Environmental degradation of the Mexican Caribbean reef lagoons

Velázquez-Ochoa, Roberto; Enríquez, Susana

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114947

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 84 publications

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“…Caribbean coastal areas are amongst the most important global tourist destinations, mainly due to their good climate, white sandy beaches, and clear waters [1]. However, several disturbances, such as sea level rise, increase in water temperature, algal blooms, anthropogenic eutrophication, and the inadequate occupation and use of coastal areas, have caused environmental degradation, including shoreline erosion, decreased water transparency, and the deterioration or destruction of coastal ecosystems [2][3][4][5][6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond the Beach: Multi-Parameter Interpretation of Shore Deterioration in a Caribbean Reef System

de Almeida,

Ávila-Mosqueda,

Mendoza

et al. 2024

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Throughout the Caribbean region, coastal areas are of vital importance for national incomes from the tourism industry. However, accelerated coastal development has impacted the coastal ecosystems, including the beaches, and deterioration of the shore results from cumulative impacts on both marine and coastal ecosystems. It is essential to identify the areas that need special attention for targeted management plans and actions, especially in areas with high anthropogenic pressure. This research proposes an integrated assessment of the conservation state of shore and coastal ecosystems in the Puerto Morelos National Reef Park (PNAPM) in the Mexican Caribbean, through the spatial monitoring of key parameters. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was employed to analyze the land use on the shore, foredune condition, morphological characteristics of the beaches, shoreline evolution, and the condition of coral reefs and seagrass meadows. The analysis identified the most critical areas in relation to shore deterioration and priority areas for the preservation of ecosystems. The spatial data obtained for the PNAPM can serve as a basis for ongoing shore monitoring, and targeted management actions through the designation of areas that require either preservation or ecosystem restoration practices. This methodology can be applied to other reef systems in the Caribbean.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond the Beach: Multi-Parameter Interpretation of Shore Deterioration in a Caribbean Reef System

de Almeida,

Ávila-Mosqueda,

Mendoza

et al. 2024

Diversity

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Experimental observation on wave propagation and geomorphological evolution in a sandbar-lagoon system

Cong,

Kuang,

Zheng

et al. 2023

Applied Ocean Research

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A Shift in Communities of Conspicuous Macrocrustaceans Associated with Caribbean Coral Reefs following A Series of Environmental Stressors

Dubé,

Barradas-Ortiz,

Negrete-Soto

et al. 2023

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In 2015, the communities of reef-associated motile macrocrustaceans (decapods and stomatopods) were compared between two coral reefs with contrasting levels of degradation in Puerto Morelos (Mexican Caribbean), “Limones”, less degraded, with a healthy live coral cover, and “Bonanza”, more degraded, with less live coral and more macroalgae. Since then, several stressors have impacted Puerto Morelos. Massive influxes of floating Sargassum, which reached record levels in 2018, 2021, and 2022, have exacerbated the already high eutrophication of the reef lagoon. An outbreak and rapid propagation of the Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in 2018 changed the functionality of reefs. Three back-to-back hurricanes struck the coast close to Puerto Morelos in October 2020 and another one in August 2021. We repeated the study in 2022 to examine the potential changes in the habitat and communities of reef-associated crustaceans since 2015. Reef degradation did not increase significantly between 2015 and 2022, but crustacean species richness, diversity, evenness, and dominance, which differed between reefs in 2015, became similar between reefs in 2022, as did the crustacean community composition. The abundance of herbivore crabs increased in Limones, displacing the coral- and hydrocoral-mutualistic crabs and the abundance of detritivore hermit crabs increased in Bonanza. These results suggest a taxonomic homogenization between reefs, apparently related to subtle ecological changes not necessarily captured by standard metrics of reef condition.

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Environmental degradation of the Mexican Caribbean reef lagoons

Cited by 6 publications

References 84 publications

Beyond the Beach: Multi-Parameter Interpretation of Shore Deterioration in a Caribbean Reef System

Beyond the Beach: Multi-Parameter Interpretation of Shore Deterioration in a Caribbean Reef System

Experimental observation on wave propagation and geomorphological evolution in a sandbar-lagoon system

A Shift in Communities of Conspicuous Macrocrustaceans Associated with Caribbean Coral Reefs following A Series of Environmental Stressors

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