It begins near Isla Contoy on the northern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula and continues south alongside the Riviera Maya including areas like Cozumel and Banco Chinchorro.

[4] Some northern areas of the reef system near Isla Contoy are home to the largest fish on the planet, the whale shark[4] These normally solitary animals congregate in social groups to feed and mate.

[5][1] Over the past 50 years, this ecosystem has faced numerous threats, including hurricanes, rising surface water temperatures, ocean acidification, pollution, overfishing, invasive species such as lionfish and disease outbreaks of corals and urchins.

Ocean acidification, another consequence of climate change, decreases the availability of carbonate ions that corals need to build their skeletons, weakening reef structures over time.

Combined with sedimentation and nutrient runoff, coral species like Siderastrea siderea and Pseudodiploria strigosa have shown reduced growth rates and resilience due to these stressors [12].

Multiple conservation initiatives are actively working to protect and restore the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System in response to these threats.

Sustainable tourism, such as marine conservation tours, and public awareness campaigns to reduce human impacts on the reef [18][7][11].