Beekeeping, as a sustainable activity, can provide alternative income to coastal...
BLUE WORLD
FOUNDATION
Know, Love, Conserve
Blue World Foundation is dedicated to protecting an ocean under threat. In Guatemala, sharks and rays are increasingly at risk from overfishing, habitat degradation, and lack of effective management. At the same time, many coastal communities face poverty and depend on marine resources for their survival.
Each year, an estimated 25,000 sharks are caught in Guatemalan waters. Alarmingly, at least 11 shark and ray species are classified as threatened critically endangered, 2 endangered, and 5 vulnerable. The need to conserve these species is urgent, not only to maintain marine biodiversity, but also to safeguard the future of the people who rely on the ocean.
Blue World Foundation collaborates with nine coastal communities across Guatemala to protect sharks, rays, and vital marine-coastal ecosystems. By combining science, environmental education, and sustainable livelihood initiatives, we strive to build a future where marine life thrives and coastal families prosper. Because the future of the ocean is also our own.
To ensure the long-term sustainability of marine-coastal resources and artisanal fisheries in Guatemala, the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and the Mesoamerican Reef System through conservation, science, and community-based action.
ABOUT US
A decade ago, Blue World Foundation was founded from a deep and unwavering love for the ocean and for sharks. Today, we lead a bold and holistic vision that brings together science, conservation, and community development. Our work protects marine-coastal ecosystems and helps build a more just and sustainable future for the people whose lives are intimately tied to the sea.
OUR MODEL
Our work promotes the conservation of sharks, rays, and chimaeras through environmental education, the generation of robust scientific data, and the strengthening of technical capacities across sectors. We encourage active citizen participation, advocate for evidence-based public policies, and support sustainable, gender-inclusive economic alternatives.
Ultimately, our impact seeks to ensure the long-term sustainability of shark and ray populations and the ecosystems they depend on, strengthen compliance with national fisheries regulations, and diversify the livelihoods of coastal communities that rely on the ocean.
IMPACT
Allied communities
Scholarships awarded
years of monitoring landings in the Caribbean of Guatemala
years of monitoring landings in the Pacific of Guatemala
Projects executed
Scientific publications
people reached through awareness
TESTIMONIALS
“We support the organization with unrestricted funding because we trust in their commitment to marine conservation along the coasts of Guatemala, and because giving them flexibility strengthens their impact, sustainability, and capacity to protect our oceans alongside the coastal communities that depend on them in the long term.”
Sonia Solis
Director of Nature Conservation,
Luis von Ahn Foundation
“I am very grateful to Blue World Foundation for the support they have given me for more than seven years. Thanks to the scholarship, I was able to finish third grade, which means a lot to me and my family. My parents are very happy and proud of this achievement, as they always dreamed of seeing me succeed.”
Tania Ortega
Scholarship recipient from El Quetzalito Community, 8th grade.
“With the data we record daily, Blue World Foundation can analyze catch trends over time. This helps make decisions on how to better manage fishing and protect species.”
Manuel Zelada
Community Monitor from Sipacate.
BLOG
Thank you
The Rufford Foundation!
For the financial support for this page
