9 species). It also includes bibliographic references to these species for the Cuban
Archipelago and/or the region. This dissertation is considered the first scientific
work in which all the taxonomic information existing in Cuba on the Phylum
Echinodermata is integrated. It laid the groundwork for the beginning of the different studies that have been made until today.
It was not until the 1980s when the study of echinoderms began in a deeper
way. The pioneers in this enterprise where Ángela Corvea and Mercedes AbreuPérez, under the guidance of Dr. Osvaldo Gómez, an outstanding pedagogue
responsible for the formation of numerous generations of biologists at the
Universidad de la Habana.
Dr. Pedro M. Alcolado, a specialist from the Instituto de Oceanología, also
made major contributions to the development of this special field in Cuba. In the
early 1990s, Dr. José Espinosa began study of echinoderms, although for a short
period of time. Four years later M. Sc. Rosa del Valle assumed this position.
Among the main research projects for systematics and/or ecology developed by
echinoderm specialists in the benthos department from the Instituto de Oceanología were ‘‘Comunidades del Bentos de Punta del Este’’ (‘‘Benthos communities
from Punta del Este’’); ‘‘El Bentos de la Macrolaguna del Golfo de Batabanó’’
(‘‘Benthos from the macro-lagoon of Golfo de Batabanó’’); ‘‘Comunidades macrobentónicas asociadas a tres arrecifes coralinos del Golfo de Batabanó’’ (‘‘Macrobenthic communities associated with three coral reefs from Golfo de Batabanó’’);
‘‘Caracterización del bentos de las Bahías de Jururú y Vita’’ (‘‘Characterization of
the benthos from Bahías de Jururú y Vita’’); ‘‘Protección de la biodiversidad y
desarrollo sostenible en el ecosistema Sabana-Camaguey’’ (‘‘Biodiversity protection and sustainable development in the Sabana-Camagüey ecosystem’’); and
‘‘Ecología y sistemática de las comunidades de equinodermos de las costas del
Caribe Mexicano y Cuba’’ (‘‘Ecology and systematics of echinoderm communities
from the Mexican Caribbean coasts and Cuba’’) under the framework of the Joint
Collaboration Agreement with the Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología,
from the UNAM, Mexico.
Other projects in which echinoderms have been studied are ‘‘La Biodiversidad
Marina de Cuba’’ (‘‘Cuban Marine Biodiversity’’); ‘‘Evaluación del deterioro
ocasionado por los vertimientos del emisario submarino de Playa el Chivo,
mediante el análisis de las comunidades bentónicas’’ (‘‘Evaluation of the damage
made by the dumping of the submarine emissary of Playa el Chivo, by means of
benthic communities analysis’’); ‘‘Evaluación general del estado ecológico de los
arrecifes de Cuba y monitoreo de la estación regional cubana de CARICOMP’’
(‘‘General evaluation of the ecological status of reefs in Cuba and monitoring of
the regional Cuban station of CARICOMP’’); ‘‘Hacia el uso sostenible del Golfo
de Batabanó’’ (‘‘Towards the sustainable use of the Golfo de Batabanó’’);
‘‘Análisis de sistema y modelación de escenarios’’ (‘‘System analysis and scenario
modeling’’); ‘‘Evaluación del Archipiélago de los Canarreos con vista a su categorización dentro del Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas’’ (‘‘Evaluation of the
Archipiélago de los Canarreos with a view to its categorization within the Sistema
Nacional de Áreas Protegidas’’). As a result of participation in these projects,
408
R. d. Valle-García et al.
Archipelago and/or the region. This dissertation is considered the first scientific
work in which all the taxonomic information existing in Cuba on the Phylum
Echinodermata is integrated. It laid the groundwork for the beginning of the different studies that have been made until today.
It was not until the 1980s when the study of echinoderms began in a deeper
way. The pioneers in this enterprise where Ángela Corvea and Mercedes AbreuPérez, under the guidance of Dr. Osvaldo Gómez, an outstanding pedagogue
responsible for the formation of numerous generations of biologists at the
Universidad de la Habana.
Dr. Pedro M. Alcolado, a specialist from the Instituto de Oceanología, also
made major contributions to the development of this special field in Cuba. In the
early 1990s, Dr. José Espinosa began study of echinoderms, although for a short
period of time. Four years later M. Sc. Rosa del Valle assumed this position.
Among the main research projects for systematics and/or ecology developed by
echinoderm specialists in the benthos department from the Instituto de Oceanología were ‘‘Comunidades del Bentos de Punta del Este’’ (‘‘Benthos communities
from Punta del Este’’); ‘‘El Bentos de la Macrolaguna del Golfo de Batabanó’’
(‘‘Benthos from the macro-lagoon of Golfo de Batabanó’’); ‘‘Comunidades macrobentónicas asociadas a tres arrecifes coralinos del Golfo de Batabanó’’ (‘‘Macrobenthic communities associated with three coral reefs from Golfo de Batabanó’’);
‘‘Caracterización del bentos de las Bahías de Jururú y Vita’’ (‘‘Characterization of
the benthos from Bahías de Jururú y Vita’’); ‘‘Protección de la biodiversidad y
desarrollo sostenible en el ecosistema Sabana-Camaguey’’ (‘‘Biodiversity protection and sustainable development in the Sabana-Camagüey ecosystem’’); and
‘‘Ecología y sistemática de las comunidades de equinodermos de las costas del
Caribe Mexicano y Cuba’’ (‘‘Ecology and systematics of echinoderm communities
from the Mexican Caribbean coasts and Cuba’’) under the framework of the Joint
Collaboration Agreement with the Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología,
from the UNAM, Mexico.
Other projects in which echinoderms have been studied are ‘‘La Biodiversidad
Marina de Cuba’’ (‘‘Cuban Marine Biodiversity’’); ‘‘Evaluación del deterioro
ocasionado por los vertimientos del emisario submarino de Playa el Chivo,
mediante el análisis de las comunidades bentónicas’’ (‘‘Evaluation of the damage
made by the dumping of the submarine emissary of Playa el Chivo, by means of
benthic communities analysis’’); ‘‘Evaluación general del estado ecológico de los
arrecifes de Cuba y monitoreo de la estación regional cubana de CARICOMP’’
(‘‘General evaluation of the ecological status of reefs in Cuba and monitoring of
the regional Cuban station of CARICOMP’’); ‘‘Hacia el uso sostenible del Golfo
de Batabanó’’ (‘‘Towards the sustainable use of the Golfo de Batabanó’’);
‘‘Análisis de sistema y modelación de escenarios’’ (‘‘System analysis and scenario
modeling’’); ‘‘Evaluación del Archipiélago de los Canarreos con vista a su categorización dentro del Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas’’ (‘‘Evaluation of the
Archipiélago de los Canarreos with a view to its categorization within the Sistema
Nacional de Áreas Protegidas’’). As a result of participation in these projects,
408
R. d. Valle-García et al.