Mona reef community structure and function for MPA design

Benthic, Conservation, Ecology, Fish, Habitat, Management, Marine Protected Area, Monitoring, Ontogeny, Spawning

Author: Michelle T. Schärer, Ph.D. Institution: HJR Reefscaping Year: 2006 The Mona Island Natural Reserve (MINR) was designated in 1986 and is managed by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER). As an isolated island in the middle of a partial biogeographic boundary, healthy coral reef fish communities at Mona are essential both for population…

Progress in mapping the Cabo Rojo shelf using SSS

Acoustic, Benthic, Fish, Habitat, Mapping, Reef, Remote sensing, Sonar, Spawning

Author: Jose A. Rivera, Ph.D. Institution: NOAA Fisheries Year: 2006 Located on the west coast, the Cabo Rojo shelf is the widest section of the Puerto Rico (PR) shelf, comprising a diverse mosaic of benthic habitats including well developed deep reefs, at least three known spawning aggregation (SPAG) sites, three of the six federal U.S. Caribbean MPA’s and…

Development of software applications for assessing the effects of land disturbance on sediment yields

Benthic, Coastal, Conservation, Erosion, Geology, Management, Sediment

Author: Carlos E. Ramos-Scharrón, Ph.D. Institution: University of Texas, Austin Year: 2006 Many coral reef systems within the U.S. Caribbean are at risk from land-based sources of sediment and this has prompted the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to encourage local governments to develop erosion control strategies to mitigate the impacts. The lack of quantitative information and proper…

Selective monitoring of Puerto Rican coral reefs

Benthic, Bleaching, Coral, Ecology, Fish, Invertebrates, Management, Monitoring

Author: Edwin A. Hernandez, Ph.D. Institution: University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras – Biology Department Year: 2006 This project is aimed at obtaining the spatial and temporal synoptic understanding of coral reef health and the factors affecting it through repeated assessments at a subset of previously characterized permanent transects using standardized techniques. In contrast to previous assessments, however,…

Cyanobacterial blooms on coral reefs and algal epizoic growth on corals in Southwest Puerto Rico

Benthic, Bloom, Conservation, Coral, Disease, Ecology, Microbiology, Monitoring, Water quality

Author: David L. Ballantine, Ph.D. Institution: University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Year: 2006 One of the recently recognized threats to coral reef health is overgrowth by macroscopic algae. Algal blooms are becoming increasingly widespread on a worldwide scale with the phenomenon involving both geographical expansion and increased biomass. Virtually all macroalgal blooms appear to be initiated by nutrient…

Taking coastal mapping to a new level: assessing habitat composition and water properties of shallow coastal ecosystems along the coast of Puerto Rico using hyperspectral remote sensing

Benthic, Chemistry, Coastal, Habitat, Mapping, Remote sensing, Sediment

Author: James Goodman, Ph.D. Institution: University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Year: 2007 – 2008 The primary objective of the project is to provide a more comprehensive assessment and mapping of the shallow coastal resources for selected areas along the coast of Puerto Rico. Specifically, we will extract information on habitat composition and water properties using the enhanced capabilities…