Marine invertebrate and seaweed biodiversity of continental coastal Ecuador

Abstract

This study summarises the diversity of living macroinvertebrates and seaweeds from the intertidal and subtidal rocky shores along Ecuadorian continental coast. Benthic macroinvertebrate communities and seaweeds were quantified over quadrants (50 × 50 cm) randomly placed on transects of 50 m length. A checklist of 612 species was generated: 479 species of macroinvertebrates and 133 species of seaweeds. Groups recorded were Mollusca (184 species), Cnidaria (70), Arthropoda (68), Annelida (60), Echinodermata (42), Chordata (18), Bryozoa (13), Porifera (22), Sipuncula (2), Brachiopoda and Platyhelminthes (only identified as morphotypes). The seaweeds were represented by Rhodophyta (78), Chlorophyta (37), Ochrophyta (13), Cyanobacteria (5) and 19 biotic complexes. Furthermore, 22 new taxa and six alien species were recorded from the intertidal zone. This study provides the first large scale report of benthic communities in different marine coastal ecosystems in mainland Ecuador, covering 1,478 km2 of protected areas and 382 km2 of non-protected areas. The highest benthic diversity was registered in the protected areas and rocky shores from the intertidal zone. The biological data, herein reported, are useful for a long-term monitoring programme to evaluate the status of conservation and to detect rapid changes in the benthic biodiversity from coastal areas.

Octocoral Distribution Patterns at the Equatorial Front (Tropical Eastern Pacific): Muricea and Leptogorgia

“…This study offers a valuable opportunity to understand the adaptation of these organisms to different environmental scenarios. Moreover, the two genera presented, Muricea and Leptogorgia, are already acknowledged as the most conspicuous groups throughout the TEP [17], along with Pacifigorgia, on the mainland coast of Ecuador [13,[18][19][20][21][22]. With this background, the first step was to taxonomically classify the diversity of Muricea and Leptogorgia species by assessing sample collections from two different institutions: the Museum of Zoology Q-CAZ, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE) and the National Center for Aquaculture and Marine Research (CENAIM) of ESPOL Polytechnic University.…”

“…Despite being the largest marine reserve on continental Ecuador (546 km 2 ) [35], the diversity of octocorals in the RMGSF (M1-M2) has been less studied than M4, Cárdenas-Calle, Mora, Torres, Pérez-Correa, Bigatti, Signorelli, and Coronel (2020) [20]. The presence of several species of the genera Leptogorgia, Muricea, and Pacifigorgia in the subtidal zone is a determinant in the RMGSF (M1 and M2).…”

“…The results have only a few PUCE records in "La Puntilla de Santa Elena" and in "Playas Villamil" within the Gulf of Guayaquil. However, Cárdenas-Calle et al (2020) reported the presence of specimens from the genus Heterogorgia in the intertidal zone and of the genera Leptogorgia, Muricea, and Pacifigorgia in the subtidal zone at M5 [20]. Finally, it has been determined that high turbidity at M5 and in the entire EF is associated with the high abundance of plankton [10], even when the Humboldt current is displaced by the migration of the EF south due to the pluvial discharges.…”

“…Due to their great adaptation, the species of Muricea and Leptogorgia can be found throughout the EF [20,43], reaching maturity at 5-10 years, respectively. Considering this fauna is moderately long-lived, they can live over 50 years [6].…”

Una revisión actualizada de las macroalgas marinas del Ecuador continental

“…Para elaborar una lista comprensiva de las especies presentadas en este trabajo se revisó la colección de macroalgas marinas del herbario GUAY y se realizó la revisión de las taxa presentadas en Algas Marinas Del Ecuador (Müller & Salazar, 1996), este libro comprende las especies presentes en las áreas costeras del Ecuador continental y en algunas zonas costeras de las islas Galápagos, presenta una larga lista que necesita ser revisada y actualizada. También se revisaron publicaciones y tesis (Garske, 2002;Abbott & Hollenberg, 1976;Velasco, 2013;Cárdenas-Calle et al, 2020;Sánchez, 2020;Rincón-Díaz, et al, 2021;Bajaña, 2021;Vera, 2021), cuyos resultados han contribuido en la elaboración de la lista base presentada en este trabajo. Los cambios y actualizaciones taxonómicas aquí presentadas han sido consultados, confirmados o comparados con Algaebase www.algaebase.org (Guiry & Guiry, 2021).…”