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We assessed the concentration of organophosphate pesticides (OPs) and microplastics (MPs) in water and sediments from the burrows, and tissues of the fiddler crabs Leptuca festae and Minuca ecuadoriensis, from Isla Santay, a Ramsar site in the estuary of the Guayas River, Ecuador. MPs concentrations in the burrows were 660 ± 174.36 items kg−1 (w.w.) and 26 ± 1 items L−1 in collected sediments and water, respectively. Regarding OPs, water and sediment concentrations were up to 26 times above the USEPA thresholds for chronic exposure, indicating environmental risk. MPs were found in tissues collected from both species. The highest abundance was in the gills followed by the digestive tract and hepatopancreas. OPs concentrations in tissues were below the detection limits. Because fiddler crabs are chronically exposed to environmental contamination, they are suitable bioindicators to monitor Isla Santay and to comprehend human impacts in coastal environments of Ecuador.

espanolLa isla Santay, ubicada frente a la ciudad de Guayaquil, Ecuador, es un humedal de relevancia internacional RAMSAR, en la que ha disminuido el numero de visitantes debido a su falta de mantenimiento. Son objetivos, del presente trabajo, encontrar la disponibilidad a pagar (DAP) por parte de los visitantes a este humedal y evaluar la posibilidad de realizar actividades de entretenimiento para familias ecohedonicas. Para ello, es necesario analizar el perfil del visitante actual que llega a la isla Santay e identificar las variables que condicionan la DAP del visitante con predileccion por estos destinos turisticos, pero con mejor conservacion. El metodo de investigacion tiene enfoque positivista (cuantitativo), metodo descriptivo y bibliografico. La recoleccion de datos uso la tecnica de analisis de documentos y listas de cotejo. Se analiza el perfil del visitante actual a la isla Santay y las variables que condicionan la DAP. El segmento ecohedonico es el mas representativo. Sin embargo, 49% no esta dispuesto a pagar por la oferta poco variada y su precio. Asimismo, se analiza los casos de estudios de segmentacion y motivaciones en ecoturismo mediante la revision de literatura cientifica. Los resultados son la base para los actores del turismo que consideran unir el segmento eco-hedonico-social con los paquetes de viajes. EnglishThe island of Santay, located in front of the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador, is a RAMSAR wetland of internationalrelevance, in which the number of visitors has decreased due to its lack of maintenance. The objectives of thiswork are to find the willingness to pay (WTP) by visitors to this wetland and to evaluate the possibility ofentertaining activities for ecohedonic families. For this, it is necessary to analyze the profile of the currentvisitor who arrives at the island of Santay and identify the variables that condition the WTP of the visitor with apredilection for these tourism destinations, but with better conservation. The research method has a positivistapproach (quantitative), descriptive and bibliographic method. Data collection used the document analysis techniqueand checklists. The profile of the current visitor and the variables that determine the WTP are analyzed. The echohedonicsegment is the most representative. However, 49% are not willing to pay for the little varied offer and its price. Likewise, the case studies of segmentation and motivations in ecotourism are analyzed by reviewing the scientificliterature. The results are the basis for tourism actors considering joining the eco-hedonic-social segment withtravel packages.

We assessed the combined effects of polyethylene microplastic (MP) and malathion (MLT) on the survival of the fiddler crab Minuca ecuadoriensis, and MP tissue bioaccumulation in four treatments following 120 h exposure: T1) Control; T2) MLT 50 mg L− 1 ; T3) MP 200 mg L− 1 ; and T4) MLT (50 mg L− 1 ) + MP (200 mg L− 1 ). The highest mortality (80%) was in T4, followed by T2 (28%) and no mortality was in T3. Higher MP bioaccumulation was observed in T4 (572 items g tissue− 1 ) followed by T3 (70 items g tissue− 1 ). Our findings indicate that the synergistic effect of MLT and MP increased M. ecuadoriensis bioaccumulative capacity and decreases survival. Thus, as MP contamination in aquatic environments is ubiquitous, our study raises a warning on the synergistic effects of MP with other environmental contaminants and serves as a baseline for further studies.