Ichthyofauna and water quality at the ecotourism site “El Remate” Campeche, Mexico: prospective sampling before the Mayan Train

Abstract

TA prospective punctual sampling was carried out during the rainy season where the quality of the water (nutrients such as: nitrites, sulfates, phosphates and ammonium) and the fish community (ichthyofauna) were measured by means of UVC methodology (underwater visual census), in the ecotourism site “El Remate” which is located in the municipality of Calkiní, Campeche, where an increase in tourism is expected from the “Mayan Train” megaproject. Water quality tests did not reflect a significant anthropic impact on the water body and the ichthyofauna presented ecological characteristics similar to those reported by Torres-Castro et al. (2009), although the number of reported species decreased. The results of this study are proposed as ecological references to continue monitoring this ecosystem and thus address the uncertainty about the impact of the increase in tourist influx on ecosystems of this type.