Volunteer with Utila Centre for Marine Ecology

UCME (Utila Centre for Marine Ecology) is a Honduran registered non-governmental organization that bridges the gap between applied scientific research and community based conservation.

Partnering with national and international Universities and regional Institutions, UCME conducts and supports progressive research to further our understanding of marine and island ecosystems and the biodiversity they support.

UCME also offers an exciting volunteer program where participants work side by side with researchers and conservation specialists assisting in a range of projects investigating the dynamics of coral reefs and reef fisheries, monitoring the population and behavior of whale sharks and cetaceans and assessing mangrove, sea grass and other tropical island habitats.

Results from UCME research are easily accessible by local organizations, community groups and government agencies to help highlight conservation priorities, identify management requirements and target stakeholder lead initiatives. In so doing, academic science can be understood and used by the people who rely on the integrity of the fragile environment in which they live.