The biodiversity of fishes at the Islas Marías Biosphere Reserve, Mexico, as determined by baited remote underwater video

Abstract

The Islas Marías Biosphere Reserve, made up of 4 islands in Pacific waters off central Mexico, supports a large diversity of marine life. However, scientific research was restricted for decades by the occupation of Isla María Madre by the Federal Penitentiary Colony of Mexico from 1905 to 2019. Aside from a list of coastal fish species published in 2011, little has been published about the fish biodiversity in the area. While the limited access to the archipelago may have acted as a de-facto marine reserve, there is evidence that fishing continued both legally for the benefit of the colony and illegally by trespassing vessels. In order to establish baseline ecological data for future conservation planning, we used baited remote underwater video (BRUV) surveys at all 4 islands during 3 expeditions to the archipelago in 2018. A total of 131 BRUV surveys representing ~150 h of footage were analyzed to create the most current compilation of species and abundance data on coastal marine fishes at Islas Marías. Ninety-nine species were identified, 3 of which were additions to the previous assessment. We found strong separation of fish communities based on both habitat and depth, and an association between hard-bottom habitats and high biodiversity of reef fishes. With the declaration of Islas Marías as a natural reserve and relocation of the prison in 2019, there is an opportunity for the reserve to become a priority area for marine conservation on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Spatial analyses of fish biodiversity at Isla María Cleofas can help develop sustainable management strategies at a time when the governmental jurisdiction of the iconic archipelago is uncertain.

Fauna parasitaria de dos peces del género satanoperca (cichlidae): una revisión de las investigaciones realizadas en el siglo XXI

“…Los digeneos son un grupo muy diverso de parásitos con más de 2500 géneros y 18000 especies (Kostadinova & Pérez-del-Olmo, 2019;Machuca et al, 2021). Estimaciones recientes sugieren que la diversidad total puede exceder las 44000 especies (Tholan et al, 2020). En esta revisión identificamos cuatro especies de digeneos (Diplostomum sp., Genarchella genarchella, Posthodiplostomum sp.…”

Difícil Tarea De La Conservación De La Biodiversidad, El Caso De La Reserva De La Biosfera Islas Marías

“…Este cambio de paradigma es relevante porque la presencia de las Islas Marías en la literatura sobre conservación de la biodiversidad y cultura ambiental insular está ausente o se ha invisibilizado, debido a las restricciones que por décadas estableció la colonia penal para la investigación científica (Aguirre-Muños et al, 2020;Tholan et al, 2020). Predominan en la literatura los estudios históricos de la colonia penal (Guzmán, 2015;Piña y Palacios, 1970;Bojórquez, 1937), las condiciones de vida de hombres y mujeres reclusas y la cultura carcelaria (Pulido-Estreva, 2020;Avilés-Quevedo, 2019;Álvarez-Licona, 1998;Meléndez, 1960).…”

“…Así como el registro de dos anfibios en la Isla María Cleofas (Smilisca baudinii y Eleutherodactylus pallidus), y el reporte de un individuo Rhadinaea hesperia como parte de la herpetofauna insular de Nayarit (Nolasco-Luna et al, 2022;Nolasco-Luna et al, 2016). Los estudios sobre biodiversidad de peses revelan como las comunidades de peses están asociadas a mayores cantidades de rocas en el hecho marino (Tholan et al, 2020).…”