Marine biodiversity of an Eastern Tropical Pacific oceanic island, Isla del Coco, Costa Rica
Isla del Coco (also known as Cocos Island) is an oceanic island in the Eastern Tropical Pacific; it is part of the largest national park of Costa Rica and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island has been visited since the 16th Century due to its abundance of freshwater and wood. Marine biodiversity...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Vicerractoría Investigación
2012-11-01
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| Series: | Revista de Biología Tropical |
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| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-77442012000800009&lng=en&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1797709295171665920 |
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| author | Jorge Cortés |
| author_facet | Jorge Cortés |
| author_sort | Jorge Cortés |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Isla del Coco (also known as Cocos Island) is an oceanic island in the Eastern Tropical Pacific; it is part of the largest national park of Costa Rica and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island has been visited since the 16th Century due to its abundance of freshwater and wood. Marine biodiversity studies of the island started in the late 19th Century, with an intense period of research in the 1930’s, and again from the mid 1990’s to the present. The information is scattered and, in some cases, in old publications that are difficult to access. Here I have compiled published records of the marine organisms of the island. At least 1688 species are recorded, with the gastropods (383 species), bony fishes (354 spp.) and crustaceans (at least 263 spp.) being the most species-rich groups; 45 species are endemic to Isla del Coco National Park (2.7% of the total). The number of species per kilometer of coastline and by square kilometer of seabed shallower than 200m deep are the highest recorded in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Although the marine biodiversity of Isla del Coco is relatively well known, there are regions that need more exploration, for example, the south side, the pelagic environments, and deeper waters. Also, several groups of organisms, such as the flatworms, nematodes, nemerteans, and gelatinous zooplankton, have been observed around the Island but have been poorly studied or not at all. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T06:34:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-be5911cae97d4020811f506b1b4b0d83 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0034-7744 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T06:34:27Z |
| publishDate | 2012-11-01 |
| publisher | Vicerractoría Investigación |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revista de Biología Tropical |
| spelling | doaj.art-be5911cae97d4020811f506b1b4b0d832023-09-03T01:25:42ZengVicerractoría InvestigaciónRevista de Biología Tropical0034-77442012-11-0160suppl 3131185S0034-77442012000800009Marine biodiversity of an Eastern Tropical Pacific oceanic island, Isla del Coco, Costa RicaJorge Cortés0Universidad de Costa RicaIsla del Coco (also known as Cocos Island) is an oceanic island in the Eastern Tropical Pacific; it is part of the largest national park of Costa Rica and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island has been visited since the 16th Century due to its abundance of freshwater and wood. Marine biodiversity studies of the island started in the late 19th Century, with an intense period of research in the 1930’s, and again from the mid 1990’s to the present. The information is scattered and, in some cases, in old publications that are difficult to access. Here I have compiled published records of the marine organisms of the island. At least 1688 species are recorded, with the gastropods (383 species), bony fishes (354 spp.) and crustaceans (at least 263 spp.) being the most species-rich groups; 45 species are endemic to Isla del Coco National Park (2.7% of the total). The number of species per kilometer of coastline and by square kilometer of seabed shallower than 200m deep are the highest recorded in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Although the marine biodiversity of Isla del Coco is relatively well known, there are regions that need more exploration, for example, the south side, the pelagic environments, and deeper waters. Also, several groups of organisms, such as the flatworms, nematodes, nemerteans, and gelatinous zooplankton, have been observed around the Island but have been poorly studied or not at all.http://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-77442012000800009&lng=en&tlng=enBiodiversidad marinaCosta RicaIsla del CocoPacífico Orientalespecies endémicas |
| spellingShingle | Jorge Cortés Marine biodiversity of an Eastern Tropical Pacific oceanic island, Isla del Coco, Costa Rica Revista de Biología Tropical Biodiversidad marina Costa Rica Isla del Coco Pacífico Oriental especies endémicas |
| title | Marine biodiversity of an Eastern Tropical Pacific oceanic island, Isla del Coco, Costa Rica |
| title_full | Marine biodiversity of an Eastern Tropical Pacific oceanic island, Isla del Coco, Costa Rica |
| title_fullStr | Marine biodiversity of an Eastern Tropical Pacific oceanic island, Isla del Coco, Costa Rica |
| title_full_unstemmed | Marine biodiversity of an Eastern Tropical Pacific oceanic island, Isla del Coco, Costa Rica |
| title_short | Marine biodiversity of an Eastern Tropical Pacific oceanic island, Isla del Coco, Costa Rica |
| title_sort | marine biodiversity of an eastern tropical pacific oceanic island isla del coco costa rica |
| topic | Biodiversidad marina Costa Rica Isla del Coco Pacífico Oriental especies endémicas |
| url | http://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-77442012000800009&lng=en&tlng=en |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jorgecortes marinebiodiversityofaneasterntropicalpacificoceanicislandisladelcococostarica |