Classification and scoring scale for health status of the coral community of the Jardines de la Reina National Park, Cuba

Abstract

In order to know the health status of the reefs, some protocols have been created to evaluate various ecological indicators on focal groups of organisms that inhabit these reefs. In this study we a specific scale, for classification and status score, for six ecological indicators (coral density, number of species per transect, coverage, old death, recent death and recruits population density) of the coral community of the Jardines de la Reina National Park. Were studied 29 SCUBA diving sites, located in fore reefs and designated as reference sites, which were compared with 52 other sites not used for diving. Also, were studied 27 reef crests, using the most conserved crests in the study area, as the reference site (La Puntica), although in this case, another indicator (density of recruits) was added. The non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test was applied and frequency analysis was carried out through the Statistica 7 program. For evaluated ecologic indicators were proposed some changes in the specific scale, with regard to the suggested for Cuba and the Great Caribbean, adapting the levels of a new scale to obtained values from integral analysis, taking into account, the reference sites. With a condition of “Very Good”, density was classified with values >20 colonies 10 m-1 in fore reefs and >14 colonies 10 m-1 in crests. The number of species with values >10 in fore reefs and ≥ 6 in crests. The coral covers>30 % for both habitats. Old mortality ≤10 % for both habitats. Recent mortality, ≤1 % for both habitats. Recruits population density, with values >20 recruits m-2 in fore reefs and >10 recruits    m-2 in crests. We recommend one specific scale for classification and score was for health status for each MPAs, which would allow made some management actions, according to each coral reef intrinsic behaviors.