What is the name of the reef system that stretches from the Yucatan Peninsula to Honduras?

The reef system stretching from the Yucatán Peninsula to Honduras is the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, formally called the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System.

The system follows the Caribbean coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. It begins near Isla Contoy at the northern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula, continues along the Riviera Maya and Belize Barrier Reef, and reaches the Bay Islands of Honduras. Because it crosses several national boundaries, it is best understood as a connected marine region rather than one single reef.

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System is about 1,126 kilometres long and is commonly called the Great Maya Reef or Great Mayan Reef. It is the largest barrier reef system in the Western Hemisphere and is generally described as the world’s second-largest reef system after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

The name can cause confusion because the Belize Barrier Reef is one major component within the larger Mesoamerican system. The region includes coral reefs, atolls, mangroves, seagrass beds, and protected marine areas. It faces pressure from warming seas, ocean acidification, pollution, overfishing, hurricanes, invasive lionfish, and coral disease.