Western Atlantic regionalization based on distributional congruence patterns of scleractinian corals
Aja-Arteaga, A.; Gutiérrez-Velázquez, A.; Ortiz-Lozano, L.; Rojas-Soto, O. (2024). Western Atlantic regionalization based on distributional congruence patterns of scleractinian corals. Ocean Coast. Manag. 255: 107213. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2024.107213
In: Ocean & Coastal Management. Elsevier Science: Barking. ISSN 0964-5691; e-ISSN 1873-524X, more
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| Keywords |
Scleractinia [WoRMS]
Marine/Coastal |
| Author keywords |
Zooxanthellate Scleractinian Corals; Biogeographic regionalization; Species Distribution Modelling; Parsimony Analysis of Endemism; Western Atlantic |
| Authors | | Top |
- Aja-Arteaga, A.
- Gutiérrez-Velázquez, A.
- Ortiz-Lozano, L.
- Rojas-Soto, O.
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| Abstract |
Coral reefs represent a source of ecosystem services relevant for the permanence of coastal human communities. Given the importance of zooxanthellate scleractinian corals (ZSC) in these ecosystems, information on the presence and distribution of this group is valuable for studying the biodiversity and establishing management strategies to ensure their permanence over time. Despite being a highly studied biological group in the Western Atlantic, records of ZSC presence are heterogeneous and are distributed mainly in the Caribbean Sea. One way to analyze the distribution of biota at large spatial scales is through biogeographic regionalizations. To identify the distribution patterns of ZSC in the Western Atlantic and propose a biogeographic regionalization based in this biological group, we performed a Parsimony Analysis of Endemism (PAE) at ecoregion scale using Species Distribution Models (SDM) to fill the gaps in data on the distribution of these corals. Through these analyses, we identified the presence of two main biogeographic provinces: Northwestern Atlantic Tropical Province and Tropical Southwestern Atlantic. According to Jaccard Index, this regionalization is highly similar to those performed with multitaxa by other authors, which demonstrates that for these purposes this taxa can be considered as a surrogate group. In terms of management, this study highlights the importance of establishing preservation and conservation measures that address this biological group, in order to guarantee both the permanence of other taxa and the ecosystem goods and services they provide. |
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