Tourism and its impact on the ocean

It is the middle of a Canadian winter and time for a holiday. Where would you want to go? Many Canadians, including me, love to disappear to the sunny beaches of Mexico, the Carribean or Hawaii for some much needed sunshine. But have you ever considered the impact this mass tourism has on the beaches and oceans we visit?

 As coastal areas become increasingly popular, the development of hotels, restaurants, large resorts and water sport facilities grow. This has a major impact on the ecosystems in the ocean off the coast of these tourist locations. The residue from construction sites of new buildings often gets dumped in the ocean as a quick method of removing debris from the site and beautifying the resort. This waste pollutes the water and this can lead to a decline in animal life, flora and fauna. Humans can also deposit personal garbage into the ocean such as beer bottles, pop cans, candy wrappers, cigarette stubs and plastic items. This garbage contributes to the death of many species of fish as they become trapped in plastic containers, swallow garbage or are contaminated by polluted water. The sudden increase in swimmers, snorkelers, scuba divers and water sports can upset the ecosystem below the water surface. Oil and gas from motor boats and jet skis pollute the water. The ocean floor and wild life cab also be disturbed by the churning water of swimmers and water sports. Many tourists also enjoy taking souvenirs home with them from the ocean. Shells which provide a habitat for creatures, coral, starfish and interesting seaweed is often plucked from the ocean floor by tourists. Local residents are also guilty of harvesting the ocean for items to sell to tourists. Some countries, like Costa Rica are becoming more educated about this destruction of the fragile ecosystems around their coastal waters. They have implemented strict laws against reaping any specimens from the ocean. Luggage is carefully inspected on departure to insure that tourists are not taking home any items from the ocean. Fines are imposed if tourists are found with illegal articles.

This is helping to protect coral reefs and the ecosystems in some tourist areas. However, more can be done. Educating everyone about this and implementing strict laws should help. It might just seem like a gorgeous shell to you, but it is actually someone's home. Think twice before you add to the negative effect of tourism the next time you are on a vacation.