Gulf of Mexico Report Cards: An Evolution of the Yucatán Coastal Report Card

In 2017, Jane Hawkey and Heath Kelsey traveled to Mérida, Mexico to train scientists at Mexico’s National Coastal Resilience Laboratory (LANRESC) in the art and science of generating ecosystem health report cards. The first Yucatán Coastal Ecosystem Report Card was produced in 2018. Over the years, the effort has grown to include report cards for all of the Mexican Gulf states: Campeche, Yucatán, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, and Veracruz. Additionally, the report cards have followed a similar trajectory to ours here at IAN; they now include social and economic information with ecosystem health data. The project supports the Gulf of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem Strategic Action Programme (GoM SAP) and is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the UN Environment Programme. They are reporting impacts from the report cards that include the incorporation of key indicators into the state planning activities, nature-based solutions, restoration, and educational activities. IAN is proud to have helped this initiative get started almost 10 years ago!