafacemadeofstone!It ispartofastatue,anditiscoveredinclumpsofalgaeandcrustybitsof coral. 


Thisisnottheonlystatueyousee.Therearemanyhere,allcoveredinandsurroundedbysealife.What’sgoingon here?


YoudoveintothemiddleofMUSA,a500‑sculptureunderwatermuseum.Thisplaceisanartificialreef.ItwascreatedtoprotectsomeofMexico’snaturalreefs,whichhavebeendamagedbystorms,boatanchors,and tourism. 

Bigeyesliketheselivenearcoral reefs.

TheValueofReefs

Ouroceanscover71percentofEarth’ssurfaceandhold97percentoftheplanet’swater.Nomatterwherewelive,werelyonouroceansfortheairwebreathe.Oceanplantsproducehalfoftheworld’soxygen,andoceanwatersabsorbalmostone-thirdofhuman-causedcarbondioxideemissions.TheoceansalsoregulatetheweatherandplayaroleinEarth’swater cycle.

Coralreefsareoftencalledtherainforestsoftheocean.TheyarethelargestlivingstructuresonEarthandplayakeyroleinkeepingouroceanshealthy.Reefsalsoprotectshorelinesfromstormsurgesandhigh tides.


Reefsprovidefood,shelter,protection,andspawningareasforthousandsofspeciesoffishandothermarineorganisms.Reefsarestudyareasforscientists,suchasthosewhostudyclimatechange.Reefsmayholdthekeytonewtypesofmedicine,too.Compoundstakenfromcoralreefspecieshavealreadybeenusedtotreatmanyinfectionsanddiseases.Andmillionsofpeopleworldwidecountoncoralreefseverydaytoprovidesomefoodorincomefrom fishing.

ThisnaturalreefintheRedSeaisfullofmarine life. 

ReefsinTrouble

Unfortunately,increasedhumanpressuresareputtingatremendousstrainonthehealthofouroceansandreefsystems.Threatsincludefishingmethodsthatdamagereefs,carelesstourism,pollution,andclimate change.


HereinCancún,Mexico,thetourismindustrywasbringingmorethan400,000 peopletothenaturalreefseveryyear.Manyofthemwerebeginningdiverswhotypicallycausedmoredamagetothereefsthanexperienced divers.

Thisreefwasdamagedbypeopleblastfishingwith dynamite.

Mexico’sNationalMarineParkcreatedtheunderwatermuseum,MUSA,inanattempttodrawpeopleawayfromnaturalreefsandtowardartificialonesinstead.It’sworking.FortypercentofthepeoplewhowouldhavevisitedthenaturalreefsnowvisitMUSA,including95percentofthebeginners.That’salotlesswearandtearonnaturalreefs.Whennaturalreefsareintrouble,therearethingswecan do!