Status and conservation of coral reefs in Costa Rica

Abstract

<span>Costa Rica has coral communities and reefs on the Caribbean coast and on the Pacific along the coast and off-shore islands. The Southern section of the Caribbean coast has fringing and patch reefs, carbonate banks, and an incipient algal ridge. The Pacific coast has coral communities, reefs and isolated coral colonies. Coral reefs have been seriously impacted in the last 30 years, mainly by sediments (Caribbean coast and some Pacific reefs) and by El Niño warming events (both coasts). Monitoring is being carried out at three sites on each coast. Both coasts suffered significant reductions in live coral cover in the 1980’s, but coral cover is now increasing in most sites. The government of Costa Rica is aware of the importance of coral reefs and marine environments in general, and in recent years decrees have been implemented (or are in the process of approval) to protect them, but limited resources endanger their proper management and conservation, including proper outreach to reef users and the general public.</span>

Ecology and management of the invasive lionfish Pterois volitans/miles complex (Perciformes: Scorpaenidae) in Southern Costa Rica

“…In the lagoon, there are various patches of reef, seaweed and calcareous structures (Cortés et al, 2010a). The area between Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo presents coral reef patches that are severely degraded due to high levels of sedimentation, eutrophication and commercial extraction (Cortés, Jiménez, Fonseca, & Alvarado, 2010b;Salazar, Lizano, & Alfaro, 2004). The REGAMA is administered with the active participation of local communities and the authorities of MINAE (SINAC, 2013).…”

“…The refuge embraces 5 013ha of terrestrial and 4 436ha of marine area, of which 80% belong to private owners and only 20% belong to the state (Cortés et al, 2010a). The area comprises fringing coral reefs around prominent rocky points and reef patches in lagoons and areas protected from direct wave impact (Cortés et al, 2010b).…”

Reproductive biology of the sea anemone shrimp Periclimenes rathbunae (Caridea, Palaemonidae, Pontoniinae), from the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica

“…Ovigerous females of Periclimenes rathbunae were collected during five field trips (September and October 2011, January, June and October 2012) in the Puerto Viejo-Punta Mona coral reef area (Cortés et al 2010) within the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wild Life Refuge, at the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica (Fig. 1).…”

“…The sea surface temperature in all sampling months varied between 27 and 30 °C (data provided by MIO-CIMAR: http://www.miocimar.ucr.ac.cr/). The substrate was dominated by algal ridges, with low live coral cover, ranging from 8 to 16%, although this percentage has been increasing during the last decades (Cortés et al 2010). All specimens were collected between 1-4 m depth, and were associated with the sun sea anemone, Stichodactyla helianthus Ellis, 1768.…”

Cuando la conservación no puede seguir el ritmo del desarrollo: Estado de salud de los ecosistemas coralinos del Pacífico Norte de Costa Rica

“…Las primeras investigaciones en esta región indican que los arrecifes estaban dominados por colonias ramificadas de los corales Pocillopora damicornis y Pocillorpora elegans, con coberturas promedio de coral vivo de hasta 44 %, con extensiones de 2 km de largo y una diversidad de 16 especies constructoras de arrecifes coralinos (Glynn, Druffel, & Dunbar, 1983;Cortés, 1996Cortés, -1997aCortés, , b, 2016Cortés, & Guzman, 1998;Jiménez, 2001a, b;Cortés, & Jiménez, 2003;Jiménez, Bassey, Segura, & Cortés, 2010). Bahía Culebra ha sido la localidad de mayor estudio de esta región, y en ella se describieron la presencia de especies poco comunes de coral como Cycloseris curvata, Leptoseris papyracea y Pocillopora meandrina (Jiménez, 2001a;Cortés, & Jiménez, 2003;Cortés, Jiménez, Fonseca, & Alvarado, 2010).…”