No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, transmitted or disseminated, in any form, or by any means, without prior written permission from the publisher, to whom all requests to reproduce copyright material should be directed in writing.This authorization does not extend to any other kind of copying, by any means, in any form, and for any purpose other than private research use. AbstractSpecies of the genus Pacifigorgia are surveyed for the first time in the shallow Pacific seas off Costa Rica. They are identified and described with detailed illustrations. The main collection belongs to the Zoology Museum, University of Costa Rica. Most of this material has been collected by means of SCUBA. This regional account of Pacifigorgia includes four species that were previously described: P. adamsii, P. eximia, P. irene and P. stenobrochis, and another nine that are new species.

SUMMARYSampling scale and lack of attention to taxa other than scleractinian corals have limited the capacity to protect coral reefs and coral communities in Pacific Panama. The distribution of coral habitats (live coral cover) and their species richness in the largest marine protected area of Panama, the Coiba National Park (270 125 ha), is described using quadrat transects and manta tows. The species richness of scleractinian corals and octocorals was lower in coral reefs than in coral communities, and a close relationship between richness and live coral cover was observed only in coral communities. The distribution of high live coral cover in coral communities overlapped with areas of high coral species richness. Average live coral cover in communities was 64%, compared to 28% in reefs, whereas algae cover was 30% and 49%, respectively. Twenty-two coral and 34 octocoral species were observed, many only now detected in Panama as endemic or new species. Analysis of satellite imagery showed 80% of terrestrial habitats were mostly primary forest, and coral reefs and coral communities covered 1700 ha, about 2% of marine habitats. Shallow marine environments (<20 m) had up to 60% calcareous red algae cover (rhodolite beds). Based on the distribution of live coral cover and species richness, three conservation units were identified as priority, with the southern and northernmost sides of the marine protected area as the most significant. These three areas encompass most of the rare and endemic species or populations, as well as species previously regarded as endangered.

The species of the widespread gorgoniid genus Leptogorgia, which occur along the eastern Pacific, are taxonomically revised based on original type material of all species described until now and reference specimens from recent surveys and expeditions along the Pacific coast of Panama, and Costa Rica. As a result, 21 species are recognized as valid and one as dubious. Lectotypes are assigned for eight species in order to establish their taxonomic status. All the species are described and illustrated. The fauna herein reported does not represent overall diversity or geographical range of each species but adds new reports. The present count is 16 species for Panama, 11 for Costa Rica, 7 for Mexico, 6 for El Salvador, 4 for Peru, 4 for Ecuador, 3 for Colombia, 2 for California, 2 for Nicaragua, and 2 for Chile.

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Octocorals (order Alcyonacea) from the tropical eastern Pacific have been largely ignored in coral reef studies, with the exception of recent taxonomic reviews. This study is the first to examine the population dynamics of 10 shallow water species in six genera (Leptogorgia, Pacifigorgia, Muricea, Psammogorgia, Heterogorgia, and Carijoa) found in rocky coral communities in Coiba National Park, Pacific Panama. For a 17-mo period, we monitored, every 4 mo, 1445 colonies of 15 species in fixed plots at 20 m depth in four coral communities. Size distribution, survivorship, and recruitment rates were calculated. Growth rate was calculated for Leptogorgia alba Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1864, Pacifigorgia Irene Bayer, 1951, Psammogorgia arbuscula Verrill, 1868, and Muricea austera Lamouroux, 1821. Average octocoral density was 38.7 (SD 27.55) colonies m −2 (n = 1394) with a range of 1-103 colonies m −2 and 1-11 species within a study plot. An overall population decline of 25.2% was observed in 1 yr. Leptogorgia alba was the most common species; it was abundant at all sites and exhibited characteristics of an r-selected species. In contrast, M. austera showed traits of a K-selected species, with low mortality and recruitment rates. Studied species were grouped into two distinct clusters based on their distribution, average density, mortality, and recruitment rates. Five species were grouped with L. alba and six species were grouped with M. austera.