Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

PC19 Benthic Processes and Ecology

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2001

Location: Southwest Hall

Toledo-Hernandez, C, , Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, PO Box 23360, San Juan, 00931, Puerto Rico, donq65@hotmail.com

THE ROLE OF HUMAN DERIVED-STRESS IN SEA FAN MASS MORTALITY EVENTS.

Causes for sea fan mass mortalities in the Caribbean basin have not been clearly elucidated because of lacking data before and during the events. The purpose of this project is to document if human-derived and/or natural factors can cause sea fan mortality in pristine and degraded reefs along the western coast of Puerto Rico. All sea fans within two 50 x 4 m transects were mapped, measured and described in each site. Sedimentation rates, solid suspended material concentration, water temperature and motion, and nutrient concentrations were measured for six months. The degraded reef showed higher sedimentation rates, solid suspended material and water temperature. Nutrient concentration and water motion were similar. Sea fans were more abundant in the pristine reef. Overgrown lesions on sea fans were higher in the degraded reef than at the pristine one. Size structure at the pristine reef exhibited high recruitment rates and lower mortality in recruits. Size structure at the degraded one suggest poor recruitment and high mortality of recruits. Growth rates in the degraded reef were significantly lower than at the pristine one.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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