Iselin, and R/V Oregon (Gore, 1974; Cairns, 1976; Cooper, 1977; Meyer et al. 1978).
Interestingly, only very few stations in waters of the Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the U S
Virgin Islands were occupied by these sampling expeditions (R/V Oregon stations 644, 646,
6715; R/V Pillsbury stations P1386, P1397, P1401, P1402) (see Cooper, 1977). During the
1970’s through the 1980’s, the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council, with funding from
the U. S. National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS) explored the deep sea fisheries potential
of the insular slope of PR and the USVI. The fisheries effort included a series of at least 12
cruises of the R/V Oregon and R/V Delaware, with particular attention to the north coast of
PR and the USVI (Nelson et al., 1984).
The taxonomic inference from all of these exploratory samplings is that the Caribbean Sea
is a species rich region of deep reef biota that functions as a source of fish and invertebrate
larvae to the Western North Atlantic (including the Gulf of Mexico) through an effective
connectivity via inter-island passages (Rass, 1971; Cairns, 1979; Dawson, 2002). Aside
from the relevance of deep reef systems for the general biodiversity of the region,
commercial and recreational fisheries that include demersal (snapper/grouper) and pelagic
species (billfish, tunas, mackerels) are associated with deep reef habitats of the insular
slope and submerged seamounts of PR and the USVI (Nelson et al., 1984). The upper
insular slope may also represent the last refuge habitat for highly valuable and overexploited
coral reef fish populations, such as the Red Hind (Epinephelus guttatus), Nassau, Yellowfin
and Tiger groupers (Epinephelus guttatus, Mycteroperca venenosa, M. tigris).
This study was sponsored by the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council (CFMC) and
the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Mrs. Gabriela
García-Moliner acted as the monitor of the study.
6
Interestingly, only very few stations in waters of the Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the U S
Virgin Islands were occupied by these sampling expeditions (R/V Oregon stations 644, 646,
6715; R/V Pillsbury stations P1386, P1397, P1401, P1402) (see Cooper, 1977). During the
1970’s through the 1980’s, the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council, with funding from
the U. S. National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS) explored the deep sea fisheries potential
of the insular slope of PR and the USVI. The fisheries effort included a series of at least 12
cruises of the R/V Oregon and R/V Delaware, with particular attention to the north coast of
PR and the USVI (Nelson et al., 1984).
The taxonomic inference from all of these exploratory samplings is that the Caribbean Sea
is a species rich region of deep reef biota that functions as a source of fish and invertebrate
larvae to the Western North Atlantic (including the Gulf of Mexico) through an effective
connectivity via inter-island passages (Rass, 1971; Cairns, 1979; Dawson, 2002). Aside
from the relevance of deep reef systems for the general biodiversity of the region,
commercial and recreational fisheries that include demersal (snapper/grouper) and pelagic
species (billfish, tunas, mackerels) are associated with deep reef habitats of the insular
slope and submerged seamounts of PR and the USVI (Nelson et al., 1984). The upper
insular slope may also represent the last refuge habitat for highly valuable and overexploited
coral reef fish populations, such as the Red Hind (Epinephelus guttatus), Nassau, Yellowfin
and Tiger groupers (Epinephelus guttatus, Mycteroperca venenosa, M. tigris).
This study was sponsored by the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council (CFMC) and
the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Mrs. Gabriela
García-Moliner acted as the monitor of the study.
6