Abundance of Diadema antillarum (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) on the coast of Venezuela: 1975-2003
Citation
Carmona-Suarez C, Scott-Frias J (2022): Abundance of Diadema antillarum (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) on the coast of Venezuela: 1975-2003. v1.5. Caribbean OBIS Node. Dataset/Samplingevent. https://ipt.iobis.org/caribbeanobis/resource?r=diademavenezuela&v=1.5 https://doi.org/10.15468/smkxqc accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-10.Description
Diadema antillarum is a shallow-water sea-urchin from the tropical Atlantic whose populations almost disappeared in 1983-84 because of widespread mortalities which reached 87-100 %. In Venezuela, urchin population densities before the mortality event were comparable to those of other Caribbean regions; however, later abundancies remain unknown. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the recent densities of certain D. antillarum populations along the Venezuelan coasts and compare the densities at the Parque Nacional Mochima before and after the mortality.Sampling Description
Study Extent
To evaluate the recent density of some populations of D. antillarum along the coasts of Venezuela.Sampling
A total of six locations on the coast of Venezuela were evaluated, of which five are located on the continental coast (Mochima National Park, Ensenada de Oricao, Ensenada de Chichiriviche de la Costa, Morrocoy National Park, and Cuare Wildlife Refuge) and one in the oceanic area (Los Roques Archipelago National Park) (Fig. 1). The selection of locations was based on the study of reefs and coral communities located mainly in national parks and other areas where Diadema currently exists.Method steps
- Daytime samplings were carried out on different dates, evaluating areas that ranged between 22 and 565 square meters. For this, transects were placed with a variable length that depended on the extension of the coral or rocky community present, as well as the distribution of Diadema populations. The sea urchins were quantified using a 1 square meter quadrant as a sampling unit, which was placed along the transect, spaced according to the size of the evaluated area and the characteristics of the coral or reef community (Table 1). Diadema density was referred to as the number of urchins per square meters.
Taxonomic Coverages
Specimens wes identified down to species
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Diadema antillarumrank: species
Geographic Coverages
Sampling was undertaken on several shallow-water marine localities on the coast of Venezuela.
Bibliographic Citations
- Noriega, N., Pauls, S. M., & del Mónaco, C. (2006). Abundancia de Diadema antillarum (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) en las costas de Venezuela. Revista de biología tropical, 54(3), 793-802. -
Contacts
Carlos Carmona-Suarezoriginator
position: Researcher
IVIC-Venezuela
VE
email: microphrys@gmail.com
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9644-392X
Joxmer Scott-Frias
originator
position: Visiting Researcher
Universidad Central de Venezuela
Instituto de Zoología y Ecología Tropical, Av. Paseo Los Ilustres, Los Chaguaramos. Apartado Postal 47058 - Caracas 1041-A
Caracas
1041-A
Distrito Capital
VE
email: joxmer@gmail.com
homepage: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joxmer-Scott-Frias
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9557-6333
Carlos Carmona-Suarez
metadata author
position: Researcher
IVIC-Venezuela
VE
email: microphrys@gmail.com
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9644-392X
Joxmer Scott-Frias
metadata author
position: Visiting Researcher
Universidad Central de Venezuela
Instituto de Zoología y Ecología Tropical, Av. Paseo Los Ilustres, Los Chaguaramos. Apartado Postal 47058 - Caracas 1041-A
Caracas
1041-A
Distrito Capital
email: joxmer@gmail.com
homepage: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joxmer-Scott-Frias
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9557-6333
Carlos Carmona-Suarez
user
position: Researcher
IVIC-Venezuela
VE
email: microphrys@gmail.com
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9644-392X
Carlos Carmona-Suarez
administrative point of contact
position: Researcher
IVIC-Venezuela
VE
email: microphrys@gmail.com
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9644-392X