Jesus Gudiño: “The Sea is a heritage for our children”
By Huella Zero
The Florida Keys marked a turning point in Jesus Gudiño’s life. For this reason, for several years he has dedicated his efforts to maintaining and caring for the reef and mangroves of the area, and promoting its importance as one of the main marine protected areas.
Gudiño recounted that he arrived in the area 20 years ago and that since then he has seen how the reef has become a marine sanctuary. For the activist, the community depends immensely, both economically and culturally, on the reef, the waters, the mangroves, and the marine species that surround them.
“The sanctuary provides us with protection through the barrier reef and the mangroves. That’s why it’s so important to support these projects. With Blue Star, there are two very important projects in the Florida Keys: one is coral restoration and the other is reef cleanup,” he said.
The activist and entrepreneur owns a dive shop in the northern Florida Keys. There, with his business, he not only develops a commercial activity but also promotes ecotourism among visitors. In total, there are seven reefs in the area; one of them is where he dives with his clients and maintains a nursery.
He explained that he is primarily involved in reef cleanup, fish counts, and promoting the project among younger generations. He gets emotional when talking about how it impacts him when someone enters the sea with fears and comes out with a different perspective.
“Every year I see more and more people involved in projects and becoming more aware. Tourism is even more conscious of the love and passion for the ocean, understanding that it is a heritage for our children and future generations,” he affirms. He doesn’t miss an opportunity to encourage people to learn, have fun, and do something for the ocean. “Let’s clean the reefs, we can go coral maintenance, we can go fish counts, and together we can make a difference and support the expansion of this marine sanctuary,” he added.
The Importance of Caring for Our Oceans
The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) protects 3,800 square nautical miles of state and federal land stretching from south of Miami to Dry Tortugas. It is a community of diverse underwater habitats with nearly 6,000 different species.
Its management, like that of all U.S. federal protected territories, is in the hands of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the agency responsible for implementing a management plan, zoning, and regulations. This plan includes important details such as an overview of state and federal protected areas, the types of protection, and budgetary needs.
Protecting the ocean is not mere altruism. Humanity benefits from a healthy ocean. The data proves it: 70% of the oxygen available on the planet comes from the oceans thanks to their capacity to absorb carbon from atmospheric pollution. Furthermore, they also regulate the climate by absorbing solar radiation and redistributing heat from the equator to the Polar Regions. These processes are fundamental for the survival of Earth’s population, regardless of its proximity to the coast.
