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International Journal of Marine Science 2014, Vol.4, No.37, 1-12
http://ijms.biopublisher.ca
2
local services were improved. During this time, they
also removed the natural barrier of the coastal
vegetation is dominated by mangroves.
In addition to these actions of man, in this area of the
south coast act two phenomena that are closely linked;
the sinking of marine platform and sea level rise due
to global warming. Both influence the penetration of
sea to land and affect the erosion of the sandy bar.
The descention of the platform as a natural
phenomenon makes the whole ecosystem to move
back as a whole, while maintaining a similar structure
as far as vegetation is concerned. However, the
increase in sea level due to climate change comes in
synergy with the natural subsidence and results in a
sink rate of the platform or climb higher sea level,
increasing the penetration of the sea during
atmospheric phenomena such as hurricanes and
Souths.
These actions have accelerated the process of erosion
and moving back shoreline and today, the beach faces
severe effects. According to residents, the shoreline
has receded more than 60 m from 1958 to date and the
fringe of sand used by swimmers has virtually
disappeared, not only in the main swimming area, but
in other parts of the sandy bar, arriving today at the
yards of the houses located near the coast.
The terrestrial zone close to mangrove area also has
been affected by human activity. In the late 60s, a
clearing of natural vegetation represented mainly by
microphyll evergreen forest was made in order to
transform these lands in productive. Today, the
resulting savanna has high infestation Marabou
(
Dichrostachys cinerea
(L.) Wight
Arn. Var.
africana
Brenan
Brummitt), where frequent fires
occur during the dry season.
To the northeast of the selected area rice fields
associated with the town of San Antonio appear,
which discharge their effluents into the mangroves
directly through the beds of rivers or indirectly
associated by infiltration.
These environmental problems, including accelerated
death mangrove and continue shoreline moving
landward, made that the community presented, in
1998, their concern to the Municipal and Provincial
Governments of Florida and Camaguey, respectively.
In response, an environmental diagnosis of the coastal
village and surrounding areas was made, indentifying
the following environmental problems; Continued
moving back of the coastal line which, together with
the sinking of the marine platform as part of a
geological process, reduces the area available for the
community to develop their activities and their own
existence; mangrove death as a result of the disruption
of the water flow by the construction of access road to
the community without water passages; pollution
focused in port as a result of the work of boats and
primary processing of fish and oysters; pollution by
fertilizers and insecticides used in rice fields; fisheries
and fishing gear are not compatible with the
conservation of the marine environment (use of seine),
although most of this activity is done in areas away
from the area where the community is located.
It is currently holding a series of actions as part of a
regional project "Conservation and Management of
Mangroves associated with Playa Florida coastal
community", one by the Environment Fund and two
international projects, in the framework of GEF Small
Grants (PPD) "The community in the rescue of the
mangrove ecosystem in Playa Florida" and another
through the agency COSPE "Sustainable Fisheries in a
key area of the Caribbean basin and improving the
quality of life of fishing communities" which have
established strategies to mitigate environmental
impacts and seek environmentally sustainable
solutions .
2 Goals and Objectives
2.1 Long-term objective
Harmonize the uses of wetland associated with the
coastal community of Playa Florida and surrounding
areas as part of the National Strategy for Sustainable
Use and Conservation of Biodiversity as a way to
achieve environmentally sustainable development of
the community.
2.2 Objectives
Reducing conflicts of interest between the main
economic activities in the area (commercial and local
fisheries, and recreation), and the conservation and
sustainable use of natural resources.