An aerial view of boats near coral reefs and Sargassum algae in Cancun, August 13, 2015. Cancun’s transformation in the 1970s from a small Caribbean fishing village into a strip of nightclubs and high-rise hotels has reduced biodiversity and polluted water resources as infrastructure struggles to keep up. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYPICTURE 4 OF 34 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'EARTHPRINTS: CANCUN'SEARCH 'EARTHPRINTS CANCUN' FOR ALL IMAGES TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY EDGARD GARRIDO (REUTERS)A woman takes pictures on a beach in Cancun, August 15, 2015. In the high season from about December to early April, tourists from the United States, Europe and further afield crowd the resort to swim and snorkel off usually pristine white beaches, party in the resort's many nightclubs and play golf. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido PICTURE 9 OF 34 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'EARTHPRINTS: CANCUN'SEARCH 'EARTHPRINTS CANCUN' FOR ALL IMAGESEDGARD GARRIDO (REUTERS)An aerial view of Sargassum algae in Cancun, August 13, 2015. The Sargassum algae contains biting sand fleas and releases a pungent smell as it decomposes. It has choked beaches in resorts throughout the Caribbean including Cancun this season, prompting local authorities to launch a large-scale clean-up operation. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYPICTURE 5 OF 34 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'EARTHPRINTS: CANCUN'SEARCH 'EARTHPRINTS CANCUN' FOR ALL IMAGES TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY EDGARD GARRIDO (REUTERS)Men pose for a picture on a beach in Cancun, August 11, 2015. In the high season from about December to early April, tourists from the United States, Europe and further afield crowd the resort to swim and snorkel off usually pristine white beaches, party in the resort's many nightclubs and play golf. Cancun is also popular with Mexicans. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYPICTURE 10 OF 34 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'EARTHPRINTS: CANCUN'SEARCH 'EARTHPRINTS CANCUN' FOR ALL IMAGES TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY EDGARD GARRIDO (REUTERS)A woman walks on a makeshift bridge near Sargassum algae in Puerto Morelos, near Cancun, August 11, 2015. The Sargassum algae contains biting sand fleas and releases a pungent smell as it decomposes. It has choked beaches in resorts throughout the Caribbean including Cancun this season, prompting local authorities to launch a large-scale clean-up operation. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido PICTURE 11 OF 34 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'EARTHPRINTS: CANCUN'SEARCH 'EARTHPRINTS CANCUN' FOR ALL IMAGESEDGARD GARRIDO (REUTERS)An aerial view of a mangrove swamp in Cancun, August 13, 2015. Due to mass tourism, Mexico has already lost 65 percent of its mangroves, according to environmental group Greenpeace, with more disappearing with each passing year. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido PICTURE 13 OF 34 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'EARTHPRINTS: CANCUN'SEARCH 'EARTHPRINTS CANCUN' FOR ALL IMAGESEDGARD GARRIDO (REUTERS)Buildings are seen behind dying plants in Cancun, August 12, 2015. Cancun’s transformation in the 1970s from a small Caribbean fishing village into a strip of nightclubs and high-rise hotels has reduced biodiversity and polluted water resources as infrastructure struggles to keep up. REUTERS/Edgard GarridoPICTURE 16 OF 34 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'EARTHPRINTS: CANCUN'SEARCH 'EARTHPRINTS CANCUN' FOR ALL IMAGESEDGARD GARRIDO (REUTERS)A house next to a mangrove swamp affected by a local construction in Cancun, August 12, 2015. The loss of mangrove swamps, which form a natural barrier against hurricanes, to make way for hotels and other buildings has increased the risk when natural disasters strike, according to environmentalists. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido PICTURE 14 OF 34 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'EARTHPRINTS: CANCUN'SEARCH 'EARTHPRINTS CANCUN' FOR ALL IMAGESEDGARD GARRIDO (REUTERS)An iguana rests on a stone near a hotel in Cancun, August 15, 2015. Cancun’s transformation in the 1970s from a small Caribbean fishing village into a strip of nightclubs and high-rise hotels has reduced biodiversity and polluted water resources as infrastructure struggles to keep up. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido PICTURE 17 OF 34 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'EARTHPRINTS: CANCUN'SEARCH 'EARTHPRINTS CANCUN' FOR ALL IMAGESEDGARD GARRIDO (REUTERS)The coastline of Cancun in Mexico is seen in a combination of NASA satellite images taken in 1988 (L) and in 2015. Cancun’s transformation in the 1970s from a small Caribbean fishing village into a strip of nightclubs and high-rise hotels has reduced biodiversity and polluted water resources as infrastructure struggles to keep up. REUTERS/NASA/Handout via Reuters ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNSPICTURE 32 OF 34 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'EARTHPRINTS: CANCUN'SEARCH 'EARTHPRINTS CANCUN' FOR ALL IMAGES EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVENASA (REUTERS)Tourists drink on a street in Cancun, October 12, 2015. Mexico will attract 30 million visitors this year, generating more than $17 billion in revenue, the government says, to resorts including Cancun, the nearby Riviera Maya, and Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific coast. REUTERS/Edgard GarridoPICTURE 25 OF 34 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'EARTHPRINTS: CANCUN'SEARCH 'EARTHPRINTS CANCUN' FOR ALL IMAGES EDGARD GARRIDO (REUTERS)A girl looks at a bird fishing in the sea in Cancun, October 14, 2015. Cancun’s transformation in the 1970s from a small Caribbean fishing village into a strip of nightclubs and high-rise hotels has reduced biodiversity and polluted water resources as infrastructure struggles to keep up. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYPICTURE 28 OF 34 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'EARTHPRINTS: CANCUN'SEARCH 'EARTHPRINTS CANCUN' FOR ALL IMAGES TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY EDGARD GARRIDO (REUTERS)Preparations are made for a wedding on a beach in Cancun, August 15, 2015. Cancun’s transformation in the 1970s from a small Caribbean fishing village into a strip of nightclubs and high-rise hotels has reduced biodiversity and polluted water resources as infrastructure struggles to keep up. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido PICTURE 29 OF 34 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'EARTHPRINTS: CANCUN'SEARCH 'EARTHPRINTS CANCUN' FOR ALL IMAGESEDGARD GARRIDO (REUTERS)A trash can is seen on a beach in Cancun, August 14, 2015. Cancun’s transformation in the 1970s from a small Caribbean fishing village into a strip of nightclubs and high-rise hotels has reduced biodiversity and polluted water resources as infrastructure struggles to keep up. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido PICTURE 26 OF 34 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'EARTHPRINTS: CANCUN'SEARCH 'EARTHPRINTS CANCUN' FOR ALL IMAGESEDGARD GARRIDO (REUTERS)Ahead of the UN Climate Conference we release the 7th in our "Earthprints" series illustrating human impact on the landscape of the planet.Cancun's transformation in the 1970s from a small Caribbean fishing village into a strip of nightclubs and high-rise hotels has reduced biodiversity and polluted water resources as infrastructure struggles to keep up, critics say.Furthermore, the loss of mangrove swamps, which form a natural barrier against hurricanes, to make way for hotels and other buildings has increased the risk when natural disasters strike, according to environmentalists. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY34 PICTURES FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY 'EARTHPRINTS: CANCUN' FOLLOW THIS ADVISORY SEARCH 'EARTHPRINTS CANCUN' FOR ALL IMAGES TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY TEMPLATE OUTEDGARD GARRIDO (REUTERS)
