Header Veracruz
Laboratorio Nacional de Resiliencia Costera GEF PAE-GEM
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REPORT CARD

Coastal-Marine Zone

Veracruz 2025

Veracruz Coast by the NUMBERS

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Coastal-Marine Zone Veracruz Imagen 2
Photo: Susana Rocha
Coastal-Marine Zone Veracruz Imagen 2
Photo: Susana Rocha

Importance of the Veracruz Coastal-Marine Zone

Veracruz has 745 km of coastline and ranks third nationally in biodiversity, thanks to its marine-coastal ecosystems, forests, and tropical forests. It has more than 30 federal and state Natural Protected Areas (ANPs, using the Spanish acronym), as well as wetlands of international importance. The state receives one third of the country's freshwater, and its economy is based on tourism, agriculture, livestock, hydrocarbon extraction, and small-scale fisheries. Although it is vulnerable to meteorological hazards, erosion, and human-driven pressures, Veracruz also stands out for its cultural and historical diversity, shaped by 16 Indigenous peoples, several Afro-Mexican communities, and the first port built in Mexico.

Implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the Gulf of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem (PAE GdM)

This initiative brings together Mexico, through the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), and the United States, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to protect and restore shared marine and coastal resources. Through actions that reduce pollution, overfishing, and ecosystem degradation, this effort improves water quality, promotes sustainable fisheries, and conserves coastal habitats. The project is implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), through the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Coastal-Marine Zone Veracruz

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INDICATORS

Coastal-Marine Zone
Veracruz

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STORIES FROM THE COAST

Sisal
Photo: Susana Rocha

Where life grows, awareness blooms

Veracruz coastal zone

On the coast of Veracruz, a group of ejido members who had raised cattle for decades on drained wetland lands stopped their work. Cracked ground, dry channels, and the absence of birds revealed severe environmental degradation. They realized that what they had considered progress was harming the environment. In response, they left livestock ranching behind and chose mangrove restoration, supported by environmental education processes and by specialists who promoted new practices. Thanks to this initiative, mangroves have recovered their protective and environmental regulation functions, water flow has been restored, and wildlife has returned. The community has also recognized a new relationship with nature, based on care and conservation, showing that change is possible when there is will and collective action.

Coastal-Marine Zone Veracruz

Photo: Susana Rocha

COASTAL-MARINE ZONE
VERACRUZ

THROUGH TIME

Environmental events
Climate events
Socioeconomic events
Regulations
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EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED: people and nature


The social-ecological system (SES) corresponds to the coastal-marine study area. It is made up of continuous interactions among three interdependent zones: the continental zone, the coastal zone, and the marine zone. These areas do not function in isolation. The 'Everything is connected' diagram shows the environmental, social, economic, and cultural interactions that occur among them, integrating natural processes and human activities within a single system.

Everything is connected
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RECOMMENDATIONS

Establish a coastal monitoring network based on standardized data collection on water quantity and quality, while including the participation of different water users.
Develop scientific research and community monitoring to identify key species, promoting early conservation actions and restoration of priority populations.
Create strategies for protecting, restoring, and conserving terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in order to maintain their functioning and ecosystem services.
Establish sustainable strategies and community participation mechanisms that integrate traditional knowledge and practices to support conservation and restoration of the social-ecological system.
Strengthen authorization, regulation, and inspection mechanisms for industries that affect coastal ecosystems, and implement sanctions when rules are not followed.
Move toward integrated coastal management that recognizes the connectivity and interactions that define social-ecological systems.
Develop an inventory of losses caused by hydrometeorological events in coastal social-ecological systems and design a strategy adapted to the local context.

PARTICIPANTS

Participantes - Veracruz
Participants ▼

Salazar, D., Arrecife Valiente; Cruz Mayorga, E.D., Espinosa Rivera, A., Fernández Bravo, J.L., Padrón Valdéz, C., ASIPONA; Alfonso, M.R., Blanco Claudio, I., Pereira Lagunes, B., Barra de Chachalacas; Aldana Ríos, J.L., Ortiz Sanabia, M., CAEV; De la Cruz, M., Herrera, M.C., Sampayo, C., Campamento Tortuguero Chaparrales; Arias Lázaro, Z., Echevarría Fiscal, J., Reyes, A., Temich Quiros, F.C., Torres Ortega, E., Campamento Tortuguero La Barra; Alvarado Bustos, R., Reyes Fentanes, E., CFE; Tamez Miranda, H.M., CNH; Delfín Avendaño, C., Domínguez Delfín, M.D., Sánchez Medina, D., Coalición de Pescadores y Transportistas; Molinero Hernández, S., Vega Vela, S., COFEPRIS; Colegio BIOCautiverio, Colegio BIOCautiverio; Barradas Gerón, M.A., León Estrada, X.A., López Rosas, H., Medellín Castillo, N.E., Ortiz Pucheta, A.E., Vidal Álvarez, M., Zitácuaro Contreras , I., COLVER; Caballero Aragón, H., CONABIO; Aguilar León, L.G., Bustamante, D., Chávez González, H., Cruz, W., Mota Velazco, M., Plascencia González, A., CONAFOR; Aguilar Guevara, F.J., Alarcón Aburto, V.M., Deschamps Vergara, E., Fuentes Pérez, A., García Pacheco, V.H., Robles Barajas, P.R., CONAGUA; Absalón Torres, C.N., Arista Cárdenas, I.A., Flores Serrano, S.D., Gutiérrez Rivera , F., Hernández Méndez, M., Jiménez Vera, C., Pérez Mendoza, M.A., Salas, A., Sánchez Serda, J.I., CONANP; Peralta Jiménez, X., Zapata Nájera, B.M., CONANP-APFF SALT; González Baca, C., Salinas Ordaz, D., CONANP-DRPCGM; Martínez Portugal, R.C., Miranda Zacarías, J., Pizaña Soto, J.C., Pouchoulen Alemán, A.M., CONANP-PNSAV; Serrano Trinidad, M.A., CONAPESCA; Becerra Russi, J.C., Consejo de Empresas y Desarrollo Turístico de Tecolutla; García Macías, J.C., Conservación Internacional México; Villagrán Maldonado, P., Consultoría; Nieto, J.L., Cooperativa Pescadería; Castelán, M., Coral del Arrecife Boca del Rio; Fajardo Alvarado, G., Rodríguez Reyes, F.A., COSAP; Avilés Macedo, A., DGZFMTAC; Loya Herrera, V., Dirección de Turismo; Gómez, J.M., Nolas Aguilar, A., Oviedo Santiago, A., Velázquez, M., Velázquez, S., Ejido Echegaray; Cano Martínez, J.G., Ponce Aldán, P., Zamudio Lira, L.M., Ejido Isla Panamá; Cruz Franco, A., Cruz Sosa, T., Franco Fernández, M.R., Santiago Ramírez, V., Valdez Vicencio, G., Ejido Valdivia; Elvida Pantoja, G., Gutiérrez Arriaga, E., Yépez Melche, F.J., Escolleras de Playa Norte; Castillo Durán, B.E., Fondo Golfo de México A.C.; Alemán, A., Brito Chávez, P., Fundación Vida Silvestre; Gándara González, R., Gándara Bienes de Capital; Dapa García, M.P., Gobierno Municipal de Boca del Río; Carvallo Brañas, L.A.J., Gobierno Municipal de Coatzacoalcos; Larios, L.E., Gobierno Municipal de San Andrés Tuxtla; Cordero Arán, J.C., Gobierno Municipal de Tamiahua; Hernández, S.A., Gobierno Municipal de Tecolutla; Hernández García, M., Trujillo Flores, V.H., Gobierno Municipal de Veracruz; Hernández Hernández, J.L., Grupo de Prestadores Turísticos Tamiahua; Juárez Villalobos, M.L., Oviedo Pérez, J.L., Ramírez López, K., Zárate Noble, V.M., Zea de la Cruz, H., IMIPAS; Gómez Balandra, M.A., Mijangos Carro, M.A., Piñón Flores, M.A., IMTA; Pacheco Mamone, A., INAH Veracruz; Arano Recio, D.E., Valdés Lara, A.C., INAH Yucatán; Barba Meinecke, H., Pizá Chávez, A.R., INAH-SAS; Rodríguez Hernández, A., INECC; Aguirre Jaimes, A., Bazant Fabre, O., Bonilla Moheno, M., Itehua Quiahua, J., Juárez Fragoso, M., Lara Domínguez, A.L., Lithgow Serrano, A.D., López Portillo Guzmán, J.A., Maganda Ramírez, M.C., Moreno Casasola, P., Suárez Peredo, R., Vázquez González, C., Zavala Izquierdo, I.M., INECOL; Huitrón García, A.H., INPI; Sánchez Higueredo, L.E., IPICYT; Jiménez Rodríguez, D.J., Ruíz Rodríguez, C.J., IPN-CMP+L; Ávalos Gómez, I., K & Tuna; Acosta de Benavides, C., La Triple S, S.C.; Sánchez Guevara, J., Laguna Barra de Chachalacas, S.C.; Carillo Acosta, A., Laguna Cabaña, S.C.; Marnatura, Marnatura; Martínez, R., Oceanus, A.C.; Vázquez López, J., Pescadores y Servicios del Litoral, S.C.; Fernández Panza, D., Hernández, B.L., Pesquería Coatzacoalcos; Álvarez Salas, J., Arriola Zárate, M., Claudio, Díaz, L.E., Rosales Lara, J.A., Playa de Chachalacas; Rivera Saldívar, R., Prestadores de Servicios Turísticos de Tamiahua; García López, G., PROFEPA; Ramírez Pinero, M., Pronatura Veracruz; Ramos, M., ProRest; Antele Bello, G., Cervantes, E., Ciprés Chávez, A., Cortina, B.E., Fararoni, D., García, E., García, S., Hensler, L., Isiordia, G., Márquez Pérez, L., Ortiz, L., Ríos, D., Valadez, V., Vera, R., Red del Corredor Arrecifal del Golfo de México; Panza Arroyo, J., Región Mi Puerto; Contreras Sosa, J., Reserva Ecológica de la Barra de Chachalacas; Guzmán Oliveros, A., Pérez Montoya, L.E., Restauradores en manglares de la laguna de Sontecomapan, S.C.; Acosta de Benavides, F., Álvaro Martínez, M., Ávila, J.M., Ávila, M., Camacho, J.V., Casarín, J.A., Castillo Ávalos, G., De la Cruz, A., De la Cruz, D., García Marcelo, A.L., Gazarrín Montalvo, L., Hernández Ávila, N., Hernández Hernández, M.A., Luna, M.E., Martínez Chavero, G.P., Morales, I., Pérez Guzmán, C., Poisot Catemaxca, A.V., Quiroga, A., Tiburcio, J.C., Trujillo Martínez, J., Valdez Colchado, M., Vargas, I., Viveros Bautista, M.I., Zárate González, R., S/I; Mendiola Valencia, A., Prieto Mendiola, M., Valencia Mendiola, A., SCPP Costa Verde; Romero Hernández, G.M., SCPP La Puerta de Sotavento; Cabrera, I.A., Cruz Ordoñez, A., Pavón Pulido, J.C., Uscanga Aldama, C., SCPP Mandinga y Matosa; Cameos Morales, A., Fuentes González, E., SCPP Mixtli; Hernández Guzmán, B., SCPP Pescadores Carpioteros; Díaz Castellanos, S., Fereal, A., Mendoza, L.M., Meza Arán, J., Ramírez Gorozabel, G., Ramos Leandro, R., Vicencio González, C., SCPP Pescadores de Tamiahua; Hernández, J.L., SCPP Pescadores del Bajo de la Blanquilla; Ruíz Santiago, J.A., SCPP Tamiahua; García Gómez, S., García Morales, J.J., Rincón Marcial, S., SCPP UPP y Pesca del Playón de Hornos del Puerto de Veracruz; Sánchez Acosta, P., SCPP y Servicios del Río Actopan; Palacios Moreno, G.J., Sánchez Flores, A., SECTUR; López Mejía, S., Muro Hidalgo, K.A., SEDATU; Troncoso Vigoritto, S.G., SEDEMA; Basto Grajales, M., Guerra Valdez, C., Gutiérrez Martínez, A.M., León Jiménez, P., López Maldonado, J., Mendoza Salazar, R.E., Moreno Rosas, J.A., Pérez Canela, B.A., Pool Estrella, M.R., Robledo Hurtado, V.C., Sosa Gómez, R.C., Suárez Peredo Zavala, M.E., Vázquez López, G., SEMAR; Figueroa Bustos, D., Hernández Cázares, M., SEMARNAT; Camarero Sánchez, A., Galván Tovar, J.F., Moreno Trujillo, L.I., Nava Hernández, V.A., SENASICA; Alamilla Tovar, H.A., Balderas Cruz, P., Rocha Mier, S., SENDAS A.C.; Acevedo Rosas, F., Domínguez Copado, V.L., Ixtlapale Gamboa, A.M., Libreros García, A.J., Miranda Alonso, S., SPC; Alarcón Ruíz, E., TecNM; Abonto Gutiérrez, Y.A., Amario Espejo, I.A., Bernal Ramírez, R.G., Camberos del Prado, B., Castañeda Chávez, M.R., Costales Rodríguez, M.A., Díaz Arredondo, M.A., Fernández Peña, M.L., Galicia, A.J., Gutiérrez Domínguez, G.V., Gutiérrez Quevedo, N.G., Gutiérrez, A., Montoya Mendoza, J., Morales García, A., Muñoz Aldape, A., Pérez Morales, I.P., Reyes Velázquez, C., Ulibarry Medrano, C.D., Villabazo García, T.C., Zúñiga Ruíz, P., TecNM Boca del Río; Muñoz Cruz, V., Trabajadores del Golfo; Aguilera Cauich, E.A., Cabañas Vargas, D.D., Martín López, M., UADY; Fernández, V., UMA Costa de San Juan; Sánchez Campos, M.A., UNAM; Madora Astudillo, M., UNAM-EBTLT; Lemus Santana, E., Sanvicente Añorve, L.E., Violante Huerta, M.A., UNAM-ICML; Ávila Foucat, V.S., UNAM-IIEC; Bustamante, A.K., García Martínez, M., Garzón Sosa, S.B., Ingalls, A.F., Rosales Ángeles, F., UNOPS; Aguilar López, A., Cruz Santiago, F.A., Cruz Vázquez, M.I., Gálvez Vázquez, L.A., Garrido Rodríguez, M., Gómez Parra, A.Y., González Espinoza, P.I., Hernández Martínez, I., Jable Vite, M., Lea Morión, C.M., López Drouaillet, C.G., Márquez Marín, M.E., Méndez López, A., Mora Martínez, C., Moreno Simbrán, C., Pérez Alarcón, N.L., Ramírez Ríos, M., Rivera López, M., Saquí Vázquez, L.S., Sequera Jiménez, I.E., Velázquez Aburto, D.Y., Xochuihua Juan, J.L., UT Gutiérrez Zamora; Budar, L., Colón Sandoval, A.G., Hernández Herrera, R.I., Luna Sánchez, R.A., Martínez Serrano, I., Martos Fernández, F.J., Pérez España, H., Salas Monreal, D., Salas Pérez, J.J., Serrano Solís, A., Solís Maldonado, C., Vargas Hernández, J.M., Velarde González, M.E., UV; Welsh Rodríguez, C.M., UV-CCT; Basáñez Muñoz, A.J., Jordán Garza, A.G., Raya Cruz, B.E., Rodríguez Gómez, C.F., UV-FCBA; Infante Pacheco, V.E., UV-FCQ; Argüelles Jiménez, J., Deveze Murillo, P., UV-FMVZ; Antemate Velasco, G.J., Arenas Fuentes, V.E., Athié de Velasco, G.E., Jiménez Badillo, M.L., Meiners Mandujano, C., Okolodkov, Y., UV-ICIMAP.; Hernández Candelario, I.C., Morteo Ortiz, E., UV-IIB

LANRESC Core Team ▼

Carmona Escalante, A., Gallegos Fernández, S., Granados Martínez, K.P., Hernández Cristerna, M.J., López Alcántara, V., Morales Méndez, D., Ortigosa Gutiérrez, J.D., Pérez Rivera, E.F., Reyes Aguilar, A.X., Rodríguez González, M.P., Vázquez Verdín, J.M.

Project Leads ▼

Salles Afonso de Almeida, P., Ávila Foucat, V.S., Simões, N.

Graphic Designer ▼

Guerra, A.

Participants by sector

Academic: 104; Government: 95; CSO: 68; Private: 61; ND: 6

Participants by sector
104 Academic
95 Government
68 CSO
61 Private
6 ND

ABOUT THE REPORT CARD

The initiative ▼

This Report Card was developed from two virtual workshops held from October 16 to 18, 2024, and from September 24 to 26, 2025, with a total of 147 participants. A field phase was also carried out from May 5 to 18, 2025, with 187 participants interviewed and 16 key communities visited. The process followed the report card development guide by Costanzo et al. (2017), adapted by LANRESC.

Acknowledgements ▼

This Report Card was produced with funds from the subproject 'Development of five Report Cards in the Gulf of Mexico,' code UNOPS012, executed by the National Laboratory for Coastal Resilience (LANRESC) and administered by the Institute of Engineering of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), within the framework of the GoM SAP Implementation project, financed by the GEF and supported by UNEP, UNOPS, and SEMARNAT. It was co-financed by the Coordination of Scientific Research of UNAM. We thank CONANP and Pronatura Noreste for their support during fieldwork.

Legal notice ▼

The content of this document is intended for educational and general outreach purposes. The information was provided and validated by the workshop participants themselves. The data supporting this Report Card were collected as of November 21, 2025. The purpose of this tool is to support informed decision-making; however, decision-making should not be limited only to the information presented in this document.