RESUMEN.Durante el estudio del asentamiento de la langosta espinosa (Panulirus argus) sobre colectores artificiales suspendidos en la región de Santa Marta, se evaluaron los peces y otros invertebrados asociados a estos hábitats. El propósito de esta investigación fue determinar las especies de briozoos presentes en los hábitats artificiales instalados en los sectores de la bahía de Pozos Colorados, Isla Pelícano y bahía de Taganga, así como analizar los factores ecológicos de su distribución. Como resultado se encontraron diez briozoos de los cuales Alcyonidium cf. mamillatum, Bugula neritina, Bugula cf. guara, Catenicella uberrima y Aspiscellaria piscaderaensis fueron reportados por primera vez para el Caribe colombiano, y para algunos de estos se amplió su distribución en el Atlántico Occidental Tropical. Durante la época lluviosa (septiembre-noviembre) en Isla Pelícano y Pozos Colorados se registró la mayor riqueza y abundancia de briozoos, lo que estuvo probablemente relacionado con la mayor sedimentación y turbidez, en contraste con la época seca (diciembre-febrero). De otro lado, la estación de Taganga presentó valores reducidos de las variables biológicas posiblemente por sus características de aguas claras y movimiento reducido, además de escaso alimento. Los colectores artificiales funcionaron como refugios suspendidos para el asentamiento y desarrollo de estos invertebrados, y claramente son herramientas efectivas en evaluaciones ecológicas y de diversidad, así como para actividades de maricultura. Palabras clave: Bryozoa, hábitats artificiales, nuevos registros, diversidad, región de Santa Marta, Caribe colombiano. First records of Phylum Bryozoa associated to artificial habitats in the Colombian CaribbeanABSTRACT. During the assessment of spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) settlement on suspended artificial collectors at Santa Marta region, the fishes and other invertebrates associated to these habitats were evaluated. The aim of this research was determine the species of bryozoans present in the artificial habitats deployed in Pozos Colorados Bay, Isla Pelícano and Taganga Bay, as well as analyse the ecological factors of their distribution. As a result, ten bryozoans species were found, from which Alcyonidium cf. mamillatum, Bugula neritina, Bugula cf. guara, Catenicella uberrima and Aspiscellaria piscaderaensis were reported for the first time in the Colombian Caribbean and for some of these, it extended their distribution to the Tropical Western Atlantic. In the rainy season (September-November) in Isla Pelícano and Pozos Colorados were recorded the highest bryozoans richness and abundance, probably related with increased sedimentation and turbidity, in contrast with the wet season (December-February). On the other hand, Taganga station presented reduced values of biological variables possibly by their environmental characteristics of clear water, reduced water movement and scarce food. Artificial collectors function as suspended shelters for the settlement and development of these invertebrates, a...

Killer whales, Orcinus orca, are known to be one of the most widespread cetaceans, inhabiting all the oceans of the world, but their presence in the Southern Caribbean has been scarcely recorded up to date. An unusual sighting of a killer whale is described for the first time in inshore waters of the Gulf of Morrosquillo. The whale was sighted on 22 March 2015 and it was a solitary individual of unrecognized sex that showed ongoing diving and surfacing behavior at a site 6.3 km from the coast with depths between 20 and 24 m. Its occurrence could be related to favorable environmental and oceanographic conditions and to the potential effect of recent seismic offshore oil and gas operations in the gulf, which may impact a whale’s location and behavior. This report contributes to the scarcity of information about the distribution of O. orca in the Caribbean Sea along the coast of Colombia.

There are large extensions of coastal lagoons in the Colombian Caribbean. In spite of their renowned environmental and socio-economic importance, these ecosystems have been poorly evaluated. To initiate a process for understanding the biophysical features of the La Caimanera lagoon, bathymetric surveys were conducted on a 25 × 25 m grid approach. Echo sounder and GPS were used to collect the data, which was then analyzed with ArcGIS 9.2 to produce bathymetry maps. A total of 3355 data points indicated an average depth of 1.83 m (SD ± 0.55) with a range of 0.7-5.4 m. Higher and lower values were recorded within the access channel and on the western margin of the lagoon respectively, suggesting that depth distribution was probably related to the interaction of different factors. These factors include the hydrological influence of the entrance channel currents and the microcatchments of the streams located on the southeast side, along with the possible effects of the survey course selection. Apparently, the dynamic of the streams caused sedimentation on the opposite southwest margin, affecting the environmental quality by siltation and the accumulation of organic matter. Research, monitoring programs, and new management plans are necessary to avoid the deterioration of the ecological goods and services derived from this important local ecosystem.