New Reports of Coral Reefs in the Honduran Caribbean

Abstract

The exploration of coral reefs across the Honduran Caribbean has mainly focused around the Bay Islands and Cayos Cochinos, while much less is known about the distribution, extension and health of these ecosystems along the coastal shelf within the first 10 km off shore. However, daily catches of reef-associated species (e.g. Lutjanus synagris, Ocyurus chrysurus) from the near coast fisheries are evidence for the presence of aggregated coral reefs throughout the continental shelf. Through an initial exploration of sites within and around the Wild Life Refuge Barras de Cuero y Salado we identified 15 sites with previously undocumented coral reef coverage.

Ceiba, 2016. Volumen 54(2):157-166