Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Coral reefs are one of the planet’s most magnificent and bio-diverse ecosystems. This past weekend the local chapter of the Sayulita Reef Check program, sponsored by the Punta Sayulita Foundation, performed a quarterly survey at the Marieta Islands — or as we locals say, Las Marietas.

All of the data will be compiled, summarized and sent off to Reef Check HQ in California who will provide feedback on conditions to help make more informed decisions over the management of the coral reefs in the Punta de Mita area.

The Reef Check program is an international volunteer program involving both volunteers and scientists. The Punta Sayulita Foundation has skillfully developed and headed up the local chapter for the Punta de Mita peninsula.

Why you should care:

According to a preliminary report recently presented to the United Nations by an international team of renowned scientists, our oceans are in far worse shape than we thought and a mass extinction of ocean life is inevitable if current trends of acidification related to global warming continue.

"Species from coral to sea turtles could vanish within a generation, and the die-off would rival past extinctions. The situation is more dire than any of us thought," the scientists warned.

"We now face losing marine species and entire marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, within a single generation, with the chief causes for extinctions at the moment being over fishing and habitat loss with global warming increasingly adding to this," the experts stated.

What you can do:

Contact the Punta Sayulita Foundation

For everyday actions you can take, visit ReefCheck.org.

What happens if you do nothing? Global crisis and no more shellfish including, but not limited to, lobster. Care, please.