###### Abstract  
Tropical cyclones (TCs) are natural systems that develop over ocean basins and are key components of the atmospheric activity during the warm season. However, there are still knowledge gaps about the combined positive and negative TC impacts on the structure and function of coastal socio-ecosystems. Using remote sensing tools, we analyzed the frequency, trajectory, and intensity of 1894 TCs from 1851-2019 to identify vulnerable \"hotspots\" across the Yucatan Peninsula (YP), Mexico. A total of 151 events hit the YP, with 96% of landings on the eastern coast. We focused on three major hurricanes (Emily and Wilma, 2005; Dean, 2007) and one tropical storm (Stan, 2005) to determine the impacts on cumulative precipitation, vegetation change, and coastal phytoplankton (Chl-\(a\)) distribution across the YP. Despite a short inland incursion, Wilma's environmental damage was coupled to strong winds (157-241 km/h), slow motion (4-9 km/h), and heavy precipitation (up to 770 mm). Because of an extensive footprint, Wilma caused more vegetation damage (29%) than Dean (20%), Emily (7%), and Stan (2%). All TCs caused a Chl-\(a\) increase associated to submarine discharge and upwelling off the peninsula coastlines. Disaster risk along the coast underscores negative economic impacts and positive ecological benefits at the regional scale. tropical cyclones; satellite datasets; vegetation change; ocean productivity; karstic coast; Yucatan Peninsula; Mexico +
Footnote †: journal: Applied  
scales [5; 6; 7]. Such impacts on natural ecosystems can range from direct tree mortality, defoliation, tree snapping, and vegetation uprooting [8; 9] to geomorphological and hydrological changes that alter water availability [10], sedimentation/erosion patterns [11; 12], terrestrial [13; 14; 15], aquatic, and wetland primary productivity [16]. While global TCs' trajectories and landing regions (i.e., hotspots) are well delineated along coastlines [17], there are discrepancies in our understanding of the relative role of the interactions among climatic and biophysical drivers that impact coastal regions [7; 9; 18; 19; 20; 21]. At the global scale, only a few countries are simultaneously impacted by TCs from two ocean basins: Australia located between the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean [22] while Mexico is between the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPAC), the Caribbean Sea (CS), and Gulf of Mexico (GOM) basins [23; 24; 25]. Because of this double exposure to TCs and intrinsic variability in the long term--especially in the context of anthropogenic warming [25]--Mexico has a relatively higher TC landing frequency in both coasts. In comparison, the largest number of landings in Australia occurs in the coastal region facing the eastern Indian Ocean [22; 26]. Indeed, Mexico is distinctly affected by Atlantic TCs that impact the CS, and GOM basins [27; 28; 29] while TC development in the EPAC may be due to the interaction between the atmospheric environment and the mountains of Central America and Mexico [23; 30]. Although TC landings on Mexican coasts are relatively similar at both basins, there is a higher landing frequency at the EPAC basin, specifically in the northwestern coastline [31; 32]. However, because of major differences in the geological origin and orography, TC precipitation and associated runoff is variable between the two basins [33]. For instance, high elevation and variable slope across mountain ranges close to the EPAC, which are linked to the subduction of the Cocos Plate and lateral movement of the Pacific Plate [34; 35], strongly influence the coastal and inland regional weather and climate patterns. Further, there are contrasting climate regimes (e.g., arid vs. temperate) across the two basins that are influenced by geomorphology at the same northern latitudinal band [36]. Thus, geomorphological differences, including the presence of large mountain ranges along the extensive western Mexican coastline (12,122 km) [31; 34], define the qualitative and quantitative TC impact on ecosystems.