Seston and Eutrophication on a Tropical Karst Lake District: Lagunas De Montebello, Chiapas, Mexico

Large quantities of seston are among the most important indicators of eutrophication in aquatic ecosystems. The present study aimed to elucidate the role seston plays in the general limnological dynamics of a cluster of eighteen tropical karstic lakes with different anthropic impacts (non-impacted, oligotrophic, clear-water lakes, and impacted, eutrophic, turbid-water lakes) of the “Lagunas de Montebello” National Park lake district. The seston concentration was measured twice, in the warm/rainy and the cold/dry season. Vertical profiles of temperature, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, pH, and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) were recorded at each lake. Water samples were taken along the water column to evaluate seston and chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentration. Impacted lakes displayed higher seston (4.1-21.0 mg/L) and Chl-a (8.1-129.8 μg/L) concentrations, reduced euphotic zone (ZEU = 2.6-6.3 m), and superficial thermo- (gradient = 0.8 ± 0.2 °C/m) and oxyclines (gradient = 4.7 ± 2.4 mg DO/m). Non-impacted lakes had lower seston (1.0-2.1 mg/L) and Chl-a (0.4-5.2 μg/L) concentrations, wide ZEU (10.1-33.4 m), and deeper thermo- (gradient = 0.5 ± 0.1 °C/m) and oxyclines (gradient = 0.6 ± 0.4 mg DO/m). The changes reported in impacted lakes linked with the increase in the seston and Chl-a concentrations are most likely related to the eutrophication process asso¬ciated with anthropogenic activities (agriculture, urban development, land-use change) in the NW part of the area. This research highlights the fragility of the tropical karst lake ecosystems worth protecting to preserve the aquatic ecosystem’s health.