Estimates of the survival of juvenile sharks within their critical habitats are important in defining the dynamic of the species and designing management strategies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the survival of juvenile lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris, at Los Roques Archipelago. During the period 2005–2014, 29 field surveys were conducted in the Sebastopol Lagoon, an area previously

Animals are particularly vulnerable during sleep, yet studies addressing sleeping behavior are rare among reptiles. Although the behavior of Anolis lizards has been widely documented, only a handful of studies have described sleeping behavior in this group. Very few of those studies focus on the cryptic twig anoles, an ecomorph characterized by extreme morphology and unique behavior among Anolis. Here

Phytoplankton samples were taken at mesophothic depths (30–150 m) over the Frijol Bank seamount inside the Corales de Profundidad National Natural Park during the dry and rainy seasons. Sixty-four forms (genera and morpho-species) of phytoplankton were found. Seasonal influence on phytoplankton assemblage structure was detected, with a number of genera preferentially associating with the dry season

This study is based on the behavioral responses of Leptodactylus albilabris tadpoles, a widely abundant frog native to Puerto Rico. We evaluated changes in habitat preference and activity levels in the presence of a predator (fish). Tadpoles were collected and allocated to one of three treatments: no fish predator, one fish (Astronotus ocellatus), and two fish. Results showed a significant decrease

Butterflies have proven to be excellent indicators of the disturbance and biodiversity of habitats. Cuban butterflies are well known taxonomically, but the state of knowledge of their ecology is still insufficient and no studies have been carried out in some ecosystems. Here we characterize and compare the richness and diversity of butterfly assemblages associated with secondary forest and secondary

Aerobiological studies focus on studying biological particulates such as pollen and fungal spores in the lower atmosphere. Dispersion of these bio particulates is widespread, and their capture can be difficult, requiring the development and use of different methods to achieve their capture. For this research, a modified unmanned aerial vehicle, commonly known as drone, fitted with remote-controlled

Although rare, hypopigmentary disorders have been observed in many vertebrate species. These disorders include albinism, leucism, and piebaldism, and can be differentiated based on the pattern and degree of lack of pigmentation. For many species, these disorders persist in nature, suggesting that affected animals can survive and potentially reproduce. Here we report a case of albinism in a Jamaican

We describe the records of two adult males of Chiroderma trinitatum captured in the Caribbean lowlands of Ciudad Blanca, Gracias a Dios in eastern Honduras. These records extend more than 527 km from what was known as the northernmost record of this uncommon species in Costa Rica. Further research is needed for the conservation of the biodiversity in the core of the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, which

The Pale-face bat (Phylloderma stenops) is a species found from southern Mexico to South America and there has been no record of this species in Honduras since 1971. We rediscovered this species 46 years later based on an adult male captured in eastern Honduras (Ciudad Blanca, Gracias a Dios) at 204 m asl on February 20, 2017, in a Tropical Moist Forest. We now deposit the specimen in the museum Biodiversidad

The Caribbean is a biodiversity hotspot due to its rich biodiversity and wholesale loss of primary vegetation. Yet, there is a paucity of studies on the status and trends of terrestrial avifauna populations in the region. We combined survey data from six habitats (Quill and Gilboa Hill, Town, Botanical Garden, Garden Road, and Venus Bay) on a small Lesser Antillean island over a seven-year period.

Norops cupreus inhabits lowland dry forests and gallery forests along the Pacific Coast of Central America. We used operative temperature models (OTM) to examine the thermoregulation of this species in Parque Nacional Palo Verde (Costa Rica) by conducting a field study in February 2003. Norops cupreus in Palo Verde appeared to thermoregulate during early morning hours, late evening, and during the

The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari), has at least two generalist predators that are well-known for their biological control potential, the little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata and various species of lizards in the genus Anolis. While it is frequently suggested that multiple control elements make biological control more efficacious, particular situations may not reveal such an effect

The male of the endemic species Alpaida elegantula is described. Ten species are recorded for the first time from Martinique, Lesser Antilles: Wulfila sp. (Anyphaenidae), Eilica sp. (Gnaphosidae), Schizocosa sp. (Lycosidae), Microdipoena guttata (Mysmenidae), Nesticus sp (Nesticidae), Nesticella sp. (Nesticidae), Theotima minutissima (Ochyroceratidae), Stenoonops sp. (Oonopidae), Thwaitesia sp. (Theridiidae)

Just over 200 species of marine tardigrades have been described, and most of these have been collected in sand and other sediments. However, several species are known to associate with other invertebrates such as barnacles, bryozoans, and holothurians. It is possible that many epizoic tardigrade species remain to be discovered, since surveys of tardigrades on other potential animal hosts are very rare

Microalgae are promising sources of biofuels due to the high lipid content of some species. However, growing microalgae at large scales involves high production costs, mainly associated with nutrient inputs and harvesting processes. Therefore, to be cost competitive, species to be used as a source of fuels should be capable of accumulating lipids and biomass at lower fertilizer inputs. In the present

A phylogenetic analysis of representatives of the red algal genus Hypnea in the Cuban archipelago was carried out utilizing two genetic markers: plastid rbcL and the mitochondrial cox1. Percent of base pair differences and Bayesian analyses indicate the presence of three species of Hypnea in Cuba: H. musciformis, H. spinella, and H. cryptica. The species H. cryptica, first described from Brazil, is

The Roatan Coral Snake (Micrurus ruatanus) is the only coral snake known to be endemic to an island. The ex situ management of a Roatan Coral Snake individual maintained at the Serpentarium of the Instituto Clodomiro Picado (ICP) is presented. This individual was fed with a diet based on colubrid snakes of the genus Geophis, presenting a curve of variation in body weight during 15 years in captivity

Based on four years of butterfly monitoring in four contrasting natural habitats on St. Eustatius, we document large and consistent differences in the butterfly species assemblages in the different habitats and compare the butterfly assemblages of the three windward Dutch islands to those of other islands of the Lesser Antilles. Seven new species records were established for St. Eustatius, thereby

Most climate models for the Caribbean predict drying trends, increased temperature, and precipitation variability. We used regression analyses to evaluate how global predictions translated into local temporal patterns of climatic variation within the Luquillo Mountains in Puerto Rico, and which variables were more useful for expressing precipitation and temperature variability trends there. We used

Nothing is known about the impact on marine meiofauna of submarine volcanic eruptions in the Grenada Basin. The benthic foraminiferal fauna is here examined in piston cores taken within ∼8 – 38 km of the crater of Kick ‘em Jenny (KeJ), decadal eruptions of which disseminate ash to the NW via the Caribbean Current. Piston core Gs29, taken ∼8 km W of the crater, consists of clay-rich material from the

Invasive predators are among the most detrimental biological invaders of island ecosystems. However, information detailing the effectiveness of trapping for these invasive species is often underreported. Here, we quantified the influence of environmental features on mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) trapping success across five forest types in eastern Puerto Rico. Specifically, we evaluated how canopy

Limited financial resources coupled with competing social demands may require novel approaches for biodiversity conservation. Within the Bahamas archipelago, subtropical dry forest (“coppice”) provides habitat for many resident and migratory bird species including the U.S. federally endangered Kirtland's warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii). On the islands, this migratory bird relies heavily on fruits of

Anolis lizards are common throughout the islands of the West Indies, often with several species existing in sympatry by demonstrating conspicuous niche separation. With increasing occurrences of Anolis species being introduced to islands outside of their natural range, there is potential for significant disturbance to natural Anolis communities and particularly to endemic species that have evolved

Sponges (Phylum Porifera) are abundant, diverse and usually with high substrate coverage in coral reef environments. In 2009, we initiated the systematic study of the coralline bottoms of the Isla de Aves, the most remote island of Venezuela. The study consisted in the identification and quantification of the sponges at 16 localities along 1x10 m transects (n=60). The surveys were done in shallow and

Sponges provide an array of ecological services and benefits for Caribbean coral reefs. They function as habitats for a bewildering variety of species, however limited attention has been paid in the systematics and distribution of sponge-associated fauna in the class Calcarea or for that matter of sponges in the Caribbean. The goal of this study was to characterize infaunal assemblages from a calcareous

Stressor-response research on stony corals in the laboratory relies on detecting relatively small changes in the size of coral fragments throughout the course of an experiment. Coral colonies are complex, three-dimensional (3D) communities of organisms, so small changes in size are best detected by changes in 3D surface area. Traditional methods to estimate 3D coral surface area commonly require destruction

Geomicrobiology is an interdisciplinary field which studies the impact of microbes in a given geologic environment. Besides understanding the role of microbes in processes such as mineral degradation, organic matter mineralization, and biogeochemical cycles, the presence of microbes as part of the indigenous population of contaminated areas can be used as a tool for in situ treatment and removal of

This article shows how archaeological and geological data can be used to visualize the ‘invisible’ production of salt through solar evaporation in the archaeological record. Evidence of salt exploitation from natural salt ponds is difficult to obtain using standard archaeological methods, limiting our ability to assess the significance of these practices in the past. Salt, however, was an important

Ophioderma cinerea (Müller & Troschel, 1842) is a species of warm water ophiuroid that lives primarily in rocky habitats in the tropical Atlantic. Competition for resources can be high in their habitat. Behavioral observations in aquaria led to a hypothesis that differences in body size may affect feeding strategies, and thus affect survivorship. It is widely accepted that echinoderm ontogenic growth

Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) are able to adapt to various environmental conditions and are even among the few species that can tolerate extensive pollution. In the Pitch Lake of Trinidad they live in highly toxic waters due to natural seepage of oil and bitumen. In this paper, we describe phenotypic divergence in several life-history traits between guppies from the Pitch Lake and from

We report for first time the species Laurencia natalensis for the Atlantic Ocean based on collections made in Venezuela. Once thought to be restricted to the Indian Ocean, the presence of this species is confirmed in this study by phylogenetic analyses using the plastid-encoded large subunit ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase gene (rbcL). Sequences of the cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI)

Fossil holoplanktonic mollusks (pteropods and heteropods) are so far little known from Trinidad and have not yet been employed in paleoenvironmental studies in this region. Specimens >125 µm were examined in samples from two sections of the Middle Miocene Brasso Formation of Central Trinidad. Samples from the type section at Brasso Village were younger (planktonic foraminiferal Zones N11–N12) than

The introduction of non-native organisms has caused changes in island ecosystems world-wide. Two of the main drivers of island extinctions and ecosystem changes are goats and black rats. These organisms alter considerably the flora of island ecosystems by limiting propagule production and dispersal as well as constant herbivory. Even so, island floras can still be diverse if human contact is limited

The Jamaican Boa Chilabothrus subflavus (Boidae) is a Jamaican-protected species whose numbers and distribution have declined during the last century. In order to protect Jamaican Boas, translocation has been recommended as a conservation strategy. From December 2010 to November 2012 a short-distance translocation (SDT) of seven resident female Jamaican Boas in Windsor, Trelawny Parish, Jamaica was

Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao (ABC Islands) are located at the southern margin of the Caribbean Plate, just north of South America. Little is known of the arachnid fauna of these islands, and the only work on spiders was published over a century ago. Here we provide a list of arachnids opportunistically collected from the islands, including Klein Bonaire and Klein Curaçao, over approximately 2 months

The disappearance of a population of the rock-boring sea urchin Echinometra lucunter is documented along a vertical rock wall off Grotto Beach on the island of San Salvador, Bahamas. 9,960 urchin burrows were counted along a 332 m × 1 m length of the rock wall. Only one E. lucunter was found to occur per 664 available urchin holes. Likely factors that may have contributed to the disappearance of urchins

Macrobrachium carcinus is reported for the first time from the Cayman Islands. Specimens were collected on multiple occasions from an unusual habitat for this species – an anchialine cave. It is likely the cave was colonized by M. carcinus larvae via movement through subterranean karst tunnels from the sea inland to the cave entrance. Because only juveniles were collected, it is uncertain whether reproduction