<p>El Pacífico Norte (PN) costarricense alberga una gran diversidad de peces. Esta diversidad sustenta dos de las principales actividades económicas desarrolladas en el PN: pesca y turismo. El presente trabajo caracteriza las actividades dependientes de la ictiofauna del PN. Se sintetizó la información recopilada mediante: encuestas semi-estructuradas con actores involucrados en el uso de la ictiofauna; análisis de las bases de datos del Museo de Zoología - Universidad de Costa Rica e INCOPESCA; y una revisión bibliográfica. Se registraron 424 especies de peces en el PN. Las especies objetivo de cada pesquería son: el dorado, tiburón sedoso, tiburón martillo, atún, pez vela y pez espada en la pesca de palangre; los pargos, las corvinas, robalos y meros en la pesca de artesanal; invertebrados, peces ornamentales en la pesca por buceo; camarones en la pesca de arrastre; y wahoo, atún aleta amarilla, pez gallo, dorado y picudos en la pesca turística. El traslape en el uso de los recursos sumado al agotamiento de los recursos pesqueros está provocando conflictos entre los diferentes sectores que aprovechan la diversidad de peces en el PN. Como consecuencia, es urgente implementar estrategias de manejo que aseguren el aprovechamiento sostenible de los recursos marino-costeros del PN.</p>

Small-scale fisheries are large contributors to regional economies and livelihoods in coastal communities of Latin America. While Mexico is one of the cases where small-scale fisheries play an important role, overfishing and poor management strategies have led to the collapse of many of its fisheries. The callo de hacha scallop fishery of the Ensenada de La Paz in Baja California Sur is an example of such a fishery which, after years of mismanagement, was closed by the Mexican authorities in 2009. The present study evaluated the recovery efforts in the cove and the potential outcomes of a collaboration between a non-governmental organization and a fishing community working towards the restoration of this pen-shell fishery. After more than four years of closure and active monitoring of the recovering process, the callo de hacha population has shown a significant population recovery, with potential solvency for reopening fishing activities. Four scenarios of uncertainty are evaluated with two of them providing positive net present values from reopening the fishery. We also document the involvement of a non-governmental organization with a fishing community, which created social capital and, in our opinion, was essential for a successful restoration. Having an actively involved community helped raise funds for the fishing closure so fishers were able to comply with Mexican legislation; it also fostered community building and self-organization that will be crucial to maintaining the sustainability of the fishery.

ABSTRACT. The caridean freshwater shrimp Atya scabra is a common resident of stream systems of tropical rainforests in America, including Brazilian drainages. This shrimp has an amphidromous life cycle, which increases its vulnerability when facing habitat fragmentation. Since information on the reproduction of this species is still limited, we present here data on egg production, egg loss, and energy investment, to achieve a better understanding of reproductive features of A. scabra. Specimens were collected between 2006 and 2007 in São Sebastião Island, southeastern Brazil, in 13 locations. The fecundity of 21 ovigerous females analyzed ranged between 414 and 19,250 eggs, which were higher than previously reported. However, the larger size of females analyzed may explain the observed intraspecific difference in egg production. During embryogenesis, egg volume and water content increased by 103 and 22.6%, respectively. The initial egg volume of A. scabra in the present study (0.027 mm 3 ) was slightly lower, but comparable to the values reported previously from the same study area. During incubation, females of A. scabra lost 15% of their initially produced eggs. The reproductive output (average RO of 3.6%) is the first report for any atyid species. Its value is fairly low compared to other freshwater shrimps, and it is hypothesized that this might be related to a high energy investment in morphological adaptations, which allows the shrimp to cling on to the substrate in the fast flowing environment they inhabit. Additionally, the long life span, a well-known phenomenon in atyid shrimp, may allow the species to invest a relatively low amount of energy per brood in egg production, but over a longer time span. Keywords: amphidromy, fecundity, neotropical, reproductive output, southwestern Atlantic, Brazil.Aspectos reproductivos del camarón carideo Atya scabra (Leach, 1815) (Decapoda: Atyidae) en la isla de São Sebastião, Atlántico sudoccidental, Brasil RESUMEN. El camarón carídeo de agua dulce, Atya scabra, es un residente común del sistema de arroyos de los bosques tropicales de América, incluyendo drenajes brasileños. Este camarón tiene un ciclo de vida anfídromo, lo que aumenta su vulnerabilidad al enfrentar la fragmentación del hábitat. Dado que la información sobre la reproducción de esta especie es todavía limitada, se presentan datos sobre producción de huevos, pérdida de huevos e inversión energética, para lograr una mejor comprensión de los aspectos reproductivos de A. scabra. Los especímenes fueron recolectados entre 2006 y 2007 en la isla São Sebastião, al sureste de Brasil, en 13 localidades. La fecundidad de las 21 hembras ovígeras analizadas varió entre 414 y 19,250 huevos, valores que son más altos que los reportados previamente, sin embargo, el mayor tamaño de las hembras analizadas podría explicar la diferencia intraespecífica en la producción de huevos. Durante la embriogénesis, el volumen del huevo y el contenido de agua aumentó en 103 y 22,6%, respectivamente. El volumen inicial del huevo de A...

Abstract. Echinoderms within the Eastern Tropical Pacifichave mainly been studied in association with coral reefs. Investigations on echinoderms associated with soft-bottoms and estuaries are still scarce. The present study reports on the echinoderm species inhabiting the soft-bottom sediments of shallow-brackish waters adjacent to the largest river basin along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Térraba-Sierpe wetland. Nine species were recorded, three of them new records for Costa Rica: Luidia columbia, L. latiradiata, and L. superba. The most common species were L. columbia, Astropecten armatus, A. regalis, and L. latiradiata. This contributes towards current knowledge on the biodiversity of Térraba-Sierpe wetland and should be considered as a baseline upon which to monitor the effects of future impacts on this important mangrove area.

mall-scale fisheries are large contributors to regional economies and livelihoods in coastal communities of Latin America. While Mexico is one of the cases where small-scale fisheries play an important role, overfishing and poor management strategies have led to the collapse of many of its fisheries. The callo de hacha scallop fishery of the Ensenada de La Paz in Baja California Sur is an example of such a fishery which, after years of mismanagement, was closed by the Mexican authorities in 2009. The present study evaluated the recovery efforts in the cove and the potential outcomes of a collaboration between a non-governmental organization and a fishing community working towards the restoration of this pen-shell fishery. After more than four years of closure and active monitoring of the recovering process, the callo de hacha population has shown a significant population recovery, with potential solvency for reopening fishing activities. Four scenarios of uncertainty are evaluated with two of them providing positive net present values from reopening the fishery. We also document the involvement of a non-governmental organization with a fishing community, which created social capital and, in our opinion, was essential for a successful restoration. Having an actively involved community helped raise funds for the fishing closure so fishers were able to comply with Mexican legislation; it also fostered community building and self-organization that will be crucial to maintaining the sustainability of the fishery.