Nutrient water quality in a tropical coastal zone with groundwater discharge, northwest Yucatán, Mexico

This work is the beginning of a coastal water quality monitoring program to establish the baseline for the implementation of an integrated coastal management of the Yucatán Peninsula tropical ecosystem. Coastal water quality is affected by the increasing economic development. This area has no rivers because of its karst geomorphology, and the coastal freshwater comes from springs or seeps. Coastal water quality was studied in four towns from January to December 2000. Statistically significant differences among water quality variables and processes are discussed. Along with groundwater discharge, domestic and shrimp farming sewage are the main sources of nutrients, predominantly of nitrogen and silica. Salinity dilution is used to estimate the groundwater fraction that influences each area in northwestern Yucatán.