Carpenter and Edmunds (2006) reported intermediate densities (0.5–4 ind m
-2 )
of D. antillarum between 2003 and 2004 at Turneffe Atoll, Belize compared to
other Caribbean localities. The size frequency of the urchins ranged between \ 20
and 100–110 mm, with a modal size of 40–49 mm, a normal distribution, and with
high recruitment (ind \ 30 mm). According to their data, D. antillarum in Belize,
as well as other five sampling sites along the Caribbean, is recovering and helping
with the recovery of corals reefs by facilitating coral recruitment.
Lessios et al. (2001), using mtDNA from Diadema populations from the
Caribbean (D. antillarum), eastern Pacific (D. mexicanum) and eastern Atlantic
(D. aff. antillarum), and including specimens from Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica
and Panama, showed that D. antillarum was abundant in the Caribbean long before
(100,000 years before present) humans could have affected ecological processes.
This conclusion agreed with Jackson’s (1997) hypothesis in that D. antillarum was
abundant before humans began to remove fish from the Caribbean and contradicting the idea of Hay (1984) that past high abundances, before the 1983 mass
mortality were a recent phenomenon due to the removal of its fish predators and
competitors by humans. However, it is possible that their populations were not
affected by human pressure, but their grazing impact is, reason why they became
known as one of the most important carbonate removers form the Caribbean reefs
(Ogden 1977; Scoffin et al. 1980; Bak 1994).
Vadas et al. (1982) studied the presence of Lytechinus variagetus in seagrass
beds at the Miskitos Cays, Nicaragua, reporting densities between 0.8 and 10.8 ind
m
-2 , test diameters and weights between 43.2 and 51.6 mm and 49.4–63.4 g
respectively, and a gonad volume between 0.7 and 2.9 cm
3 . In 2001, Fonseca
(2008) visited this area to describe the coral reef localities using the AGGRA
protocol. She reported the presence of nine species of echinoderms at the sampling
sites (O. reticulatus, Linckia guildingii, Asterina folium, E. viridis, E. lucunter,
D. antillarum, Meoma ventricosa, Isosticopus badionotus and Holothuria mexicana; Fig. 3.3). No density or distribution was reported.
In Cayos Cochinos Biological Reserve, Honduras, Lessios (1998) reported the
presence of 13 echinoids species (E. tribuloides, D. antillarum, Arbacia punctulata, L. variegatus, Tripneustes ventricosus, E. lucunter, E. viridis, Clypeaster
rosaceus, Paraster doederleini, P. jloridiensis, Brissopsis elongata, Brissus unicolor and Meoma ventricosa). He provided information about field identification
characteristics, habitat and density. Lessios (1998) indicated that the shallow water
echinoid fauna of this Reserve appears to be typical of the Caribbean. However,
the presence of A. punctulata (0.010 ind m
-2 ) is noteworthy, because this species
is often absent or very rare elsewhere in the tropical West Atlantic. Moreover,
L. variegatus, that is normally abundant in Thalassia tetudinum beds everywhere
in the Caribbean, was rare (0.005 ind m
-2
) at Cayos Cochinos in 1995, as was
D. antillarum (0.190 ind m
-2 ). Echinometra lucunter had the highest density
(3.805 ind m
-2 ), followed by E. tribuloides (0.467 ind m
-2 ).
82
J. J. Alvarado et al.
-2 )
of D. antillarum between 2003 and 2004 at Turneffe Atoll, Belize compared to
other Caribbean localities. The size frequency of the urchins ranged between \ 20
and 100–110 mm, with a modal size of 40–49 mm, a normal distribution, and with
high recruitment (ind \ 30 mm). According to their data, D. antillarum in Belize,
as well as other five sampling sites along the Caribbean, is recovering and helping
with the recovery of corals reefs by facilitating coral recruitment.
Lessios et al. (2001), using mtDNA from Diadema populations from the
Caribbean (D. antillarum), eastern Pacific (D. mexicanum) and eastern Atlantic
(D. aff. antillarum), and including specimens from Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica
and Panama, showed that D. antillarum was abundant in the Caribbean long before
(100,000 years before present) humans could have affected ecological processes.
This conclusion agreed with Jackson’s (1997) hypothesis in that D. antillarum was
abundant before humans began to remove fish from the Caribbean and contradicting the idea of Hay (1984) that past high abundances, before the 1983 mass
mortality were a recent phenomenon due to the removal of its fish predators and
competitors by humans. However, it is possible that their populations were not
affected by human pressure, but their grazing impact is, reason why they became
known as one of the most important carbonate removers form the Caribbean reefs
(Ogden 1977; Scoffin et al. 1980; Bak 1994).
Vadas et al. (1982) studied the presence of Lytechinus variagetus in seagrass
beds at the Miskitos Cays, Nicaragua, reporting densities between 0.8 and 10.8 ind
m
-2 , test diameters and weights between 43.2 and 51.6 mm and 49.4–63.4 g
respectively, and a gonad volume between 0.7 and 2.9 cm
3 . In 2001, Fonseca
(2008) visited this area to describe the coral reef localities using the AGGRA
protocol. She reported the presence of nine species of echinoderms at the sampling
sites (O. reticulatus, Linckia guildingii, Asterina folium, E. viridis, E. lucunter,
D. antillarum, Meoma ventricosa, Isosticopus badionotus and Holothuria mexicana; Fig. 3.3). No density or distribution was reported.
In Cayos Cochinos Biological Reserve, Honduras, Lessios (1998) reported the
presence of 13 echinoids species (E. tribuloides, D. antillarum, Arbacia punctulata, L. variegatus, Tripneustes ventricosus, E. lucunter, E. viridis, Clypeaster
rosaceus, Paraster doederleini, P. jloridiensis, Brissopsis elongata, Brissus unicolor and Meoma ventricosa). He provided information about field identification
characteristics, habitat and density. Lessios (1998) indicated that the shallow water
echinoid fauna of this Reserve appears to be typical of the Caribbean. However,
the presence of A. punctulata (0.010 ind m
-2 ) is noteworthy, because this species
is often absent or very rare elsewhere in the tropical West Atlantic. Moreover,
L. variegatus, that is normally abundant in Thalassia tetudinum beds everywhere
in the Caribbean, was rare (0.005 ind m
-2
) at Cayos Cochinos in 1995, as was
D. antillarum (0.190 ind m
-2 ). Echinometra lucunter had the highest density
(3.805 ind m
-2 ), followed by E. tribuloides (0.467 ind m
-2 ).
82
J. J. Alvarado et al.