The environmental recovery of the main tourist destinations in the Colombian Caribbean during the Covid-19 quarantine

Abstract

To counteract the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic disease, the Colombian government decreed a quarantine period from March 24 to July 1, 2020, which forced the cessation of tourist activities and the closure of the main tourist destinations of the Colombian Caribbean: Santa Marta, Cartagena, and San Andrés. During this period, a significant increase in the environmental quality of these coastal zones was perceived. To quantify environmental changes in the coastal zone, the variation in chlorophyll concentration and total suspended solids observed by the Sentinel-3 satellite mission, 30 days before and after the start of the quarantine, was analyzed. The results showed a decrease in the concentration of chlorophyll (> 20 %) and suspended solids (> 40 %) in Santa Marta and Cartagena, but no significant change in San Andrés. Although part of this reduction was linked to seasonal changes in local forces, the results suggest that environmental recovery could be a remote effect of the cessation of polluting activities in the continental territory. Thus, the Covid-19 quarantine provides a reference to observe the effects of productive and tourist activities, potentially useful to establish the carrying capacity and recovery of coastal ecosystems.