Abstract

The Garrafón Park in the westem coast of Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, extends 260 meters, and it has represented during years one of the main attractions of the island, where the economy is dependent upon tourism, trade, and fishing. During 50 years, it has been used without control nor surveillance by scuba amateurs, snorkeling, and beach tourism. Together with the effect caused by hurricanes and tropical storms, the benthos has degraded to a shallow rocky floor. However, it remains a popular tomist area with an annual average is of 250 visitors per day. This páper describes the economic value of the ecosystem provided by the flow of services and goods (natural capital of a stock) and for the flow of biomass or services (natural income). Human activity can impact ecosystem health and biodiversity, exceeds its waste assimilation capacity, protection to meteorological phenomenons, extraction of biomass, elements commonly used for the reef ecosystem assessment and whose results are always very subjective.For concept of entrances, they were generated during 1997 revenues of the order ofl,575,721.00 US dls, and for that of other related services 175,536 US dls. The economic benefit to the island, primarily through employment generated in this activity, exceeds 4 million pesos annually. Considering the direct revenues generated through tourism, the gross value of the reef m2 is of US$ 398 annually. The actual value of the ecosystem is much greater when indirect values, such as physical structure that offers refuge to species of commercial interest and beach protection are factored.

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