Affatati, Alice. “The Role of Operators in Sustainable Whale-Watching Tourism: Proposing a Continuous Training Framework.” PloS One, vol. 19, no. 1, 2024, pp. e0296241–e0296241. PLOS One, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0296241.
(Affatati #1)A popular and common activity for tourists visiting coastal areas is whale watching. It has become increasingly popular worldwide since the 1990s and has caused a range of economic opportunities in coastal areas. It has also given many people the chance to witness, research, and educate themselves on many marine species of whales, dolphins, and other porpoises. This article goes over the potential negative effects of whale-watching tourism on said animals and a proposal for more sustainable practices that could allow people to enjoy themselves while whale-watching while also not harming or invading the animals’ space. According to the article, tourist activities do directly cause harm to marine ecosystems by polluting the areas with the use of motorized vehicles in the water and by invading the animals’ space, therefore interrupting their surfacing patterns. While whale watching is important to animal conservation and economic prosperity in these coastal communities, it is important to take into account the fragility of marine ecosystems, so this article offers strategies to sustain tourism while conserving marine fauna.
Culhane, Fiona. “Assessing Impact Risk to Tropical Marine Ecosystems from Human Activities with a Southeast Asian Example.” The Journal of Applied Ecology, vol. 61, no. 12, 2024, pp. 2897–911. British Ecological Society, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14812.
This article is about the impacts of human activities on tropical marine ecosystems. Many sea creatures are dependent on coral reefs to provide biodiversity and shelter. Unfortunately, Coral reefs are in terrible danger due to marine pollution. The research states that approximately 62 percent of coral reefs in Southeast Asia are at some level of risk due to human activity. Some examples of these activities include destructive fishing practices like blast and cyanide fishing, land based pollution, and coastal development. The land based pollution and coastal development can be related back to the effects of tourism. According to this article such activities can be incredibly harmful to the ecosystem and lead to habitat degradation, reduced biodiversity, and negative economic impacts on fisheries. This can be used to support my argument by showcasing the negative impacts of unregulated recreational human activities on coral reefs.
Downs, Craig A. “Sunscreen Pollution and Tourism Governance: Science and Innovation Are Necessary for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Tourism.” Aquatic Conservation, vol. 32, no. 5, 2022, pp. 896–906. Wiley Online Library, https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3791.
A popular part of tourism in coastal areas is participating in water recreational activities in the ocean near reefs and animals. In these areas, people are wearing sunscreen and other cosmetics while swimming, introducing chemicals into the water. ‘Sunscreen sheens’ from swimmers and beachgoers can be seen in the water. Marine microplastics combined with the chemicals in sunscreen amplify the negative effects of both stressors and threaten to induce coral bleaching. They are also found to be threatening to the food chain “from algae, fish, shellfish, and corals to endangered species including sea turtles, marine mammals, and migratory marine birds (Bachelot et al., 2012; Alonso et al., 2015; Díaz-Cruz & Barceló, 2015; Downs et al., 2016; Cocci, Mosconi & Palermo, 2020).” This poses a threat not only to marine wildlife but also to humans and coastal communities. This article states that chemicals found in cosmetic products like sunscreen, such as oxybenzone and galaxolide, can taint fisheries and agricultural commodities, reducing fishing yields and burdening the human body.
Garcés-Ordóñez, Ostin. “The Impact of Tourism on Marine Litter Pollution on Santa Marta Beaches, Colombian Caribbean.” Marine Pollution Bulletin, vol. 160, 2020, pp. 111558–111558. Elsevier ScienceDirect Journals, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111558.
Microplastics and macrolitter greatly increase during the tourist season in coastal areas. Tourism has been identified as the main source of this litter pollution, causing significant harm to the marine and coastal ecosystems. This article states how beaches are negatively impacted by tourist litter as well as the stronger controls, better education, and awareness strategies to help prevent litter pollution and prevent negative impacts on communities. Microplastics cause a significant amount of litter pollution because they are abundant in things we use every day, such as cosmetics, household cleaning, and personal hygiene products. These plastics are decreasing the water quality and making the animals that ingest them sick. There are also other materials, such as metal and glass, which are not only a huge hazard to humans and wildlife on the beaches but also deteriorate the landscape, negatively impacting the economy. Additionally, other materials such as cigarette butts can be found in the sand, which is especially harmful due to the chemicals within them.
Grelaud, Michaël, and Patrizia Ziveri. “The Generation of Marine Litter in Mediterranean Island Beaches as an Effect of Tourism and Its Mitigation.” Scientific Reports, vol. 1, no. 10, 2020, pp. 20326–20326. Scientific Report, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-77225-5.
This article goes over the results of a study in regards to the correlation between high tourism seasons and the accumulation of marine litter. People are more likely to visit coastal areas during the Spring and Summer time. Due to the mass influx of people at this time the amount of marine litter caused by tourism can be tracked and studied. According to the study, accumulation rates of marine litter increase up to 4.7 times during high tourism seasons. Activities that this article states are the source of this pollution include inadequate waste management, tourism, recreational activities, littering and illegal dumping. This supports my argument that tourism has negative effects on marine life by polluting the ecosystem. In fact, the authors provide and use the article to promote proper sustainable tourism practices to reduce the generation of marine litter on the beaches.
Kurniawan, Fery. “Hypothetical Effects Assessment of Tourism on Coastal Water Quality in the Marine Tourism Park of the Gili Matra Islands, Indonesia.” Environment, Development and Sustainability, vol. 25, no. 8, 2023, pp. 7959–85. Springer Nature Link, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02382-8.
This article goes over a study evaluating the impacts of tourism on the quality of coastal water. According to the study seasons with a high rate of tourism the Coastal Water Quality Index (CWQI) decreased and in the off seasons water quality improved. It also found that areas where water based tourism activities such as swimming, snorkeling, diving, surfing and canoeing are popular the water quality was lower than in other areas. This study supports my argument that tourism is bad for marine environments by helping people understand the effects it has on water quality while also giving solutions for sustainable tourism practices.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “The Economic Impacts of Marine Debris on Tourism-Dependent Communities.” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2025, https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/research/economic-impacts-marine-debris-tourism-dependent-communities. Accessed 11 3 2025.
This article is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and goes over the negative effects marine debris has on coastal ecosystems and the economy. As established in my other citations there is a direct correlation between increased tourism and increased litter on beaches and in the water. According to this article marine debris also has a negative impact on tourism and in turn the economy of coastal areas. In areas where marine debris is increasing it results in a decrease in visitors, recreational value, jobs, and spending. For coastal cities who are responsible for raising funding for marine conservation, negative impacts on the economy are detrimental to the ecosystem. Therefore, this article can be used in support of my argument that excessive and unregulated tourism can be harmful to ocean flora and fauna.