Tourism, Wastewater, and Freshwater Conservation in Palenque National Park, Mexico

A study of Palenque National Park, Mexico, reveals that untreated wastewater from tourism and population growth is significantly impacting the park's freshwater ecosystems. Three of six study sites exhibited soluble reactive phosphorus levels exceeding 39 μg/L, a marker of sewage influence. Additionally, a strong positive correlation between δN15 values in grazing snails and phosphorus concentrations suggests that sewage effluent is altering trophic ecology within protected aquatic habitats. This finding underscores the need for comprehensive management strategies beyond riparian buffers to safeguard freshwater ecosystem integrity in tropical protected areas.

Capps, K. A., Castillo, M. M., Pease, A. A., Jarquín-Sánchez, A., & Hernández, R. R. (2017). Tourism, Wastewater, and Freshwater Conservation in Palenque National Park, Mexico. The Southwestern Naturalist, 62(3), 220–225. https://doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909-62.3.220