-07.png)
RESEARCH & MONITORING
Our objetive at BICA Roatan is to establish strategic alliances with universities, organizations, programs and projects focused on scientific and applied research; that allow implementing adaptive integral monitoring systems that strengthen the effective management of the island’s coastal marine resources.
PROJECTS
Water Quality Monitoring
Pollution and contamination can have severe consequences for marine life, including detrimental effects on biodiversity, ecosystem balance, and human health. To address these issues, we have established a marine water quality monitoring program to assess the state of our marine environments and take necessary actions for their protection and conservation.
ocean acidification
Ocean acidification is a pressing issue affecting the health and stability of marine ecosystems worldwide. It is primarily driven by the increasing levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, which is absorbed by the ocean and leads to a decrease in seawater pH. To address the challenges posed by ocean acidification, we have initiated an ocean acidification monitoring program aimed at understanding its impacts and informing mitigation and adaptation strategies.
sctld
Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) poses a significant threat to coral reef ecosystems, which are vital for marine biodiversity, fisheries, coastal protection and the tourism industry. Monitoring the disease allows us to understand its prevalence, transmission patterns, and impacts on different coral species
FISH LARVAE MONITORING
Reef fishes are one of the major functional groups of reef ecosystems, contributing to maintaining the stability and resilience of these ecosystems.
Virtually all of the thousands of tropical reef fish species have a larval stage that spends weeks to months in the open ocean before returning to the reef to settle. This transition from pelagic larvae to settled juveniles is a very important time for the fishes that make up the reef.
cORAL rESTORATION
Due to significant losses of coral reefs caused by various factors such as diseases, predation, and the impact of natural disasters like hurricanes and tropical storms, the reefs in the PNMIB face numerous challenges in recovery. Since 2018, the coral restoration project has been underway. The team has installed a coral nursery in situ in the Sandy Bay – West End Marine Protected Area (ZPEM-SBWE).
JOIN OUR
CITIZEN SCIENCE EFFORTS
MICROPLASTIC
Since 2019 we have been collecting the digestive systems of beached animals in Roatan to evaluate the presence of microplastics in their stomachs and their diet.
Drift cards
The objective of this study is to know the dynamics that marine litter could have under different environmental conditions on the island of Roatán, Utila Island, Guanaja Island, Ulúa River, Chamelecon River and Motagua River (in Guatemala).
cocodrile sightings
Crocodiles, like all our species, are very important in our ecosystems. They are currently classified as a vulnerable species on the red list of threatened species. Please help us by reporting crocodile sightings.
Ways to Give
Join us in protecting the stunning marine and coastal biodiversity of the Bay Islands in Honduras by supporting our conservation efforts and safeguarding the future of our oceans for generations to come.
Founded in 1990 by concerned citizens, the Bay Islands Conservation Association (BICA) is a grassroots organization dedicated to safeguarding the future well-being of the Bay Islands, Honduras. It is a private, non-profit entity coordinating and initiating efforts to protect the islands' delicate natural resources. To effectively carry out its operations, BICA has established three strategically located chapters on each island—Utila, Roatan, and Guanaja. Additionally, it has recently expanded to Tampa, FL, where it has obtained official 501c3 status to facilitate donations from interested individuals and groups.
With over 30 years of experience, BICA has successfully implemented various programs and projects in the Bay Islands, focusing on environmental education, community development, protection, and research & monitoring. Since 1994, BICA has entered into a co-management agreement with the Institute of Forestry Conservation and Wildlife (ICF) to jointly manage the marine and terrestrial protected areas in the Bay Islands of Honduras.
