Context:

The wide variation in coastal physicochemical and biological parameters are the result of natural local factors: climate, geomorphology, marine influence, river discharges, resulting in wide variations and this has resulted in the use of averages that do not reflect aquatic reality Therefore, the present study analyzes the theoretical behavior of the conservative and non-conservative and biological parameters of coastal lagoons of both the Gulf of Mexico and the Mexican Pacific, through data referred to as minimum, maximum and average, and their degree of certainty.

Methodology:

Physicochemical and biological information was collected from 11 coastal lagoons with extreme environmental differences: five from the Gulf of Mexico and six from the Mexican Pacific, according to the availability and continuity of the information.

Results:

The intervals of the conservative and non-conservative parameters (maximum and minimum) were significantly wide, associated with seasonal climatic factors (rainfall and dry season), temporary or permanent river discharges, water management in the adjacent land area, as well as by tidal influence. Therefore, using an average based on maximum and minimum of those parameters is not recommended. In the non-conservative parameters, there were short or larger differences in variation; due to the dynamics of circulation, season, even, to the annual until the interannual, so it is not advisable to use averages. Based on the above, greater variations in aquatic parameters were estimated in the lagoons of the Pacific and greater homogeneity in those of the Gulf of Mexico, as a result of fluvioclimatic regularity, less anthropogenic influence and less coastal management.

Conclusions:

For a diagnostic analysis with an integrative view of coastal physicochemical and biological factors, it is necessary to rely on knowledge of local normal conditions that include: physical dynamics, river, geomorphological dynamics and adjacent terrestrial influences, to differentiate from anthropogenic impacts, which they modify the aquatic characteristics; therefore, it is not appropriate to refer the results as minimum, maximum and average that in many cases the interval between the first and the last can be wide, with insecure and erroneous results; in addition to not being repetitive or permanent and vary heterogeneously, as could be seen in the chosen lagoons of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mexican Pacific.