'''Mexico Rocks''' is a shallow patch reef complex located off the far northern tip of Ambergris Caye, and is part of the Belize Barrier Reef system in the Caribbean Sea. The site consists of approximately 100 Holocene patch reefs clustered on a Pleistocene ridge of limestone and is composed predominantly of boulder star corals (''Montastraea annularis'').<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Burke|first=C. D. |display-authors=etal |date=2004|title=Coral Mortality, Recovery and Reef Degradation at Mexico Rocks Patch Reef Complex, Northern Belize, Central America: 1995-1997|journal=Hydrobiologia|volume=530-531|issue=1–3 |pages=481–487|via=OhioLink|doi=10.1007/s10750-004-2669-1|hdl=10057/3662|s2cid=2680551 |hdl-access=free}}</ref> The reef has accumulated in shallow water, about {{convert|2.5|to|5|m|ft|0}} deep, over the last 420 years, under static sea level conditions. The site was recommended for designation as a marine preserve in 1978, and was approved in 2015 as a part of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve.<ref name="ambergris">{{Cite web|url=http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/parkmexicorocks.html|title=Mexico Rocks|author=Casado Internet Group|accessdate=2011-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.iucn.org/content/hol-chan-marine-reserve-belize-has-been-expanded-full-support-government-and-stakeholders|title=The Hol Chan Marine Reserve in Belize has been expanded with full support of the government and stakeholders|date=2015-03-07|work=IUCN|access-date=2018-11-29|language=en}}</ref> The reef is popular among snorkelers and SCUBA divers, and it is seen as an important addition to Ambergris Caye's ecotourism attractions.
== Wildlife == thumb|161x161px|Green moray eel at Mexico Rocks, Belize Patch coral reefs that predominantly consist of ''Montastraea annularis'' are a rare occurrence in Belize; the only other such patch reefs in the country are located at Glover's Reef.<ref name="ambergris" /> In addition, staghorn coral (''Acropora cervicornis'') occurs on the ridge's windward and leeward flanks. Thirty species of hard coral have been identified at Mexico Rocks.<ref name="ambergris" />
The reef is abundant in fish and invertebrate life. Common fish found at Mexico Rocks include Atlantic blue tang (''Acanthurus coeruleus''), yellowtail snapper (''Ocyurus chrysurus''), and southern stingray (''Dasyatis americana''). Nurse sharks (''Ginglymostoma cirratum''), and green moray eel (''Gymnothorax funebris'') are also found on the reef. Spiny lobster (''Pallinuridae''), conch (''Strombidae''), arrow crab (''Stenorhynchus seticornis''), banded shrimps (''Stenopus hispidus''), and many sponge species also inhabit the reef.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.holchanbelize.org/life.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010220185559/http://www.holchanbelize.org/life.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=February 20, 2001|title=Census of the marine life found within the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley in Ambergris Caye, Belize|website=www.holchanbelize.org|access-date=2018-11-29}}</ref><ref name="ambergris" />
==See also== * List of reefs
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Belize reserves}}
{{coord|17.9892|N|87.9058|W|source:wikidata|display=title}}
Category:Coral reefs Category:Belize District Category:Fauna of Belize Category:Holocene North America Category:Protected areas of Belize Category:Reefs of the Atlantic Ocean Category:Protected areas established in 1978 Category:1978 establishments in Belize Category:Reefs of Belize