Industrial Development Effects on the Ecology of a Pacific Mexican Estuary

Abstract

In November 1983, the construction of the first part of an assembling plant of jackets to support oil-drilling platforms began at Punta Banda estuary, a 16.40 km 2 coastal estuary located 150 km south of the USA-México border. The area that is being built on (0.45 km 2 ) is located at the south-west corner of the estuary and is delimited by a dike. The second part of the construction, covering a further 0.40 km 2 , will extend to the south-east and will require some deflection of the main circulation channel.