February 18-24, 2014
www.theplayatimes.com Weekly, Year 01, Number 21, 10,000 Copies,16 Pages
RISING FOR JUSTICE
act as nurseries for reef fish which will help to replenish depleted fish stocks. Divers are being offered a unique chance to be part of this project through the ‘Science Diver’ program; an eco-vacation where divers are an integral part of the Expedition Akumal project. Participant divers will run tests for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels, monitor water temperatures and use under-
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DISCOVER MEXICO
Expedition Akumal aims to revive and restore local reefs via coral fragmentation, also known as coral farming, or aquaculture. The project began by identifying strains of the more resilient reef building corals, primarily staghorn and elkhorn varieties, and cultivating them in a protected environment. These coral buds will then be transplanted to the reef, which will not only provide new coral growth, but
More than 5,000 people took part in the “1 Billion Rising for Justice” rally raising awareness on violence against women.
water GPS technology to locate and map healthy, diseased or dying coral in the bay. The first trial group made 22 scientific data gathering dives in 14 days. Project coordinator Jeremy Moore said he was “very excited about the project”. All divers are welcome to participate, although as the project involves working with threatened coral species in a fragile reef environment, Advanced Open Water Divers with a Peak Performance Buoyancy certification are preferred. Local divers who would like to take part are welcome to volunteer. For more information on volunteering with the project contact Jeremy Moore via the project’s Facebook page Expedition Akumal or view the project blog at protectakumalmarinelife.blogspot.com.
KNOW YOUR CHILIES Did you know that there are over 150 indigenous chiles in Mexico? Learn about the most popular varieties. PAGE 12
DINING OUT
ell-known Akumal Bay, a popular destination for tourists wanting to see the resident turtle population, is under threat by the increasing volume of visitors, uncontrolled algae growth and pollution. Algae are chocking the delicate corals, and recent water tests showed ammonia levels off the charts. Akumal reef is a part of the Mesoamerican barrier reef that stretches 1,000 miles from Cancun to Honduras. The Hotel Akumal Caribe, Akumal Centre of Ecology (CEA), and Akumal Dive Center are now working together as the Expedition Akumal Coral Project to help preserve this section of the Rivera Maya reef.
Photo: Centro Ecológico Akumal
BY BETSY AMY-VOGT
COMMUNITY
NEW PROJECT AIMS TO RESTORE LOCAL REEFS W
Photo: Agency
Photo: Agency
CHEF OF THE WEEK Chef Moti Doron talks about his organic wholefood vegetarian and vegan culinary creations at BIO-Natural. PAGE 9