Lineamientos para el manejo basado en caracterización costera: Tortuga Bay, Galápagos

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the coastal characterization of Tortuga Bay beach, located on Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos Archipelago, with the aim of establishing guidelines for sustainable coastal management. Given the vulnerability of tropical islands to climate change and coastal erosion, methodologies were implemented, including the collection of historical data on waves, tides, and winds, as well as the application of computational models and data validation through field trips during different seasons. The analysis of erosion and accretion rates, was done with tools of remote sensing such as CoastSat and DSAS, revealed that the highest erosion occurred during the wet season, with significant values, particularly in sector 3 of the beach, where an erosion rate of -0.46 m/year was recorded. In contrast, the dry season showed a trend towards accretion in several points of the beach, with sector 1 standing out with an accretion rate of 0.23 m/year. These results allowed for the sectorization of the study area and the proposal of specific measures for the conservation of the beach's ecosystem services, thereby supporting informed decision-making for the area's management. This study contributes to the development of a coastal management plan that will help mitigate the impacts of climate change and promote sustainable tourism in Tortuga Bay, giving results aligned with SDG 13 on Climate Action, 14 on Underwater Life and 17 seeking alliances to achieve the objectives. Keywords: Climate change, coastal erosion, coastal management, Tortuga Bay, remote sensing, coastal characterization.