Environmental impact of diving tourism on coral reefs

Abstract

The general aim of this work is to assess the knowledge about diving tourism impacts on coral reefs. In the first section the background of SCUBA diving is looked at. The economic importance and critiques made of social issues of diving tourism are pointed out, and so are the main characteristics of those who offer diving services and of diving tourists. Next, a presentation of coral reefs is made including their geographical distribution, their economic and environmental significance, their fragility and the causes and status of their degradation. Later in the work a description of the nature, causes and importance of the direct environmental impacts of diving tourism in coral reefs is presented. Reference to authors and topics concerned with direct impacts of diving tourism on coral reefs is made. Finally, the importance of avoiding diving tourism impacts management with standard or universal tools is argumented. The specific aim of the work is to point out that, when it comes to impacts, the uniqueness of each diving site has to be recognized through its physical and biological characteristics and by the diversʼ behavior and patterns of use.