Marine protected areas in Cuba

Perera‐Valderrama, Susana; Ávila, Aylem Hernández; Méndez, Juliett González; Martínez, Orestes Moreno; Rojas, Dorka Cobián; Azcona, Hakna Ferro; Hernández, Elvis Milián; Aragón, Hansel Caballero; Alcolado, Pedro M.; Amargós, Fabián Piña; Gonzalez, Zaimiuri Hernández; Pantoja, Leonardo Espinosa; Farrat, Lázaro Francisco Rodríguez

doi:10.5343/bms.2016.1129

Cited by 25 publications

(25 citation statements)

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“…In the United States, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) covers the entire Florida Keys reef tract (~270 km long). All these MPAs host rich coral reef ecosystems that are essential for the health and biodiversity of the GoM and Caribbean Sea (e.g., Baur et al, 2017; Miloslavich et al, 2010; Valderrama et al, 2018). Fish and coral populations within the reefs of the region are connected through larval transport, as the larval stage is the primary vector of dispersal for the majority of benthic marine organisms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In Situ Measurements of Circulation Features Influencing Cross‐Shelf Transport Around Northwest Cuba

et al. 2020

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We analyzed circulation processes sampled in the Gulf of Mexico in May 2016 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ship Nancy Foster. This data set is one of the first in situ surveys in Cuban waters available to the international community. Along northwest Cuba, these data suggested coastal upwelling and revealed, for the first time, a ~50 km diameter Cuban ANticyclonic (CubAN) eddy and a ~25 km diameter cyclonic eddy, which together advected upwelled waters offshore. The CubAN eddy was associated with downwelling, and the cyclonic eddy with upwelling. At the western tip of Cuba, local currents were predominantly anticyclonic, presumably due to the proximity of the retracted Loop Current, with limited export of coastal waters. Conversely, additional data from two cruises when the Loop Current was extended showed cyclonic circulation within upwelling filaments extending far offshore. These processes are important, as they can potentially entrain marine organism larvae from local reefs into the Loop Current system and to other reef ecosystems of the region. They might also affect the transport of pollutants, as hydrocarbons in case of a spill in Cuban waters. The 2016 cruise took place after the shedding of a Loop Current Ring, which involved an unusually large (~250 km) cyclonic frontal eddy. The eddy signature was observed down to 1,200 m depth, deeper than the Loop Current. A surface drifter revealed a low relative vorticity (0.19 f) inside the eddy. Along its southern edge, filaments exported from the Campeche Bank were associated with high relative chlorophyll a at 3,060 m depth.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In Situ Measurements of Circulation Features Influencing Cross‐Shelf Transport Around Northwest Cuba

et al. 2020

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“…The Jardines de la Reina (JR) archipelago contains the largest marine protected area (MPA) in the Caribbean Sea (Appeldoorn and Lindeman, 2003). This national park is remarkable at a global scale because there are large and relatively undisturbed populations of large vertebrates (e.g., sharks, grouper and sea turtles) and the reefs are relatively healthy (Perera-Valderrama et al, 2018). However, no explicit multi-scale study has been conducted there, although the information that such studies may provide are of particular concern for coral reef management in a possible scenario of further touristic development in the JR archipelago.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small-Scale Variability Dominates Benthic Coverage and Diversity Across the Jardines de La Reina, Cuba Coral Reef System

Hernández-Fernández

Zayas²,

Weber

et al. 2019

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Coral reefs are complex and biodiverse ecosystems that are undergoing significant change. Understanding reef composition and biodiversity at multiple spatial scales is necessary to track both large-scale and more subtle ecosystem changes. The Jardines de la Reina (JR) archipelago, located offshore of the island of Cuba, contains the largest marine protected area (MPA) in the Caribbean Sea but lacks multi-scale studies. In this contribution, we documented the diversity of scleractinian corals, octocorals, algae, and sponges across nested spatial scales spanning four orders of magnitude (10 1-10 5 m). In addition, we tested the hypothesis that species diversity followed a gradient along the ca. 200 km of reef tract. Across the archipelago, we examined benthic cover and species diversity within 255 photo-quadrats (25 × 25 cm) at 13 fore reef sites (two sampling locations per site, and 10 photo-quadrats per location). Small-scale (10 1 m) variability between photo-quadrats characterized the coral reef community structure in JR compared with local-(10 2 m) and mesoscale (10 4-10 5 m) variability. This finding suggests that biological processes (e.g., recruitment, competition) had primacy over hydrodynamics for driving the differences in reef community composition. However, the dominance of algae and low cover and diversity of scleractinian corals suggests the pervasive effects of global change on coral communities despite potential benefits provided by the MPA (e.g., oligotrophy and abundance of herbivores). There was no gradient of benthic community structure along the fore reef tract of JR; instead, a patchy distribution occurred in response to more subtle drivers acting at local scales. Overall, our multi-scale comparison was useful for differentiating the impacts of processes potentially impacting the JR reefs, thus providing important information to understand how reef communities are impacted by different environmental and anthropogenic stressors, and the potential benefits of MPAs.

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“…Determination of the location and timing of spawning for species is valuable for designing conservation strategies, including the creation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and setting fishing strategies to minimize targeting of spawning aggregations. Temporary and permanent MPAs are chosen based on their conservation value and the presence of marine species of ecological and economic importance (Valderrama et al., 2018); protecting spawning sites can be a key component of ensuring sufficient protection of spawning aggregations. For example, one of the species we recovered eggs from, Lutjanus analis (Mutton Snapper), aggregates in May and June in Cuban waters (Claro et al., 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

DNA barcoding of fish eggs collected off northwestern Cuba and across the Florida Straits demonstrates egg transport by mesoscale eddies

Kerr

Browning

Bønnelycke

et al. 2020

Fisheries Oceanography

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Identifying spawning sites for broadcast spawning fish species is a key element of delineating critical habitat for managing and regulating marine fisheries. Genetic barcoding has enabled accurate taxonomic identification of individual fish eggs, overcoming limitations of morphological classification techniques. In this study, planktonic fish eggs were collected at 23 stations along the northwestern coast of Cuba and across the Florida Straits to United States waters. A total of 564 fish eggs were successfully identified to 89 taxa within 30 families, with the majority of taxa resolved to species. We provide new spawning information for Luvarus imperialis (Louvar), Bothus lunatus (Plate Fish), Eumegistus illustris (Brilliant Pomfret), and many economically important species. Data from most sites supported previously established patterns of eggs from neritic fish species being found on continental shelves and oceanic species spawning over deeper waters. However, some sites deviated from this pattern, with eggs from reef‐associated fish species detected in the deep waters of the Florida Straits and pelagic species detected in the shallow, continental shelf waters off the coast of northwestern Cuba. Further investigation using satellite imagery revealed the presence of a mesoscale cyclonic eddy that likely entrained neritic fish eggs and transported them into the Florida Straits. The technique of combining DNA‐based fish egg identification with remotely‐sensed hydrodynamics provides an important new tool for assessing the interplay of regional oceanography with fish spawning strategies.

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Marine protected areas in Cuba

Cited by 25 publications

References 0 publications

In Situ Measurements of Circulation Features Influencing Cross‐Shelf Transport Around Northwest Cuba

In Situ Measurements of Circulation Features Influencing Cross‐Shelf Transport Around Northwest Cuba

Small-Scale Variability Dominates Benthic Coverage and Diversity Across the Jardines de La Reina, Cuba Coral Reef System

DNA barcoding of fish eggs collected off northwestern Cuba and across the Florida Straits demonstrates egg transport by mesoscale eddies

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