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Subaquatic Cancun: Exploring the aquatic wonders of the Caribbean
Cancun is Mexico's tourist destination par excellence and is well known for its paradisiacal beaches of fine white...
"We implemented an Environmental Education Plan in which, through knowledge of marine ecosystems, visitors and collaborators of Cancun Sailing are sensitized to generate actions to preserve the natural environment."
Climate Change
It consists of a series of physical and chemical transformations in the planet's atmosphere. Although it is a natural phenomenon that has occurred in different periods of geological time, the climatic alterations that we live in today coincide with the impact that human beings generate when carrying out activities such as the use of hydrocarbons, coal and gas for industry and transportation ; deforestation and the emission of chemical pollutants into the atmosphere.
Ocean Acidification
The oceans have the ability to regulate the planet's temperature by acting as sinks for carbon dioxide (CO2) and absorb about 30% of the CO2 that is emitted into the atmosphere (AIDA, 2014). The “capture” of carbon generates another chemical process in which CO2 is converted into carbonic acid, causing seawater to be more acidic and, consequently, the environmental conditions of marine ecosystems also change.
Pollutions
Pollution of coastal and marine areas is mainly caused by human activities carried out on land, such as agriculture, livestock, fish production, urban development, tourism, and industrialization; and by pollutants that reach the sea by direct disposal through drains, boat discharges, and river currents.
Extraction of Especies
It is the extraction of organisms from the ecosystem of which they are a part. It can occur from individuals to entire populations, even becoming an illegal activity if the species are protected under an environmental legal framework. This type of impact has direct repercussions on biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics and, indirectly, on food security and other livelihoods of human beings.
Invasion of Exotic Species
They are those organisms transported by natural means or by human activities, which come to establish themselves outside their natural distribution area, where they can cause serious ecological alterations, damage to public health and economic losses (CONABIO, 2010). Aquatic environments in particular have proven to be extremely sensitive. Approximately 40% of the extinctions of species that inhabit these environments have been related to predation, parasitism, or competition from invasive species. (CONABIO, 2010).
Coral Bleaching
This phenomenon occurs when the symbiont algae die or abandon the polyps due to a sudden increase in temperature, solar radiation and the high concentration of sediments and pollutants. This causes a reduction in the absorption of nutrients, which is manifested as a depigmentation and weakening of the coral, being one of the main causes of death of reefs in the world. The loss of reefs brings with it the loss of the environmental services they provide, which means a decrease in oxygen generation, coastal protection, species refuge, etc.
