Evaluación de los ecosistemas costeros y sus servicios en el litoral norte de Honduras: un enfoque integral

The northern coast of Honduras constitutes the southernmost extent of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second-largest reef system on the planet. Spanning four countries – Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras – Honduras has the smallest number of marine protected areas (only 2 zones) despite having the largest coastal area within the reef and the fewest conducted studies. These coastal zones are productive areas with significant ecological diversity, playing a crucial role in Honduras’ economy, primarily driven by the fishing industry, oil palm plantations, and tourism. Furthermore, the blue carbon stored in Honduras’ coastal habitats (seagrasses, mangroves, and wetlands) has a global benefit in climate regulation, presently underestimated. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the functioning and biodiversity of these coastal areas, their ecosystem services, and the anthropogenic impacts affecting them. The overall objective is to establish an environmental baseline for coastal ecosystems on the northern coast of Honduras using the SEEA Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA) framework. This will be achieved through the following specific objectives: (1) Integration of ecosystem extent accounts into the sustainable development of Honduras’ northern coast; (2) Identification and evaluation of state and condition variables of the coastal ecosystem on Honduras’ northern coast; (3) Assessment of ecosystem services, vulnerability to anthropogenic pressures, and implications for coastal zone environmental management; (4) Capacity building for the local community and government agencies.