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Protected Areas (PAs) are critical instruments in preserving biodiversity and, because of their high-quality environmental conditions, they have always been attractive for ecotourism, the natural-based element of holiday activities that minimizes the “antagonistic” impacts of tourism on the environment. However, many PAs lack a specific management plan or do not include the future effects of tourism activities on the local human population. In this study, we propose a methodology for the projection of ecotourism impacts in the short-,mid-, and long-term scenarios in PAs. Based on the scenarios proposed by the panel of experts through the cause‒effect method, local communities described the core problems in a PA and proposed the solutions to develop ecotourism. We used 44 legislative, natural, and expert opinion attributes to prioritize future sustained activities under environmental policies. Our results suggest a background and show the best performance and efficacy of ecotourism activities. In addition, these methods aim to solve challenges faced by the local communities, encouraging the generation of scientific knowledge and conservation and natural resources management associated with biodiversity.

In this study, 10% of all registered fishermen in the coastal towns of Navachiste in Sinaloa, in northwestern Mexico, answered a survey designed to collect data on their perceptions of the following topics: the impact of turtle meat consumption; human health; bycatch; illegal turtle fishing; the illegal sea turtle market; the local economy; pollution; environmental education; the success of protective legislation; and sea turtle-based ecotourism. Perceptions were analyzed using the fuzzy logic method through classification into 5 fuzzy membership sets: VL, very low; L, low; M, moderate; H, high; VH, very high. The 9 topics generated decision areas upon applying fuzzy inference that revealed the membership level of the answers in each fuzzy set. The economic potential of sea turtle-based ecotourism and the economic profitability of the illegal turtle meat market were perceived as VL. Conservation legislation was perceived as H, although inefficiently applied due to corruption. Ecotourism and impacts on sea turtles were perceived as VL, because they were deemed unprofitable activities at the individual and community levels. Environmental education was perceived as L, because it centers on nesting, hatching and releasing turtles and is directed at elementary and middle-school students. While fishers perceive a serious negative impact of fishing activities on sea turtles in the San Ignacio-Navachiste-Macapule area, they do not see themselves individually as part of the problem. Achieving sea turtle conservation in this region requires: suitable ecotourism infrastructure, government investments in promotion, and studies to estimate the minimum number of tourists needed to assure profitability.

Efecto de bacterias probióticas en el cultivo larvario del ostión de placerCrassostrea corteziensis (Bivalvia: Ostreidae) Abstract: Effect of probiotic bacteria on survival and growth of Cortez oyster larvae, Crassostrea corteziensis (Bivalvia: Ostreidae). Disease control problems have major constraints in aquaculture production, and the use of probiotics in larviculture is a valid alternative to antibiotics. This study analyzed the effect of probiotic bacteria on survival and final size of Cortez oyster larvae Crassostrea corteziensis. Two different probiotic concentrations were evaluated, 1x10 4 and 1x10 5 CFU/ml of Lactic acid bacteria (strain NS61) isolated from Nodipecten subnodosus, and bacilli isolated from the white leg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, strain YC58) and C. corteziensis (Burkholderia cepacia, strain Y021). Bacteria were added directly into culture tanks, starting the bioassays from veliger to pediveliger stages as follows: (1) Control, without probiotics; (2) lactic acid bacteria (Lb); (3) bacilli mix (Mb) in a proportion 1:1. Results showed a higher larval survival with Lb and Mb at a dose of 1x10 4 CFU/ml compared to the control group. Larvae exposed to Mb at 1x10 5 CFU/ml showed higher survival than Lb and control. Larval final size was not significantly increased with the tested probiotics, but larvae treated with Lb at 1x10 5 CFU/ml showed less survival rate than those treated at 1x10 4 CFU/ml. This study showed the beneficial effect of these probiotics, added individually or mixed in C. corteziensis larvae culture. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59 (1): 183-191. Epub 2011 March 01.

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