LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

There are so many environmental issues affecting the Yucatan, and Tulum in particular, today. Overdevelopment is one of the main concerns since it affects the water, air, plants and animals, not to mention the quality of life for all who live in the area.

Highlighted here are some of the most affected aspects of the ecosytem, of which every traveler to Tulum should be aware.

SEA TURTLES

From the 8 species of sea turtles surviving in the world, 7 exist in Mexico and 4 nest in the coasts of the Yucatan Peninsula: Green turtle (Chelonia mydas mydas), loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). They spend their whole life in the water except for the brief moments the females come ashore to build a nest and lay their eggs.

A female sea turtle arrives ashore at her nesting beach at night in the months of April through September. After spending her whole life up to this point in the ocean, she returns to the beach area where she was born many years ago to build her nest. She spends about an hour slowly scooping out a deep hole in the sand using her back flippers. Then drops about one hundred white eggs that look like ping-pong balls into the hole. When she finishes, she covers the nest with sand, disguising it from predators, and slowly lumbers back to the sea. The eggs are ready to hatch about two months later.

THREATS TO SEA TURTLES

All eight species are endangered or threatened. They are killed for meat and leather; their eggs are taken for food and aphrodisiacs. Their nesting sites are destroyed for human development. They are ground up by dredges, run over by pleasure boats, poisoned by pollution, strangled by trash and drowned by fish-line and net.  

WHAT WE CAN DO

• During nesting season, it is important the turtles are given safe access to the beach so they may lay their eggs.This means trash, beach furniture, dogs and humans need to stay clear.
• Turtles are sensitive to light and noise, and they are easily scared. They will turn back into the water if you approach them, yell, shine a flashlight or photograph them with flash. If she is unable to come ashore to lay her eggs, they will be released into the water and die.
• When the babies hatch, they are also sensitive to light and drawn by instinct to the sea. They are easily confused by artificial light on the beach and may head in the wrong direction when they leave the nest. We need to keep lights off on the beach during turtle nesting season.

Out of 100 baby turtles born, it is possible that only 1 will live to reach adulthood. They face many dangers before they even reach the surf; birds, the hot sun and other obstacles claim many lives. Once in the water, they must ride the waves, feeding on plants at the surface, again avoiding birds, fish and other predators as tey grow. It is crucial to the survival of the sea turtle that we provide these creatures with safe, protected environments to nest.  

MANGROVES

The word "mangroves" refers to a special community of plants and animals found in tropical areas that are flooded permanently or occasionally with saltwater. Mangroves are also very fragile. They live in a very vulnerable part of the coastal ecosystem: ranging from the land just below the low tide mark, to the land just above the high-tide mark. The mangrove system supports a great number of living things, and is extremely important to the broader ecological community in a variety of ways.

• They maintain water quality, by filtering pollutants and stabilize the land by trapping sediments.
• Most of the time this land is dry beneath the tropical sun, but when storms come -- especially hurricanes -- the mangroves hold the land together. Without them the flooding would reach far deeper inland, and barrier islands might be completely washed away.
• The mangroves' tangle of roots is above the ground. These roots provide protected nursery areas for shrimp, mollusks, and fishes. Thus they are critical for the commercial and recreational fishing industries. Also, huge numbers of migratory birds occupy the mangroves.

The mangroves of Yucatan peninsula are a threatened ecosystem- due mostly to human drainage programs and over-development in the area.  

CORAL REEF

A coral reef is a living thing! Although much coral looks like rock, it is actually made of tiny, fragile animals called coral polyps. Coral reefs are huge structures made of limestone deposited by these little animals. Thousands of species inhabit coral reefs – they are very complex ecosystems. Corals survive in warm water which is pollution free and usually 75 feet deep or less.

The coral reef you will see snorkeling in Tulum today began growing up to 50 million years ago. Most established coral reefs are between 5,000 and 10,000 years old. Coral reefs grow extremely slowly, some types add only between 5 and 25 millimeters (0.2–1 inch) per year to their length. Other corals can grow as much as 20 centimeters (8 inches) each year.  

Next to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the Meso-American Caribbean Reef (located right in front of the Mayab Center) is the second largest coral reef in the world.

THREATS TO CORAL REEF SYSTEMS

Coral reefs are threatened by pollution, oil spills, global warming, coral bleaching and, of course, tourism. Agricultural run-off and excessive coastal development have very negative and deadly affects on reefs. Pollution is a major problem and killer.  Deforestation kills coral. Without trees the soil cannot be held in place by the roots of the trees. The soil then erodes into the water and smothers the coral to death. Boat anchors damage and kill coral reefs. Plastic waste such as soda can rings entangles and kills marine animals and coral. Each reef lost means more probability of extinction of tropical marine life!  

Stepping on or touching coral reefs kills it, as does hitting or brushing against it when snorkeling or scuba diving. Remember, coral reefs are alive!

Coral is damaged and dies when there is a temperature increase in the water (global warming), over prolonged periods of time. Coral bleaching also occurs from pollution. Runoff of fresh water, human waster, silt or too little sunlight causes the coral plant partners to die or leave on their own to find a new host). Without the plants, the polyps lose all their color and, more importantly, their ability to build more reef.  

WHAT WE CAN DO

• More areas need to become protected reserves. Think of how long it takes for coral reefs to grow versus how fast we are destroying them!
• People need to be aware, when snorkeling or scuba diving, not to come into contact with the coral. Look but don't touch!
• Corals need sunlight, clear, clean water and salt water of generally 68–90° F or 20–32° C temperatures to survive. Human beings should remember to keep the ocean clean and not dump garbage in the fragile ecosystem. The cleaner the ocean, the more life it can bring for us to enjoy. We need to use less energy and keep pollutants and waste out of the water.