MAR-L has proven to be a platform for scaling up projects and creating synergies at the international level. In eleven years of operation, it has trained 122 leaders from the four countries and incubated over 75 conservation projects. More than 70 leaders have advanced to positions of greater responsibility, and 25 leaders have influenced public policy in their countries.

From the relationships developed in MAR-L, 30 multinational synergies have emerged, and 27 leaders have received funding from the Mesoamerican Reef System Fund (MAR Fund) to implement their projects and consultancies. These achievements translate into high-impact actions generating positive changes in the conservation of the MAR and benefiting more than two million people who depend on the reef’s health. 

In the second semester of 2022, the call for applications for the 2023 cohort was opened, which will focus on nature-based business ideas or projects with the potential to positively impact the marine and coastal ecosystems of the SAM and to connect with the market. In total, 82 people with 31 projects applied, of which the selection committee chose 25 leaders (17 women and eight men) and 16 projects (five in Honduras, 10 in Mexico, three in Guatemala, and one transnational). Of the 16 selected projects, five focus on reef restoration, four on sustainable tourism, two on solid waste, two on water quality, one on renewable energy, and another on invasive species control.