scholarly journals Depth diversity profile of polychaete worms in Bahía Chatham, Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rican Pacific

2017 ◽  
pp. 303-319
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Sibaja-Cordero ◽  
Jorge Cortés ◽  
Harlan K. Dean
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
National Park ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Costa Rican ◽  
Depth Gradient ◽  
Tropical Islands ◽  
Ecological Features ◽  
Diversity Profile ◽  
Species Being ◽  
Sand Bottom

The subtidal benthos of tropical islands has been poorly studied in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Several studies have been published on taxonomic collections from oceanic islands in the region, but ecological features and community structure are practically unknown. In the present study, composition of the polychaete community along a depth gradient from the sand bottom of Bahía Chatham, Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica is analyzed. Fifty species of polychaetes belonging to 28 families were found. There is a peak in diversity, abundance and richness at 28-30m. The lowest values occurred at 50m depth with values increasing below this depth. The composition of species changed with depth with some species being found only at depths either less than or greater than 50m. This pattern can be explained in part by the location of the thermocline that occurred at around 50m depth. Citation: Sibaja-Cordero, J.A., J. Cortés & H.K. Dean. 2012. Depth diversity profile of polychates worms in Bahía Chatham, Isla del Coco National Park, Pacific of Costa Rica. Rev. Biol. Trop. 60 (Suppl. 3): 293-301. Epub 2012 Dec 01.

scholarly journals Deepwater fish assemblages at Isla del Coco National Park and Las Gemelas Seamount, Costa Rica

2017 ◽  
pp. 347-362
Author(s):  
Richard M. Starr ◽  
Kristen Green ◽  
Enric Sala
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
National Park ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Tropical Eastern Pacific ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Rocky Habitats

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. Citation: Starr, R.M., K. Green & E. Sala. 2012. Deepwater fish assemblages at Coco Island National Park and Las Gemelas Seamounts, Costa Rica. Rev. Biol. Trop. 60 (Suppl. 3): 347-362. Epub 2012 Dec 01.

scholarly journals A new Lepeophtheirus (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida: Caligidae) from Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica, Eastern Tropical Pacific

2017 ◽  
pp. 235-242
Author(s):  
Eduardo Suárez-Morales ◽  
Rebeca Gasca
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Costa Rica ◽  
National Park ◽  
Relative Length ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Costa Rican ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Nominal Species ◽  
Eastern Tropical Pacific ◽  
Genital Complex

Among the several groups of copepods that are teleost parasites, the siphonostomatoid family Caligidae is by far the most widespread and diverse. With more than 108 nominal species, the caligid genus Lepeophtheirus von Nordmann is one of the most speciose. There are no reports of this genus in Costa Rican waters. A new species of Lepeophtheirus is herein described based on female specimens collected from plankton samples in waters off Bahía Wafer, isla del Coco, an oceanic island in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. The new species, L. alvaroi sp. nov., has some affinities with other congeners bearing a relatively short abdomen, a wider than long genital complex and a 3-segmented exopod of leg 4. it differs from most of these species by the presence of an unbranched maxillular process and by the relative lengths of the terminal claws of leg 4, with two equally long elements. it is most closely related to two other Eastern Pacific species: L. dissimulatus Wilson, 1905 and L. clarionensis Shiino, 1959. it differs from these species by the proportions and shape of the genital complex, the shape of the sternal furca, the relative length of the maxillar segments, the absence of a pectiniform process on the distal maxillar segment, the length of leg 4 and the armature of leg 5. The new species represents the first Lepeophtheirus described from Costa Rican waters of the Pacific. The low diversity of this genus in this tropical region is explained by its tendency to prefer hosts from temperate latitudes. Until further evidence is found, the host of this Lepeophtheirus species remains unknown. Citation: Suárez-Morales, E. & R. Gasca. 2012. A new Lepeophtheirus (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida: Caligidae) from isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica, Eastern Tropical Pacific. Rev. Biol. Trop. 60 (Suppl. 3): 235-242. Epub 2012 Dec 01.

scholarly journals Conservation of Biodiversity and Poverty in Costa Rica: Analysis by Planning Regions

Revista ABRA ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (57) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Steven Arroyo-Zeledón ◽  
Guillermo Zúñiga-Arias
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
National Park ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Costa Rican ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Conservation Of Biodiversity

One of the main strategies to preserve biodiversity has been the creation of protected areas, and some authors argue that such action will also have economic benefits for the human communities involved. Nevertheless, in several countries a spatial coincidence between these areas and poverty has been registered. This work evaluated whether there was more poverty in Costa Rican districts that have larger areas in inland national park or biological reserves. As an estimator of poverty in the districts, the Costa Rican index of social development (ISD) was used. For the whole country, districts with protected (DPA) areas had a lower ISD than those without them (DNPA). This result was also observed in the Central and Huetar Caribe planning regions; the opposite happened in the Huetar Norte region. The differences between planning regions offer opportunities for further research.

scholarly journals Altitudinal range extension of Long-tailed Singing Mouse, Scotinomys xerampelinus (Bangs, 1902) (Rodentia, Cricetidae), in Chirripó National Park, Costa Rica

Check List ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 339-345
Author(s):  
José Manuel Mora ◽  
Jairo García Céspedes ◽  
Lucía Isabel López ◽  
Gerardo Chaves
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Costa Rica ◽  
National Park ◽  
Costa Rican ◽  
Range Extension ◽  
Vertebrate Species ◽  
Altitudinal Range ◽  
Restricted Distribution ◽  
Elevational Range

Scotinomys xerampelinus has a restricted distribution in the Cordilleras Central and Talamanca of Costa Rica and western Panama, at an elevational range between 2100 and 3400 m. We report individuals observed at Cerro Chirripó, Costa Rica at 3820 m, which extends upwards the known elevational range by 420 m. The altitudinal range extension may indicate either incomplete surveys in the study area or an upslope shift due to increasing temperatures from climate change, a phenomenon that has forced several Costa Rican vertebrate species to transition to higher elevations. 

scholarly journals Diet of the gecko Hemidactylus frenatus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) in Coco’s Island National Park, Costa Rica

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-101
Author(s):  
Sergio A Villegas-Retana ◽  
Adriana Picado-Rossi ◽  
Alejandro Durán-Apuy
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
National Park ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Direct Capture ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Common ◽  
Hemidactylus Frenatus ◽  
Common House

The common house gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus, is a native of Indonesia that has rapidly colonized new environments. Normally it is found in human constructions, but it can also invade natural environments and is causing the displacement and extinction of some native lizards, mostly in oceanic islands. In the Pacific reserve of Isla del Coco (Costa Rica) we captured nine specimens with sticky traps and direct capture. Theridium spp. accounted for 54% of its stomach contents (25,7% were unidentified remains and 18,8% Hymenoptera).

scholarly journals New records of heterobranch sea slugs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly García-Méndez ◽  
Yolanda E. Camacho-García
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
National Park ◽  
New Records ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Costa Rican ◽  
Eastern Tropical Pacific ◽  
Sea Slugs ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Molluscan Fauna ◽  
First Time

<p>The molluscan fauna of Isla del Coco has recently been well documented, but the heterobranch sea slugs, traditionally called “opisthobranchs”, remain poorly known. We report 13 new records, increasing the total to 40 species. Of the 13 newly discovered species, the following species had not been previously recorded along the Pacific Costa Rican mainland: <em>Berthella californica </em>(Dall, 1900), <em>Peltodoris rubra</em> (Bergh, 1905), <em>Dendrodoris albobrunnea </em>Allan, 1933, <em>Doriopsilla</em> cf. <em>spaldingi </em>Valdés &amp; Behrens, 1998, <em>Glaucus</em> cf. <em>marginatus</em> (Reinhardt &amp; Bergh, 1864), and <em>Flabellina</em> sp. Additionally, we report <em>Peltodoris rubra</em>, previously known from the Indo-Pacific, for the first time in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.</p><div> </div>

scholarly journals Euphausiids (Crustacea: Euphausiacea) from a hotspot of marine biodiversity, Isla del Coco, Costa Rica, Eastern Tropical Pacific

2017 ◽  
pp. 221-230
Author(s):  
Juan Carlos Azofeifa-Solano ◽  
Marco Corrales-Ugalde ◽  
Iván Castellanos-Osorio ◽  
Álbaro Morales-Ramírez
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
National Park ◽  
New Records ◽  
Costa Rican ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Eastern Tropical Pacific ◽  
Annotated List ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Pacific Ocean

Euphausiids have been well studied in several regions of the Pacific Ocean; however, there is lessinformation regarding euphausiids in Costa Rican waters. We analyzed euphausiid specimens collected aroundIsla del Coco National Park during 2011 and 2012. A total of 130 specimens were analyzed and 13 euphausiidspecies were identified, belonging to four genera and one family. An annotated list of species is presented,with photographs and details for their identification. All species found represent new records for waters aroundIsla del Coco in the Costa Rican Pacific. The most frequent species were Euphausia diomedeae, Euphausiadistinguenda, Nematoscelis gracilis and Stylocheiron affine. Rev. Biol. Trop. 64 (Suppl. 1): S221-S230. Epub2016 Febrary 01.

scholarly journals Characterization of deepwater invertebrates at Isla del Coco National Park and Las Gemelas Seamount, Costa Rica

2017 ◽  
pp. 303-319
Author(s):  
Richard M. Starr ◽  
Jorge Cortés ◽  
Cheryl L. Barnes ◽  
Kristen Green ◽  
Odalisca Breedy
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
National Park ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Tropical Eastern Pacific

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 around Isla del Coco National Park and Las Gemelas Seamount, located about 50km southwest of Isla del Coco, Costa Rica using a manned submersible to survey the seafloor habitats. 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. We completed a total of 22 successful submersible dives, spanning more than 80hr underwater, and collected a total of 36hr of video. With respect to invertebrates, our objectives were to gather quantitative information on species composition, density, distribution and habitat associations as well as to compare the invertebrate communities between the two sites. A total of 7172 invertebrates were counted from analysis of the video collected on this project. Larger organisms were counted and placed into 27 taxonomic groups to characterize the deepwater invertebrate fauna of Las Gemelas Seamount and Isla del Coco National Park. The Shannon-Weiner Index for biodiversity (H’) was calculated to be 0.14 ± 0.02 for Isla del Coco and 0.07 ± 0.03 for Las Gemelas surveys. Although richness was fairly equal between the two sites, evenness was greater at Isla del Coco (J = 0.04 ± 0.006) when compared to Las Gemelas (J = 0.02 ± 0.01). This lower level of evenness in the community at Las Gemelas was a result of high densities of a few dominant species groups, specifically sea urchins and black corals. We also evaluated invertebrate percent cover at both Isla del Coco and Las Gemelas Seamount with respect to habitat type, slope and rugosity. Results indicated that highly rugose habitats contained the highest frequencies of all invertebrates at both sites, with the exception of glass sponges and polychaetes at Isla del Coco, which were found in greater quantities at intermediate levels of rugosity. Information obtained from 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. Citation: Starr, R.M., J. Cortés, C.L. Barnes, K. Green & O. Breedy. 2012. Characterization of deepwater invertebrates at Isla del Coco National Park and Las Gemelas Seamounts, Costa Rica. Rev. Biol. Trop. 60 (Suppl. 3): 303-319. Epub 2012 Dec 01.

Parity without Equality

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Piscopo
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Party System ◽  
Political Representation ◽  
Costa Rican ◽  
Women In Politics ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Economic Problems ◽  
Crisis Of Representation ◽  
Female Legislators ◽  
Female President

Jennifer M. Piscopo examines how the crisis of representation in Costa Rica has placed a ceiling on gender equality in representation. The restructuring of the Costa Rican party system and party fragmentation has made electing multiple candidates from any one ballot more difficult. Top spots have become even more prestigious and more likely to be allocated to men, which reduces women’s electoral chances. Corruption scandals, party breakdown, citizen frustration, and economic problems tainted the administration of the nation’s first female president, Laura Chinchilla. Female legislators have often worked to promote women’s issues and feminist policies, but Chinchilla eschewed feminism, even though several of her policies did benefit women. Overall, her failed presidency may create difficulties for other women seeking top political offices and could have negative consequences for views of women in politics. These challenges notwithstanding, Piscopo concludes that Costa Rica remains at the vanguard of women’s political representation in Latin America.

AEROBIC BACTERIAL FLORA OF NESTING GREEN TURTLES (CHELONIA MYDAS) FROM TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK, COSTA RICA

2006 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 549-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Santoro ◽  
Giovanna Hernández ◽  
Magaly Caballero ◽  
Fernando García
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
National Park ◽  
Bacterial Flora ◽  
Chelonia Mydas ◽  
Green Turtles
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