Abstract

The greater Caribbean basin is a multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic region hosting a large variety of coastal and marine social/ecological systems. These provide habitats for ecologically and commercially important species, and support the well-being of coastal populations. It is thus crucial to reduce the pressure on these habitats and species, and empower these peoples with the knowledge to protect and use their resources sustainably. One way to achieve this goal is to teach the same fundamental marine conservation concepts across the region. Yet, considering the multiple linguistic and cultural contexts in the region, it becomes necessary to provide conservation education resources using local indigenous languages. One of these languages, the Maya (Yucateco), is the mother tongue of more than 800 000 people in the Yucatán Peninsula in México and northern Belize. “U taak’inil Caribe” or Treasures of the Caribbean, are marine science educational instruments created by “Ajkanan K’ak’náabo’on Ma’ Su’up’il” or Marine Conservation without Borders. They are preparing twenty bilingual chapters in Yucatec/Spanish and Yucatec/English focused on species, ecosystems, and local issues of the marine environment. The curriculum aims to target fishers and students from preschool through 6th Form in an institutional setting in Mayan communities in México and Belice. It also aims to promote cultural and language conservation. Some locations in Belice and México where these curricula would be useful are Celestún, Telchac, Xel-Há, 'Chunox, Yo Creek and Sarteneja (Belize’s largest fishing village), to name a just a few.

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