Nuestro objetivo es desarrollar diversas publicaciones científicas que destaquen nuestro compromiso con la conservación de nuestros recursos marinos.
La mayoría de las publicaciones están disponibles gratuitamente en nuestro sitio web.
2024
Ruiz-Barrionuevo, Juliana M.; Kardas, Elif; Rodríguez-Barreras, Ruber; Quiñones-Otero, Marcos A.; Ruiz-Diaz, Claudia P.; Toledo-Hernández, Carlos; Godoy-Vitorino, Filipa
Shifts in the gut microbiota of sea urchin Diadema antillarum associated with the 2022 disease outbreak Journal Article
In: Frontiers, vol. 15, pp. 1-11, 2024.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: 165 rRNA, Diadema antillarum, gut microbiota, outbreak, Puerto Rico, Sea urchin
@article{Ruiz-Barrionuevo2024,
title = {Shifts in the gut microbiota of sea urchin \textit{Diadema antillarum} associated with the 2022 disease outbreak},
author = {Juliana M. Ruiz-Barrionuevo and Elif Kardas and Ruber Rodríguez-Barreras and Marcos A. Quiñones-Otero and Claudia P. Ruiz-Diaz and Carlos Toledo-Hernández and Filipa Godoy-Vitorino},
editor = {Eria Alaide Rebollar and Mirna Vázquez-Rosas-Landa and Emanuel Martinez},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1409729/full
https://sampr.org/shifts-in-the-gut-microbiota-of-sea-urchin-diadema-antillarum-associated-with-the-2022-disease-outbreak/
},
doi = {doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1409729},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-07-29},
urldate = {2024-07-29},
journal = {Frontiers},
volume = {15},
pages = {1-11},
abstract = {In recent decades, Caribbean coral reefs have lost many vital marine species due to diseases. The well-documented mass mortality event of the long-spined black sea urchin \textit{Diadema antillarum} in the early 1980s stands out among these collapses. This die-off killed over 90% of \textit{D. antillarum} changing the reefscape from coral to algal-dominated. Nearly 40 years later, \textit{D. antillarum} populations have yet to recover. In early 2022, a new mortality event of \textit{D. antillarum} was reported along the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico.},
keywords = {165 rRNA, Diadema antillarum, gut microbiota, outbreak, Puerto Rico, Sea urchin},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In recent decades, Caribbean coral reefs have lost many vital marine species due to diseases. The well-documented mass mortality event of the long-spined black sea urchin Diadema antillarum in the early 1980s stands out among these collapses. This die-off killed over 90% of D. antillarum changing the reefscape from coral to algal-dominated. Nearly 40 years later, D. antillarum populations have yet to recover. In early 2022, a new mortality event of D. antillarum was reported along the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico.
2023
Rodríguez-Barreras, Ruber; Ruiz-Diaz, Claudia Patricia; Quiñones-Otero, Marcos A.; Toledo-Hernández, Carlos
Uneven demographic consequences of the 2022 disease outbreak for the sea urchin Diadema antillarum in Puerto Rico Journal Article
In: PeerJ, vol. 11, no. e16675, pp. 1-16, 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: demography, Diadema antillarum, Mass mortality, Puerto Rico, Sea urchin
@article{Rodríguez-Barreras2023,
title = {Uneven demographic consequences of the 2022 disease outbreak for the sea urchin \textit{Diadema antillarum} in Puerto Rico},
author = {Ruber Rodríguez-Barreras and Claudia Patricia Ruiz-Diaz and Marcos A. Quiñones-Otero and Carlos Toledo-Hernández},
editor = {Anastazia Banaszak},
url = {https://peerj.com/articles/16675/
https://sampr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Uneven-demographic-consequences-of-the-2022-disease-outbreak-for-the-sea-urchin-Diadema-antillarum-in-Puerto-Rico-peerj-16675.pdf},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16675},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-12-20},
urldate = {2023-12-20},
journal = {PeerJ},
volume = {11},
number = {e16675},
pages = {1-16},
abstract = {Pervasive epizootic events have had a significant impact on marine invertebrates throughout the Caribbean, leading to severe population declines and consequential ecological implications. One such event was the regional collapse of herbivory, partly caused by the Diadema antillarum mortality event in 1983–84, resulting in a trophic cascade and altering the structure of reef communities. Consequently, there was a notable decrease in coral recruitment and an increase in the coverage of macroalgae. Nearly four decades later, in early 2022, the Caribbean basin experienced another widespread mass mortality event, further reducing the populations of D. antillarum. To assess the effects of this recent mortality event on the current demographics of D. antillarum, we surveyed eight populations along the eastern, northeastern, northern, and northwestern coast of Puerto Rico from May to July 2022, estimating their population density, size distribution, and disease prevalence. Additionally, the study compared these population parameters with data from four sites previously surveyed in 2012 and 2017 to understand the impact of the recent mortality event. The survey conducted in 2022 showed varying population densities at the surveyed reefs. Some populations exhibited mean densities of nearly one individual per square meter, while others had extremely low or no living individuals per square meter. The four populations with the highest density showed no evidence of disease, whereas the four populations with the lowest D. antillarum densities exhibited moderate to high disease prevalence. However, when considering all sites, the estimated disease prevalence remained below 5%. Nevertheless, the comparison with data from 2012 and 2017 indicated that the recent mortality event had a negative impact on D. antillarum demographics at multiple sites, as the densities in 2022 were reduced by 60.19% compared to those from the previous years. However, it is still too early to determine the severity of this new mortality event compared to the 1983–84 mortality event. Therefore, it is imperative to continue monitoring these populations.},
keywords = {demography, Diadema antillarum, Mass mortality, Puerto Rico, Sea urchin},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Pervasive epizootic events have had a significant impact on marine invertebrates throughout the Caribbean, leading to severe population declines and consequential ecological implications. One such event was the regional collapse of herbivory, partly caused by the Diadema antillarum mortality event in 1983–84, resulting in a trophic cascade and altering the structure of reef communities. Consequently, there was a notable decrease in coral recruitment and an increase in the coverage of macroalgae. Nearly four decades later, in early 2022, the Caribbean basin experienced another widespread mass mortality event, further reducing the populations of D. antillarum. To assess the effects of this recent mortality event on the current demographics of D. antillarum, we surveyed eight populations along the eastern, northeastern, northern, and northwestern coast of Puerto Rico from May to July 2022, estimating their population density, size distribution, and disease prevalence. Additionally, the study compared these population parameters with data from four sites previously surveyed in 2012 and 2017 to understand the impact of the recent mortality event. The survey conducted in 2022 showed varying population densities at the surveyed reefs. Some populations exhibited mean densities of nearly one individual per square meter, while others had extremely low or no living individuals per square meter. The four populations with the highest density showed no evidence of disease, whereas the four populations with the lowest D. antillarum densities exhibited moderate to high disease prevalence. However, when considering all sites, the estimated disease prevalence remained below 5%. Nevertheless, the comparison with data from 2012 and 2017 indicated that the recent mortality event had a negative impact on D. antillarum demographics at multiple sites, as the densities in 2022 were reduced by 60.19% compared to those from the previous years. However, it is still too early to determine the severity of this new mortality event compared to the 1983–84 mortality event. Therefore, it is imperative to continue monitoring these populations.
I., Aponte-Marcano Patria; E., Suleimán-Ramos Samuel; E., Mercado-Molina Alex
Effectiveness of different nursery designs for the restoration of the threatened coral Acropora cervicornis in Culebra, Puerto Rico Journal Article
In: Conservation Evidence Journal, vol. 20, pp. 30-39, 2023, ISSN: 1758-2067.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Acropora cervicornis, Caribbean Coral Reefs, coral restoration, Puerto Rico
@article{Aponte-Marcano12023,
title = {Effectiveness of different nursery designs for the restoration of the threatened coral \textit{Acropora cervicornis} in Culebra, Puerto Rico},
author = {Aponte-Marcano Patria I. and Suleimán-Ramos Samuel E. and Mercado-Molina Alex E.},
url = {https://www.conservationevidence.com/individual-study/12254
https://sampr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Effectiveness-of-different-nursery-designs-for-the-restoration-of-the-threatened-coral-Acropora-cervicornis-in-Culebra-Puerto-Rico.pdf},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.52201/CEJ20/PNCI5011},
issn = {1758-2067},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-09-01},
urldate = {2023-09-01},
journal = {Conservation Evidence Journal},
volume = {20},
pages = {30-39},
abstract = {The threatened staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis is an important reef-builder species in the Caribbean. Its ecological importance and critical status have prompted efforts to restore degraded populations. In this respect, nursery-based programmes have effectively propagated A. cervicornis and helped to increase population sizes. Despite many advances in low-cost coral nursery designs, there is still a need to increase productivity while reducing costs. This study evaluates A. cervicornis demographic performance in two propagation structures: floating trees (FT) and floating horizontal frames (HF). Two equal-sized fragments were collected from 50 healthy staghorn coral colonies. Each fragment was placed into an FT or HF design. Survival, growth, branching, and productivity were recorded for seven months. To address the cost-effectiveness of the coral propagation techniques, we compared the total cost of producing corals between the two designs. Survival was similar, with 91% and 92% of the coral fragments surviving in the FT and HF, respectively. Although colonies in HF nurseries grew faster and produced more branches than those in FT nurseries, these differences were not statistically significant. Likewise, productivity did not differ statistically between nursery designs despite fragments in HF nurseries being 1.5 times more productive than those in FT nurseries. Because of the similarity in demographic performance, the selection of nursery designs could be based solely on their cost-effectiveness. In this respect, the cost-effectiveness analysis shows that producing corals using HF costs about 70% less than FT. Thus, we conclude that floating horizontal frame (HF) nurseries are better for propagating A. cervicornis and accelerating coral restoration activities.},
keywords = {Acropora cervicornis, Caribbean Coral Reefs, coral restoration, Puerto Rico},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The threatened staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis is an important reef-builder species in the Caribbean. Its ecological importance and critical status have prompted efforts to restore degraded populations. In this respect, nursery-based programmes have effectively propagated A. cervicornis and helped to increase population sizes. Despite many advances in low-cost coral nursery designs, there is still a need to increase productivity while reducing costs. This study evaluates A. cervicornis demographic performance in two propagation structures: floating trees (FT) and floating horizontal frames (HF). Two equal-sized fragments were collected from 50 healthy staghorn coral colonies. Each fragment was placed into an FT or HF design. Survival, growth, branching, and productivity were recorded for seven months. To address the cost-effectiveness of the coral propagation techniques, we compared the total cost of producing corals between the two designs. Survival was similar, with 91% and 92% of the coral fragments surviving in the FT and HF, respectively. Although colonies in HF nurseries grew faster and produced more branches than those in FT nurseries, these differences were not statistically significant. Likewise, productivity did not differ statistically between nursery designs despite fragments in HF nurseries being 1.5 times more productive than those in FT nurseries. Because of the similarity in demographic performance, the selection of nursery designs could be based solely on their cost-effectiveness. In this respect, the cost-effectiveness analysis shows that producing corals using HF costs about 70% less than FT. Thus, we conclude that floating horizontal frame (HF) nurseries are better for propagating A. cervicornis and accelerating coral restoration activities.
2022
Hernández-Delgado, Edwin A.; Ortiz-Flores, María F.
The Long and Winding Road of Coral Reef Recovery in the Anthropocene: A Case Study from Puerto Rico Journal Article
In: Diversity, vol. 14, iss. 804, pp. 1-25, 2022.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Assisted Recovery, Chlorophyll-a Concentration, Climate change, Coastal Urban Habitats, Community Participation, Coral Recruit Density, Coral Recruit Diversity, coral recruitment, Ecological Restoration, Environmental Conservation, Environmental Degradation, Environmental Tolerance, Fringing Reefs, Geographic Regions, Hurricane Impact, Hurricane-Decimated Reefs, Light Attenuation Kd490, Live Coral Cover, Long-term Implications, Macroalgae Abundance, Marginal Shallow Coral Reefs, Natural Recovery, NH3, Optical Brightness, PO4, Projected Climate Change, Puerto Rico, Sea Level Rise, Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies, Turbidity, Turf Algae Abundance, Water Quality Degradation
@article{Hernández-Delgado2022,
title = {The Long and Winding Road of Coral Reef Recovery in the Anthropocene: A Case Study from Puerto Rico},
author = {Edwin A. Hernández-Delgado and María F. Ortiz-Flores},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/10/804
https://sampr.org/hernandez-ortiz-2022-coral-recruitment-pr-final/
},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.3390/d14100804},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-09-27},
journal = {Diversity},
volume = {14},
issue = {804},
pages = {1-25},
abstract = {The persistence and resilience of marginal shallow coral reefs at their limits of environmental tolerance have declined due to chronic environmental degradation and climate change. However, the consequences for the natural recovery ability of reefs after disturbance remain poorly understood. This study considered the potential for natural recovery through coral recruitment on fringing reefs across different geographic regions under contrasting environmental conditions in Puerto Rico. Reefs in areas with significant water quality degradation and more severe physical impacts of hurricanes were expected to have lower coral recruit density and diversity, and therefore less potential for recovery.
Sixteen reefs were assessed across three geographic regions. Degraded reefs sustained a lower percentage of live coral cover and had higher macroalgae and turf algae abundance. Locations affected by high PO₄, NH₃, and optical brightness concentrations, high turbidity, and high sea surface temperature anomalies, chlorophyll-a concentration, and light attenuation Kd490 evidenced significantly lower coral recruit density and diversity. Hurricane-decimated reefs also exhibited impoverished coral recruit assemblages.
Low coral recruitment could have important long-term implications under projected climate change and sea level rise, particularly in coastal urban habitats. There is a need to implement effective environmental conservation, ecological restoration, and community participation strategies that facilitate enhanced coral recruitment success and assisted recovery processes.},
keywords = {Assisted Recovery, Chlorophyll-a Concentration, Climate change, Coastal Urban Habitats, Community Participation, Coral Recruit Density, Coral Recruit Diversity, coral recruitment, Ecological Restoration, Environmental Conservation, Environmental Degradation, Environmental Tolerance, Fringing Reefs, Geographic Regions, Hurricane Impact, Hurricane-Decimated Reefs, Light Attenuation Kd490, Live Coral Cover, Long-term Implications, Macroalgae Abundance, Marginal Shallow Coral Reefs, Natural Recovery, NH3, Optical Brightness, PO4, Projected Climate Change, Puerto Rico, Sea Level Rise, Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies, Turbidity, Turf Algae Abundance, Water Quality Degradation},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The persistence and resilience of marginal shallow coral reefs at their limits of environmental tolerance have declined due to chronic environmental degradation and climate change. However, the consequences for the natural recovery ability of reefs after disturbance remain poorly understood. This study considered the potential for natural recovery through coral recruitment on fringing reefs across different geographic regions under contrasting environmental conditions in Puerto Rico. Reefs in areas with significant water quality degradation and more severe physical impacts of hurricanes were expected to have lower coral recruit density and diversity, and therefore less potential for recovery.
Sixteen reefs were assessed across three geographic regions. Degraded reefs sustained a lower percentage of live coral cover and had higher macroalgae and turf algae abundance. Locations affected by high PO₄, NH₃, and optical brightness concentrations, high turbidity, and high sea surface temperature anomalies, chlorophyll-a concentration, and light attenuation Kd490 evidenced significantly lower coral recruit density and diversity. Hurricane-decimated reefs also exhibited impoverished coral recruit assemblages.
Low coral recruitment could have important long-term implications under projected climate change and sea level rise, particularly in coastal urban habitats. There is a need to implement effective environmental conservation, ecological restoration, and community participation strategies that facilitate enhanced coral recruitment success and assisted recovery processes.
Sixteen reefs were assessed across three geographic regions. Degraded reefs sustained a lower percentage of live coral cover and had higher macroalgae and turf algae abundance. Locations affected by high PO₄, NH₃, and optical brightness concentrations, high turbidity, and high sea surface temperature anomalies, chlorophyll-a concentration, and light attenuation Kd490 evidenced significantly lower coral recruit density and diversity. Hurricane-decimated reefs also exhibited impoverished coral recruit assemblages.
Low coral recruitment could have important long-term implications under projected climate change and sea level rise, particularly in coastal urban habitats. There is a need to implement effective environmental conservation, ecological restoration, and community participation strategies that facilitate enhanced coral recruitment success and assisted recovery processes.
2020
Hernández-Delgado, E. A.; Toledo-Hernández, C.; Ruíz-Díaz, C. P.; Gómez-Andújar, N.; Medina-Muñiz, J. L.; Canals-Silander, M. F.; Suleimán-Ramos, S. E.
Hurricane Impacts and the Resilience of the Invasive Sea Vine, Halophila stipulacea: a Case Study from Puerto Rico. Journal Article
In: Estuaries and Coasts, vol. 43, pp. 1263–1283, 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Coast, Coastal Erosion, Coastal Resilience, Halophila stipulacea, Hurricane Impacts, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, Hurricanes, Puerto Rico, Resilience
@article{Hernández-Delgado2020,
title = {Hurricane Impacts and the Resilience of the Invasive Sea Vine, \textit{Halophila stipulacea}: a Case Study from Puerto Rico.},
author = {E. A. Hernández-Delgado and C. Toledo-Hernández and C. P. Ruíz-Díaz and N. Gómez-Andújar and J. L. Medina-Muñiz and M. F. Canals-Silander and S. E. Suleimán-Ramos},
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12237-019-00673-4
},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-019-00673-4},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-08},
urldate = {2020-01-08},
journal = {Estuaries and Coasts},
volume = {43},
pages = {1263–1283},
abstract = {Category five hurricanes Irma and María (September 2017) caused significant damage to shallow seagrass communities across Puerto Rico. The magnitude and spatial extent of hurricane impacts on representative seagrass habitats of Culebra Island were addressed using a combination of random photo-quadrats and before–after hurricanes GIS-based imagery analyses. There was a significant loss of shallow seagrasses across all nine surveyed locations. Most of the documented impacts were associated with sediment bedload (horizontal transport), which resulted in burial and suffocation. There was also localized physical disruption of the seagrass habitat matrix across locations exposed to stronger wave action, creating major scars and exposing below-ground structure to further disintegration by future storm events. Displaced coral rubble also caused seagrass burial. Aerial imagery analyses (2007, 2010, 2017) showed a significant decline in seagrass percent cover. Seagrass decline was positively correlated with wave exposure (p < 0.05). Seagrass cover, density, and changes in benthic community structure were documented across five of the surveyed locations during 2018, and these data were further compared to data collected in 2004 at these same sites. There was a decline in percent seagrass cover and density and a change in benthic community structure favoring habitat homogenization. A remarkable finding was the rapid recovery, expansion, and increased localized dominance of the invasive seagrass, Halophila stipulacea. This was particularly evident in areas impacted by recurrent land-based runoff pulses, anchoring, sediment resuspension due to navigation, trampling or by the accumulation of decaying Sargassum mats. Hurricanes triggered a localized shift in marine vegetation, favoring the invasion of H. stipulacea, with potentially significant consequences on ecosystem resilience and on the ability of native in seagrasses to persist and adapt to projected climate change impacts.},
keywords = {Coast, Coastal Erosion, Coastal Resilience, Halophila stipulacea, Hurricane Impacts, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, Hurricanes, Puerto Rico, Resilience},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Category five hurricanes Irma and María (September 2017) caused significant damage to shallow seagrass communities across Puerto Rico. The magnitude and spatial extent of hurricane impacts on representative seagrass habitats of Culebra Island were addressed using a combination of random photo-quadrats and before–after hurricanes GIS-based imagery analyses. There was a significant loss of shallow seagrasses across all nine surveyed locations. Most of the documented impacts were associated with sediment bedload (horizontal transport), which resulted in burial and suffocation. There was also localized physical disruption of the seagrass habitat matrix across locations exposed to stronger wave action, creating major scars and exposing below-ground structure to further disintegration by future storm events. Displaced coral rubble also caused seagrass burial. Aerial imagery analyses (2007, 2010, 2017) showed a significant decline in seagrass percent cover. Seagrass decline was positively correlated with wave exposure (p < 0.05). Seagrass cover, density, and changes in benthic community structure were documented across five of the surveyed locations during 2018, and these data were further compared to data collected in 2004 at these same sites. There was a decline in percent seagrass cover and density and a change in benthic community structure favoring habitat homogenization. A remarkable finding was the rapid recovery, expansion, and increased localized dominance of the invasive seagrass, Halophila stipulacea. This was particularly evident in areas impacted by recurrent land-based runoff pulses, anchoring, sediment resuspension due to navigation, trampling or by the accumulation of decaying Sargassum mats. Hurricanes triggered a localized shift in marine vegetation, favoring the invasion of H. stipulacea, with potentially significant consequences on ecosystem resilience and on the ability of native in seagrasses to persist and adapt to projected climate change impacts.
2019
Weil, E; Hernández-Delgado, EA; Gonzalez, M; Williams, S; Suleimán-Ramos, S; Figuerola, M; Metz-Estrella, T
Spread of the new coral disease “SCTLD” into the Caribbean: implications for Puerto Rico. Journal Article
In: Reef Encounter, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 38-43, 2019.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: biodiversity, biomass, Caribbean, communities, Coral, coral diseases, coral reefs, diversity, Puerto Rico, reef, reefs
@article{Weil2019,
title = {Spread of the new coral disease “SCTLD” into the Caribbean: implications for Puerto Rico.},
author = {E Weil and EA Hernández-Delgado and M Gonzalez and S Williams and S Suleimán-Ramos and M Figuerola and T Metz-Estrella},
url = {https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342477916_REEF_ENCOUNTER_Spread_of_the_new_coral_disease_SCTLD_into_the_Caribbean_implications_for_Puerto_Rico
https://www.agrra.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Weil-et-al.-2020-Reef-Encounter.pdf
https://sampr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Spread-of-the-new-coral-disease-SCTLD-into-the-Caribbean-implications-for-Puerto-Rico.pdf
},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-12-01},
urldate = {2019-12-01},
journal = {Reef Encounter},
volume = {34},
number = {1},
pages = {38-43},
abstract = {The ongoing deterioration and significant decline in live coral cover and diversity in coral reef communities
worldwide is strongly associated with increasing water temperatures linked to Global Climate Change, aided by
anthropogenic activities (Harvell et al. 2004, 2007, 2009; Weil and Rogers 2011; Maynard et al. 2016; Woodley et al.
2016). In the Wider Caribbean, major community structure and function decline was marked by two region-wide,
concurrent, highly virulent disease epizootics in the early 1980’s. These events almost wiped out two foundational
scleractinian species (Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis), and the keystone sea urchin Diadema antillarum. White
band disease (WBD) affected the acroporids and was caused by a complex of vibrio bacteria (Gil-Agudelo et al. 2006).
The Diadema mass mortality had all the trademark characteristics of a virulent, transmissible, bacterial or viral
infection, but the putative pathogen (pathogens) was never identified (Lessios 2016). Populations of both acroporids
and sea urchins suffered over 95% mortalities throughout the wider Caribbean (Gladfelter 1982; Lessios et al. 1984a,b;
Aronson and Precht 2001; Lessios 2016), followed by a cascade of ecological consequences (significant loss of live
coral cover, primary productivity, spatial complexity, biodiversity and fecundity; loss of ecological functions, increase
in algal cover and biomass, etc.), ending in a shift from coral- to algal-dominated communities and the loss of
ecological services to other tropical marine communities and to human beings (Aronson and Precht 2001; Weil and
Rogers 2011). Several other disease-induced mass mortalities of other cnidarians, as well as of massive, plate and
nodular reef-building genera, have in the last 30 years resulted in additional loss of biomass, diversity and live coral
cover on many Caribbean reefs (Miller et al. 2009; Weil et al. 2009a; Weil and Rogers 2011; Bastidas et al. 2011; Weil
et al. 2017). },
keywords = {biodiversity, biomass, Caribbean, communities, Coral, coral diseases, coral reefs, diversity, Puerto Rico, reef, reefs},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The ongoing deterioration and significant decline in live coral cover and diversity in coral reef communities
worldwide is strongly associated with increasing water temperatures linked to Global Climate Change, aided by
anthropogenic activities (Harvell et al. 2004, 2007, 2009; Weil and Rogers 2011; Maynard et al. 2016; Woodley et al.
2016). In the Wider Caribbean, major community structure and function decline was marked by two region-wide,
concurrent, highly virulent disease epizootics in the early 1980’s. These events almost wiped out two foundational
scleractinian species (Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis), and the keystone sea urchin Diadema antillarum. White
band disease (WBD) affected the acroporids and was caused by a complex of vibrio bacteria (Gil-Agudelo et al. 2006).
The Diadema mass mortality had all the trademark characteristics of a virulent, transmissible, bacterial or viral
infection, but the putative pathogen (pathogens) was never identified (Lessios 2016). Populations of both acroporids
and sea urchins suffered over 95% mortalities throughout the wider Caribbean (Gladfelter 1982; Lessios et al. 1984a,b;
Aronson and Precht 2001; Lessios 2016), followed by a cascade of ecological consequences (significant loss of live
coral cover, primary productivity, spatial complexity, biodiversity and fecundity; loss of ecological functions, increase
in algal cover and biomass, etc.), ending in a shift from coral- to algal-dominated communities and the loss of
ecological services to other tropical marine communities and to human beings (Aronson and Precht 2001; Weil and
Rogers 2011). Several other disease-induced mass mortalities of other cnidarians, as well as of massive, plate and
nodular reef-building genera, have in the last 30 years resulted in additional loss of biomass, diversity and live coral
cover on many Caribbean reefs (Miller et al. 2009; Weil et al. 2009a; Weil and Rogers 2011; Bastidas et al. 2011; Weil
et al. 2017).
worldwide is strongly associated with increasing water temperatures linked to Global Climate Change, aided by
anthropogenic activities (Harvell et al. 2004, 2007, 2009; Weil and Rogers 2011; Maynard et al. 2016; Woodley et al.
2016). In the Wider Caribbean, major community structure and function decline was marked by two region-wide,
concurrent, highly virulent disease epizootics in the early 1980’s. These events almost wiped out two foundational
scleractinian species (Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis), and the keystone sea urchin Diadema antillarum. White
band disease (WBD) affected the acroporids and was caused by a complex of vibrio bacteria (Gil-Agudelo et al. 2006).
The Diadema mass mortality had all the trademark characteristics of a virulent, transmissible, bacterial or viral
infection, but the putative pathogen (pathogens) was never identified (Lessios 2016). Populations of both acroporids
and sea urchins suffered over 95% mortalities throughout the wider Caribbean (Gladfelter 1982; Lessios et al. 1984a,b;
Aronson and Precht 2001; Lessios 2016), followed by a cascade of ecological consequences (significant loss of live
coral cover, primary productivity, spatial complexity, biodiversity and fecundity; loss of ecological functions, increase
in algal cover and biomass, etc.), ending in a shift from coral- to algal-dominated communities and the loss of
ecological services to other tropical marine communities and to human beings (Aronson and Precht 2001; Weil and
Rogers 2011). Several other disease-induced mass mortalities of other cnidarians, as well as of massive, plate and
nodular reef-building genera, have in the last 30 years resulted in additional loss of biomass, diversity and live coral
cover on many Caribbean reefs (Miller et al. 2009; Weil et al. 2009a; Weil and Rogers 2011; Bastidas et al. 2011; Weil
et al. 2017).
Otaño-Cruz, Abimarie; Montañez-Acuña, Alfredo A.; García-Rodríguez, Noelia M.; Díaz-Morales, Dakeishla M.; Benson, Elizabeth; Cuevas, Elvira; Ortiz-Zayas, Jorge; Hernández-Delgado, Edwin A.
Caribbean Near-Shore Coral Reef Benthic Community Response to Changes on Sedimentation Dynamics and Environmental Conditions Journal Article
In: Frontiers in Marine Science, vol. 6, iss. 551, pp. 551, 2019.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: benthic cover, coral abundance, coral diversity, coral recruit, coral reef community structure, coral reefs, environmental stressors, near-shore coral reefs, Puerto Rico, sedimentation dynamics
@article{toonDynamics2019,
title = {Caribbean Near-Shore Coral Reef Benthic Community Response to Changes on Sedimentation Dynamics and Environmental Conditions},
author = {Abimarie Otaño-Cruz and Alfredo A. Montañez-Acuña and Noelia M. García-Rodríguez and Dakeishla M. Díaz-Morales and Elizabeth Benson and Elvira Cuevas and Jorge Ortiz-Zayas and Edwin A. Hernández-Delgado},
editor = {Edward Jeremy Hind-Ozan and Xiaoshou Liu and Douglas Fenner},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2019.00551/full
https://sampr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Caribbean-Near-Shore-Coral-Reef-Benthic-Community-Response-to-Changes-on-Sedimentation-Dynamics-and-Environmental-Conditions.pdf
},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00551},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-09-06},
urldate = {2019-09-06},
journal = {Frontiers in Marine Science},
volume = {6},
issue = {551},
pages = {551},
abstract = {Coral reefs are facing unprecedented global, regional and local threats that continue to degrade near-shore habitats. Water quality degradation, due to unsustainable development practices at coastal watersheds, is one of the greatest stressors across multiple spatial scales. The goal of this study was to assess near-shore coral reef benthic community spatio-temporal response to sedimentation patterns, weather, and oceanographic dynamics at Bahía Tamarindo and Punta Soldado in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico. Benthic data were collected across a distance gradient from the shore through high-resolution images at marked belt transects. Environmental data were assessed and contrasted with benthic assemblages using multivariate correlations and multiple linear regression. Coral colony abundance and coral recruit assemblages showed significant variation among seasons, sites and distance zones (PERMANOVA, p < 0.01). Species diversity (H’n) increased at both study sites with distance from shore, and the most conspicuous coral recruit species were stress-tolerant Porites astreoides, P. porites, and Siderastrea radians. Difference in coral abundance and coral recruits per site had a strong significant negative relationship with sediment characteristics and depth (p < 0.05). Near-shore coral reef benthic community structure was significantly different between sites and distance zones from shore, with depth having an important role in shaping reef zonation. Changes in benthic community structure were associated with local sediment distribution patterns emerging from human alteration of coastal watersheds and natural events that cause terrigenous sediment deposition and sand resuspension across the reef. Coral cover was significantly lower at zones more exposed to recurrent sedimentation stress (p < 0.01). It was also correlated with sediment texture (p = 0.006) and terrigenous sediment deposition (p = 0.016). Scleractinian coral cover had an inverse relationship with gorgonian and macroalgae cover. In a short-term period, a pattern of increased dominance of encrusting calcareous algae Ramicrusta textilis and invasive sponge Dictyonella funicularis were documented. Changing land use and increased frequency of extreme weather events, as a consequence of global patterns of climate change, may play an important role shaping near-shore coral reefs benthic communities and could threaten the resilience of coastal regions. Therefore, collaborative and trans-disciplinary ecosystem-based management efforts are urgently needed to effectively reduce land-based stressors and foster near-shore coral reef recovery.},
keywords = {benthic cover, coral abundance, coral diversity, coral recruit, coral reef community structure, coral reefs, environmental stressors, near-shore coral reefs, Puerto Rico, sedimentation dynamics},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Coral reefs are facing unprecedented global, regional and local threats that continue to degrade near-shore habitats. Water quality degradation, due to unsustainable development practices at coastal watersheds, is one of the greatest stressors across multiple spatial scales. The goal of this study was to assess near-shore coral reef benthic community spatio-temporal response to sedimentation patterns, weather, and oceanographic dynamics at Bahía Tamarindo and Punta Soldado in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico. Benthic data were collected across a distance gradient from the shore through high-resolution images at marked belt transects. Environmental data were assessed and contrasted with benthic assemblages using multivariate correlations and multiple linear regression. Coral colony abundance and coral recruit assemblages showed significant variation among seasons, sites and distance zones (PERMANOVA, p < 0.01). Species diversity (H’n) increased at both study sites with distance from shore, and the most conspicuous coral recruit species were stress-tolerant Porites astreoides, P. porites, and Siderastrea radians. Difference in coral abundance and coral recruits per site had a strong significant negative relationship with sediment characteristics and depth (p < 0.05). Near-shore coral reef benthic community structure was significantly different between sites and distance zones from shore, with depth having an important role in shaping reef zonation. Changes in benthic community structure were associated with local sediment distribution patterns emerging from human alteration of coastal watersheds and natural events that cause terrigenous sediment deposition and sand resuspension across the reef. Coral cover was significantly lower at zones more exposed to recurrent sedimentation stress (p < 0.01). It was also correlated with sediment texture (p = 0.006) and terrigenous sediment deposition (p = 0.016). Scleractinian coral cover had an inverse relationship with gorgonian and macroalgae cover. In a short-term period, a pattern of increased dominance of encrusting calcareous algae Ramicrusta textilis and invasive sponge Dictyonella funicularis were documented. Changing land use and increased frequency of extreme weather events, as a consequence of global patterns of climate change, may play an important role shaping near-shore coral reefs benthic communities and could threaten the resilience of coastal regions. Therefore, collaborative and trans-disciplinary ecosystem-based management efforts are urgently needed to effectively reduce land-based stressors and foster near-shore coral reef recovery.
2018
Mercado-Molina, Alex E.; Rivera-Irizarry, Fabiola; Fonseca-Miranda, Jaime; Bruno-Laureano, Yesenia
In: Marine Biology Research, vol. 14, iss. 1, pp. 41 - 51, 2018.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Acropora cervicornis, Caribbean, Climate change, Coral Reef Decline, coral reefs, Corals, Land-Based Source Pollution, Marine Protected Areas, Puerto Rico, Reef Restoration
@article{Mercado-Molina2018,
title = {Growth facilitation by the octocoral \textit{Gorgonia ventalina} explains spatial difference in the population size structure of the common demosponge \textit{Ircinia felix}},
author = {Alex E. Mercado-Molina and Fabiola Rivera-Irizarry and Jaime Fonseca-Miranda and Yesenia Bruno-Laureano},
editor = {Paco Cárdenas},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17451000.2017.1367098},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1080/17451000.2017.1367098},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-11-07},
urldate = {2018-11-07},
journal = {Marine Biology Research},
volume = {14},
issue = {1},
pages = {41 - 51},
abstract = {In this study, the demography of the common demosponge Ircinia felix was examined at Tamarindo, a coral reef located in the island municipality of Culebra, Puerto Rico. A preliminary study comparing the size structure of two subpopulations within the reef, Tamarindo Norte (TN) and Tamarindo Sur (TS), indicated that sponges at TN are significantly larger than sponges at TS. This result served as a baseline for the present comparative study in which we aimed to determine whether the spatial differences in population size structure can be explained either by a difference in rates of survival, growth, or recruitment, or a combination of these. To accomplish our goal, we followed the growth, survival and recruitment of I. felix at the two localities for one year. Growth was the only demographic parameter that differed significantly between localities. Because the most obvious distinction between the study sites was the absence of the octocoral Gorgonia ventalina at TS, we hypothesized that the faster overall growth rate of sponges at TN was related to the presence of the octocoral. To test this hypothesis, we compared growth rates between sponges associated with the octocoral and those individuals not associated. We found that sponges growing near G. ventalina grew significantly faster than non-associated sponges. This result suggests that the octocoral facilitates the growth of I. felix and therefore may account, at least in part, for the spatial differences in population size structure.},
keywords = {Acropora cervicornis, Caribbean, Climate change, Coral Reef Decline, coral reefs, Corals, Land-Based Source Pollution, Marine Protected Areas, Puerto Rico, Reef Restoration},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In this study, the demography of the common demosponge Ircinia felix was examined at Tamarindo, a coral reef located in the island municipality of Culebra, Puerto Rico. A preliminary study comparing the size structure of two subpopulations within the reef, Tamarindo Norte (TN) and Tamarindo Sur (TS), indicated that sponges at TN are significantly larger than sponges at TS. This result served as a baseline for the present comparative study in which we aimed to determine whether the spatial differences in population size structure can be explained either by a difference in rates of survival, growth, or recruitment, or a combination of these. To accomplish our goal, we followed the growth, survival and recruitment of I. felix at the two localities for one year. Growth was the only demographic parameter that differed significantly between localities. Because the most obvious distinction between the study sites was the absence of the octocoral Gorgonia ventalina at TS, we hypothesized that the faster overall growth rate of sponges at TN was related to the presence of the octocoral. To test this hypothesis, we compared growth rates between sponges associated with the octocoral and those individuals not associated. We found that sponges growing near G. ventalina grew significantly faster than non-associated sponges. This result suggests that the octocoral facilitates the growth of I. felix and therefore may account, at least in part, for the spatial differences in population size structure.
Hernández-Delgado, Edwin A.; Mercado-Molina, Alex E.; Suleimán-Ramos, Samuel E.
Multi-Disciplinary Lessons Learned from Low-Tech Coral Farming and Reef Rehabilitation: I. Best Management Practices Book Chapter
In: Duque, Carmenza; Camacho, Edisson Tello (Ed.): Chapter 10, pp. 213-243, Corals in a Changing World, 2018, ISBN: 978-953-51-3910-2.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Caribbean Sea, coral farming, coral reefs, ecological rehabilitation, lessons learned, Puerto Rico, reef fish communities, threatened coral species
@inbook{Hernández-Delgado2018,
title = {Multi-Disciplinary Lessons Learned from Low-Tech Coral Farming and Reef Rehabilitation: I. Best Management Practices},
author = {Edwin A. Hernández-Delgado and Alex E. Mercado-Molina and Samuel E. Suleimán-Ramos},
editor = {Carmenza Duque and Edisson Tello Camacho},
url = {https://www.intechopen.com/books/corals-in-a-changing-world/multi-disciplinary-lessons-learned-from-low-tech-coral-farming-and-reef-rehabilitation-i-best-manage
https://www.intechopen.com/books/5765},
doi = {10.5772/intechopen.73151},
isbn = {978-953-51-3910-2},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-03-28},
urldate = {2018-03-28},
journal = {Corals in a Changing World},
pages = {213-243},
publisher = {Corals in a Changing World},
chapter = {10},
organization = {Intechopen},
abstract = {Low-tech coral farming and reef rehabilitation have become important community-based coral reef management tools. At least in the wider Caribbean region, these strategies have been successfully implemented to recover depleted populations of staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn coral (A. palmata). They have also been used with relative success to recover depleted fish assemblages. Indirectly, coral reef rehabilitation has also resulted in enhanced benthic spatial heterogeneity, in providing multiple new microhabitats for fish and invertebrate species; have contributed to the recovery of coastal resilience, increasing the protection of shorelines against erosion; and have fostered an increased interest of the tourism sector as an enhanced attraction for visitors and recreationists. Nevertheless, there is still a need to implement best management practices to improve the success of these strategies. In this chapter, lessons learned from the Community-Based Coral Aquaculture and Reef Rehabilitation Program in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico, are shared from a multi-disciplinary standpoint. Learning from past experiences is a critical process to improve science. In a time of significant projected climate change impacts and sea level rise, improving the scale of coral farming and reef rehabilitation has become a critical tool for coral reef conservation. But multiple roadblocks must still be overcome.},
keywords = {Caribbean Sea, coral farming, coral reefs, ecological rehabilitation, lessons learned, Puerto Rico, reef fish communities, threatened coral species},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inbook}
}
Low-tech coral farming and reef rehabilitation have become important community-based coral reef management tools. At least in the wider Caribbean region, these strategies have been successfully implemented to recover depleted populations of staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn coral (A. palmata). They have also been used with relative success to recover depleted fish assemblages. Indirectly, coral reef rehabilitation has also resulted in enhanced benthic spatial heterogeneity, in providing multiple new microhabitats for fish and invertebrate species; have contributed to the recovery of coastal resilience, increasing the protection of shorelines against erosion; and have fostered an increased interest of the tourism sector as an enhanced attraction for visitors and recreationists. Nevertheless, there is still a need to implement best management practices to improve the success of these strategies. In this chapter, lessons learned from the Community-Based Coral Aquaculture and Reef Rehabilitation Program in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico, are shared from a multi-disciplinary standpoint. Learning from past experiences is a critical process to improve science. In a time of significant projected climate change impacts and sea level rise, improving the scale of coral farming and reef rehabilitation has become a critical tool for coral reef conservation. But multiple roadblocks must still be overcome.
Hernández-Delgado, Edwin A.; Mercado-Molina, Alex E.; Suleimán-Ramos, Samuel E.; Lucking, Mary Ann
In: Duque, Carmenza; Camacho, Edisson Tello (Ed.): Chapter 11, pp. 310, Corals in a Changing World, 2018, ISBN: 978-953-51-3910-2.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Caribbean Sea, coral farming, coral reefs, ecological rehabilitation, lessons learned, Puerto Rico, reef fish communities, social-ecological systems
@inbook{Hernández-Delgado2018b,
title = {Multi-disciplinary Lessons Learned from Low-Tech Coral Farming and Reef Rehabilitation: II. Coral Demography and Social-Ecological Benefits},
author = {Edwin A. Hernández-Delgado and Alex E. Mercado-Molina and Samuel E. Suleimán-Ramos and Mary Ann Lucking},
editor = {Carmenza Duque and Edisson Tello Camacho},
url = {https://www.intechopen.com/books/corals-in-a-changing-world/multi-disciplinary-lessons-learned-from-low-tech-coral-farming-and-reef-rehabilitation-ii-coral-demo
https://sampr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Multi-disciplinaryLessonsLearned-fromLow-TechCoralFarmingandReefRehabilitation-IICoralDemographyandSocial-EcologicalBenefits.pdf},
doi = {10.5772/intechopen.74283},
isbn = {978-953-51-3910-2},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-03-22},
urldate = {2018-03-22},
pages = {310},
publisher = {Corals in a Changing World},
chapter = {11},
organization = {Intechopen},
abstract = {Low-tech coral farming and reef rehabilitation have become important tools to foster community-based participation in the management of coastal social-ecological systems. Lessons learned from coral demographic dynamics, ecosystem-level benefits, and sociological dynamics achieved in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico, are discussed. Important gaps regarding social-ecological interactions are also addressed. Coral reef rehabilitation efforts must be adaptive and focused on maximizing resilience as a long-term goal, with emphasis on managing non-linear dynamics, thresholds, environmental and climate uncertainty, and ecological surprises. In this context, coral demographic modelling becomes fundamental to address, not only ecological, but also sociological concerns. Only through sustained support and input of harvested corals restored populations, and by increasing the spatial scale of reef rehabilitation, restored populations can remain viable and grow under present and projected environmental and climate conditions. Understanding sociological dynamics, learning from others experiences, integrating visioning and scenario building, leadership building, multi-sectorial agents and actor groups, and strengthening cross-sectorial social networking are necessary adaptive approaches to cope with future environmental and climate changes, and are an integral part of reef rehabilitation. The combined benefits to social-ecological systems are multiple. With proper planning, design, funding, local support, and implementation, these can have long-lasting impacts in restoring coastal resilience.},
keywords = {Caribbean Sea, coral farming, coral reefs, ecological rehabilitation, lessons learned, Puerto Rico, reef fish communities, social-ecological systems},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inbook}
}
Low-tech coral farming and reef rehabilitation have become important tools to foster community-based participation in the management of coastal social-ecological systems. Lessons learned from coral demographic dynamics, ecosystem-level benefits, and sociological dynamics achieved in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico, are discussed. Important gaps regarding social-ecological interactions are also addressed. Coral reef rehabilitation efforts must be adaptive and focused on maximizing resilience as a long-term goal, with emphasis on managing non-linear dynamics, thresholds, environmental and climate uncertainty, and ecological surprises. In this context, coral demographic modelling becomes fundamental to address, not only ecological, but also sociological concerns. Only through sustained support and input of harvested corals restored populations, and by increasing the spatial scale of reef rehabilitation, restored populations can remain viable and grow under present and projected environmental and climate conditions. Understanding sociological dynamics, learning from others experiences, integrating visioning and scenario building, leadership building, multi-sectorial agents and actor groups, and strengthening cross-sectorial social networking are necessary adaptive approaches to cope with future environmental and climate changes, and are an integral part of reef rehabilitation. The combined benefits to social-ecological systems are multiple. With proper planning, design, funding, local support, and implementation, these can have long-lasting impacts in restoring coastal resilience.
2017
Hernández-Delgado, Edwin A.; Barba-Herrera, Sonia; Torres-Valcárcel, Angel; González-Ramos, Carmen M.; Medina-Muñiz, Jeiger L.; Montañez-Acuña, Alfredo A.; Otaño-Cruz, Abimarie; Rosado-Matías, Bernard J.; Cabrera-Beauchamp, Gerardo
In: Beltran, Carmenza Duque; Camacho, Edisson Tello (Ed.): pp. 177-211, InTech, 2017, ISBN: 978-953-51-3910-2.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Benthic community structure, Caribbean Sea, Conservation, coral bleaching, Coral Reef Resilience Index (CRRI), coral reefs, ecosystem health, marine biodiversity, marine management, novel ecosystems, Puerto Rico, tropical ecosystems
@inbook{Hernández-Delgado2017c,
title = {Coral Reef Resilience Index for Novel Ecosystems: A Spatial Planning Tool for Managers and Decision Makers - A Case Study from Puerto Rico},
author = {Edwin A. Hernández-Delgado and Sonia Barba-Herrera and Angel Torres-Valcárcel and Carmen M. González-Ramos and Jeiger L. Medina-Muñiz and Alfredo A. Montañez-Acuña and Abimarie Otaño-Cruz and Bernard J. Rosado-Matías and Gerardo Cabrera-Beauchamp},
editor = {Carmenza Duque Beltran and Edisson Tello Camacho},
url = {https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/57845
https://sampr.org/hernandez-delgado-et-al-2018-coral-reef-resilience-index/},
doi = {DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.71605},
isbn = {978-953-51-3910-2},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-12-20},
urldate = {2017-12-20},
pages = {177-211},
publisher = {InTech},
abstract = {Timely information is critical for coral reef managers and decision-makers to implement sustainable management measures. A Coral Reef Resilience Index (CRRI) was developed with a GIS-coupled decision-making tool applicable for Caribbean coral reef ecosystems. The CRRI is based on a five-point scale parameterized from the quantitative characterization of benthic assemblages. Separate subindices such as the Coral Index, the Threatened Species Index, and the Algal Index also provide specific information regarding targeted benthic components. This case study was based on assessments conducted in 2014 on 11 reef sites located across 3 geographic zones and 3 depth zones along the southwestern shelf of the island of Puerto Rico, Caribbean Sea. There was a significant spatial and bathymetric gradient (p < 0.05) in the distribution of CRRI values indicating higher degradation of inshore reefs. Mean global CRRI ranged from 2.78 to 3.17 across the shelf, ranking them as “fair.” The Coral Index ranged from 2.60 to 3.76, ranking reefs from “poor” to “good,” showing a general cross-shelf trend of improving conditions with increasing distance from pollution sources. Turbidity and ammonia were significantly correlated to CRRI scores. Multiple recommendations are provided based on coral reef conditions according to observed CRRI rankings.},
keywords = {Benthic community structure, Caribbean Sea, Conservation, coral bleaching, Coral Reef Resilience Index (CRRI), coral reefs, ecosystem health, marine biodiversity, marine management, novel ecosystems, Puerto Rico, tropical ecosystems},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inbook}
}
Timely information is critical for coral reef managers and decision-makers to implement sustainable management measures. A Coral Reef Resilience Index (CRRI) was developed with a GIS-coupled decision-making tool applicable for Caribbean coral reef ecosystems. The CRRI is based on a five-point scale parameterized from the quantitative characterization of benthic assemblages. Separate subindices such as the Coral Index, the Threatened Species Index, and the Algal Index also provide specific information regarding targeted benthic components. This case study was based on assessments conducted in 2014 on 11 reef sites located across 3 geographic zones and 3 depth zones along the southwestern shelf of the island of Puerto Rico, Caribbean Sea. There was a significant spatial and bathymetric gradient (p < 0.05) in the distribution of CRRI values indicating higher degradation of inshore reefs. Mean global CRRI ranged from 2.78 to 3.17 across the shelf, ranking them as “fair.” The Coral Index ranged from 2.60 to 3.76, ranking reefs from “poor” to “good,” showing a general cross-shelf trend of improving conditions with increasing distance from pollution sources. Turbidity and ammonia were significantly correlated to CRRI scores. Multiple recommendations are provided based on coral reef conditions according to observed CRRI rankings.
Alpert, Alice E.; Cohen, Anne L.; Oppo, Delia W.; DeCarlo, Thomas M.; Gaetani, Glenn A.; Hernandez-Delgado, Edwin A.; Winter, Amos; Gonneea, Meagan E.
Twentieth century warming of the tropical Atlantic captured by Sr-U paleothermometry Journal Article
In: Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, vol. 32, iss. 2, pp. 146-160, 2017.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Atlantic and Pacific Corals, Climate Reconstruction, Coral Paleothermometry, Coral Reef Studies, Coral Skeletons, Mona Island, Multispecies Calibration, Multiyear Variability, Ocean Conditions Archive, Past Ocean Temperatures, Puerto Rico, Rayleigh Fractionation, Sr-U Thermometer, Sr/Ca Ratio, Twentieth Century Warming, U/Ca Ratio
@article{Alpert2017,
title = {Twentieth century warming of the tropical Atlantic captured by Sr-U paleothermometry},
author = {Alice E. Alpert and Anne L. Cohen and Delia W. Oppo and Thomas M. DeCarlo and Glenn A. Gaetani and Edwin A. Hernandez-Delgado and Amos Winter and Meagan E. Gonneea},
url = {https://sampr.org/alpert-et-al-2017-20th-century-warming-atlantic-sr-u-paleothermometry/
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2016pa002976
},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/2016PA002976},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-01-26},
urldate = {2016-01-26},
journal = {Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology},
volume = {32},
issue = {2},
pages = {146-160},
abstract = {Coral skeletons are valuable archives of past ocean conditions. However, interpretation of coral paleotemperature records is confounded by uncertainties associated with single-element ratio thermometers, including Sr/Ca. A new approach, Sr-U, uses U/Ca to constrain the influence of Rayleigh fractionation on Sr/Ca. Here we build on the initial Pacific Porites Sr-U calibration to include multiple Atlantic and Pacific coral genera from multiple coral reef locations spanning a temperature range of 23.15–30.12°C.
Accounting for the wintertime growth cessation of one Bermuda coral, we show that Sr-U is strongly correlated with the average water temperature at each location (r² = 0.91, P < 0.001, n = 19). We applied the multispecies spatial calibration between Sr-U and temperature to reconstruct a 96-year long temperature record at Mona Island, Puerto Rico, using a coral not included in the calibration. Average Sr-U derived temperature for the period 1900–1996 is within 0.12°C of the average instrumental temperature at this site and captures the twentieth-century warming trend of 0.06°C per decade. Sr-U also captures the timing of multiyear variability but with higher amplitude than implied by the instrumental data.
Mean Sr-U temperatures and patterns of multiyear variability were replicated in a second coral in the same grid box. Conversely, Sr/Ca records from the same two corals were inconsistent with each other and failed to capture absolute sea temperatures, timing of multiyear variability, or the twentieth-century warming trend. Our results suggest that coral Sr-U paleothermometry is a promising new tool for reconstruction of past ocean temperatures.},
keywords = {Atlantic and Pacific Corals, Climate Reconstruction, Coral Paleothermometry, Coral Reef Studies, Coral Skeletons, Mona Island, Multispecies Calibration, Multiyear Variability, Ocean Conditions Archive, Past Ocean Temperatures, Puerto Rico, Rayleigh Fractionation, Sr-U Thermometer, Sr/Ca Ratio, Twentieth Century Warming, U/Ca Ratio},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Coral skeletons are valuable archives of past ocean conditions. However, interpretation of coral paleotemperature records is confounded by uncertainties associated with single-element ratio thermometers, including Sr/Ca. A new approach, Sr-U, uses U/Ca to constrain the influence of Rayleigh fractionation on Sr/Ca. Here we build on the initial Pacific Porites Sr-U calibration to include multiple Atlantic and Pacific coral genera from multiple coral reef locations spanning a temperature range of 23.15–30.12°C.
Accounting for the wintertime growth cessation of one Bermuda coral, we show that Sr-U is strongly correlated with the average water temperature at each location (r² = 0.91, P < 0.001, n = 19). We applied the multispecies spatial calibration between Sr-U and temperature to reconstruct a 96-year long temperature record at Mona Island, Puerto Rico, using a coral not included in the calibration. Average Sr-U derived temperature for the period 1900–1996 is within 0.12°C of the average instrumental temperature at this site and captures the twentieth-century warming trend of 0.06°C per decade. Sr-U also captures the timing of multiyear variability but with higher amplitude than implied by the instrumental data.
Mean Sr-U temperatures and patterns of multiyear variability were replicated in a second coral in the same grid box. Conversely, Sr/Ca records from the same two corals were inconsistent with each other and failed to capture absolute sea temperatures, timing of multiyear variability, or the twentieth-century warming trend. Our results suggest that coral Sr-U paleothermometry is a promising new tool for reconstruction of past ocean temperatures.
Accounting for the wintertime growth cessation of one Bermuda coral, we show that Sr-U is strongly correlated with the average water temperature at each location (r² = 0.91, P < 0.001, n = 19). We applied the multispecies spatial calibration between Sr-U and temperature to reconstruct a 96-year long temperature record at Mona Island, Puerto Rico, using a coral not included in the calibration. Average Sr-U derived temperature for the period 1900–1996 is within 0.12°C of the average instrumental temperature at this site and captures the twentieth-century warming trend of 0.06°C per decade. Sr-U also captures the timing of multiyear variability but with higher amplitude than implied by the instrumental data.
Mean Sr-U temperatures and patterns of multiyear variability were replicated in a second coral in the same grid box. Conversely, Sr/Ca records from the same two corals were inconsistent with each other and failed to capture absolute sea temperatures, timing of multiyear variability, or the twentieth-century warming trend. Our results suggest that coral Sr-U paleothermometry is a promising new tool for reconstruction of past ocean temperatures.
2014
Mercado-Molina, Alex E.; Montañez-Acuña, Alfredo; Rodríguez-Barreras, Ruber; Colón-Miranda, Roberto; Díaz-Ortega, Geraldine; Martínez-González, Neidibel; Schleier-Hernández, Sandra; Sabat, Alberto M.
Revisiting the population status of the sea urchin Diadema antillarum in northern Puerto Rico Journal Article
In: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, pp. 1-8, 2014.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Caribbean, coral reefs, Diadema antillarum, population recovery, Puerto Rico
@article{Mercado-Molina2014,
title = {Revisiting the population status of the sea urchin \textit{Diadema antillarum} in northern Puerto Rico},
author = {Alex E. Mercado-Molina and Alfredo Montañez-Acuña and Ruber Rodríguez-Barreras and Roberto Colón-Miranda and Geraldine Díaz-Ortega and Neidibel Martínez-González and Sandra Schleier-Hernández and Alberto M. Sabat},
url = {https://sampr.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Mercado-Molinaetal.2014_Diadema.pdf
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-marine-biological-association-of-the-united-kingdom/article/abs/revisiting-the-population-status-of-the-sea-urchin-diadema-antillarum-in-northern-puerto-rico/E27E7958C257AF819430A078AD667989
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270160317_Revisiting_the_population_status_of_the_sea_urchin_Diadema_antillarum_in_northern_Puerto_Rico/link/54a18a1a0cf256bf8baf745c/download?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIn19
},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1017/S002531541400188X},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-11-14},
urldate = {2014-11-14},
journal = {Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom},
pages = {1-8},
abstract = {The mass mortality suffered by the sea urchin Diadema antillarum between 1983–1984 is considered one of the major causes of coral reef degradation in the Caribbean. Its near disappearance resulted in a disproportionate growth of macroalgae that has led to a ‘phase shift’ from coral-to-algal dominated reefs. The close relationship between this echinoid and the functioning of coral reef ecosystems makes it imperative to better understand the potential for recovery of its populations. From 2009 to
2011, we assessed the density and size structure of D. antillarum in various reefs where previous population data were available. Results indicate a modest increase in density in all localities with respect to the last time they were surveyed in 2003/2004. Nevertheless, density values are still lower than values reported for the island prior to the die-off. Overall density did not surpass 1.49 ind. per m2, and did not change considerably during the studied period. Lack of population growth coincided with a lack of juveniles; suggesting that population growth at the studied sites may be limited by the number of individuals recruiting into the juvenile stage.},
keywords = {Caribbean, coral reefs, Diadema antillarum, population recovery, Puerto Rico},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The mass mortality suffered by the sea urchin Diadema antillarum between 1983–1984 is considered one of the major causes of coral reef degradation in the Caribbean. Its near disappearance resulted in a disproportionate growth of macroalgae that has led to a ‘phase shift’ from coral-to-algal dominated reefs. The close relationship between this echinoid and the functioning of coral reef ecosystems makes it imperative to better understand the potential for recovery of its populations. From 2009 to
2011, we assessed the density and size structure of D. antillarum in various reefs where previous population data were available. Results indicate a modest increase in density in all localities with respect to the last time they were surveyed in 2003/2004. Nevertheless, density values are still lower than values reported for the island prior to the die-off. Overall density did not surpass 1.49 ind. per m2, and did not change considerably during the studied period. Lack of population growth coincided with a lack of juveniles; suggesting that population growth at the studied sites may be limited by the number of individuals recruiting into the juvenile stage.
2011, we assessed the density and size structure of D. antillarum in various reefs where previous population data were available. Results indicate a modest increase in density in all localities with respect to the last time they were surveyed in 2003/2004. Nevertheless, density values are still lower than values reported for the island prior to the die-off. Overall density did not surpass 1.49 ind. per m2, and did not change considerably during the studied period. Lack of population growth coincided with a lack of juveniles; suggesting that population growth at the studied sites may be limited by the number of individuals recruiting into the juvenile stage.
Hernández-Delgado, Edwin A.; González-Ramos, Carmen M.; Alejandro-Camis, Pedro J.
In: Revista Biologia Tropical, vol. Vol. 62, no. Supl.3, pp. 49-64, 2014, ISSN: 0034-7744.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Climate change, community trajectory, coral decline, coral recruitment, Mona Island, Puerto Rico, transitional state
@article{Hernández-Delgado2014f,
title = {Large-scale coral recruitment patterns on Mona Island, Puerto Rico: evidence of a transitional community trajectory after massive coral bleaching and mortality},
author = {Edwin A. Hernández-Delgado and Carmen M. González-Ramos and Pedro J. Alejandro-Camis},
url = {https://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-77442014000700012
https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rbt/article/view/15901
https://sampr.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Large-scale-coral-recruitment-patterns-on-Mona-Island-Puerto-Rico-evidence-of-a-transitional-community-trajectory-after-massive-coral-bleaching-and-mortality.pdf},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v62i0.15901},
issn = {0034-7744},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-09-01},
urldate = {2014-09-01},
journal = {Revista Biologia Tropical},
volume = {Vol. 62},
number = {Supl.3},
pages = {49-64},
abstract = {Coral reefs have largely declined across the northeastern Caribbean following the 2005 massive bleaching event. Climate change-related sea surface warming and coral disease outbreaks of a white plague-like syndrome and of yellow band disease (YBD) have caused significant coral decline affecting massive reef building species (i.e., Orbicella annularis species complex) which show no apparent signs of recovery through larval sexual recruitment. We addressed coral recruit densities across three spur and groove reef locations along the western shelf of remote Mona Island, Puerto Rico: Punta Capitán (PCA), Pasa de Las Carmelitas (PLC), and Las Carmelitas-South (LCS). Data were collected during November 2012 along 93 haphazard transects across three depth zones (<5m, 5-10m, 10-15m). A total of 32 coral species (9 octocorals, 1 hydrocoral, 22 scleractinians) were documented among the recruit community. Communities had low densities and dominance by short-lived brooder species seven years after the 2005 event. Mean coral recruit density ranged from 1.2 to 10.5/m2 at PCA, 6.3 to 7.2/m2 at LCS, 4.5 to 9.5/m2 at PLC. Differences in coral recruit community structure can be attributed to slight variation in percent macroalgal cover and composition as study sites had nearly similar benthic spatial heterogeneity. Dominance by ephemeral coral species was widespread. Recovery of largely declining massive reef-building species such as the O. annularis species complex was limited or non-existent. The lack of recovery could be the combined result of several mechanisms involving climate change, YBD disease, macroalgae, fishing, urchins and Mona Island’s reefs limited connectivity to other reef systems. There is also for rehabilitation of fish trophic structure, with emphasis in recovering herbivore guilds and depleted populations of D. antillarum. Failing to recognize the importance of ecosystem-based management and resilience rehabilitation may deem remote coral reefs recovery unlikely.},
keywords = {Climate change, community trajectory, coral decline, coral recruitment, Mona Island, Puerto Rico, transitional state},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Coral reefs have largely declined across the northeastern Caribbean following the 2005 massive bleaching event. Climate change-related sea surface warming and coral disease outbreaks of a white plague-like syndrome and of yellow band disease (YBD) have caused significant coral decline affecting massive reef building species (i.e., Orbicella annularis species complex) which show no apparent signs of recovery through larval sexual recruitment. We addressed coral recruit densities across three spur and groove reef locations along the western shelf of remote Mona Island, Puerto Rico: Punta Capitán (PCA), Pasa de Las Carmelitas (PLC), and Las Carmelitas-South (LCS). Data were collected during November 2012 along 93 haphazard transects across three depth zones (<5m, 5-10m, 10-15m). A total of 32 coral species (9 octocorals, 1 hydrocoral, 22 scleractinians) were documented among the recruit community. Communities had low densities and dominance by short-lived brooder species seven years after the 2005 event. Mean coral recruit density ranged from 1.2 to 10.5/m2 at PCA, 6.3 to 7.2/m2 at LCS, 4.5 to 9.5/m2 at PLC. Differences in coral recruit community structure can be attributed to slight variation in percent macroalgal cover and composition as study sites had nearly similar benthic spatial heterogeneity. Dominance by ephemeral coral species was widespread. Recovery of largely declining massive reef-building species such as the O. annularis species complex was limited or non-existent. The lack of recovery could be the combined result of several mechanisms involving climate change, YBD disease, macroalgae, fishing, urchins and Mona Island’s reefs limited connectivity to other reef systems. There is also for rehabilitation of fish trophic structure, with emphasis in recovering herbivore guilds and depleted populations of D. antillarum. Failing to recognize the importance of ecosystem-based management and resilience rehabilitation may deem remote coral reefs recovery unlikely.