Tulum Reef Mapping Project
zerobar.org's international partnership with long time friends at the Abyss Diver Center and Training Facility in Playa del Carmen and Tulum, Mexico supports an ongoing reef mapping project called North 22. We hope to ensure this stretch of the Mesoamerican Reef is both protected and respected by local communities and dive operators alike.
This repeating week-long program will prove to be both a test of your dive knowledge and ability -- and incredibly fun. You will add to your skills, marine knowledge, and dive expertise simply by taking a vacation. 2 specialty certifications are included.
The North 22 Project was a dream of David Tomlinson, founder of the Abyss. Very little documentation has been made of the reef system off the coast of the city of Tulum, even though it is part of the Mesoamerican reef, the second largest Barrier Reef in world. The Abyss Dive Center's intent is to build a detailed map of the area while documenting general distribution of the individual coral types and sea life. With the project continuing indefinitely, zerobar.org will expand the scope to research, and allow scientists the tools they need to document and understand habitats in the area for long term protection. Interested dive travelers will be able to assist in all phases on the project.
Due to the lack of information about this area, it is unknown what our reef mapping teams will uncover and discover, giving this project an exciting, exploratory feel. zerobar.org members' assistance with our exploration and map definition will enable us to share the wonders of the area with other interested divers, help scientists collect data for research proposals, and keep a database to highlight the coral and sea life specific to the Tulum area.
The following is a list of the Abyss Dive Center and zerobar.org's goals and objectives for your consideration on joining our team for this ground-breaking project. All you have to do is be interested and come on a fun trip to Tulum! You get to contribute to marine conservation on the same dive vacation you were going to take anyway! Your information is as important to us as your decision to join our expedition. Please take the time to fill in all the information on the booking form provided when you request space with zerobar.org so that we can be sure to meet your expectations within the framework of this project.
Project Goals
• To survey and map the area of the Mesoamerican barrier reef between Oscar and Lalo and the entrance to the Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve
• To document the findings of the mapping exercise and sea life
• To enhance the the skills of divers who participate in the project
• To build a community of divers who enjoy similar diving activities and marine ecology
• To recruit scientists interested in a long-term project study of animal behaviors in the area
• To submit findings for possible protection
Tulum Reef Mapping Course Costs $1500.00
Included in Project Costs:
1. 7 nights accommodation
2. Daily Lunch
3. Scuba equipment/Tanks
4. 2 Specialties (Choose: Nitrox, Navigation, Underwater Naturalist, Coral Reef Conservation)
5. Airport Transfer
6. Any related diving for exploration
For more info:
Please visit the Mexico page in the Destination section, or the EcoProfile section for the The Abyss.
zerobar.org members can receive full consultation on dive travel to the Yucatan and book the full trip offerings from The Abyss in Playa del Carmen or Tulum, and also the Cenote Dive Center in Tulum for cave and cavern dive trips. Please contact zerobar.org for more info.