Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Cold-Water Corals and Ecosystems pp 309–330Cite as

Southern Caribbean azooxanthellate coral communities off Colombia

  • Chapter

Part of the book series: Erlangen Earth Conference Series ((ERLANGEN))

Abstract

As a result of the explorations carried out by the Colombian Marine and Coastal Research Institute (INVEMAR) between 1998–2002 along the Colombian Caribbean continental shelf and upper slope, the occurrence of azooxanthellate coral banks was suspected at three sites (from the northern to southern Colombian Caribbean coast): off La Guajira Peninsula, at a water depth of 70 m; off Santa Marta, at 200 m, and nearby the San Bernardo Archipelago, at 150 m). Each site exhibited particular bottom features (relief and substrate), suggestive of reef structures. The analysis of the fauna collected by bottom trawling at these sites showed that many of the fishes, mollusks, echinoderms, crustaceans, antipatharians, soft corals and bryozoans collected are characteristic dwellers of hard substrates or reef bottoms. At the first site (Guajira) the hard coral Cladocora debilis, was the most abundant; a total of 156 species of invertebrates and fishes were identified among the material collected at this site. At the second site (Santa Marta), 13 scleractinian species were collected, but Madracis myriaster, was the dominant species; another 102 species of invertebrates and fishes were also found. At the third site (San Bernardo) 19 scleractinian species were found, M. myriaster being the dominant. A total of 135 species of invertebrates and fishes were collected at this site. It is presumed that deep-sea coral banks have developed in these three settings, since many of the collected species are known to be hard or reef bottom dwellers.

Keywords

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
EUR   29.95
Price includes VAT (France)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
EUR   245.03
Price includes VAT (France)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Ardila NE, Díaz JM (2002) Armina juliana (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia: Arminidae) a new species from southern Caribbean. Bol Inst Inv Mar Cost 31: 25–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Best MB (2001) Some notes on the terms “deep-sea ahermatypic” and “azooxanthellate” illustrated by the coral genus Madracis. Proc First Int Symp Deep-sea Corals, Halifax: 19–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Birkeland C (1997) Life and death of coral reefs. Chapman and Hall, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Böhlke J, Chaplin C (1993) Fishes of the Bahamas and adjacent tropical waters. Texas, Austin, 771 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Borrero-Pérez GH, Benavides-Serrato M (2004) New record of Ophiosyzygus disacanthus Clark, 1911 (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Ophiomyxidae) in the Caribbean Sea. Proc Biol Soc Washington 117

    Google Scholar 

  • Borrero-Pérez GH, Benavides-Serrato M, Solano O, Navas G (2002a) Equinoideos (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) colectados en la franja superior del talud continental del Caribe colombiano. Bol Inst Inv Mar Cost 31: 133–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Borrero-Pérez GH, Solano OD, Benavides M (2002b) Lista revisada de los erizos (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) del mar Caribe colombiano. Biota Colombiana 3: 137–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Borrero-Pérez GH, Benavides-Serrato M, Solano O, Navas G (2003) Holothuroideos (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) recolectados en el talud continental superior del Caribe colombiano. Bol Inst Ocenogr Venezuela Univ Oriente 42: 65–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruckner AW (2002) Life saving products from coral reefs. Issues in Science and Technology online. Spring 2002. http://www.nap.edu/issues/18.3/p_bruckner.html.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cairns SD (1979) The deep-water Scleractinia of the Caribbean Sea and adjacent waters. Stud Fauna Curaçao and other Caribb Is 180, 341 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Cairns SD (2000) A revision of the shallow-water azooxanthellate Scleractinia of the Western Atlantic. Stud Nat Hist Caribb Reg 75: 1–231

    Google Scholar 

  • Campos NH, Navas G, Bermúdez A, Cruz A (2004) Los crustáceos decápodos de la franja superior del talud continental (300–500 m) del Mar Caribe Colombiano. Monogr Fauna Colombia. 2. Inst Cienc Nat Mus Hist Nat, Univ Nac Colombia, Bogotá, 180 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Cate CN (1972) A systematic revision of the recent cypraeid family Ovulidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda). Veliger (supp) 15: 1–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Cervigón F (1993) Los peces marinos de Venezuela. 2. Fundación Científica Los Roques, Caracas, 423 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Cervigón F (1994) Los peces marinos de Venezuela. 3. Fundación Científica Los Roques, Caracas, 354 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Cruz N, Bermúdez A, Campos NH, Navas GR (2002) Los camarones de la Familia Crangonidae del talud continental entre 200 y 500 m del Mar Caribe colombiano. Bol Inv Mar Cost 31: 183–203

    Google Scholar 

  • De Forges BR, Koslow JA, Poore GCB (2000) Diversity and endemism of the benthic seamount fauna in the southwest Pacific. Nature 405: 944–947

    Google Scholar 

  • Díaz JM, Barrios LM, Cendales MH, Garzon-Ferreira J, Geister J, López-Victoria M, Ospina GH, Parra-Valencia F, Pinzón J, Vargas-Angel B, Zapata FA, Zea S (2000) Áreas coralinas de Colombia. INVEMAR Ser Publ Espec 5, 176 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Díaz JM, Barrios LM, Gómez-López DI (2003) Las praderas de pastos marinos en Colombia. Estructura y distribución de un ecosistema estratégico. INVEMAR Ser Publ Espec 10, 159 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Fosså JH, Mortensen PB, Furevik DM (2002) The deep-water Lophelia pertusa in Norwegian waters: distribution and fisheries impacts. Hydrobiologia 471: 1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Freiwald A, Hühnerbach V, Lindberg B, Wilson JB, Campbell J (2002) The Sula reef Complex, Norwegian shelf. Facies 47: 179–200

    Google Scholar 

  • González DN, Solano OD, Navas GR (2002) Equinodermos colectados por la expedición CIOH-INVEMAR-SMITHSONIAN desde Cartagena hasta el Golfo de Urabá, Caribe Colombiano. Bol Inst Inv Mar Cost 31: 85–132

    Google Scholar 

  • González H, Rodríguez G (2003) Rocas metamórficas de alto grado en la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta: Edad y posibles correlaciones. Mem IX Cong Col Geol: 75–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Gracia A, Ardila NE, Díaz JM (2002) Cefalópodos (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) del talud superior del Caribe colombiano. Bol Inst Inv Mar Cost 31: 219–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Gracia A, Ardila NE, Díaz JM (2004) Gastropods collected along the continental slope of the Colombian Carribean during the INVEMAR-macrofauna campains (1998–2001). Iberus 22: 43–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Hendler G, Miller JE, Pawson DL, Kier PM (1995) Sea stars, sea urchis and allies: echinoderms of Florida and the Caribbean. Smithsonian Inst Press, Washington, 390 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Hubbell SP (1997) A unified theory of biogeography and relative species abundance and its aplication to tropical rain forest and coral reef. Proc 8th Int Coral Reef Symp 1: 33–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Keen M (1971) Sea shells of tropical West America. Stanford Univ Press, Stanford, California

    Google Scholar 

  • Korn H, Friedrich S, Feit U (2003) Deep-sea genetic resources in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Bundesamt Naturschutz (BfN), Bonn, 84 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Koslow JA (1997) Seamounts and the ecology of deep-sea fisheries. Amer Sci 85: 168–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Koslow JA, Gowlett-Holmes K, Lowry J, O’Hara T, Poore G, Williams A. (2001) The seamount benthic macrofauna off southern Tasmania: community structure and impacts of trawling. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 213: 111–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Krieger KG (2001) Coral (Primnoa) impacted by fishing Gear in the Gulf of Alaska. Proc First Int Symp Deep-sea Corals, Halifax, pp 106–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Krieger KG, Wing BL (2002) Megafauna associations with deepwater corals (Primnoa spp.) in the Gulf of Alaska. Hydrobiologia 471: 83–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lattig P, Cairns S (2000) A new species of Tethocyathus (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia: Caryophyllidae), a trans-isthmian azooxanthellate species. Proc Biol Soc Washington 113: 590–595

    Google Scholar 

  • Lattig P, Reyes J (2001) Nueve primeros registros de corales azooxanthellados (Anthozoa: Scleractinia) del Caribe colombiano (200–500 m). Bol Inv Mar Cost 30: 19–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Lemaitre R, Bermúdez A (2000) A new cyclodorippoid crab of the genus Cymonomoides Tavares, 1993 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Cymonomidae) from Caribbean coast of Colombia. Proc Biol Soc Washington 113: 974–979

    Google Scholar 

  • Lemaitre R, Campos NH, Bermudez A (2001) A new species of Pyromaia from the Caribbean Sea, with a rediscription of P. propinqua Chace, 1940 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Majoidea: Inachoididae). J Crus Biol 2: 760–773

    Google Scholar 

  • Macurda DB, Meyer DL (1976) The identification and interpretation of stalked crinoids (Echinodermata) from deep-water photographs. Bull Mar Sci 26: 205–215

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, DL (1973) Coral Reef Project-Papers in memory of Dr. Thomas F. Goreau. 10. Distribution and living habits of comatulid crinoids near Discovery Bay, Jamaica. Bull Mar Sci 23: 244–259

    Google Scholar 

  • Mortensen PB, Hovland M, Brattegard T, Farestveit R (1995) Deep water bioherms of the scleractinian coral Lophelia pertusa (L.) at 64°N on the Norwegian shelf: structure and associated megafauna. Sarsia 80: 145–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Palacio F (1974) Peces colectados en el Caribe Colombiano por la Universidad de Miami. Bol Museo Mar 6: 1–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Pawson DL, Miller JE, Hoskin CM (1982) Distribution of Holothuria lentiginosa enodis Miller and Pawson in relation to a deep-water Oculina coral reef Fort Pierce, Florida (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea). In: Lawrence JM (ed) Proceedings of the International Echinoderms Conference, Tampa Bay, 1981. Balkema Press, Rotterdam, pp 321

    Google Scholar 

  • Pequegnat WE, Pequegnat LH (1970) Deep-sea anomurans of superfamily Galatheoidea with descriptions of three new species. In: Pequegnat WE, Chace FA (eds) Contribution on the Biology of the Gulf of Mexico. Texas A and M, Univ Oceanogr Stud, pp 171–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Rathbun MJ (1918) The grapsoid crabs of America. Smithsonian Inst Washington Bull 97: 1–461

    Google Scholar 

  • Reed JK, Mikkelsen PM (1987) The molluscan community associated with the scleractinian coral Oculina varicosa. Bull Mar Sci 40: 99–131

    Google Scholar 

  • Roa-Varón A, Saavedra-Díaz L, Acero A, Mejía LS, Navas G (2003) Nuevos registros de peces óseos para el Caribe colombiano de los órdenes Beryciformes, Zeiformes, Perciformes y Tetraodontiformes. Bol Inst Inv Mar Cost 32: 3–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts S, Hirshfield M (2003) Deep-sea corals: out of sight, but no longer out of mind. Oceana, Washington DC, pp 16

    Google Scholar 

  • Robins CR, Ray CG, Douglass J (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Miflinn Co., Boston, 354 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Saavedra-Díaz L, Acero A, Navas A (2000) Lenguados de la familia Paralichthyidae (Pisces: Pleuronectiformes) conocidos del Caribe colombiano. Rev Acad Colomb Cienc Exact, Fís Nat 24: 295–310

    Google Scholar 

  • Saavedra-Díaz L, Munroe T, Acero A (2003) Symphurus hernandezi (Pleuronectiformes: Cynoglossidae), a new deep-water tonguefish from the southern Caribbean Sea off Colombia. Bull Mar Sci 72: 955–970

    Google Scholar 

  • Saavedra-Díaz LM, Mok H, Acero A (2001) Two new species of hagfishes, Eptatretus wayuu and Paramyxine ancon (Myxinidae: Myxiniformes) from the Caribbean Coast of Colombia. Copeia 4: 1026–1033

    Google Scholar 

  • Snelgrove PV, Blackburn TH, Hutchings PA (1997) The importance of marine sediment biodiversity in ecosystem processes. Ambio 26: 578–583

    Google Scholar 

  • Sulak KJ, Ross SW (2003) A profile of the Lophelia Reefs. NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce. (Internet: http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/islands01/background/islands/sup10_lophelia.html)

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas DJ, MacDonald WD (1969) Summary of Tertiary stratigraphy and structure, Guajira Peninsula. 1er Congr Colomb Geol: 207–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Tunesi L, Diviacco G, Mo G (2001) Observations by submersible on the biocoenosis of the deep-sea corals off Portofino promontory (Northwestern Mediterranean Sea). Proc First Int Symp Deep-sea Corals, Halifax, pp 76–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner RL, Heyman RM (1995) Rediagnosis of the brittlestar genus Ophiosyzygus and notes on its type species O. disacanthus (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Ophiomyxidae) based on the type specimens from Japanese waters and new material from the Gulf of Mexico. Proc Biol Soc Washington 108: 292–297

    Google Scholar 

  • Uyeno T, Matsuura K, Fujii E (1983) Fishes trawled off Suriname and French Guiana. Japan Mar Fish Res Res Cent, Nat Sci Mus Tokyo, 519 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Vernette G (1989a) Impact du diapirisme argileux sur les récifs de la plate-forme Colombienne des Caraïbes. Bull Inst Geol Bassin Áquitain 45: 97–105

    Google Scholar 

  • Vernette G (1989b) Les variations du niveau marin exemple de la cote Colombienne de Caraïbes a l’Holocene. Bull Inst Geol Bassin Áquitain 45: 81–95

    Google Scholar 

  • Vernette G (1989c) Examples of diapiric control on shelf topography and sedimentation patterns on the Colombian Caribbean continental shelf. J South Amer Earth Sci 4: 391–400

    Google Scholar 

  • Vollmer ST, Palumbi SR (2002) Hybridization and the evolution of reef coral diversity. Science 296: 2023–2025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams AB (1984) Shrimps, lobsters and crabs of the Atlantic coast of the eastern United States, Maine to Florida. Smithsonian Inst Press, Washington D.C., 550 pp

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, INVEMAR, Cerro Punta Betín, AA 1016, Santa Marta, Colombia

    Javier Reyes, Nadiezhda Santodomingo, Adriana Gracia, Giomar Borrero-Pérez, Gabriel Navas, Luz Marina Mejía-Ladino, Adriana Bermúdez & Milena Benavides

Authors
  1. Javier Reyes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nadiezhda Santodomingo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Adriana Gracia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Giomar Borrero-Pérez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Gabriel Navas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Luz Marina Mejía-Ladino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Adriana Bermúdez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Milena Benavides
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Paleontology, Erlangen University, Loewenichstr. 28, D-91054, Erlangen, Germany

    André Freiwald

  2. Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, UK

    J. Murray Roberts

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Reyes, J. et al. (2005). Southern Caribbean azooxanthellate coral communities off Colombia. In: Freiwald, A., Roberts, J.M. (eds) Cold-Water Corals and Ecosystems. Erlangen Earth Conference Series. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-27673-4_15

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation