The hydrozoan Portuguese man-of-war (Physalia physalis) is distributed throughout the Havana littoral zone, which is one of the circulation points of the currents that form the North Atlantic ...Subtropical Gyre run. For the first time, a study was conducted monthly from May 2018 through May 2019 to better understand the temporal and spatial variation of P. physalis in this region. This study covered five beaches in Havana (Cojímar, Bacuranao, Tarará, Mégano and Santa María). Transects of 50 m were located parallel to the shoreline and the colonies that arrived at the intertidal zone were counted. The colonies of P. physalis were mostly observed in May 2018 (80), November 2018 (110), December 2018 (132), January 2019 (152) and March 2019 (126), which coincided with the dry season in Cuba. This season was related to the presence of cold fronts and a negative average magnitude of the Arctic Oscillation Index (-0.05). The beaches with a relatively linear shape had a higher number of arrivals (549 colonies) than the beaches with a horseshoe shape (109 colonies). In addition, the highest number of colonies was associated with wind velocity above 33 km.h−1 (especially northerly wind), wave height above 1.5 m, and temperatures below 30 °C.
Since 2011, the distribution, abundance, and composition of holopelagic Sargassum spp. (sargasso) have changed by the emergence of the Great Atlantic Sargasso Belt (GASB) in the northern tropical ...Atlantic. We expected that the north of the Cuban coast would receive sargasso from both the original Sargasso Sea and the GASB. We systematically monitored six beaches on the NW coast of Cuba to assess changes in sargasso composition from June 2019 to June 2021. During landing months, mean Sargasso wet biomass was at 1.54 kg/m2 (SE: 0.7), which was considerably lower than the sargasso on the Atlantic coasts directly impacted by GASB. Eleven out of 13 landings occurred in the autumn-winter seasons 2019–2020 and 2020–2021, with a dominance of S. natans I (accounting for 41–63% of total biomass), followed by S. fluitans III (25–36%) and S. natans VIII (12–31%). This composition is similar to those observed on the Sargasso Sea. During this season, dominant winds (≥14 km/h) came from northern (N), eastern (E), and east-northeastern (ENE) directions. In May and August 2020 (spring-summer season), S. fluitans III dominated (52–56%), followed by S. natans VIII (33–43%) and S. natans I (5–12%). This composition is similar to those observed on GASB-impacted Atlantic coasts in the spring-summer seasons (April to September). During this season, dominant winds (≥20 km/h) came from eastern (E) and east-northeastern (ENE) directions. Thus, the NW Cuba’s morphotype composition suggests that landings have different origin sources depending on season and specific meteorological and oceanographic conditions.
Macroalgae are an important component of marine biodiversity for its role in coastal-marine ecosystems as primary producers, competitors for resources, and bioindicators of environmental problems. ...Knowing native taxa allows watching on foreigner and invasive species. This work arises from the need of updating the similarities of marine macroalgae of the Tropical and Subtropical Western Atlantic, due to the advances in the knowledge of new taxa in the last years. For this analysis, the Tropical and Subtropical Western Atlantic was subdivided into 17 zones. A total of 1615 infrageneric taxa were inventoried so far, of which 368 belong to the phylum Chlorophyta, 1050 to Rhodophyta, and 197 to the class Phaeophyceae of the phylum Ochrophyta. From them, only 65 were found in all zones, while 516 were registered in only one. Multivariate analyses with all the species indicate the separation of North Carolina + South Carolina + Georgia zone from the rest; rhodophyceans present the lower similarity among zones, being Bermuda, Northern Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, and Brazil more separated individually, while Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Dutch Antilles + Trinidad-Tobago from a distanced group. The region has a high similarity in the composition of macroalgae, mainly from a central core that includes the whole Caribbean, the south of the Gulf of Mexico and Florida.
Las macroalgas constituyen un componente muy importante de la biodiversidad marina por su papel en los ecosistemas marino-costeros como productores primarios, competidores por recursos y bioindicadores de problemas ambientales. El conocimiento de los taxones autóctonos permite vigilar la entrada de especies exóticas e invasoras. Este trabajo surge de la necesidad de actualizar las similitudes de la ficoflora marina, del Atlántico Occidental Tropical y Subtropical, ante los avances del conocimiento de nuevos taxones en los últimos años. Para analizar las diferencias en el área, el Atlántico Occidental Tropical y Subtropical se subdividió en 17 zonas. Hasta el momento, se inventariaron 1615 taxones infragenéricos, de los cuales, 368 pertenecen al phylum Chlorophyta, 1050 a Rhodophyta y 197 a la clase Phaeophyceae del phylum Ochrophyta. De ellos, solo 65 se encontraron en las 17 zonas, mientras que 516 fueron registradas en una sola. Los análisis multivariados realizados con todas las especies separan la zona compuesta por Carolina del Norte + Carolina del Sur + Georgia de las demás; las rodofíceas presentan el menor grado de similitud entre las zonas, de modo que quedan más alejadas Bermudas, el Norte del Golfo, Bahamas y Brasil de forma individual, mientras que Jamaica, la Española y Antillas Holandesas + Trinidad-Tobago forman un grupo separado. La región presenta en general una alta similitud en la composición de macroalgas, fundamentalmente en un núcleo central que incluye todo el Caribe, el sur del golfo de México y la Florida.
Routine DNA barcoding with the chloroplast gene tufA identified novel records of an unknown and denuded (i.e. lacking branchlets) Caulerpa species previously reported from the Florida Middle Grounds. ...tufA barcoding not only confirmed the matching molecular identity of this taxon with several newly collected denuded specimens from shallow habitats of the Yucatán shelf, but also with a set of plumose specimens previously collected from mesophotic depths of the West Florida shelf and recorded as Caulerpa sertularioides. Sequencing of two additional, faster-evolving DNA markers, i.e. nuclear ITS and the newly tested chloroplast-encoded rpoA, each confirmed conspecificity of the above morphotypes and the molecular separation of the new taxon from C. sertularioides and filiform species found in the region, namely C. cupressoides f. denudata and C. fastigiata. In light of our sequencing results and review of the early taxonomic history of filiform Caulerpa, we propose the description of Caulerpa wysorii sp. nov. for this new species that exhibits two distinct morphotypes in currently available collections, i.e. filiform or plumose assimilators. We also subsume C. tongaensis within the broadly distributed C. fastigiata, whose lectotype is also designated herein. In addition to Caulerpa wysorii sp. nov., we discovered yet another unknown denuded species from the Campeche Banks represented by a single specimen thus far.
Antecedentes y Objetivos: Desde la publicación del libro sobre las macroalgas marinas de Cuba en 2015 se han publicado nuevos registros y cambios taxonómicos. Por lo anterior, el objetivo del ...presente trabajo fue presentar una quinta revisión sistemática actualizada, que incluye Ochrophyta (Clase Phaeophyceae), Rhodophyta y Chlorophyta. Métodos: Se recopiló la información disponible en publicaciones científicas, tesis de licenciatura, maestría y doctorado, e informes científico-técnicos de especialistas reconocidos, considerando aquellas que no fueron comprendidas en la revisión anterior o que fueron publicadas después de 2015. Los taxones encontrados fueron ordenados sistemáticamente, los nombres actualizados y la sinonimia revisada según AlgaeBase y la literatura más reciente. Las especies se ordenaron alfabéticamente dentro de cada familia. La distribución de cada taxón se resumió para nueve zonas consideradas como Distritos Ecológicos (zonas) de la plataforma cubana.Resultados claves: Se presenta un listado florístico actualizado con 569 especies, una subespecie, 25 variedades y 21 formas. Se añaden a la anterior revisión 38 especies, de las cuales siete son nuevos registros para Cuba: Hydrolithon boergesenii, Neogoniolithon mamillare, N. propinquum, N. rhizophorae, Lithothamnion crispatum, Liagoropsis schrammii y Peyssonnelia rubra. Se da la distribución de cada uno de estos taxones en las nueve zonas de la plataforma cubana.Conclusiones: Las zonas que presentaron más especies son aquellas que han tenido un mayor esfuerzo de muestreo o donde predominan los fondos rocosos arrecifales, aunque no se han inventariado detalladamente las macroalgas en la zona mesolitoral, bahías y lagunas costeras.
The spatiotemporal variations of megazoobenthos on soft bottoms in Buena Vista (BV) and San Juan de Los Remedios (SJR) bays, Cuba, were assessed to infer the effects of the elimination of bottom ...trawl fisheries and the creation of protected areas. Data were collected at 11 sites in 2010-2013 (six routines and five exploratories) and 11 sites in 2014-2017 (four routines and seven exploratories). Samples were obtained by dredging. Mollusks were the most frequent and diverse group, followed by echinoderms and crustaceans. Total density (7.60 ind m.sup.-2) and biomass (15.82 g m.sup.-2) of the benthic community were highest in SJR in 2015. Although total biomass was lower at BV (t = 2.21; P = 0.032), there were no significant differences in density between bays (t = 0.77; P = 0.444). The site with a lower total density and biomass was located at BV. There were no differences between years except at one site, where density increased between 2010 and 2017. Total density and biomass were not significantly different inside and outside of the Zone Under Special Regime of Use and Protection (ZUSRUP) at the beginning of the sampled period. However, both density and biomass were significantly higher within the ZUSRUP at the end (2017), which suggests this protected area's effectivity. The progressive increase in density at one site and greater density and biomass values at SJR, where bottom trawl fisheries were more intensive, suggest eliminating bottom trawl nets may have contributed to the benthic fauna recovery.
The influence of three potential anthropogenic stressful factors (coastal pollution from the mainland, the causeway Caibarién–Santa María and fishing with bottom-trawling nets) on the condition of ...seagrasses was assessed at 12 sites in two bays of Sabana–Camagüey archipelago, between 2010 and 2013. As for indicators of the condition of the seagrass ecosystem, the structure of the macrophyte community, marine angiosperm’s shoot density, and shoot length of marine angiosperms were analyzed. Abiotic variables as depth, turbidity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, oxygen saturation, and chemical oxygen demand of seawater, were evaluated. The relationships of the three potential anthropogenic stressful factors and the abiotic factors (predictor variables) with the biological response variables were analyzed. Seagrass meadows in better condition, with higher values of cover and density of Thalassia testudinum, and lower values of depth, turbidity, salinity, chemical oxygen demand, were found at sites out of the bays and furthermost from the causeway and mainland. Areas without vegetation or with lower values of cover and density of T. testudinum, and higher cover of macroalgae and pioneer species of marine angiosperms as Syringodium filiforme and Halodule wrightii, were found in both bays. Turbidity and depth were the abiotic factors with the stronger negative influence on the structure of the seagrass community. Chemical oxygen demand and salinity also showed negative influences. Coastal pollution seems to be the anthropogenic factor that most influences the condition of seagrasses. No recovery of seagrasses was observed in areas where bottom-trawling fisheries had ceased. Distance to the causeway was not correlated with the condition of seagrass, but the potential for a negative influence on circulation persists. Seagrasses in the studied bays remain affected by the above-mentioned predictor abiotic factors, whose effects may be reinforced by the three anthropogenic stressful factors, acting synergistically with the bays’ oceanographic characteristics.
•T. testudinum dominated in healthier sites, and pioneer species in the stressed ones.•Turbidity and depth showed a negative influence for seagrasses in the survey area.•Coastal pollution was the stressful factor more related with macrophyte community.•Despite management actions, seagrasses are still influenced by coastal pollution.•In the study area the negative effects of the causeway and trawling fishery persist.
Las especies del complejo Laurencia son elementos importantes en la estructura y diversidad de los ecosistemas costeros. Por primera vez, se analiza la distribución geográfica del complejo dentro de ...la plataforma cubana, sus áreas marinas protegidas y se identifican áreas potenciales endémicas, considerando las ecozonas en que se dividió la plataforma. A la fecha, se han inventariado 19 especies, de estas 10 pertenecen a Laurencia, una a Osmundea, cinco a Palisada, dos a Yuzurua, y se incorporó Laurenciella como nuevo género para Cuba. La distribución fue desigual, con un alto número de especies y puntos de ocurrencia, especialmente en las regiones Occidental y Central de la costa norte. El análisis de parsimonia de endemicidad indicó dos ecozonas, una en Habana-Matanzas y otra en la Costa Nordeste, sustentadas por tres y dos especies endémicas, respectivamente.
Species of the Laurencia complex are important elements in the structure and diversity of coastal ecosystems. For the first time, we analyzed the geographical distribution of the complex within the Cuban shelf, its marine protected areas and identified potential endemic areas, considering the ecozones into which the shelf was divided. To date, 19 species have been inventoried, of which 10 belong to Laurencia, one to Osmundea, five to Palisada, two to Yuzurua, and Laurenciella a new record of genus for Cuba. The distribution was uneven, with a high number of species and occurrence points, especially in the Western and Central regions of the northern coast. The parsimony analysis of endemicity indicated two ecozones, one in Habana-Matanzas and the other in the Northeast Coast, supported by three and two endemic species, respectively.
La biomasa seca del macrofitobentos se emplea para analizar la abundancia, productividad y otros procesos que se producen en los ecosistemas. Pero el secado de la biomasa implica la destrucción del ...especimen, así como consumo de tiempo, electricidad. En muchos casos no hay condiciones para realizar el secado de las muestras. Por estas razones, se determinaron regresiones lineales entre las biomasas seca y húmeda de hojas y de rizomas + raíces de Thalassia testudinum. De estos modelos se obtuvieron ecuaciones que pueden ser utilizadas para estimar la biomasa seca, a partir de la húmeda, para esta especie.
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