Revealing the status of Orbicella: Main reef-builder of Morrocoy National Park and Cuare Wildlife Refuge, Venezuela, Southern Caribbean.
Reef-building corals are the main basis of coral reef ecosystems, and the Orbicella genus is currently the most important in the Caribbean region. Although Orbicella species have been extensively studied, gaps in some southern Caribbean areas still exists on their status, which is crucial for manage...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0317728 |
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| author | Anaurora Yranzo-Duque Ana Teresa Herrera-Reveles Estrella Villamizar Francoise Cabada-Blanco Jeannette Pérez-Benítez Hazael Boadas José G Rodríguez Quintal Carlos Pereira Samuel Narciso Freddy A Bustillos |
| author_facet | Anaurora Yranzo-Duque Ana Teresa Herrera-Reveles Estrella Villamizar Francoise Cabada-Blanco Jeannette Pérez-Benítez Hazael Boadas José G Rodríguez Quintal Carlos Pereira Samuel Narciso Freddy A Bustillos |
| author_sort | Anaurora Yranzo-Duque |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Reef-building corals are the main basis of coral reef ecosystems, and the Orbicella genus is currently the most important in the Caribbean region. Although Orbicella species have been extensively studied, gaps in some southern Caribbean areas still exists on their status, which is crucial for management and conservation plans. In this study, we aimed to describe the population status of Orbicella faveolata and Orbicella annularis in two coastal Marine Protected Areas (MPA) of Venezuela: Morrocoy National Park and Cuare Wildlife Refuge. Between 2018-2020, 16 reefs in five sectors were surveyed using the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment Protocol. Among the two Orbicella species, O. faveolata was dominant in both MPA´s with higher densities and live cover, varying at both reefs and sectors. The central sector of Morrocoy and reefs from Cuare are the most relevant for Orbicella populations, due to the higher live cover and abundance of reproductive colonies. Diseases were the primary threat recorded for both species. Adequate MPA management is essential for the conservation of the Morrocoy-Cuare coral system, including the reduction of local anthropogenic stress sources, such as oil spills, uncontrolled tourism and sewage discharges. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d9007bf0150f4f1b866fa7d6ca88b354 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-d9007bf0150f4f1b866fa7d6ca88b3542025-02-12T05:31:04ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01202e031772810.1371/journal.pone.0317728Revealing the status of Orbicella: Main reef-builder of Morrocoy National Park and Cuare Wildlife Refuge, Venezuela, Southern Caribbean.Anaurora Yranzo-DuqueAna Teresa Herrera-RevelesEstrella VillamizarFrancoise Cabada-BlancoJeannette Pérez-BenítezHazael BoadasJosé G Rodríguez QuintalCarlos PereiraSamuel NarcisoFreddy A BustillosReef-building corals are the main basis of coral reef ecosystems, and the Orbicella genus is currently the most important in the Caribbean region. Although Orbicella species have been extensively studied, gaps in some southern Caribbean areas still exists on their status, which is crucial for management and conservation plans. In this study, we aimed to describe the population status of Orbicella faveolata and Orbicella annularis in two coastal Marine Protected Areas (MPA) of Venezuela: Morrocoy National Park and Cuare Wildlife Refuge. Between 2018-2020, 16 reefs in five sectors were surveyed using the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment Protocol. Among the two Orbicella species, O. faveolata was dominant in both MPA´s with higher densities and live cover, varying at both reefs and sectors. The central sector of Morrocoy and reefs from Cuare are the most relevant for Orbicella populations, due to the higher live cover and abundance of reproductive colonies. Diseases were the primary threat recorded for both species. Adequate MPA management is essential for the conservation of the Morrocoy-Cuare coral system, including the reduction of local anthropogenic stress sources, such as oil spills, uncontrolled tourism and sewage discharges.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0317728 |
| spellingShingle | Anaurora Yranzo-Duque Ana Teresa Herrera-Reveles Estrella Villamizar Francoise Cabada-Blanco Jeannette Pérez-Benítez Hazael Boadas José G Rodríguez Quintal Carlos Pereira Samuel Narciso Freddy A Bustillos Revealing the status of Orbicella: Main reef-builder of Morrocoy National Park and Cuare Wildlife Refuge, Venezuela, Southern Caribbean. PLoS ONE |
| title | Revealing the status of Orbicella: Main reef-builder of Morrocoy National Park and Cuare Wildlife Refuge, Venezuela, Southern Caribbean. |
| title_full | Revealing the status of Orbicella: Main reef-builder of Morrocoy National Park and Cuare Wildlife Refuge, Venezuela, Southern Caribbean. |
| title_fullStr | Revealing the status of Orbicella: Main reef-builder of Morrocoy National Park and Cuare Wildlife Refuge, Venezuela, Southern Caribbean. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Revealing the status of Orbicella: Main reef-builder of Morrocoy National Park and Cuare Wildlife Refuge, Venezuela, Southern Caribbean. |
| title_short | Revealing the status of Orbicella: Main reef-builder of Morrocoy National Park and Cuare Wildlife Refuge, Venezuela, Southern Caribbean. |
| title_sort | revealing the status of orbicella main reef builder of morrocoy national park and cuare wildlife refuge venezuela southern caribbean |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0317728 |
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