Janet Gibson facts for kids

Janet Patricia Gibson is a scientist from Belize who studies living things (a biologist) and animals (a zoologist). She won the important Goldman Environmental Prize in 1990. This award was for her amazing work to protect the ocean and its creatures along the coast of Belize. She focused especially on the country's huge barrier reef system.

Thanks to the efforts of Gibson and many others, the Belize Barrier Reef was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. This means it's a very special place that the world agrees to protect. Janet Gibson is currently the director of the Belize Wildlife Conservation Society.

About Janet Gibson

A type of coral found in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve.

Janet Gibson was born in Belize. She went to college in the United States to study biology and zoology. In the mid-1980s, she started helping out as a volunteer for the Belize Audubon Society.

Protecting Hol Chan Marine Reserve

Between 1985 and 1987, Janet worked hard to create the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. She talked to local people, businesses, fishermen, and the government of Belize. She explained why a protected area was so important. She also created a plan for how the reserve would be managed. She worked to get money for the project and kept it moving forward.

Her efforts were successful! The official sanctuary was created in 1987. It was the first marine reserve of its kind in Central America. The reserve covers about three square miles. It is a protected zone where fish populations, which had been getting smaller, could grow again. It also provides a wonderful place for divers to see many different kinds of fish. In 1990, she received the Goldman Environmental Prize for her work to protect the barrier reef system.

Expanding Protection to Glover's Reef

In 1988, Janet prepared a plan to protect Glover's Reef as well. She started working to make it a protected reserve. In 1990, she helped set up a Coastal Zone Management Unit. This unit became part of the Fisheries department.

Janet Gibson joined the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). In 1993, their efforts, along with other groups, helped Glover's Reef become a protected reserve in Belize.

Protecting the Entire Barrier Reef

Gibson and other environmental protectors began to realize that protecting small areas one by one wasn't enough. They understood that without a plan to protect the entire barrier reef zone, outside problems could cause damage. For example, algae blooms from fruit farm waste, too much fishing in other areas, or dirt and sand from new buildings were all hurting the reef.

Working with water management groups, forestry representatives, other environmental organizations, and citizens, a new plan was made in 1993. This plan aimed to officially protect the entire Belize Barrier Reef as a natural World Heritage Site. After several years of planning and hard work, the UNESCO organization gave the reef this special title in November 1996.

Janet Gibson is still the director of the Belize Wildlife Conservation Society. She has also written many scientific papers about her work.

See also

In Spanish: Janet Gibson para niños