Jaime Garzón-Ferreira

Stony coral diseases observed in southwestern Caribbean reefs

Thirteen reef areas of Colombian territories in the Southwestern Caribbean were surveyed during the last 10 years. Coral diseases have been recorded in all these areas since 1990 and some of them have increased progressively. Six types were differentiated in the region, of which black band disease (BBD), dark spots disease (DSD), white band disease (WBD) and white plague disease (WPD) are widespread and common. Yellow band disease (YBD) was observed only since April 1998 but has been found now in seven reef areas and eight coral species (most of them recorded here as new hosts). In total, 25 species of hard corals were observed with diseases in the region, of which Colpophyllia natans, Diploria labyrinthiformis, Montastraea annularis, M. faveolata, M. franksi and Acropora spp. appear to be highly susceptible.

Dark Spots Disease and Yellow Band Disease, Two Poorly Known Coral Diseases with High Incidence in Caribbean Reefs

Coral reefs have been described as very stable systems in delicate balance with nature. They are also the most sensitive and vulnerable ecosystems in the sea (Grigg and Dollar 1990). Their exposure to some of the most common natural and anthropogenic perturbations have caused considerable decline of their health during the last three decades (Grigg and Dollar 1990; Ginsburg 1994; Birkeland 1997).

The Caribbean coral reefs of Colombia

Research on Caribbean coral reefs of Colombia started during the 1960s with foreign scientists, and increased significantly in the last two decades with Colombian reef researchers. There are about 2800 km2 of coral reef areas within the Colombian Caribbean; more than two-thirds in the oceanic archipelago of San Andres and Providencia. This archipelago consists of oceanic islands, atolls and coral shoals. The reef complexes are of the bank-reef type and most have wide fore-reef terraces, almost continuous reefs on the windward side and poorly developed reef tracts on the leeward side. Corals have been observed below 50 m. Degradation of reefs has been documented in the populated island of San Andres and in the most remote and uninhabited atolls. Along the continental coast of Colombia there are few reef areas due principally to the scarcity of hard bottoms and the presence of large rivers. Less than 10% of the shelf has coral reefs, and in many cases they are only small fringes and patches in protected bays and inlets. There are also extensive offshore coral banks over antique diapiric domes (mud volcanoes). Incipient coral formations are found in the Guajira peninsula at the NE end of Colombia. The Santa Marta area is located near the central part of the coast; although coral communities are rich in species and diversely structured along this coast, reefs are rudimentary and usually restricted to narrow shore formations, in less than 30 m in depth. The archipelago of the Islas del Rosario is located off the central part of the coast. Including all associated submarine environments, the complex covers nearly 120 km2, in which coral patches, fringing reefs, barrier reefs, shallow carbonate sand plains, seagrass meadows and mangroves shape an intricate mosaic. Corals in the Rosario islands have been observed below 50 m depth. The San Bernardo archipelago is located off the Golfo de Morrosquillo. It consists of islands and shallow shoals forming an extensive mosaic of coral patches, sand plains and seagrass meadows covering about 106 km2. The rocky coastal slopes of the Uraba area have the western-most reefs of the Colombian Caribbean. Coral communities grow to nearly 30 m depth, developing reef frameworks in sheltered settings. Other minor reef areas are Bajo Tortugas, Isla Fuerte, Bajo Bushnell, Isla Arena and Las Animas bank. Natural disturbances include hurricanes, bleaching events, epidemic diseases of corals and other organisms, and algae proliferation. The principal anthropogenic disturbances are sedimentation, eutrophication, chemical pollution, overfishing, dynamite fishing, nautical activities and coral mining.

Widespread local chronic stressors in Caribbean coastal habitats

Coastal ecosystems and the livelihoods they support are threatened by stressors acting at global and local scales. Here we used the data produced by the Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity program (CARICOMP), the longest, largest monitoring program in the wider Caribbean, to evidence local-scale (decreases in water quality) and global-scale (increases in temperature) stressors across the basin. Trend analyses showed that visibility decreased at 42% of the stations, indicating that local-scale chronic stressors are widespread. On the other hand, only 18% of the stations showed increases in water temperature that would be expected from global warming, partially reflecting the limits in detecting trends due to inherent natural variability of temperature data. Decreases in visibility were associated with increased human density. However, this link can be decoupled by environmental factors, with conditions that increase the flush of water, dampening the effects of human influence. Besides documenting environmental stressors throughout the basin, our results can be used to inform future monitoring programs, if the desire is to identify stations that provide early warning signals of anthropogenic impacts. All CARICOMP environmental data are now available, providing an invaluable baseline that can be used to strengthen research, conservation, and management of coastal ecosystems in the Caribbean basin.

Correction: Widespread local chronic stressors in Caribbean coastal habitats

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188564.].

Priolepis robinsi, a new species of fish from the Caribbean Sea, with notes on P. hipoliti (Perciformes : Gobiidae)

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