Stromatolites represent one of the most significant links to the first evolution of macrolife on the 
surface of Earth. This 3.5+bya cyanobacteria life form “figured out” how to survive on the crust 
under deadly ultra violet radiation bombardment in a primitive atmosphere without oxygen and 
thus without a UV blocking ozone. Cyanobacteria accomplished this by sequestering carbonate 
precipitants to form a hardened outer layer between them and the UV radiation. Ultimately, their 
oxygen emissions produced the iron belts and supplied the atmosphere with oxygen and ozone 
that led to the evolution of a diverse macroflora and fauna on Earth’s surface. Laguna Bacalar in 
the southern Yucatan Peninsula houses the largest living stromatolites in the world, estimated to 
stretch 10 km in continuous growth. Tourism and associated commercialism from the north, 
Cancun and Riviera Maya, has flowed into the Laguna Bacalar area. In high impact areas such as 
the “Rapidos”, in only 2-years’ time, excessive visits have destroyed vast areas of the 
stromatolites, stripping away the surficial cyanobacterial layers down to the underlying carbonate 
structure. This call to action requires an immediate, unified effort from the scientific, political, 
economic, and social-cultural communities