Rita Inés Sellares Blasco, Aldo Croquer, María F. Villalpando, Andreina Valdez-Trinidad, Omar Shamir, Jonathan Delance, Samuel Antonio King Pérez, Sergio D. Guendulain-García
Caribbean coral reefs have been declining at unprecedented rates, with about 50% of live coral cover lost over the past 50 years. The description of benthic and associated fish assemblages in remote areas, supposedly less vulnerable to human stressors, is necessary to better understand the spatial extent of declining trends, and to target areas for special management and protection. We present results from an expedition to Silver Bank (SiBa), Dominican Republic, aimed at providing the first quantitative assessment of benthic and fish assemblages in the area in the last 20 years. In April 2022, seven sites were surveyed using the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and the Atlantic Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment protocols, to determine benthic composition, coral richness, prevalence of diseases, invertebrates, and fish assemblages. Contrary to our expectations, reefs showed severe signs of deterioration, with coral cover seldom exceeding 11% on average, with no more than 14 species (from the more than 60 for the Caribbean region). Turf algae and macroalgae dominated the reefs (37–90%). Coral disease prevalence did not exceed 1–2%, and no evidence of epizootic Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) was noticed. Clear signs of overfishing were recorded, with carnivores above 15 cm being scarce across all sites. Furthermore, herbivorous species also depicted sizes below 15 cm, with no more than eight species. Our results change the previous conception that reefs at Silver Bank are healthier than coastal reefs because they benefit from low anthropogenic pressures. This serves as an alert to local environmental authorities to improve surveillance and management actions to preserve this area.
{"title":"First Quantitative Assessment of Benthic and Fish Assemblages of Silver Bank, Dominican Republic","authors":"Rita Inés Sellares Blasco, Aldo Croquer, María F. Villalpando, Andreina Valdez-Trinidad, Omar Shamir, Jonathan Delance, Samuel Antonio King Pérez, Sergio D. Guendulain-García","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a9","url":null,"abstract":"Caribbean coral reefs have been declining at unprecedented rates, with about 50% of live coral cover lost over the past 50 years. The description of benthic and associated fish assemblages in remote areas, supposedly less vulnerable to human stressors, is necessary to better understand the spatial extent of declining trends, and to target areas for special management and protection. We present results from an expedition to Silver Bank (SiBa), Dominican Republic, aimed at providing the first quantitative assessment of benthic and fish assemblages in the area in the last 20 years. In April 2022, seven sites were surveyed using the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and the Atlantic Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment protocols, to determine benthic composition, coral richness, prevalence of diseases, invertebrates, and fish assemblages. Contrary to our expectations, reefs showed severe signs of deterioration, with coral cover seldom exceeding 11% on average, with no more than 14 species (from the more than 60 for the Caribbean region). Turf algae and macroalgae dominated the reefs (37–90%). Coral disease prevalence did not exceed 1–2%, and no evidence of epizootic Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) was noticed. Clear signs of overfishing were recorded, with carnivores above 15 cm being scarce across all sites. Furthermore, herbivorous species also depicted sizes below 15 cm, with no more than eight species. Our results change the previous conception that reefs at Silver Bank are healthier than coastal reefs because they benefit from low anthropogenic pressures. This serves as an alert to local environmental authorities to improve surveillance and management actions to preserve this area.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"74 3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136114301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
José Manuel Mora, Kenneth Matarrita Gutiérrez, Lucía I. López
{"title":"Predation of a La Loma Robber Frog, Pristimantis caryophyllaceus (Barbour, 1928), by a Rhinoceros spear Bearer, Copiphora rhinoceros Pictet, 1888","authors":"José Manuel Mora, Kenneth Matarrita Gutiérrez, Lucía I. López","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"100 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135696660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Invasive plants can cause drastic changes in their new ecosystems, and these changes might depend also on future climatic conditions. Buffelgrass is an African C4 bunchgrass that has been introduced outside its native range for rangeland improvement and livestock feed. In the Caribbean region, it has been introduced to supplement managed pasturelands and can have an effect on the surviving native flora. To determine the potential range where these populations might be present in tropical dry forest biomes in the next decades, we ran species distribution models for the Puerto Rican bank. We found that buffelgrass will remain present in the tropical dry forest biome of the main island of Puerto Rico as well as nearby islands with equal or greater biodiversity refuges. With the increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases, more areas of Puerto Rico's coasts and nearby islands will become suitable habitat for this invasive grass. Those areas should be actively monitored for control and removal of this invasive grass.
{"title":"Future Presence of an Invasive Grass in the Caribbean: Modeling Potential Distribution of Cenchrus ciliaris L. (Buffelgrass) in Puerto Rico","authors":"Juan G. García-Cancel, Robert D. Cox","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a7","url":null,"abstract":"Invasive plants can cause drastic changes in their new ecosystems, and these changes might depend also on future climatic conditions. Buffelgrass is an African C4 bunchgrass that has been introduced outside its native range for rangeland improvement and livestock feed. In the Caribbean region, it has been introduced to supplement managed pasturelands and can have an effect on the surviving native flora. To determine the potential range where these populations might be present in tropical dry forest biomes in the next decades, we ran species distribution models for the Puerto Rican bank. We found that buffelgrass will remain present in the tropical dry forest biome of the main island of Puerto Rico as well as nearby islands with equal or greater biodiversity refuges. With the increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases, more areas of Puerto Rico's coasts and nearby islands will become suitable habitat for this invasive grass. Those areas should be actively monitored for control and removal of this invasive grass.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"26 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135739032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Julián Esteban Durán Gómez, Germán David Patarroyo Camargo, José Manuel Torres Parada
{"title":"Miocene Fossils of Old Providence Island (Western Caribbean, Colombia) and Geological Heritage of the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve","authors":"Julián Esteban Durán Gómez, Germán David Patarroyo Camargo, José Manuel Torres Parada","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"81 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135154404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Á. Gamboa-Álvarez, Claudia Febles-Gutierrez, A. Poot-Salazar, Edgar Francisco Cob-Pech
{"title":"Rapid Communication on the Presence of Holothuria arenicola in the Port of Dzilam de Bravo, Yucatan, Mexico (Shallow Eastern Coast of the Campeche Bank)","authors":"M. Á. Gamboa-Álvarez, Claudia Febles-Gutierrez, A. Poot-Salazar, Edgar Francisco Cob-Pech","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43188751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
P. Hoxey, Andrew Gdaniec, José Dolores Hernández, Mario Guzmán, Wilmer Corniel, A. Culham
{"title":"Illustrated Checklist of the Cacti of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) with Keys to Genera and Species","authors":"P. Hoxey, Andrew Gdaniec, José Dolores Hernández, Mario Guzmán, Wilmer Corniel, A. Culham","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a3","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45331285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ultrastructure Morphology of the Antennae of Three Peckia (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) Species: Peckia dominicana, P. nicasia, and P. chrysostoma","authors":"Latoya Foote-Gordon, E. Garraway","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43863923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Schaus, V. R. Townsend, Amanda C. Albert, D. Yee, Daniel N. Proud
{"title":"Unraveling the Effects of Hurricane Maria on the Abundance and Composition of Harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) Species Along an Elevational Gradient in Puerto Rico","authors":"M. Schaus, V. R. Townsend, Amanda C. Albert, D. Yee, Daniel N. Proud","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44072630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gavin R. Campbell, Desireina Delancy, Tannice A. Hall
Abstract The ant fauna in natural and rural areas of Jamaica has received substantial interest in the past. However, no recent works have focused primarily on the ants of urban and suburban areas. In this study, we assessed the species richness and origin of ants in urban and suburban areas of St. Andrew, Jamaica. Ant specimens were hand-collected within a 30 m radius area during a 15 minute search conducted at 27 sample sites during 39 sampling events. A total of 31 ant species were collected, representing a mixture of 18 native (58.1%) and 13 introduced (41.9%) species. Among the 18 species native to the Caribbean region, three (9.7%) are endemic to Jamaica, namely Camponotus hannani, Camponotus fugax, and Cephalotes jamaicensis. Sixteen tramp species (species with a worldwide distribution) represented 51.6% of the ant community, including Brachymyrmex patagonicus, Nylanderia steinheili, Paratrechina longicornis, Tapinoma melanocephalum, and Trichomyrmex destructor. Brachymyrmex patagonicus, Solenopsis geminata, and P. longicornis were most prevalent, being respectively found at 92.6%, 85.2%, and 81.5% of the sampled sites. Brachymyrmex obscurior, Camponotus fugax, Camponotus sexguttatus, Crematogaster steinheili, and Pheidole subarmata were among the least prevalent, each found at only one site. This publication presents the first published records of Solenopsis globularia and Monomorium pharaonis in Jamaica, with short descriptions of their habitats. The urban and suburban ant community of St. Andrew presents a relatively high species richness.
{"title":"Species Richness and Origin of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Urban and Suburban Areas of St. Andrew, Jamaica","authors":"Gavin R. Campbell, Desireina Delancy, Tannice A. Hall","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i1.a6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i1.a6","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The ant fauna in natural and rural areas of Jamaica has received substantial interest in the past. However, no recent works have focused primarily on the ants of urban and suburban areas. In this study, we assessed the species richness and origin of ants in urban and suburban areas of St. Andrew, Jamaica. Ant specimens were hand-collected within a 30 m radius area during a 15 minute search conducted at 27 sample sites during 39 sampling events. A total of 31 ant species were collected, representing a mixture of 18 native (58.1%) and 13 introduced (41.9%) species. Among the 18 species native to the Caribbean region, three (9.7%) are endemic to Jamaica, namely Camponotus hannani, Camponotus fugax, and Cephalotes jamaicensis. Sixteen tramp species (species with a worldwide distribution) represented 51.6% of the ant community, including Brachymyrmex patagonicus, Nylanderia steinheili, Paratrechina longicornis, Tapinoma melanocephalum, and Trichomyrmex destructor. Brachymyrmex patagonicus, Solenopsis geminata, and P. longicornis were most prevalent, being respectively found at 92.6%, 85.2%, and 81.5% of the sampled sites. Brachymyrmex obscurior, Camponotus fugax, Camponotus sexguttatus, Crematogaster steinheili, and Pheidole subarmata were among the least prevalent, each found at only one site. This publication presents the first published records of Solenopsis globularia and Monomorium pharaonis in Jamaica, with short descriptions of their habitats. The urban and suburban ant community of St. Andrew presents a relatively high species richness.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"53 1","pages":"59 - 67"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41312767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract This study presents the first scanning electron microscopy investigation of the antenna of adult Bahamiola orbitalis, a species of potential forensic relevance. The specimens used in the analysis were obtained from traps baited with decomposing chicken in Jamaica, and 16 males were used in the morphometric analysis of the species. The antennae of B. orbitalis exhibit the typical characteristics of cyclorrhaphan Diptera, with the scape, the pedicel, and the postpedicel that bears the arista. The distribution, number, and location of sensilla on the antennae are described. Five types of sensilla were observed. The scape and pedicel have only chaetic sensilla, the postpedicel bears trichoid, basiconic, coeloconic sensilla, and clavate sensilla. Basiconic sensilla were the most numerous sensilla found on the antennae. Coeloconic sensilla are short-pegged and located in sunken depressions. The ventral surface of the postpedicel bears one sensory pit. This study provides additional information about the structure of the antennae in Sarcophagidae. This can be used to compare evolutionary relationships and identify shared characteristics.
{"title":"Ultrastructure Morphology of the Antennae of Bahamiola orbitalis (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)","authors":"Latoya Foote-Gordon, E. Garraway","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i1.a5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i1.a5","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study presents the first scanning electron microscopy investigation of the antenna of adult Bahamiola orbitalis, a species of potential forensic relevance. The specimens used in the analysis were obtained from traps baited with decomposing chicken in Jamaica, and 16 males were used in the morphometric analysis of the species. The antennae of B. orbitalis exhibit the typical characteristics of cyclorrhaphan Diptera, with the scape, the pedicel, and the postpedicel that bears the arista. The distribution, number, and location of sensilla on the antennae are described. Five types of sensilla were observed. The scape and pedicel have only chaetic sensilla, the postpedicel bears trichoid, basiconic, coeloconic sensilla, and clavate sensilla. Basiconic sensilla were the most numerous sensilla found on the antennae. Coeloconic sensilla are short-pegged and located in sunken depressions. The ventral surface of the postpedicel bears one sensory pit. This study provides additional information about the structure of the antennae in Sarcophagidae. This can be used to compare evolutionary relationships and identify shared characteristics.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"53 1","pages":"51 - 58"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46732367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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