ABSTRACT
The deepwater faunas of oceanic islands and seamounts of the Eastern Tropical Pacific are poorly known. From 11-22 September 2009 we conducted an exploration of the deepwater areas of the Isla del Coco Marine Conservation Area, Costa Rica and a nearby seamount using a manned submersible. The goal of the exploration was to characterize the habitats and biota, and conduct quantitative surveys of the deepwater portions of Isla del Coco National Park and Las Gemelas Seamount, located about 50km southwest of Isla del Coco. We completed a total of 22 submersible dives, spanning more than 80hr underwater, and collected a total of 36hr of video. We surveyed habitats from 50-402m and observed more than 45 species of fishes, some of which have not yet been described and are likely new to science. The diversity of fish species in deep water at Isla del Coco National Park was lower than the diversity of fishes in shallow water, and eight species groups accounted for more than 95% of the total fish biomass. The combined density of all fish species was higher at Las Gemelas Seamount (253 fishes/100m²) than at Isla del Coco National Park (138 fishes/100m²). The combined density of fishes in habitats comprised primarily of bedrock or large boulders outcrops was more than three times as high at Las Gemelas Seamount as it was at Isla del Coco National Park. This discrepancy was caused by the extremely high concentration of Anthiinae fishes in rocky habitats at Las Gemelas Seamount. Densities of fishes in the other habitats were similar between the two sites. Similarly, when estimates of fish density were plotted by slope categories the density was much greater on steep slopes, which were usually comprised of rock habitats. Also, the density of fishes was greatest on high rugosity habitats. Results of these submersible surveys indicate that seamounts in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean may be an important source of biodiversity and that more quantitative surveys are needed to characterize the fauna of the region.
Las faunas de aguas profundas de islas oceánicas del Pacífico Tropical Oriental se conocen poco y de los montes submarinos nada. Del 11 al 22 de septiembre de 2009 llevamos a cabo una exploración de zonas profundos del Área de Conservación Marina Isla del Coco utilizando un submarino tripulado. El objetivo del estudio fue caracterizar los hábitats y las comunidades, y cuantificar las poblaciones de peces de profundidad en la Isla del Coco y los montes submarinos Las Gemelas, situados a 50km al suroeste de la Isla del Coco. Realizamos 22 inmersiones con el submarino, con más de 80 horas de observación submarina, y filmamos 30 horas de video. Investigamos hábitats entre 50-402m de profundidad y observamos más de 45 especies de peces, algunas de las cuales son especies nuevas para la ciencia. La diversidad de peces profundos en la Isla del Coco fue menor que en aguas someras, y ocho grupos de especies representaron más del 95% de la biomasa total de peces. La densidad combinada de peces fue 253 peces/100m² en Las Gemelas y 138 peces/100m² en la Isla del Coco.
Subject(s)
Oceans and Seas , Conservation of Natural Resources , Biodiversity , Fishes , Costa RicaABSTRACT
Fishes at Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica, were surveyed as part of a larger scientific expedition to the area in September 2009. The average total biomass of nearshore fishes was 7.8 tonnes per ha, among the largest observed in the tropics, with apex predators such as sharks, jacks, and groupers accounting for nearly 40% of the total biomass. The abundance of reef and pelagic sharks, particularly large aggregations of threatened species such as the scalloped hammerhead shark (up to 42 hammerheads ha-1) and large schools of jacks and snappers show the capacity for high biomass in unfished ecosystems in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. However, the abundance of hammerhead and reef whitetip sharks appears to have been declining since the late 1990s, and likely causes may include increasing fishing pressure on sharks in the region and illegal fishing inside the Park. One Galapagos shark tagged on September 20, 2009 in the Isla del Coco National Park moved 255km southeast towards Malpelo Island in Colombia, when it stopped transmitting. These results contribute to the evidence that sharks conduct large-scale movements between marine protected areas (Isla del Coco, Malpelo, Galápagos) in the Eastern tropical Pacific and emphasize the need for regional-scale management. More than half of the species and 90% of the individuals observed were endemic to the tropical eastern Pacific. These high biomass and endemicity values highlight the uniqueness of the fish assemblage at Isla del Coco and its importance as a global biodiversity hotspot.
La biomasa promedio de peces costeros en el Parque Nacional Isla del Coco en septiembre de 2010 fue de 7,8 toneladas por hectárea, entre las más elevadas halladas jamás en zonas tropicales. Los grandes depredadores representaron el 40% de la biomasa total. La abundancia de tiburones costeros y pelágicos, particularmente las enormes agregaciones de tiburón martillo (hasta 42 individuos por hectárea) y los extensos bancos de carángidos y lutjánidos, muestran la capacidad que tienen los ecosistemas marinos no pescados para albergar elevadas biomasas de peces, y hacen de la Isla del Coco un lugar único en el mundo. No obstante, la abundancia de tiburones parece estar decreciendo desde 1999, probablemente a causa de la creciente presión pesquera en la región y la pesca ilegal en el interior del Parque. Un tiburón de Galápagos marcado se dirigió 255km en dirección a la Isla de Malpelo, Colombia. Estos resultados sugieren que los tiburones realizan importantes movimientos entre áreas marinas protegidas (Isla del Coco, Malpelo, Galápagos) en el Pacífico Tropical Oriental y remarcan la necesidad de una gestión regional de estos animales. Más del 50% de las especies y el 90% de individuos observados en los contajes eran endémicos del Pacífico Tropical Oriental.