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Artículo Original Cuba's Mesophotic Coral Reefs

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Artículo Original Cuba's Mesophotic Coral Reefs revista de investigaciones marinas REVISTA DE INVESTIGACIONES MARINAS Centro de Investigaciones Marinas Universidad de La Habana http://www.cim.uh.cu/rim/ ARTÍCULO ORIGINAL CUBA’S MESOPHOTIC CORAL REEFS AND ASSOCIATED FISH COMMUNITIES Arrecifes de coral mesofóticos de Cuba y comunidades de peces asociadas John K. Reed1, Patricia González-Díaz2, Linnet Busutil3, Stephanie Farrington1, Beatriz Martínez- Daranas2, Dorka Cobián Rojas4, Joshua Voss1, Cristina Diaz1, Andrew David5, M. Dennis Hanisak1, Juliett González Mendez6, Alain García Rodríguez3, Patricia M. González- Sánchez7, Jorge Viamontes Fernández8, Daniel Estrada Pérez8, Michael Studivan1, Felicia Drummond5, Mingshun Jiang1, Shirley A. Pomponi1 1 'Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, ABSTRACT Fort Pierce, Florida, USA A joint Cuba-U.S. expedition was conducted May 14-June 12, 2017 2 Centro de Investigaciones to characterize for the first time the extent and health of mesophotic Marinas, Universidad de La coral ecosystems (MCEs) along the entire coastline of Cuba. Remote- Habana, Cuba ly Operated Vehicle (ROV) dives at 36 sites confirmed the presence of MCE habitat along all coasts of Cuba. ROV dives covered 27 km, 3 Instituto de Ciencias del Mar, La Habana, Cuba at depths of 25-188 m, and documented habitat and species with 103 hours of high-definition video and 21,146 digital images. A total of 4 ECOVIDA-Sistema Nacional 477 taxa of benthic macrobiota and 178 fish taxa were identified, and de Areas Protegidas, Pinar 343 specimens of benthic invertebrates and algae were collected to del Río Province, Cuba verify taxonomy and assess population genetic structure. The pri- 5 NOAA, National Marine mary geomorphological features were the Deep Island Slope (125- Fisheries Service, Southeast >150 m), Deep Fore-Reef Escarpment (the ‘Wall’, 50-125 m), and Fisheries Science Center, Deep Fore-Reef Slope (30-50 m). Most vertical surfaces of the Wall Panama City, Florida, USA were covered with dense sponges, algae, octocorals, and black corals. 6 Centro Nacional de Áreas Agaricia was the most abundant scleractinian genus on the Wall at Protegidas, La Habana, Cuba depths of 50-75 m, and was observed to 122 m. Of the 2,240 sclerac- tinian colonies that were counted in this study, only 12 corals (0.53%, 7 Acuario Nacional de Cuba, La Habana, Cuba mainly Agaricia spp.) showed signs of bleaching, and one Agaricia had black band disease, comprising remarkably low disease preva- 8 Geocuba Estudios Marinos, lence. The most frequently recorded sponge genera were Xestospon- La Habana, Cuba gia, Aplysina, and Agelas. At least 10 previously unknown sponge species were collected during the expedition. Sites outside of marine * Autor para correspondencia: protected areas generally had lower fish abundances, a possible in- [email protected] dicator of historical overfishing. Lionfish were observed at most sites but abundances were low compared to other Caribbean regions. Recibido: 31.01.2017 KEY WOrds: Cuba, mesophotic reef, geomorphology, biozonation, biodi- Aceptado: 21.06.2018 versity. REVISTA DE INVESTIGACIONES MARINAS RNPS: 2096 • ISSN: 1991-6086• VOL. 38 • No. 1 • ENERO-JUNIO • 2018 • pp. 56-125 CUBA’s MesophotiC REEFS 57 Reed • González-Díaz • Busutil • et. al. RESUMEN Entre el 14 de mayo y el 12 de junio de 2017 INTRODUCtioN se llevó a cabo una expedición conjunta entre Mesophotic coral reef ecosystems (MCEs) Cuba y EEUU. El objetivo fue mapear y carac- are light-dependent benthic communities terizar, por primera vez, la extensión y salud that occur deeper than shallow reefs and de los arrecifes de coral mesofóticos (MCE, typically range from depths of 30 m to the por sus siglas en inglés) alrededor de las cos- bottom of the photic zone, which may ex- tas de Cuba. 43 inmersiones con un Vehículo Operado por Remoto (ROV, por sus siglas en tend to >150 m in some regions (Lesser et inglés) en 36 sitios, confirmaron la presencia al., 2009; Hinderstein et al., 2010; Baker de arrecifes mesofóticos a lo largo de toda la lí- et al., 2016). MCEs represent in part an nea costera cubana. Las inmersiones del ROV extension of shallow-water coral reef eco- desde 25 a 188 m de profundidad abarcaron, systems and support a diverse assemblage en total, 27 km, y se documentaron hábitats y of habitat-building taxa, including corals, especies con 103 horas de videos de alta defi- nición y 21,146 imágenes digitales. Un total de sponges and algae, and associated commer- 477 taxa de macrobiota bentónica y 178 taxa cial and recreational fisheries. However, de peces fueron identificados. Se recolectaron many of the MCE species are depth spe- 343 especímenes de invertebrados bentónicos cialists not found on shallow reefs. Studies y algas para verificaciones taxonómicas y eva- of MCEs worldwide are expanding our un- luación de estructura de poblaciones. Los zo- derstanding of their distribution, health, nas geomorfológicas más prominentes fueron: Pendiente profunda (125- >150 m), Escarpe biodiversity, and ecology (Hinderstein et profundo del arrecife frontal (la “pared”, 50- al., 2010; Baker et al., 2016; Loya et al., 125 m), y arrecife de franja profundo (30-50 m). 2016, 2018; Roman, 2018). Many MCEs La pared presentó la mayor diversidad y den- worldwide appear to be thriving compared sidad de la macrobiota; todas las superficies to shallow reefs. The deep reef refugia hy- verticales estuvieron cubiertas por diversidad pothesis suggests that MCEs may be less de esponjas, algas, gorgonias y coral negro. Agaricia fue el género más abundante de escle- impacted from natural and anthropogenic ractíneos y dominó a profundidades entre 40- impacts than shallow coral reefs, and may 75 m. Solo 12 colonias de corales escleractíneos be more stable and resilient than shallow (principalmente Agaricia spp.) de 2,240 colo- reefs (Bongaerts et al., 2010; Bridge and nias (0,53%) registradas con el ROV mostraron Guinotte, 2012). MCEs may also act as re- signos de blanqueamiento, y una Agaricia pre- fugia for shallow reef species through the sentó enfermedad de banda negra, evidencian- do la muy baja prevalencia de enfermedades. export of fish and coral larvae (Serrano et Los géneros más frecuentes de Porifera fueron al., 2014; Vaz et al., 2016). However, it is Xestospongia, Aplysina, y Agelas. Al menos now apparent that MCEs are also vulnera- una decena de especies de esponjas desconoci- ble to disturbances from all facets of pertur- das para la ciencia fueron colectadas. Los si- bations including climate change, bottom tios que se encontraban fuera de áreas marinas trawling, invasive species, and pollution protegidas, generalmente poseían abundancia de peces baja, lo cual pudiera ser un posible (Bak et al., 2005; Andradi-Brown et al., indicador de sobrepesca histórica. Individuos 2016; Appledoorn et al., 2016a). Smith and de pez león fueron observados en la mayoría de Holstein (2016) further state that the main los sitios pero con abundancias bajas en com- premise of the deep reef refugia hypoth- paración con otras regiones del Caribe. eses is incorrect and that it now appears palabras claves: Cuba, arrecife mesofótico, that increases in temperatures above the geomorfología, biozonación, biodiversidad local mean warmest conditions can lead to REVISTA DE INVESTIGACIONES MARINAS RNPS: 2096 • ISSN: 1991-6086• VOL. 38 • No. 1 • ENERO-JUNIO • 2018 • pp. 56-125 CUBA’s MesophotiC REEFS 58 Reed • González-Díaz • Busutil • et. al. thermal stress and bleaching. Also there is pioneers of research on Cuba’s mesophotic growing evidence that the hypothesis may reefs. Zlatarski and Estalella’s (1982) book only be applicable to depth generalists on “The Scleractinians of Cuba” (first pub- MCEs, and their contribution to replenish- lished in Russian in 1980, 1982 in French, ment of shallow reefs may not be as conse- 2008 in Spanish) provides detailed reef quential as once hoped (Schlesinger et al., profiles and coral species distributions 2018). from 44 sites around the island, some MCEs have been studied extensive- of which extend into the >40-70 m depth ly throughout the Western Atlantic re- range; however, the eastern tip and north- gions of the Caribbean, Bahamas, and the east coast lack data. Scuba dives (some to Gulf of Mexico (Hinderstein et al., 2010; depths of 70 m) for this study resulted in Baker et al., 2016; Loya et al., 2016, 2018). an extraordinary collection of corals (5,924 Whereas considerable data have been re- specimens) which are now archived in the ported regarding the distribution, ecol- National Aquarium of Cuba (in Havana). ogy, and health of Cuba’s shallow reefs González Ferrer’s (2004) book “Corales (Alcolado et al., 2001a; Alcolado et al., Petreos Jardines Sumergidos de Cuba” also 2001b; Alcolado et al., 2003; Aguilar et al., provides invaluable data on the stony cor- 2004; Aguilar Betancourt and González- als of Cuba as well as the history of Cuban Sansón, 2007 ; Alcolado and García, 2007; reef research since the 16th century. This Martínez-Daranas et al., 2008; Alcolado book provides beautiful color plates for all et al., 2009; González-Díaz et al., 2010; the hard corals found in Cuba, as well as Perera Valderrama et al., 2013; González- discussions of reef types, coral disease and Díaz et al., 2014; Alcolado et al., 2015; bleaching. Kühlmann (1974, 1983) also González-Díaz et al., 2015; Suárez et al., provided data on the depth distribution of 2015; Caballero Aragon et al., 2016; Ferrer scleractinian corals from scuba dives to 70 Rodríguez et al., 2016; González-Díaz et m in Cuba. al., 2018; Roman, 2018), relatively little In 2015, a Joint Statement was developed is known about the distribution, commu- between the United States and the Republic nity structure and health of Cuba’s deep of Cuba on Cooperation on Environmental mesophotic reefs. The book “The Ecology Protection (November 24, 2015), and a of the Marine Fishes of Cuba” (Claro et al., Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 2001) provides a comprehensive descrip- was signed by the U.S.
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