Spatial and temporal mangrove litter production in Barra de Navidad lagoon, Jalisco, México. Barra de Navidad lagoon is a coastal wetland of international importance (Ramsar site) and it is included among the 81 Mexican mangrove priority... more
Spatial and temporal mangrove litter production in Barra de Navidad lagoon, Jalisco, México. Barra de Navidad lagoon is a coastal wetland of international importance (Ramsar site) and it is included among the 81 Mexican mangrove priority sites. One of the most valued characteristics of this lagoon is the presence of mangrove forest in a good conservation state. The goal of our research was the measurement of mangrove litter production and environmental factors influencing its dynamics. The mangrove area was divided into seven zones and litterfall was monthly sampled from November 2011 to October 2012 using 0.25 m 2 square collectors made with mosquito mesh (1 mm) and positioned at 1.3 m above the ground. Abiotic variables of the interstitial water were measured simultaneously at each zone in permanent plots using a multi-parameter probe, YSI-556-M. Total mean value of litterfall production, weighted by zone surface, was 19.12 ± 1.23 gPS/m 2 .mo (2.29 t/ha.year). This low productivity is a consequence of the region’s dry climate and low tide range. The species Avicennia germinans and Laguncularia racemosa produced more than 80 % of total litterfall, while Rhizophora mangle contributed only 16 % and Conocarpus erectus < 4 %. A significant correlation between litterfall production and abiotic variables was found (e.g. salinity and interstitial water depth). We concluded that there are significant spatial variations in soil abiotic variables which are correlated with differences in mangrove species composition, and produce, together with the life cycles stages of those species, significant variations in the quantity and composition of litterfall. Future research will be focused on quantifying spatial variations in forest structure and their relationship with litterfall production. Rev. Biol. Trop. 64 (1): 259-273. Epub 2016 March 01.
The shallow waters around Isla del Coco, Costa Rica, have the highest density of apex predators within the Eastern Tropical Pacific. This represents a unique opportunity to assess the structure of predatory interactions in a community... more
The shallow waters around Isla del Coco, Costa Rica, have the highest density of apex predators within the Eastern Tropical Pacific. This represents a unique opportunity to assess the structure of predatory interactions in a community relatively unimpacted by fishing. Facilitation of predation has commonly been observed in shallow reef systems, limited in depth by observations via scuba divers. Here we present a preliminary catalog of facilitative behavioral interactions between 12 taxa of deepwater piscivores at Isla del Coco and Las Gemelas Seamount in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, collected via video from submersible vehicles to depths of approximately 311 m from 2002-2012. Observations were ad hoc and likely represent only a portion of the web of interactions that occur in this ecological setting. That such interactions can be observed to 300 m during the narrow time frame of submersible dives suggests that direct behavioral facilitation of piscivory may play a significant role in the apex predator guild of deepwater fishes. Investigating the extent and population-community consequences of such interactions will provide valuable insight into patterns and processes that occur in communities protected from direct fisheries as well as focus conservation actions. Rev. Biol. Trop. 64 (Suppl. 1): S187-S196. Epub 2016 February 01.
Euphausiids have been well studied in several regions of the Pacific Ocean; however, there is lessinformation regarding euphausiids in Costa Rican waters. We analyzed euphausiid specimens collected aroundIsla del Coco National Park during... more
Euphausiids have been well studied in several regions of the Pacific Ocean; however, there is lessinformation regarding euphausiids in Costa Rican waters. We analyzed euphausiid specimens collected aroundIsla del Coco National Park during 2011 and 2012. A total of 130 specimens were analyzed and 13 euphausiidspecies were identified, belonging to four genera and one family. An annotated list of species is presented,with photographs and details for their identification. All species found represent new records for waters aroundIsla del Coco in the Costa Rican Pacific. The most frequent species were Euphausia diomedeae, Euphausiadistinguenda, Nematoscelis gracilis and Stylocheiron affine. Rev. Biol. Trop. 64 (Suppl. 1): S221-S230. Epub2016 Febrary 01.
Euphausiids have been well studied in several regions of the Pacific Ocean; however, there is less information regarding euphausiids in Costa Rican waters. We analyzed euphausiid specimens collected around Isla del Coco National Park... more
Euphausiids have been well studied in several regions of the Pacific Ocean; however, there is less information regarding euphausiids in Costa Rican waters. We analyzed euphausiid specimens collected around Isla del Coco National Park during 2011 and 2012. A total of 130 specimens were analyzed and 13 euphausiid species were identified, belonging to four genera and one family. An annotated list of species is presented, with photographs and details for their identification. All species found represent new records for waters around Isla del Coco in the Costa Rican Pacific. The most frequent species were Euphausia diomedeae, Euphausia distinguenda, Nematoscelis gracilis and Stylocheiron affine. Rev. Biol. Trop. 64 (Suppl. 1): S221-S230. Epub 2016 Febrary 01.
