2020
NX Gómez-Andújar, E. A. Hernández-Delgado.
Spatial benthic community analysis of shallow coral reefs to support coastal management in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico. Journal Article
In: PeerJ e10080., 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Benthic community structure, Caribbean Coral Reefs, Coastal spatial variability, Ecosystem-based management, GIS, Mapping, Marine biology
@article{Gómez-Andújar2020,
title = {Spatial benthic community analysis of shallow coral reefs to support coastal management in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico.},
author = {NX Gómez-Andújar, E.A. Hernández-Delgado. },
editor = {Gregory Verutes},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.10080},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-10-14},
journal = {PeerJ e10080.},
abstract = {Caribbean coral reefs provide essential ecosystem services to society, including fisheries, tourism and shoreline protection from coastal erosion. However, these reefs are also exhibiting major declining trends, leading to the evolution of novel ecosystems dominated by non-reef building taxa, with potentially altered ecological functions. In the search for effective management strategies, this study characterized coral reefs in front of a touristic beach which provides economic benefits to the surrounding coastal communities yet faces increasing anthropogenic pressures and conservation challenges. Haphazard photo-transects were used to address spatial variation patterns in the reef’s benthic community structure in eight locations. Statistically significant differences were found with increasing distance from the shoreline, reef rugosity, Diadema antillarum density, among reef locations, and as a function of recreational use. Nearshore reefs reflected higher percent macroalgal cover, likely due to increased exposure from both recreational activities and nearby unsustainable land-use practices. However, nearshore reefs still support a high abundance of the endangered reef-building coral Orbicella annularis, highlighting the need to conserve these natural shoreline protectors. There is an opportunity for local stakeholders and regulatory institutions to collaboratively implement sea-urchin propagation, restoration of endangered Acroporid coral populations, and zoning of recreational densities across reefs. Our results illustrate vulnerable reef hotspots where these management interventions are needed and recommend guidelines to address them.},
keywords = {Benthic community structure, Caribbean Coral Reefs, Coastal spatial variability, Ecosystem-based management, GIS, Mapping, Marine biology},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Caribbean coral reefs provide essential ecosystem services to society, including fisheries, tourism and shoreline protection from coastal erosion. However, these reefs are also exhibiting major declining trends, leading to the evolution of novel ecosystems dominated by non-reef building taxa, with potentially altered ecological functions. In the search for effective management strategies, this study characterized coral reefs in front of a touristic beach which provides economic benefits to the surrounding coastal communities yet faces increasing anthropogenic pressures and conservation challenges. Haphazard photo-transects were used to address spatial variation patterns in the reef’s benthic community structure in eight locations. Statistically significant differences were found with increasing distance from the shoreline, reef rugosity, Diadema antillarum density, among reef locations, and as a function of recreational use. Nearshore reefs reflected higher percent macroalgal cover, likely due to increased exposure from both recreational activities and nearby unsustainable land-use practices. However, nearshore reefs still support a high abundance of the endangered reef-building coral Orbicella annularis, highlighting the need to conserve these natural shoreline protectors. There is an opportunity for local stakeholders and regulatory institutions to collaboratively implement sea-urchin propagation, restoration of endangered Acroporid coral populations, and zoning of recreational densities across reefs. Our results illustrate vulnerable reef hotspots where these management interventions are needed and recommend guidelines to address them.
2014
Alfredo Montañez-Acuña Edwin A. Hernández-Delgado, Abimarie Otaño-Cruz; Suleimán-Ramos, Samuel E.
In: Revista Biologia Tropical, Vol. 62 ( Suppl. 3 ), pp. 183-200, 2014.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Benthic community structure, bombing impacts, community-based ecological rehabilitation, coral reefs, fish community structure, military activities, novel habitats
@article{Hernández-Delgado2014b,
title = {Bomb-cratered coral reefs in Puerto Rico, the untold story about a novel habitat: from reef destruction to community-based ecological rehabilitation},
author = {Edwin A. Hernández-Delgado, Alfredo Montañez-Acuña, Abimarie Otaño-Cruz, and Samuel
E. Suleimán-Ramos},
url = {https://www.sampr.org/sam/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Hernandez-Delgado-et-al.-Rev.-Biol.-Trop..pdf},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-09-29},
journal = {Revista Biologia Tropical},
volume = { Vol. 62},
number = { Suppl. 3 },
pages = {183-200},
abstract = {Ecological impacts of military bombing activities in Puerto Rico have often been described as
minimal, with recurrent allegations of confounding effects by hurricanes, coral diseases and local anthropogenic stressors. Reef craters, though isolated, are associated with major colony fragmentation and framework pulverization, with a net permanent loss of reef bio-construction. In contrast, adjacent non-bombarded reef sections have significantly higher benthic spatial relief and biodiversity. We compared benthic communities on 35-50 year-old bomb-cratered coral reefs at Culebra and Vieques Islands, with adjacent non-impacted sites; 2) coral recruit density and fish community structure within and outside craters; and 3) early effects of a rehabilitation
effort using low-tech Staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis farming. Reef craters ranged in size from
approximately 50 to 400 m2 and were largely dominated by heavily fragmented, flattened benthos, with coral cover usually below 2% and dominance by non-reef building taxa (i.e., filamentous algal turfs, macroalgae). Benthic spatial heterogeneity was lower within craters which also resulted in a lowered functional value as fish nursery ground. Fish species richness, abundance and biomass, and coral recruit density were lower within craters. Low-tech, community-based approaches to culture, harvest and transplant A. cervicornis into formerly bombarded grounds have proved successful in increasing percent coral cover, benthic spatial heterogeneity, and helping rehabilitate nursery ground functions},
keywords = {Benthic community structure, bombing impacts, community-based ecological rehabilitation, coral reefs, fish community structure, military activities, novel habitats},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Ecological impacts of military bombing activities in Puerto Rico have often been described as
minimal, with recurrent allegations of confounding effects by hurricanes, coral diseases and local anthropogenic stressors. Reef craters, though isolated, are associated with major colony fragmentation and framework pulverization, with a net permanent loss of reef bio-construction. In contrast, adjacent non-bombarded reef sections have significantly higher benthic spatial relief and biodiversity. We compared benthic communities on 35-50 year-old bomb-cratered coral reefs at Culebra and Vieques Islands, with adjacent non-impacted sites; 2) coral recruit density and fish community structure within and outside craters; and 3) early effects of a rehabilitation
effort using low-tech Staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis farming. Reef craters ranged in size from
approximately 50 to 400 m2 and were largely dominated by heavily fragmented, flattened benthos, with coral cover usually below 2% and dominance by non-reef building taxa (i.e., filamentous algal turfs, macroalgae). Benthic spatial heterogeneity was lower within craters which also resulted in a lowered functional value as fish nursery ground. Fish species richness, abundance and biomass, and coral recruit density were lower within craters. Low-tech, community-based approaches to culture, harvest and transplant A. cervicornis into formerly bombarded grounds have proved successful in increasing percent coral cover, benthic spatial heterogeneity, and helping rehabilitate nursery ground functions
minimal, with recurrent allegations of confounding effects by hurricanes, coral diseases and local anthropogenic stressors. Reef craters, though isolated, are associated with major colony fragmentation and framework pulverization, with a net permanent loss of reef bio-construction. In contrast, adjacent non-bombarded reef sections have significantly higher benthic spatial relief and biodiversity. We compared benthic communities on 35-50 year-old bomb-cratered coral reefs at Culebra and Vieques Islands, with adjacent non-impacted sites; 2) coral recruit density and fish community structure within and outside craters; and 3) early effects of a rehabilitation
effort using low-tech Staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis farming. Reef craters ranged in size from
approximately 50 to 400 m2 and were largely dominated by heavily fragmented, flattened benthos, with coral cover usually below 2% and dominance by non-reef building taxa (i.e., filamentous algal turfs, macroalgae). Benthic spatial heterogeneity was lower within craters which also resulted in a lowered functional value as fish nursery ground. Fish species richness, abundance and biomass, and coral recruit density were lower within craters. Low-tech, community-based approaches to culture, harvest and transplant A. cervicornis into formerly bombarded grounds have proved successful in increasing percent coral cover, benthic spatial heterogeneity, and helping rehabilitate nursery ground functions
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