AMBIENTES ARRECIFALES DE LAS ISLAS MURCIÉLAGO Y LA PENÍNSULA DE SANTA ELENA, ÁREA DE CONSERVACIÓN GUANACASTE, PACÍFICO DE COSTA RICA

Abstract

The ecology of the marine environments of the Murciélago Islands and the Santa Elena Peninsula have been little studied despite their high biodiversity. This area is influenced by a strong coastal upwelling, which makes its waters highly productive. In 2014, 2016 and 2018, the region was visited to assess the composition and diversity of its reef environments. Bottom coverage, macroinvertebrate diversity and abundance, and reef fish biomass were quantified. The substrate was dominated by turf and crustose calcareous algae. Live coral coverage has decreased compared to previous reports for the area. Sea urchins were the macroinvertebrates with the highest densities, while species of commercial interest presented low densities, this may suggest some degree of fishing pressure. Even so, 84 reef fish species were identified, making this area with greatest diversities in the North Pacific of Costa Rica, which can be attributed to the presence of marine protected areas. Coral biotopes in this region are key to the conservation of connectivity between reef areas, due to their high diversity and the presence of relatively healthy reefs.