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Web End = Mar Biol (2015) 162:22252233 DOI 10.1007/s00227-015-2748-z
ORIGINAL PAPER
Received: 16 September 2015 / Accepted: 29 September 2015 / Published online: 23 October 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
contributing to the decline of the coral reef in Akumal Bay, where further expansions in tourism are planned. Indeed, the ecosystems threatened by overexploitation via tourism in the Mayan Riviera also form the basis for the regional tourism industry. Thus, long-term ecological monitoring coupled with the establishment and enforcement of regulations on tourism may be essential for the sustainability of coral reefs, as well as the socioeconomic benets they provide in Mexico.
Introduction
The structure and function of coral reefs center on the balance between corals, upon which the greater community is based, and algae, which compete with corals for benthic substrate (McCook et al. 2001; Smith et al. 2006; Rasher and Hay 2010). Herbivores consume benthic algae and can thus play an integral role in structuring the benthic community (Bellwood et al. 2004; Hughes et al. 2010). Consequently, over-exploitation of herbivorous reef shes and the resultant release of benthic algae from consumer pressure is believed to be a ubiquitous mechanism through which coral reefs are declining globally (Burkepile and Hay 2006). As a result, ecosystem-based management approaches in coral reefs have focused overwhelmingly on reducing shing pressure, with little attention being paid to other ecologically threatening human activities (Pandol et al. 2005). However, the rising industry of tourism in and around coral reefs can drive coral reef degradation through coastal development and through the presence of tourists within the reef (Hawkins and Roberts 1992; Leujak and Ormond 2008; Uyarra et al. 2009).
It is understood that coastal development can increase the frequency and magnitude of terrestrial runoff events
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Web End = Rapid tourism growth and declining coral reefs in Akumal, Mexico
Michael A. Gil1 Bobbie Renfro2,3 Baruch FigueroaZavala4 Ivn Peni4 Kenneth H. Dunton2
Abstract Ecosystem-based management efforts in coral reefs typically focus on reducing shing pressure. However, independent of overshing, tourism can degrade coral reefs through coastal development, as well as the physical presence...