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Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database

Central repository for biodiversity related research and monitoring data from the Dutch Caribbean

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Search results: 725

  • Scientific article (0)
  • Variability of size structure and species composition in Caribbean octocoral communities under contrasting environmental conditions
    Octocorals have increased in abundance on a number of Caribbean reefs, but this trend has largely been reported with functional group or genus...
  • Saba en zijn orchideeën
    Bijzondere uitgave van ‘Orchideeën’, tweemaandelijks tijdschrift van de Nederlandse Orchideeën Vereniging, met een special over Saba. Michiel Boeken...
  • Conflicts and solutions related to marine turtle conservation initiatives in the Caribbean basin: Identifying new challenges
    Highlights   • We identified up to 161 human-derived conflicts which are related to marine turtle conservation initiatives. • We found that each...
  • Multi-scale habitat occupancy of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) in coral reef environments of Roatan, Honduras
    The Indo-Pacific lionfish species [Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) and P. miles (Bennett, 1828): Family Scorpaenidae] are the first nonnative...
  • A power analysis of a transforming marine community around oil transshipment at St. Eustatius
    The strategic location of small islands in the Caribbean, close to the United States of America (USA), and their historical trade roots as former...
  • Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster) roosting at Washington-Slagbaai National Park, Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands
    Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster) are known to roost on the northwestern coast of Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands. A published account from the 1950s...
  • Controversies and consensus on the lionfish invasion in the Western Atlantic Ocean
    This study investigates how the lionfish (Pterois sp.) invasion of the Western Atlantic Ocean has been socially constructed by natural scientists,...
  • Status and Range of Introduced Mammals on St. Martin, Lesser Antilles
    Abstract: The introduction of mammals to islands is one of the leading causes of extirpation of native biota worldwide. Data gaps in the introduction...
  • Growth parameter estimation and model simulation for three industrially relevant microalgae:Picochlorum, Nannochloropsis,and Neochloris
    Abstract Multiple models have been developed in the field to simulate growth and product accumulation of microalgal cultures. These models heavily...
  • The Flamingos on Bonaire
    Monograph on the flamingos of Bonaire.  Habitat, Diet and Reproduction of Phoenlcopterus ruber ruber. Results of a one-year cycle of observations on...
  • Establishing a marine conservation baseline for the insular Caribbean
    Abstract Marine protected areas are a primary strategy for the conservation of marine habitats and species across the globe. In small island...
  • Extreme spatial heterogeneity in carbonate accretion potential on a Caribbean fringing reef linked to local human disturbance gradients
    The capacity of coral reefs to maintain their structurally complex frameworks and to retain the potential for vertical accretion is vitally important...
  • Status of Western Atlantic coral reefs in the Lesser Antilles
    The Lesser Antilles include high volcanic islands with a limited marine shelf, and low coralline islands with a more extensive shelf. Withinthe group...
  • Ecological regime shift drives declining growth rates of sea turtles throughout the West Atlantic
    Somatic growth is an integrated, individual-based response to environmental conditions, especially in ectotherms. Growth dynamics of large, mobile...
  • Moss flora and vegetation of Saba and St. Eustatius (West Indies)
    The known moss flora of the small West Indian island Saba (870 m in altitude) consists to date of48 species, while the neighbouring island St....
  • Global seagrass distribution and diversity: A bioregional model
    Seagrasses, marine flowering plants, are widely distributed along temperate and tropical coastlines of the world. Seagrasses have key ecological...
  • Marine Mammals of the Northeastern Caribbean Windward Dutch Islands: Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, and the Saba Bank
    Abstract: At least 33 native species of marine mammals have been documented from the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR). For many of these species, the...
  • Plastic Waste in the Aquatic Environment: Impacts and Management
    The majority of consumer products used today is composed of some form of plastic. Worldwide, almost 280 million tons of plastic materials are...
  • Bathyal sea urchins of the Bahamas, with notes on covering behavior in deep sea echinoids (Echinodermata: Echinoidea)
    In a survey of the bathyal echinoderms of the Bahama Islands region using manned submersibles, approximately 200 species of echinoderms were...
  • Cavity-dwelling sponges in southern Caribbean coral reef and their paleontological implication
    The cryptobiontic (cavity-dwelling) sponges from 32 growth framework reef cavities were collected over the depth range 12 m to 43 m along the leeward...
  • A New Species of Soapfish (Teleostei: Serranidae: Rypticus) with Redescription of R. subbidrentus and Comments on the Use of DNA Barcoding in Systematic Studies
    Abstract: A new species of Rypticus is described from the Bahamas, Bermuda, Florida, and the Caribbean Sea. The species previously has been confused...
  • An integrated assessment of environmental, economic, social and technological parameters of source separated and conventional sanitation concepts: A contribution to sustainability analysis
    Resource recovery and reuse from domestic wastewater has become an important subject for the current development of sanitation technologies and...
  • New Species of Jaspidiconus (Conidae: Conilithinae) from the Carolinian and Caribbean Molluscan Provinces
    Seven new species of the western Atlantic endemic genus Jaspidiconus Petuch, 2004 are described from the Carolinian and Caribbean Molluscan Provinces...
  • Révision et mise à jour taxonomique de la liste et de la distribution des orchidées des Petites Antilles [An updated catalogue of Lesser Antilles Orchids and of their distribution]
    Since the publication of a checklist of Lesser Antilles’ orchids not far of twenty years ago, the orchid family has been the subject of many studies...
  • Gastrointestinal Helminths of Ruthven's Anole, Anolis bonairensis (Squamata: Dactyloidae), from Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
    Abstract Twenty-three dactyloid anoles (Ruthven's anole, Anolis bonairensis) from Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, were examined for gastrointestinal...
  • Presence of the invasive red lionfish, Pterois volitans, on the coast of Venezuela, southeastern Caribbean Sea
    We report the presence of the invasive Indo-Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans) in 23 localities of the Venezuelan coast, southeastern Caribbean...
  • Citizen science regarding invasive lionfish in Dutch Caribbean MPAs: Drivers and barriers to participation
    Abstract Understanding the drivers and barriers to participation in citizen science initiatives for conservation is important if long-term...
  • Status and trends of moored fish aggregating device (MFAD) fisheries in the Caribbean and Bermuda
    The use of moored fish aggregating devices (MFADs) has greatly expanded in the Caribbean region in recent decades. States vary widely in the size,...
  • Ecological solutions to reef degradation: optimizing coral reef restoration in the Caribbean and Western Atlantic
    Reef restoration activities have proliferated in response to the need to mitigate coral declines and recover lost reef structure, function, and...
  • Misleading criticisms of invasion science: a field guide
    Invasion science is the study of the causes and consequences of the introduction of organisms to the areas outside their native ranges. It concerns...
  • Case study of a Rapid Response Removal Campaign for the invasive alien green iguana, Iguana iguana
    Abstract The Invasive Alien Green Iguana (IAGI), Iguana iguana, has spread worldwide via the pet trade, as stowaways and via other means and has...
  • Prioritising Invasive Species Control Actions: Evaluating Effectiveness, Costs, Willingness to Pay and Social Acceptance
    Island ecosystems are recognised as high priority for biodiversity conservation, with invasive species a significant threat. To investigate...
  • Recreational diver preferences for reef fish attributes: Economic implications of future change
    Abstract This study sought to quantify the potential effects of changes in Caribbean reef fish populations on recreational divers' consumer surplus....
  • A review of Caribbean Copepoda associated with reef-dwelling cnidarians, echinoderms and sponges
    This review of copepod crustaceans associated with reef-dwelling cnidarians, sponges and echinoderms of the Greater Caribbean is based on published...
  • Update on geographic spread of invasive lionfishes (Pterois volitans and P. miles) in the Western North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico
    The Indo-Pacific lionfishes (Pterois volitans [Linnaeus, 1758] and P. miles [Bennett, 1828]: Family Scorpaenidae) are the first nonnative marine...
  • Caribbean Audubon's shearwaters puffinus Lherminieri choose nesting locations that improve male and female pre-laying exodus foraging strategies
    This study aims to better understand how the nesting distribution of Audubon’s Shearwaters Puffinus lherminieri in the Caribbean is associated with...
  • A catalogue of the Coleoptera of the Dutch Antilles
    Little has changed since Wallace (1876) and almost a century later Geijskes & Wagenaar Hummelinck (1951) wrote that only few have occupied...
  • More new deep-reef basslets (Teleostei, Grammatidae, Lipogramma), with updates on the eco-evolutionary relationships within the genus
    Two new Lipogramma basslets are described, L. barrettorum and L. schrieri, captured during submersible diving to 300 m depth off Curaçao, southern...
  • Time preferences and the management of coral reef fisheries
    Abstract: To investigate a potential relationship between financial and marine resource use decisions, we conducted a time preference experiment with...
  • Change detection in a Marine Protected Area (MPA) over three decades on Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    The island of Bonaire is a long-established Marine Protected Area (MPA), the reefs of which were extensively mapped in the early 1980s. Satellite...
  • The Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) breeding in the Dutch Caribbean and notable new records for the Caribbean Martin (Progne dominicensis) and Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
    Abstract We provide the first documentation of Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) breeding in the Dutch Caribbean and new island records for the...
  • Extension of the Recorded Host Range of Caribbean Christmas Tree Worms (Spirobranchus spp.) with Two Scleractinians, a Zoantharian, and an Ascidian
    Caribbean Christmas tree worms (Annelida: Polychaeta: Serpulidae: Spirobranchus) are considered host generalists in their associations with anthozoan...
  • Additions to the marine mollusk checklist for the island of Saba, Leeward Islands, West Indies
    Forty-one species of marine mollusks are added to the checklist for Saba island. The majority of records are from Rüdiger Bieler, who observed and...
  • Harnessing Natural Recovery Processes to Improve Restoration Outcomes: An Experimental Assessment of Sponge-Mediated Coral Reef Restoration
    Abstract: Background: Restoration is increasingly implemented to reestablish habitat structure and function following physical anthropogenic...
  • Establishment of two nonnative parthenogenetic reptiles on Saba, Dutch Caribbean: Gymnophthalmus underwoodi and Indotyphlops braminus
    The native herpetofauna of the Lesser Antillean island of Saba (13 km2; 17.63°N, -63.24°W) includes one snake, Alsophis rufiventris, and four species...
  • New Species of Pleurotomariidae, Volutidae, and Conidae from the Caribbean Sea and Namibia, Southwestern Africa
    In preparation for a forthcoming monographic work on marine molluscan biogeography at the worldwide level, five new biogeographical index species are...
  • Fisher and diver perceptions of coral reef degradation and implications for sustainable management
    Fishers and divers are the major resource users of Caribbean coral reefs. On Curaçao and Bonaire, reef condition is good relative to the Caribbean...
  • Geographic distances and ocean currents influence Caribbean Acropora palmata population connectivity in the Lesser Antilles
    The critically endangered coral species Acropora palmata used to dominate shallow Caribbean reefs but since the early 1980s, populations have...
  • Reef Fishes of Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles: Assemblage Structure across a Gradient of Habitat Types
    Saba Bank is a 2,200 km2 submerged carbonate platform in the northeastern Caribbean Sea off Saba Island, Netherlands Antilles. The presence of reef-...
  • Pleurolucina from the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans: a new intertidal species from Curaçao with unusual shell microstructure (Mollusca, Bivalvia, Lucinidae)
    Abstract A new shallow water species of the lucinid bivalve Pleurolucina is described from Curaçao in the southern Caribbean Sea and compared with...
  • Post-mortem examination of the Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus, Latreille 1804) and pathology in a fishery of the Lesser Antilles
    Highlights • We present the first illustrated postmortem examination guide for Panulirus argus. • We confirm that microsporidiosis is rare in fishery...
  • Taxonomic review of tropical western Atlantic shallow water Drilliidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Conoidea) including descriptions of 100 new species
    A review of the literature and examination of over 3,200 specimens of shallow water (<200 m) tropical western Atlantic (TWA) Drilliidae Olson,...
  • Sharing the slope: depth partitioning of agariciid corals and associated Symbiodinium across shallow and mesophotic habitats (2-60 m) on a Caribbean reef
    Abstract Background: Scleractinian corals and their algal endosymbionts (genus Symbiodinium) exhibit distinct bathymetric distributions on coral...
  • The effects of wave exposure and host cover on coral-associated fauna of a centuries-old artificial reef in the Caribbean
    A B S T R A C T An increasing number of artificial reefs (ARs) are constructed to compensate for the loss of natural reefs (NRs), but little is known...
  • Damage to the leeward reefs of Curac¸ao and Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles from a rare storm event: Hurricane Lenny, November 1999
    Fringing reefs along the southwestern shores of the Caribbean islands of Curaçao and Bonaire (12°N), located outside the most frequent hurricane...
  • Microbial invasion of the Caribbean by an Indo-Pacific coral zooxanthella
    Abstract Human-induced environmental changes have ushered in the rapid decline of coral reef ecosystems, particularly by disrupting the symbioses...
  • Octopods of deep reefs off Curaçao, southern Caribbean, including description of one newly discovered species
    Recent exploratory research on poorly studied deep reefs in the Caribbean Sea has yielded substantial new information about the diversity of deep-...
  • The marine mammals of the Dutch Caribbean: a comparison between EEZ sectors, contrasts and concerns
    We here provide a synoptic overview and preliminary update of the marine mammals of the Dutch Caribbean EEZ based on 279 cetacean sighting and...
  • Highly localized replenishment of coral reef fish populations near nursery habitats
    Connectivity is essential for ecosystem functioning, and in particular for the popula- tion dynamics of species that use different habitats during...
  • Bridled Quail-dove Geotrygon mystacea population assessment after hurricanes Irma and Maria, St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    Structural vegetation damage and food limitation are important effects of major hurricanes, particularly for fruit/seed-eating, forest-dependent...
  • The Status of Queen Conch, Strombus gigas, Research in the Caribbean
    An important scientific workshop on queen conch was held in Caracas, Ven­ ezuela, in July 1991. This workshop and the proceedings that emerged from...
  • Natural Diet of Coral-Excavating Sponges Consists Mainly of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC)
    Abstract: Coral-excavating sponges are the most important bioeroders on Caribbean reefs and increase in abundance throughout the region. This...
  • A framework for measuring coral species-specific contribution to reef functioning in the Caribbean
    Highlights The configuration of coral communities determines ecosystems’ functioning. There is a high variation in the functional contribution of...
  • De landslakken van Saba
    Summary.   Based on the literature and own observations a checklist is provided with 27 species of land- and freshwater snails that may occur on Saba...
  • Painted black: Iguana melanoderma (Reptilia, Squamata, Iguanidae) a new melanistic endemic species from Saba and Montserrat islands (Lesser Antilles)
    The Lesser Antilles, in the Eastern Caribbean, is inhabited by three Iguana species: the Lesser Antillean iguana Iguana delicatissima, which is...
  • Marine molluscs from the island of St. Eustatius, Eastern Caribbean: results of the Statia Marine Biodiversity Expedition 2015
    A baseline record of the marine fauna of St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands, was established during the Statia Marine Biodiversity Expedition in...
  • Hurricane-Driven Patterns of Clonality in an Ecosystem Engineer: The Caribbean Coral Montastraea annularis
    Abstract: K-selected species with low rates of sexual recruitment may utilise storage effects where low adult mortality allows a number of...
  • High spatial resolution mapping identifies habitat characteristics of the invasive vine Antigonon leptopus on St. Eustatius (Lesser Antilles)
    On the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius, Coralita (Antigonon leptopus) is an aggressive invasive vine posing major biodiversity conservation...
  • The Chlorophytes of Curaçao (Caribbean): a revised checklist for the south-west coast
    The global trend of unprecedented losses in coral reefs is particularly striking in the Caribbean, where dense algal assemblages are commonly...
  • Negative effects of gardening damselfish Stegastes planifrons on coral health depend on predator abundance
    On Bonaire, we studied the effects of predator abundance and habitat availability on the abundance of the threespot damselfish Stegastes planifrons,...
  • Sovereign states in the Caribbean have lower social-ecological vulnerability to coral bleaching than overseas territories
    Coral reef social-ecological systems worldwide face major impacts from cli- mate change, and spatial variation in vulnerability is driven by...
  • Recent invasion of a Florida (USA) estuarine system by lionfish Pterois volitans / P. miles
    The invasion by lionfish Pterois volitans and P. miles throughout the western Atlantic and Caribbean is emerging as a serious ecological problem....
  • Disentangling the Influence of Urbanization and Invasion on Endemic Geckos in Tropical Biodiversity Hot Spots: A Case Study of Phyllodactylus martini (Squamata: Phyllodactylidae) along an Urban Gradient in Curaçao
    Predicting the response of endemic species to urbanization has emerged as a fundamental chal- lenge in 21st century conservation biology. The factors...
  • The scleractinian Agaricia undata as a new host for the coral-gall crab Opecarcinus hypostegus at Bonaire, southern Caribbean
    Abstract The Caribbean scleractinian reef coral Agaricia undata (Agariciidae) is recorded for the first time as a host of the coral-gall crab ...
  • Archaeal and Bacterial Communities Associated with the Surface Mucus of Caribbean Corals Differ in Their Degree of Host Specificity and Community Turnover Over Reefs
    Comparative studies on the distribution of archaeal versus bacterial communities associ- ated with the surface mucus layer of corals have rarely...
  • Holocene tsunamis in the southern Caribbean: Evidence from stratigraphic archives and the coarse-clast record
    Abstract: We present sediment cores from seven coastal geoarchives on Bonaire, southern Caribbean, containing layers of high- energy sedimentation....
  • First record of the Mourning Gecko, Lepidodactylus lugubris (Duméril & Bi-bron), from Bonaire
    On the 14th of December, 2020, an individual of Lepidodactylus lugubris was found and photographed in Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean) by Hans Smulders in a...
  • Preservation of in situ reef framework in regions of low hurricane frequency: Pleistocene of Curaçao and Bonaire, southern Caribbean
    Luxuriant fringing reefs along the southwestern shores of the Caribbean islands of Curaçao and Bonaire (12°N), located outside the most frequent...
  • The Superior Colonizing Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia on Curaçao: Conservation Implications for the Native Gecko Phyllodactylus martini
    ABSTRACT We used nightly surveys to monitor the status of building-dwelling gecko species on the southern Caribbean island, Curac ̧ ao. Two gecko...
  • population recovery changes population composition at a major southern caribbean juvenile developmental habitat for the green turtle, Chelonia mydas
    Understanding the population composition and dynamics of migratory megafauna at key developmental habitats is critical for conservation and...
  • Preliminary checklist of the bees of St. Eustatius, Lesser Antilles (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila)
    A preliminary checklist of bees is presented (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) compiled for St. Eustatius, an island located in the Lesser Antilles...
  • First documentation of encrusting specimen of Cliona delitrix on Curaçao: a cause for concern?
    The coral excavating sponge Cliona delitrix is one of the most aggressive and conspicuous excavating sponges on Caribbean reefs. While C. delitrix is...
  • The marine fishes of St Eustatius Island, northeastern Caribbean: an annotated, photographic catalog
    Sint Eustatius (Statia) is a 21 km2 island situated in the northeastern Caribbean Sea. The most recent published sources of information on that...
  • What constitutes essential nursery habitat for a marine species? A case study of habitat form and function for queen conch
    ABSTRACT: There is increasing recognition that habitats should be managed as part of fisheries management. It is generally assumed that amount of...
  • Conservation status of Caribbean coot Fulica caribaea in the Netherlands Antilles and other parts of the Caribbean
    Abstract: In 2005 to 2006 we assessed the status of the Caribbean coot Fulica caribaea in the Netherlands Antilles, largely semi-arid islands in the...
  • Range-wide population genetic structure of the Caribbean marine angiosperm Thalassia testudinum
    Many marine species have widespread geographic ranges derived from their evolutionary and ecological history particularly their modes of dispersal....
  • Decline of crinoids on the reefs of Curaçao and Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
    Abstract Since 1996 at the latest, comatulid crinoids on the leeward reefs of Curaçao and Bonaire have declined drastically in population size and...
  • Host-related Morphological Variation of Dwellings Inhabited by the Crab Domecia acanthophora in the Corals Acropora palmata and Millepora complanata (Southern Caribbean)
    A team of researchers from Naturalis Biodiversity Center, ANEMOON Foundation, and colleagues from various intitutes, performed several bodiversity...
  • Terrestrial molluscs of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao in the Dutch Caribbean: an updated checklist and guide to identification
    A review is given of the terrestrial malacofauna of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao in the Dutch Caribbean. The most recent reviews of these islands were...
  • Fast Detection of Nutrient Limitation in Macroalgae and Seagrass with Nutrient-Induced Fluorescence
    Abstract: Background: Rapid determination of which nutrients limit the primary production of macroalgae and seagrasses is vital for understanding the...
  • Assisted gene flow using cryopreserved sperm in critically endangered coral
    Assisted gene flow (AGF) is a conservation intervention to accelerate species adaptation to climate change by importing genetic diversity into at-...
  • Morphological and molecular taxonomy of calcareous sponges (Porifera: Calcarea) from Curaçao, Caribbean Sea
    Despite the acknowledged high diversity of sponges in the Caribbean Sea, calcareous sponges from this region have been poorly studied. In order to...
  • Organic Matter Degradation Drives Benthic Cyanobacterial Mat Abundance on Caribbean Coral Reefs
    Abstract Benthic cyanobacterial mats (BCMs) are impacting coral reefs worldwide. However, the factors and mechanisms driving their proliferation are...
  • Reference DNA barcodes and other mitochondrial markers for identifying Caribbean Octocorals
    DNA barcoding is a useful tool for documenting the diversity of metazoans. The most commonly used barcode markers, 16S and COI, are not considered...
  • Unforeseen importance of historical collections as baselines to determine biotic change of coral reefs: the Saba Bank case
    Botanical and zoological collections may serve as archives for historical ecologi- cal research on the effects of global change and human impact on...
  • Variation in habitat soundscape characteristics influences settlement of a reef-building coral
    Coral populations, and the productive reef ecosystems they support, rely on successful recruitment of reef-building species, beginning with...
  • Hurricanes, climate change, and social welfare: evidence from the Caribbean
    We examine whether Caribbean islands will be worse off as hurricane activity alters under climate change. To this end, we construct island level...
  • Can we measure beauty? Computational evaluation of coral reef aesthetics
    The natural beauty of coral reefs attracts millions of tourists worldwide resulting in substantial revenues for the adjoining economies. Although...
  • Global assessment of the status of coral reef herbivorous fishes: evidence for fishing effects
    Abstract: On coral reefs, herbivorous fishes consume benthic primary producers and regulate competition between fleshy algae and reef-building corals...
  • A renewed call for conservation leadership 10 years further in the feral cat Trap-Neuter-Return debate and new opportunities for constructive dialogue
    Abstract It has been 10 years since a seminal paper in the journalConservation Biologycalled for stronger leadership from the conservation community...
  • Loss of coral reef growth capacity to track future increases in sea level
    Sea-level rise (SLR) is predicted to elevate water depths above coral reefs and to increase coastal wave exposure as ecological degradation limits...
  • Regional-scale dominance of non-framework building corals on Caribbean reefs affects carbonate production and future reef growth
    Abstract Coral cover on Caribbean reefs has declined rapidly since the early 1980's. Diseases have been a major driver, decimating communities of...
  • Seagrass ecosystem metabolic carbon capture in response to green turtle grazing across Caribbean meadows
    Increasing green turtle abundance will lead to increased grazing within seagrass habitats—ecosystems that are important for carbon sequestration and...
  • Coral overgrowth by an encrusting red alga (Ramicrusta sp.): a threat to Caribbean reefs?
    An encrusting red alga (Ramicrusta sp., Peyssonneliaceae) present in Lac Bay, Bonaire, overgrows and kills corals and other sessile organisms. Living...
  • Variability and sustainability of the Southern Subarea of the Caribbean Sea large marine ecosystem
    The Southern Subarea of the Caribbean Sea Large Marine Ecosystem encompasses most of the continental and island coasts of Venezuela, as well as...
  • A new species of Chromis damselfish from the tropical western Atlantic (Teleostei, Pomacentridae)
    Initially described in 1882, Chromis enchrysurus, the Yellowtail Reeffish, was redescribed in 1982 to account for an observed color morph that...
  • Abundance and population structure of queen conch inside and outside a marine protected area: repeat surveys show significant declines
    ABSTRACT: Effectiveness of a marine protected area (MPA) in supporting fisheries productivity depends upon replenishment patterns, both in supplying...
  • Host specificity and phylogenetic relationships among Atlantic Ovulidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda)
    Abstract: Ovulid gastropods and their octocoral hosts were collected along the leeward coast of Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles. New molecular data of...
  • A Permanent, Real-Time Monitoring Network for the Volcanoes Mount Scenery and The Quill in the Caribbean Netherlands
    Abstract: The stratovolcanoes of Mt. Scenery at Saba and The Quill at St. Eustatius in the Caribbean Netherlands, with a total population of about...
  • Crinoid paradox
    The status of coral reefs around the world is almost exclusively gauged by data on reef-building corals (live coverage, diversity, prevalence of...
  • Discovery of the Leeward Blindsnake, Antillotyphlops geotomus (Thomas, 1966), on St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    The Leeward Blindsnake (Antillotyphlops geotomus) is a near threatened species according to the IUCN Red list (Powell et al., 2016), and was known...
  • Results of management actions for tern populations on Bonaire
    Event: BirdsCaribbean 21st International Conference, Topes de Collantes, Cuba, 13-17 July, 2017 Abstract in scientific journal or proceedings Five...
  • Three new records of cetacean species for Aruba, Leeward Antilles, southern Caribbean
    Abstract: Very little information exists about the cetaceans of Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire (ABC Islands), in the southern Caribbean. During the first...
  • Fish grazing enhanced by nutrient enrichment may limit invasive seagrass expansion
    The success of invasive macrophytes can depend on local nutrient availability and consumer pressure, which may interact. We therefore experimentally...
  • e evolution of the Caribbean Marine Protected Area Management Network and Forum (CaMPAM): 20 years of the Regional Multidimensional Program for Strengthening MPA Practitioners
    In 1997, the United Nations Environment’s Caribbean Environment Program (UNEP-CEP) convened a meeting of 50 MPA managers from which CaMPAM was born....
  • Indirect effects of overfishing on Caribbean reefs: sponges overgrow reef-building corals
    Consumer-mediated indirect effects at the community level are difficult to demonstrate empirically. Here, we show an explicit indirect effect of...
  • New avifaunal records and checklist for the island of Saba, Caribbean Netherlands
    Abstract The avifauna of the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba has been little studied, as the last comprehensive publication dates from 1983. Here I...
  • Coral reef ecosystem integrated observing system: In-situ oceanographic observations at the US Pacific islands and atolls
    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) established the Coral Reef Ecosystem Integrated Observing System (CREIOS) to provide...
  • A Rapid Sustainability Assessment of Wild Plant Extraction on the Dutch Caribbean Island of St. Eustatius
    The Caribbean islands are considered a biodiversity hotspot, with high levels of endemism but also extreme levels of habitat loss. One factor causing...
  • Bioprospecting and characterization of temperature tolerant microalgae from Bonaire
    Control of temperature is a major challenge for industrial microalgae production in photobioreactors outdoors. Strains with tolerance for high...
  • Lytic to temperate switching of viral communities
    Microbial viruses can control host abundances via density-dependent lytic predator-prey dynamics. Less clear is how temperate viruses, which coexist...
  • Redescription of Alatina alata (Reynaud, 1830) (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) from Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Abstract: Here we establish a neotype for Alatina alata (Reynaud, 1830) from the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire. The species was originally...
  • Host Range of the Coral-Associated Worm Snail Petaloconchu ssp. (Gastropoda: Vermetidae), a Newly Discovered Cryptogenic Pest Species in the Southern Caribbean
    Abstract: The presence of associated endofauna can have an impact on the health of corals. Duringfieldwork on the southern Caribbean island of...
  • Human land use promotes the abundance and diversity of exotic species on caribbean islands
    Human land use causes major changes in species abundance and composition, yet native and exotic species can exhibit different responses to land use...
  • Coral reef flounders, Bothus lunatus, choose substrates on which they can achieve camouflage with their limited body pattern repertoire
    Abstract Camouflage is a common tactic to avoid detection or recognition by predators and prey. Flounders have adaptive camouflage but a limited body...
  • Sabal lougheediana (Arecaceae), a critically endangered, endemic palm species from Bonaire
    A new palm species, Sabal lougheediana , is described and illustrated. This critically endangered island endemic, native solely to Bonaire, is...
  • Pre-Columbian jadeitite artifacts from the Golden Rock Site, St. Eustatius, Lesser Antilles, with special reference to jadeitite artifacts from Elliot’s, Antigua: Implications for potential source regions and long-distance exchange networks in the Greater
    A detailed electron microscopy analysis of jadeitite celts from the Early Ceramic Age Golden Rock settlement on the small volcanic island of St...
  • An Annotated List of Orthoptera from St Eustatius and Saba, Dutch West Indies, with Descriptions of Two New Cricket Species (Trigonidiidae, Mogoplistidae)
    Orthopteran species on the Lesser Antilles islands of St Eustatius and Saba are poorly known. Recent field surveys and examinations of museum...
  • Geographic Patterns In Pollen Production In The Plant Ring Species Euphorbia tithymaloides In The Caribbean
    Abstract—We examine investment in male function in the context of geography and floral morphology in the plant ring species Euphorbia tithymaloides,...
  • Interaction of Physical and Biological Factors in the Large-Scale Distribution of Juvenile Queen Conch in Seagrass Meadows
    Large-scale distribution of a large, commercially significant gastropod, Strombus gigas (queen conch), was investigated in a II ,OOO-haregion of the...
  • Sound production as an indicator of red hind density at a spawning aggregation
    Abstract: Annual spawning aggregations of red hind Epinephelus guttatus form at predictable times and locations and have historically succumbed to...
  • A quantitative assessment of the vegetation types on the island of St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean
    Caribbean dry forests are among the most endangered tropical ecosystems on earth. Several studies exist on their floristic composition and their...
  • Tailoring participatory action research to deal with the latent problem of an invasive alien vine on Saba, Caribbean Netherlands
    Participatory action research (PAR) is an approach for fully co-creating research into environmental problems with the public. We argue this is...
  • New Seeding Approach Reduces Costs and Time to Outplant Sexually Propagated Corals for Reef Restoration
    The use of sexually propagated corals is gaining popularity as an approach for reef restoration. However, manually attaching substrates with recently...
  • The cetaceans of Aruba, southern Caribbean
    Abstract: Aruba is one of the most densely populated islands in the Caribbean. However, very little is known about its cetaceans. In 2010 and 2011, a...
  • Evolution and phylogeny of glass-sponge-associated zoantharians, with a description of two new genera and three new species
    Hexactinellid sponges are important members of deep-sea benthic ecosystems because they provide available hard substrate habitats for filter-feeding...
  • Preferential dolomitization in Mio–Pliocene bioclastic clinoforms, Bonaire Island, South Caribbean: insights from petrographic and geochemical analyses
    Selective dolomitization, where certain carbonate components are preferentially dolomitized over others, can be significant in the overall dynamic...
  • A review of bottom-up vs. top-down control of sponges on Caribbean fore-reefs: what’s old, what’s new, and future directions
    Interest in the ecology of sponges on coral reefs has grown in recent years with mounting evidence that sponges are becoming dominant members of reef...
  • Life in the unthinking depths: energetic constraints on encephalization in marine fishes
    Abstract Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the limitation of brain size in vertebrates. Here, we test three hypotheses of brain size...
  • Bat Ectoparasites from Sint Eustatius, Lesser Antilles (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Streblinae; Hemiptera: Polyctenidae)
    In this paper 4 species of bat ectoparasites are recorded from the island of Sint Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean. One species of true bug (Hemiptera:...
  • Biodiversity Assessment of the Fishes of Saba Bank Atoll, Netherlands Antilles
    Abstract: Biodiversity surveys were conducted on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles, to assess ichthyofaunal richness and to compare with published...
  • Microcharon quilli, a new asellote isopod crustacean from interstitial spaces in shallow coralline sands off St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    The genus Microcharon is known in the Caribbean from the widely separated islands of Bonaire and Cuba, occurring in brackish and freshwater...
  • Tropical Biogeomorphic Seagrass Landscapes for Coastal Protection: Persistence and Wave Attenuation During Major Storms Events
    The intensity of major storm events generated within the Atlantic Basin is projected to rise with the warming of the oceans, which is likely to...
  • A review of Computational Intelligence techniques in coral reef-related applications
    Studies on coral reefs increasingly combine aspects of science and technology to understand the complex dynamics and processes that shape these...
  • Continued expansion of the trans-Atlantic invasive marine angiosperm Halophila stipulacea in the Eastern Caribbean
    Abstract: Halophila stipulacea (Hydrocharitaceae) is reported for the first time from Aruba, Curaçao, Grenadines (Grenada), St. Eustatius, St. John (...
  • Evolution and phylogeny of glass-sponge-associated zoantharians, with a description of two new genera and three new species
    Hexactinellid sponges are important members of deep-sea benthic ecosystems because they provide available hard substrate habitats for filter-feeding...
  • Quantification of chemical and mechanical bioerosion rates of six Caribbean excavating sponge species found on the coral reefs of Curaçao
    Excavating sponges are among the most important macro-eroders of carbonate substrates in marine systems. Their capacity to remove substantial amounts...
  • Reef flattening effects on total richness and species responses in the Caribbean
    1. There has been ongoing flattening of Caribbean coral reefs with the loss of habitat having severe implications for these systems. Complexity and...
  • The Arachnids (Arachnida) of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao
    Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao (ABC Islands) are located at the southern margin of the Caribbean Plate, just north of South America. Little is known of...
  • Bats of Saba, Netherlands Antilles: a zoogeographic perspective
    Data presented herein provide records of four species of bats new to the fauna of the Antillean island of Saba — Monophyllus plethodon, Ardops...
  • User fees across ecosystem boundaries: Are SCUBA divers willing to pay for terrestrial biodiversity conservation?
    Highlights​ Ecosystems are intrinsically linked, but conservation across boundaries is limited. User fees applied across ecosystem boundaries may...
  • High spatial resolution mapping identifies habitat characteristics of the invasive vine Antigonon leptopus on St. Eustatius (Lesser Antilles)
    On the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius, Coralita (Antigonon leptopus) is an aggressive invasive vine posing major biodiversity conservation...
  • Maturation and age in queen conch (Strombus gigas): Urgent need for changes in harvest criteria
    Abstract The queen conch (Strombus gigas) is a large economically important gastropod that has been severely depleted throughout much of the...
  • Pelagic movements of pacific leatherback turtles (dermochelys coriacea) highlight the role of prey and ocean currents
    Abstract: Background: Leatherback turtles are renowned for their trans-oceanic migrations. However, despite numerous movement studies, the precise...
  • Governance of ecosystem services on small islands: three contrasting cases for St. Eustatius in the Dutch Caribbean
    Natural ecosystems provide an attractive focus for tourism on small islands. However, at the same time tourism and other human actions can be...
  • First evidence of plastic ingestion by Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus from St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    We present the first confirmed evidence of plastic ingestion by a Red-billed Tropicbird on the Caribbean Netherlands island of St. Eustatius, which...
  • Variability in size at maturity and reproductive season of queen conch Lobatus gigas (Gastropoda: Strombidae) in the Wider Caribbean Region
    Queen conch (Lobatus gigas), is an economically and culturally important marine gastropod. The species is subject to extensive exploitation...
  • Human Pathogen Shown to Cause Disease in the Threatened Elkhorn Coral Acropora palmata
    Abstract: Coral reefs are in severe decline. Infections by the human pathogen Serratia marcescens have contributed to precipitous losses in the...
  • The effects of dolomite geobodies within carbonate clinoforms on fluid flow and connectivity: Insights from an outcrop analogue on Bonaire, The Netherlands (South Caribbean)
    Abstract Carbonate clinoforms are often challenging to characterize and model due to their complex geometries and additional heterogeneity introduced...
  • How to make Integrated Coastal Erosion Management a reality
    Highlights Coastal management is usually too responsive via defense works and not pro-active. Intervention Concerning the Erosion Causes (ICEC) is a...
  • Reproductive natural history and successful juvenile propagation of the threatened Caribbean Pillar Coral Dendrogyra cylindrus
    Background The Caribbean pillar coral Dendrogyra cylindrus was recently listed as a threatened species under the United States Endangered Species Act...
  • Effects of Future Sea Level Rise on Coastal Habitat
    Sea level rise (SLR) and disturbances from increased storm activity are expected to diminish coastal ecosystems available to nesting species by...
  • Nieuwe Nederlandse vlinders op Saba
    Saba ligt in de Caribische Zee en is een van de drie eilanden die vroeger behoorden tot de bovenwindse eilanden van de Nederlandse Antillen. Sinds 10...
  • Governing cruise tourism at Bonaire: a networks and flows approach
    Conceptual approaches to thoroughly study governance of cruise tourism are lacking in the literature. Relying on Castells’ network society, we...
  • In-situ incubation of a coral patch for community-scale assessment of metabolic and chemical processes on a reef slope
    Anthropogenic pressures threaten the health of coral reefs globally. Some of these pressures directly affect coral functioning, while others are...
  • Outcompeted by an invader? Interference and exploitative competition between tropical house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia) and Barbados leaf-toed gecko (Phyllodactylus pulcher) for diurnal refuges in anthropogenic coastal habitats.
    House geckos in the genus Hemidactylus are highly successful colonizers of regions beyond their native range, with colonization often resulting in...
  • First Specimen Record of the Barn Owl Tyto alba in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
    The cosmopolitan Barn Owl Tyto alba (Scopoli) lives on many Caribbean islands, where a number of morphologically distinct forms have evolved. Some of...
  • Feces consumption by nominally herbivorous fishes in the Caribbean: an underappreciated source of nutrients?
    Abstract Parrotfishes and surgeonfishes are major Caribbean herbivores that primarily graze reef algae and thereby play an important functional role...
  • A review of the sponge increase hypothesis for Caribbean mesophotic reefs
    Sponges are major components of benthic ecosystems, particularly on Caribbean reefs, where their importance in carbon cycling and ecosystem function...
  • Diver Depth-Gauge Profiling beyond Wading Depths: A New Simple Method for Underwater Surveying
    Abstract Surveying subaqueous beach profiles and features beyond wading depths can be a costly process, requiring use of expensive equipment and...
  • Historical changes (1905-present) in catch size and composition reflect altering fisheries practices on a small Caribbean island
    Effective assessments of the status of Caribbean fish communities require historical baselines to adequately understand how much fish communities...
  • The effects of partial mortality on the fecundity of three common Caribbean corals
    The recent intensification of human disturbances in the Caribbean has increased the prevalence of partial mortality on coral colonies. Partial...
  • New bird records for the island of St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean, with notes on other significant sightings
    The avifauna of the Dutch Caribbean island of St. Eustatius has been little studied. We document 22 new bird species for the island and update the...
  • Nocturnal Predation of Christmas Tree Worms by a Batwing Coral Crab at Bonaire (Southern Caribbean)
    Christmas tree worms (Serpulidae: Spirobranchus) occur in shallow parts of coral reefs, where they live as associates of a large number of stony...
  • Vegetative morphology and meristem dependency the foundation of productivity in seagrasses
    Shoot organization in seagrasses varies from the unspecialized condition of Enhalus and Posidonia to the highly differentiated shoot systems of...
  • Diving behaviour of hawksbill turtles during the inter-nesting interval: Strategies to conserve energy
    Abstract: Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting in Barbados were outfitted with time-depth recorders (TDRs) with temperature sensors...
  • First Recorded Introduction for the Saba Anole (Anolis sabanus) and an Overview of Introduced Amphibians and Reptiles on St. Eustatius
    The Lesser Antillean island of St. Eustatius harbors two native anole species, the large Panther or Statia Bank and the smaller Schwartz’s or Saint...
  • Zoantharia (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia) of the Dutch Caribbean and One New Species of Parazoanthus
    Species of the anthozoan order Zoantharia (=Zoanthidea) are common components of subtropical and tropical shallow water coral reefs. Despite a long...
  • Deep and concordant subdivisions on the self-fertilizing mangrove killifishes (Kryptolebias) revealed by nuclear and mtDNA markers
    The authors adopt the name bonairensis for the Central Clade because the island of Bonaire has been sampled. 
  • Notes on the Flowers and Distribution of the Caribbean islands endemic Ipomoea sphenophylla (Convolvulaceae)
    Abstract: The original description of Ipomoea sphenophylla by Urban in 1908, based upon a fruiting specimen, did not include a description of the...
  • The importance of the marine ornamental reef fish trade in the wider Caribbean
    Abstract: The marine ornamental fish trade began in the 1930s in Sri Lanka, spread to Hawaii and the Philippines in the 1950s, and expanded to a...
  • Reconstructing past thermal conditions in beach microclimates
    Abstract Reconstruction of past conditions provides important information on how ecosystems have been impacted by climate change, but generally for...
  • Leptospira seroprevalence in animals in the Caribbean region: a systematic review
    This systematic review summarises the data published on the Leptospira seroprevalence, serovar diversity and distribution among animal species in the...
  • Cell kinetics during regeneration in the sponge Halisarca caerulea: how local is the response to tissue damage?
    Sponges have a remarkable capacity to rapidly regenerate in response to wound infliction. In addition, sponges rapidly renew their filter systems (...
  • Preliminary Study to identify Filamentous Fungi in Sands of Three Beaches of the Caribbean
    The Caribbean has several white sand beaches visited by many tourists, especially during the summer. The beaches of Copacabana in Barbados Bridgetown...
  • An age-based demographic analysis of the Caribbean stoplight parrotfish Sparisoma viride
    The parrotfish Sparisoma viride is an abundant and ecologically important member of the tropical NW Atlantic reef fish fauna. Sagittal otoliths of...
  • Pseudoscorpion diversity and distribution in the West Indies: sequence data confirm single island endemism for some clades, but not others
    The Caribbean Islands are a biodiversity hotspot harboring high levels of endemic biodiversity. In an effort to contribute to the characterization of...
  • First Records of the Stout Four-eyed Frog, Pleurodema brachyops (Cope 1869) on St. Martin
     The Stout Four-eyed Frog (Pleurodema brachyops) is native to the northern South American and Central American nations of Guyana, northern Brazil (...
  • Envenomation by the invasive Pterois volitans species (lionfish) in the French West Indies – a two-year prospective study in Martinique
    Abstract Context: The invasion of the lionfish (Pterois volitans) in the French West Indies represents one of the most important marine invasions by...
  • Habitat use of raptors in response to anthropogenic land use on Bonaire and Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles
    Abstract: We conducted fieldwork on Bonaire and Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles, to assess the distribu- tion and abundance of resident diurnal...
  • Supplementary Material Host Range of the Coral-Associated Worm SnailPetaloconchussp. (Gastropoda: Vermetidae), a Newly Discovered Cryptogenic Pest Species in the Southern Caribbean
    Appendix S1.Photographic host records of Petaloconchus sp. Figure S1. Agaricia agaricitesat Bonaire (2019). Figure S2. Agaricia humilisat Curaçao (...
  • Exploring changes in Caribbean hurricane-induced wave heights
    During recent decades there has been open debate about a possible increase in the number and magnitude of more energetic hurricanes in the Atlantic,...
  • Multimodal Optical Microscopy Methods Reveal Polyp Tissue Morphology and Structure in Caribbean Reef Building Corals
    Abstract An integrated suite of imaging techniques has been applied to determine the three-dimensional (3D) morphology and cellular structure of ...
  • Light-regulated collective contractility in a multicellular choanoflagellate
    Collective cell contractions that generate global tissue deformations are a signature feature of animal movement and morphogenesis. However, the...
  • Estimating sex ratios in Caribbean hawksbill turtles: testosterone levels and climate effects
    Evolutionary theory predicts that male and female offspring should be produced at a 1:1 ratio, but this may rarely be the case for species in which...
  • Deep and concordant subdivisions in the self-fertilizing mangrove killifishes (Kryptolebias) revealed by nuclear and mtDNA markers
    We use extensive geographical sampling and surveys of nuclear microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA loci to investigate the phylogeographic structure...
  • Variation in herbivore grazing behavior across Caribbean reef sites
    Herbivorous fish can increase coral growth and survival by grazing down algal competitors. With coral reefs in global decline, maintaining adequate...
  • Misspent youth: Does catching immature fish affect fisheries sustainability?
    The “spawn-at-least-once” principle suggests that sustainability is secured if fish become vulnerable to commercial gears only after they have...
  • Long-term change in coral communities along depth gradients over leeward reefs in the Netherlands Antilles
    Reef slope coral communities were surveyed for long-term (20 years) changes in scleractinian coral cover, numbers of coral colonies and species...
  • A new deep-reef scorpionfish (Teleostei, Scorpaenidae, Scorpaenodes) from the southern Caribbean with comments on depth distributions and relationships of western Atlantic members of the genus
    A new species of scorpionfish, Scorpaenodes barrybrowni Pitassy & Baldwin, sp. n. which is described, was collected during submersible diving in...
  • Internal Wave Observations Off Saba Bank
    The deep sloping sides of Saba Bank, the largest submarine atoll in the Atlantic Ocean, show quite different internal wave characteristics. To...
  • The stony coral Agaricia tenuifolia Dana, 1848 as a new gall crab host (Decapoda: Cryptochiridae)
    Infrequently studied coral species are seldom mentioned as host organisms of associated fauna. Here we report on the stony coralAgaricia...
  • Survival and dispersal of turf algae and macroalgae consumed by herbivorous coral reef fishes
    Abstract:  The mechanisms by which algae disperse across space on coral reefs are poorly known. We inves- tigated the ability of four common...
  • Salpivory by Colonial Reef Corals at Curaçao, Southern Caribbean
    Abstract: A salp swarm was observed in Director’s Bay, Curaçao in July 2021, where salps were caught and consumed by three scleractinian colonial...
  • A new species of the remarkable brittle star genus Astrophiura (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from the western Atlantic Ocean
    Astrophiura caroleae, new species, is described from off Curacao in the southern Caribbean, and from the western Gulf of Mexico, in depths of 244 to...
  • Population structure and dispersal of the coral- excavating sponge Cliona delitrix
    Abstract Some excavating sponges of the genus Cliona compete with live reef corals, often kill- ing and bioeroding entire colonies. Important aspects...
  • A social-ecological perspective on ecosystem vulnerability for the invasive creeper coralita (Antigonon leptopus) in the Caribbean: A review
    Highlights • Review on coralita invasion (Antigonon leptopus) on islands yielded 46 papers. • Main influencing factors are overgrazing, human...
  • Satellite tracking of sea turtles: Where have we been and where do we go next?
    The use of satellite tracking for the fundamental and applied study of marine turtles began in the 1980s but has undergone rapid growth in recent...
  • Helioseris cucullata as a host coral at St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean
    In order to demonstrate how scleractinian corals contribute to marine biodiversity by their host function, information on associated fauna was...
  • Micro- and Macrohabitat Preferences of Invasive Rodents on St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    We studied the micro- and macrohabitat preferences of black rats (Rattus rattus) and house mice (Mus musculus) on St. Eustatius, a small, inhabited...
  • Invasive lionfish had no measurable effect on prey fish community structure across the Belizean Barrier Reef
    Invasive lionfish are assumed to significantly affect Caribbean reef fish communities. However, evidence of lionfish effects on native reef fishes is...
  • New plant records for Bonaire and the Dutch Caribbean islands
    Abstract: Although the flora of Bonaire has been well studied three previously undocumented species have been found for Bonaire. Two of these three...
  • First records of three new lizard species and a range expansion of a fourth lizard species introduced to Aruba
    Introduction The Caribbean region is emerging as a hotspot for the spread of non-native reptile species (Powell et al. 2011; Powell and Henderson...
  • Megaherbivores may impact expansion of invasive seagrass in the Caribbean
      1.Our knowledge of the functional role of large herbivores is rapidly expanding, and the impact of grazing on species co‐existence and non‐native...
  • Caldora penicillata gen. nov., comb. nov. (Cyanobacteria), a pantropical marine species with biomedical relevance
    Many tropical marine cyanobacteria are prolific producers of bioactive secondary metabolites with ecological relevance and promising pharmaceutical...
  • Homing decisions reveal lack of risk perception by Caribbean damselfish of invasive lionfish
    Prey naïveté, or the failure of prey to recognize non-native predators due to a lack of co-evolutionary history, is thought to underpin the large...
  • Attitudes towards marine mammal conservation issues before the introduction of whale-watching: a case study in Aruba (southern Caribbean)
    1. Effective conservation management requires a solid understanding of social and economic factors, in addition to biological factors affecting what...
  • Wave-swept coralliths of Saba Bank, Dutch Caribbean
    During a recent reef coral survey at the submarine Saba Bank (Eastern Caribbean), an uncommon and diverse assemblage of unattached scleractinian...
  • Functional consequences of Caribbean coral reef habitat degradation
    Coral reefs are declining worldwide. The abundance of corals has decreased alongside the rise of filter feeders, turf and algae in response to...
  • Long-term responses of North Atlantic calcifying plankton to climate change
    The global increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration is potentially threatening marine biodiversity in two ways. First, carbon dioxide and...
  • Long-term dynamics of the brown macroalga Lobophora variegata on deep reefs in Curaçao
    Lobophora variegata occurs in the eulittoral zone and in deep water on coral reefs in Curaçao. An analysis of the long-term (1979–2006) changes in...
  • Boas of the World (Superfamily Booidae): A Checklist With Systematic, Taxonomic, and Conservation Assessments
    The booid snakes (superfamily Booidae) are a near–circumglobally distributed group of macrostoman alethinophidian squamates, and several lineages are...
  • Tracking the origin of the smearing behavior in long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris spp.)
    A unique and novel stereotypic ‘smearing’ behavior and the formation of an odoriferous dorsal patch have been recently described in two species of...
  • Documentation of the Impact of Hurricane Ivan on the Coastline of Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles)
    Situated just north of the Venezuelan coast around 12° to 13° N, the Netherlands Antilles are normally well outside the hurricane belt. Nevertheless...
  • Last interglacial hydroclimate seasonality reconstructed from tropical Atlantic corals
    The seasonality of hydroclimate during past periods of warmer than modern global temperatures is a critical component for understanding future...
  • Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Saba Bank
    Abstract: Over the past 12 months a comprehensive assessment has been made of the fish stock of the Saba Bank. The assessment was initiated by the...
  • The Quaternary volcanogenic landscape and volcaniclastic sediments of the Netherlands Antilles: markers for an in-active volcanic arc
    Abstract: The Quaternary volcanogenic landscape and the volcanogenic sediments of the Netherlands Antilles (NA) (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) reflect the...
  • The Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) on St. Eustatius: genetically depauperate and threatened by ongoing hybridization.
    The Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) is an endangered species threatened by habitat loss and hybridization with non-native Green...
  • High prevalence of dermal parasites among coral reef fishes of Curaçao
    Abstract During expeditions to Curaçao in August and October of 2013, a large number of fish infected with dermal parasites was observed. Infected...
  • LONG-TERM DECLINES IN CORAL COVER AT BONAIRE, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
    The reefs surrounding Bonaire have long been renowned for their high abundance and diversity of scleractinian corals and for their long-time status...
  • Indo-Pacific lionfish are larger and more abundant on invaded reefs: a comparison of Kenyan and Bahamian lionfish populations
    The invasion by Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) of the western Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico is emerging as a major...
  • Long-term Shifts in Coral Communities On Shallow to Deep Reef Slopes of Curaçao and Bonaire: Are There Any Winners?
    Tropical coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse and economically important ecosystems on earth. Nevertheless, we found dramatic changes...
  • Impacts of wetland dieback on carbon dynamics: A comparison between intact and degraded mangroves
    Mangroves are effective blue carbon sinks and are the most carbon rich ecosystems on earth. However, their areal extent has declined by over one-...
  • Introduction to the Special Issue on the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)
    The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) is an iconic Gulf of Mexico species and an enduring symbol of restoration and recovery. Its...
  • Effectiveness of lionfish removal efforts in the southern Caribbean
    Abstract: Lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) have spread rapidly throughout the Caribbean Sea since 1985, where they negatively impact native...
  • Green ammonia enables sustainable energy production in small island developing states: A case study on the island of Curaçao
    Abstract Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have a high dependency on fossil fuels for energy, water, and food production. This has negative...
  • Multilocus phylogeny, species age and biogeography of the Lesser Antillean anoles
    Highlights • A multilocus study provides a resolved phylogeny for Lesser Antillean anoles. • Dense phylogeographic sampling within-species indicates...
  • High dissolved organic carbon release by benthic cyanobacterial mats in a Caribbean reef ecosystem.
    Abstract Benthic cyanobacterial mats (BCMs) are increasing in abundance on coral reefs worldwide. However, their impacts on biogeochemical cycling in...
  • Sabalpalm (Sabal antillensis) Recovery Over 40 Years: Lessons for Successful Palm Conservation.
    Sabal antillensis is endemic to the Dutch Caribbean islands of Curagao and Bonaire. Both island populations were thoroughly assessed in 1979, and...
  • Can a thermally tolerant symbiont improve the future of Caribbean coral reefs?
    The detrimental effect of climate change induced bleaching on Caribbean coral reefs has been widely documented in recent decades. Several studies...
  • The toxic exposure of flamingos to per-and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from firefighting foam applications in Bonaire.
    In 2010 an oil terminal next to nature reservation Saliña Goto (Bonaire) caught fire. Firefighting resulted in elevated per- and polyfluoroalkyl...
  • The complete mitochondrial genome of Costapex baldwinae (Gastropoda: Neogastropoda: Turbinelloidea: Costellariidae) from the Caribbean Deep-Sea
    We report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Costapex baldwinae, a Caribbean representative of a predominantly Indo-Pacific genus of...
  • Synchronous marine pelagic regime shifts in the Northern Hemisphere
    Regime shifts are characterized by sudden, substantial and temporally persist- ent changes in the state of an ecosystem. They involve major...
  • Iguana Delicatissima Mortality and Reproduction
    The Lesser Antillean Iguana was originally found in the Lesser Antilles from Anguilla to Martinique, but is rapidly being lost from both large and...
  • Assessment of the Distribution of Seed Plants Endemic to the Lesser Antilles in Terms of Habitat, Elevation, and Conservation Status
    Abstract - The Lesser Antilles is part of the Caribbean biodiversity hotspot and a priorityfor conservation of its flora is its endemic taxa. Using...
  • A new transcriptome and transcriptome profiling of adult and larval tissue in the box jellyfish Alatina alata: an emerging model for studying venom, vision and sex
    Cubozoans (box jellyfish) are cnidarians that have evolved a number of distinguishing features. Many cubozoans have a particularly potent sting,...
  • User fees as sustainable financing mechanisms for marine protected areas: An application to the Bonaire National Marine Park
    Marine protected areas (MPAs) have proliferated globally in the past three decades. However, inadequate funding often prevents these management...
  • Effects of "swim with the turtles" tourist attractions on green sea turtle (chelonia mydas) health in Barbados, West Indies
    Along the West Coast of Barbados a unique relationship has developed between endangered green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and humans. Fishermen...
  • Day time spawning of a Caribbean coral
  • Biomass Feedstocks for Liquid Biofuels Production in Hawaii & Tropical Islands: A Review
    Abstract. Many tropical islands, including Aruba, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Pacific Island countries, are entirely dependent on importing fossil...
  • A comparison of eight country plans for the Invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish in the Wider Caribbean
    Highlights • The Caribbean region is being negatively impacted by the invasive lionfish. • Management efforts by eight Caribbean islands addressing...
  • CO2 and inorganic nutrient enrichment affect the performance of a calcifying green alga and its noncalcifying epiphyte
    Abstract Ocean acidification studies in the past decade have greatly improved our knowledge of how calcifying organisms respond to increased surface...
  • Coral injuries caused by Spirobranchus opercula with and without epibiotic turf algae at Curaçao
    Reef-dwelling Christmas tree worms (Spirobranchus spp.) are common coral associates. Their calcareous tubes are usually embedded in the coral...
  • Marine debris in mangroves and on the seabed: Largely-neglected litter problems
    While the scarcity of up-to-date data on beach litter contamination in the Caribbean has been stressed in several recent studies, we here point to...
  • Beta diversity of macroalgal communities around St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean
    This study provides a baseline of the marine algal flora composition around St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean, by describing algal community structure...
  • Occurrence of Cryptococcus neoformans and other yeast-like fungi in environmental sources in Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean)
    Introduction We report here the presence of Cryptococcus neoformans, and other potentially pathogenic yeasts and yeast-like fungi in environmental...
  • A Historical Perspective of the Biology and Conservation of the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle
    The history of the critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) has presented scientists and conservationists with a variety...
  • The beetles of Barbados, West Indies (Insecta: Coleoptera): diversity, distribution and faunal structure
    Abstract: The beetle fauna of the island of Barbados is summarized. It is now known to contain 202 genera, and 254 species (in 40 families), of which...
  • Assessing the preservation of biogenic strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) in the pars petrosa ossis temporalis of unburnt human skeletal remains: A case study from Saba
    Rationale:Strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis of skeletal remains has become apowerful tool in archaeological studies of human migration and...
  • Microplastic pollution on Caribbean beaches in the Lesser Antilles
    Here we investigate microplastics contamination on beaches of four islands of the Lesser Antilles (Anguilla, St. Barthélemy, St. Eustatius and St....
  • Coral reef fish and benthic community structure of Bonaire and Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles
    Coral reefs throughout the Caribbean have suffered the effects of human activities, including overfishing, nutrient pollution, and global climate...
  • Range‐wide population genetic structure of the Caribbean marine angiosperm Thalassia testudinum
    Many marine species have widespread geographic ranges derived from their evolu-tionary and ecological history particularly their modes of dispersal....
  • Caribbean-wide decline in carbonate production threatens coral reef growth
    Global-scale deteriorations in coral reef health have caused major shifts in species composition. One projected consequence is a lowering of reef...
  • Expansion and fragment settlement of the non-native seagrass Halophila stipulacea in a Caribbean bay
    The non-native seagrass species Halophila stipulacea has spread throughout the Eastern Caribbean since 2002, and could potentially impact the...
  • Artificial reefs in the Caribbean: A need for comprehensive monitoring and integration into marine management plans
    Caribbean coral reefs are in decline and the deployment of artificial reefs, structures on the sea bottom that mimic one or more characteristics of a...
  • Temporal, spatial, and body size effects on growth rates of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Northwest Atlantic
    Abstract In response to a call from the US National Research Council for research programs to combine their data to improve sea turtle population...
  • First Record of the Olive Ridley and of Nesting by the Loggerhead Turtle in Curacao
    On July 26, 1991, a Curacao fisherman landed a sea turtle from the wave-exposed north coast of the island. The animal was caught by hook and line...
  • Seagrass beds and mangroves as potential nurseries for the threatened Indo-Pacific humphead wrasse, Cheilinus undulatus and Caribbean rainbow parrotfish, Scarus guacamaia
    The importance of seagrass beds and mangroves as a juvenile habitat as opposed to other shallow water habitat types is investigated using a single...
  • A cryptic species in the Pteroclava krempfi species complex (Hydrozoa, Cladocorynidae) revealed in the Caribbean
    Symbiotic relationships on coral reefs involving benthic hosts other than scleractinian corals have been poorly investigated. The hydroid Pteroclava...
  • Caribbean small-island tourism styles and sustainable strategies
    This article focuses on developing a sustainable tourism in small Caribbean islands, defined here as those that have populations of fewer than 500,...
  • The Genus Pustulatirus Vermeij and Snyder, 2006 (Gastropoda: Fasciolariidae: Peristerniinae) in the Western Atlantic, with Descriptions of Three New Species
    Western Atlantic species of the New World genus Pustulatirus Vermeij and Snyder, 2006 are revised. Types of previously named taxa are figured....
  • Patrimoine marin caribéen et perspectives écotouristiques : vers un développement durable des petites îles?
    The Caribbean Sea is home to a diversity of coastal habitats that support the installation of three rich and complex ecosystems - coral reefs,...
  • Mapping ecosystem functions to the valuation of ecosystem services: implications of species–habitat associations for coastal land-use decisions
    Abstract: The reefs surrounding Bonaire have long been renowned for their high abundance and diversity of scleractinian corals and for their long-...
  • Aruba is a New Country Record for Hemisphaerota cyanea (Say, 1824) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Hemisphaerotini)
    No abstract availalbe For more information visit: https://bioone.org/journals/the-coleopterists-bulletin/volume-75/issue-2...
  • Widespread local chronic stressors in Caribbean coastal habitats
    Coastal ecosystems and the livelihoods they support are threatened by stressors acting at global and local scales. Here we used the data produced by...
  • Prevalent endosymbiont zonation shapes the depth distributions of scleractinian coral species
    Bathymetric distributions of photosynthetic marine invertebrate species are relatively well studied, however the importance of symbiont zonation (i.e...
  • Cerion uva gouldi, a new fossil subspecies from Aruba (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Cerionidae)
    Cerion uva gouldi is described as a new subspecies to include only fossil and subfossil Cerion uva from Aruba. The name Cerion uva arubanum Baker,...
  • A stage-based matrix population model of invasive lionfish with implications for control
    The rapid invasion of lionfish into the Western North Atlantic and Caribbean will undoubtedly affect native reef fishes via processes such as trophic...
  • Phylogeographic patterns of a lower intertidal isopod in the Gulf of California and the Caribbean and comparison with other intertidal isopods
    A growing body of knowledge on the diversity and evolution of intertidal isopods across different regions worldwide has enhanced our understanding on...
  • Illegal trade of morphologically distinct populations prior to taxonomic assessment and elevation, with recommendations for future prevention
    The negative impacts of international wildlife trafficking are well known, and such negative impacts can be even more pronounced for insular species...
  • Development of a Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Stock Assessment Model
    We developed a Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) stock assessment model to evaluate the relative contributions of conservation efforts and other...
  • Gonolobus aloiensis (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae), a New Species from St. Eustatius
    Abstract: A new species from St. Eustatius, Gonolobus aloiensis (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae, Gonolobinae), is described and illustrated. This new...
  • Engineered substrates reveal species-specific inorganic cues for coral larval settlement
    ABSTRACT: The widespread loss of stony reef-building coral populations has been compounded by the low settlement and survival of coral juveniles. To...
  • Antagonistic behavior between two honeycomb cowfish, Acanthostracion polygonius Poey, 1876, at Curaçao
    The honeycomb cowfish, Acanthostracion polygonius Poey, 1876 (Ostraciidae) is easily distinguishable from other Caribbean coral reef fish. Both...
  • Effects of depth and ultraviolet radiation on coral reef turf algae.
    Abstract Despite the increasing dominance of turf algae in coral reefs, few studies have investigated their physiological and ecological responses to...
  • Territorial and reproductive behavior of the three Caribbean Razorfishes of the Genus Xyrichtys (Labridae) at Bonaire
    We conducted field studies of the three known species of Caribbean razorfishes of the genus Xyrichtys at four study sites in Bonaire during 1984,...
  • Coral community decline at Bonaire, Southern Caribbean
    We assessed the status of coral reef benthic communities at Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, in December 2008 and January 2009 through ~5 km of photo...
  • The state of the world’s mangroves in the 21st century under climate change
    Concerted mangrove research and rehabilitation efforts over the last several decades have prompted a better understanding of the important ecosystem...
  • A Long-term Dietary Assessment of Invasive Boa constrictor on Aruba
    Invasive Boa Constrictors (Boa constrictor) have established a reproductive population on Aruba. High B. constrictor densities could stress prey...
  • Somatic growth dynamics of West Atlantic hawksbill sea turtles: a spatio-temporal perspective.
    Somatic growth dynamics are an integrated response to environmental conditions. Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are long-lived, major...
  • Deep-water sponges (Porifera) from Bonaire and Klein Curaçao, Southern Caribbean
    Four submersible dives off the coast of Bonaire (Caribbean Netherlands) and Klein Curaçao (Curaçao) to depths of 99.5–242 m, covering lower...
  • Creating landscape-scale maps of coral reef cover for marine reserve management from high resolution multispectral remote sensing
    New methods are needed for the study of coral reefs, as they are changing rapidly. Satellite remote sensing has become a common method for benthic...
  • First visual record of a living basking shark Cetorhinus maximus in the Caribbean Sea
    The occurrence of basking sharks in the Caribbean Sea is only recently documented by satellite tagging studies, which show that some individuals...
  • Commentary: Managing Recovery Resilience in Coral Reefs Against Climate-Induced Bleaching and Hurricanes: A 15 Year Case Study From Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    A Commentary onManaging Recovery Resilience in Coral Reefs Against Climate-Induced Bleaching and Hurricanes: A 15 Year Case Study From Bonaire, Dutch...
  • Widespread Occurrence of a Rarely Known Association between the Hydrocorals Stylaster roseus and Millepora alcicornis at Bonaire, Southern Caribbean
    Among symbiotic associations, cases of pseudo-auto-epizoism, in which a species uses a resembling but not directly related species as substrate, are...
  • Biological oxygen demand optode analysis of coral reef-associated microbial communities exposed to algal exudates
    Algae-derived dissolved organic matter has been hypothesized to induce mortality of reef building corals. One proposed killing mechanism is a zone of...
  • Preliminary Assessment of Sponge Biodiversity on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles
    Abstract Background: Saba Bank Atoll, Netherlands Antilles, is one of the three largest atolls on Earth and provides habitat for an extensive coral...
  • A Post-hurricane Quantitative Assessment of the Red-bellied Racer (Alsophis rufiventris) on Saba and Comparison with St. Eustatius
    We estimated occupancy, abundance (lambda), detection probability, density/ha and abundance of a regionally endemic snake in the Colubrid family on...
  • Southern Caribbean islands ecological corridor (Corredor Ecológico Islas del Caribe Sur)
    The notion of an ecological corridor is to connect protected areas of high biodiversity to counteract the fragmentation of habitats, the loss of...
  • Deep down on a Caribbean reef: lower mesophotic depths harbor a specialized coral-endosymbiont community
    The composition, ecology and environmental conditions of mesophotic coral ecosystems near the lower limits of their bathymetric distributions remain...
  • Are Geckos Paratenic Hosts for Caribbean Island Acanthocephalans? Evidence from Gonatodes antillensis and a Global Review of Squamate Reptiles Acting as Transport Hosts.
    It is well known that reptiles can act as paratenic hosts for parasites that use mammals as their definitive hosts. However, studies of potential...
  • Attraction of settlement-stage coral reef fishes to reef noise
    We compared catches of settlement-stage reef fishes in light traps attached to underwater speakers playing reef sounds with those of silent traps...
  • Biogeographic patterns in major marine realms: function not taxonomy unites fish assemblages in reef, seagrass and mangrove systems
    We examine the effects of different biogeographic histories on assemblage composition in three major marine habitats in two biogeographically...
  • Landschappen van Caribisch Nederland
    Over landschap en erfgoed van de voormalige Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba is relatief weinig gepubliceerd.[1] Toch bestaan de banden tussen Nederland...
  • Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) Nesting on the Texas Coast: Geographic, Temporal, and Demographic Trends Through 2014
    Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) is the world’s most endangered sea turtle species, and nests primarily on the Gulf of Mexico coast in Mexico. In...
  • Ciguatera in the Eastern Caribbean
    Abstract: Ciguatera fish poisoning plays an important role in Caribbean marine resource development. Many independent eastern Caribbean island...
  • Settlement yields in large-scale in situ culture of Caribbean coral larvae for restoration
    Abstract The dire state of coral reefs demands a rapid increase in the scale and efficiency of coral restoration methods in addition to mitigating...
  • Below the Mesophotic
    Mesophotic coral ecosystems, which occur at depths of ~40 to 150 m, have received recent scientific attention as potential refugia for organisms...
  • Fish species utilization of Contrasting sub-Habitats Distributed Along an Ocean-to-Land Environmental Gradient in a Tropical Mangrove and Seagrass Lagoon
    Abstract The importance of mangrove and seagrass lagoonal habitats as nursery areas for many reef-associated fish species is well established in the...
  • Some rarely reported deep-water macroalgal species from Bonaire, Caribbean Sea, including Verdigellas discoidea sp. nov. (Palmophyllaceae, Chlorophyta) based on submersible collections
    Two rarely reported and one newly described species of benthic marine algae are herein recognized from deep-water habitats at Bonaire, representing...
  • Petrography of exotic clasts in the Soebi Blanco formation, Bonaire, Southern Caribbean
    Abstract: The Paleocene Soebi Blanco Formation in the island of Bonaire in Southeastern Caribbean has attracted the attention of geologists since...
  • Predictability in evolution: Adaptation of the Bonaire anole (Anolis bonairensis) to an extreme environment.
    The extent to which evolution is deterministic (predictable), or random, is a fundamental question in evolution. This case study attempts to...
  • One-Third of Reef-Building Corals Face Elevated Extinction Risk from Climate Change and Local Impacts
    The conservation status of 845 zooxanthellate reef-building coral species was assessed by using International Union for Conservation of Nature Red...
  • The Diet and Reproductive Schedules of Leptonycteris curasoae curasoae and Glossophaga longirostris elongata (Chiroptera: Glossophaginae) on Curaçao
    Two bat species, Leptonyrteris curasoae and Glossophaga longirostris, are the principal pollinators of at least two of the three species of columnar...
  • The impact of hurricanes Irma and Maria on the forest ecosystems of Saba and St. Eustatius, northern Caribbean
    In September 2017, Irma became the first recorded category 5 hurricane to hit the Caribbean Windward Islands. The second category 5, Maria, followed...
  • Habitat selection of the coral-dwelling spinyhead blenny, Acanthemblemaria spinosa, at Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean
    The distribution, abundance, and habitat preferences of the spinyhead blenny, Acanthemblemaria spinosa (Perciformes, Blennioidei, Chaenopsidae), were...
  • Valuing a Caribbean coastal lagoon using the choice experiment method: The case of the Simpson Bay Lagoon, Saint Martin
    Highlights   • Study presents the first economic valuation of a Caribbean island coastal lagoon. • A choice experiment embedded in a larger household...
  • Potential and limits of combining studies of coarse- and fine-grained sediments for the coastal event history of a Caribbean carbonate environment
    The coastal deposits of Bonaire, Leeward Antilles, are among the most studied archives for extreme-wave events (EWEs) in the Caribbean. Here we...
  • Charging for Nature: Marine Park Fees and Management from a User Perspective
    User fees can contribute to the financial sus- tainability of marine protected areas (MPAs), yet they must be acceptable to users. We explore changes...
  • Antigonon leptopus invasion is associated with plant community disassembly in a Caribbean island ecosystem
    Abstract Invasions by non-native plant species are widely recognized as a major driver of biodiversity loss. Globally, (sub-)tropical islands form...
  • Bats
  • Island–island and island–mainland movements of the Curaçaoan long-nosed bat, Leptonycteris curasoae
    Of the 3 species comprising the genus Leptonycteris Miller, L. curasoae has been the least studied with respect to its long-distance flights and...
  • A widespread coral-infecting apicomplexan with chlorophyll biosynthesis genes
    Apicomplexa is a group of obligate intracellular parasites that includes the causative agents of human diseases such as malaria and toxoplasmosis....
  • Non-native, invasive red lionfish (Pterois volitans), is first recorded in the southern Gulf of Mexico, off the northern Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
    We recorded the first sighting and collection of the non-native, invasive red lionfish (Pterois volitans [Linnaeus, 1758]: Scorpaenidae) in the...
  • 40 Years of benthic community change on the Caribbean reefs of Curaçao and Bonaire: the rise of slimy cyanobacterial mats
    Over the past decades numerous studies have reported declines in stony corals and, in many cases, phase shifts to fleshy macroalgae. However, long-...
  • Monitoring benthic habitats using Lyzenga model features from Landsat multi-temporal images in Google Earth Engine
    Benthic habitats have conventionally been monitored through physical site visits by diving. This requires the use of expensive resources and time to...
  • Trends in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) Relative Abundance, Distribution, and Size Composition in Nearshore Waters of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico
    Long-term monitoring of in-water life history stages of the critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) is essential for...
  • Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of Saba Island, Lesser Antilles: Unusu- ally high species richness indicates the Caribbean Biodiversity Hotspot is woefully undersampled
    Abstract: Saba Island (Caribbean Netherlands) is one of the northernmost islands of the Lesser Antilles. It is only 13 square kilometers but contains...
  • Bat Inventories at Caves and Mines on the Islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, and Proposed Conservation Actions
    Abstract Bats play key ecological roles on the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao (ABC islands), Caribbean Netherlands; however, most bat species...
  • Uncovering cryptic diversity of Lyngbya: the new tropical marine cyanobacterial genus Dapis (Oscillatoriales)
    Cyanobacteria comprise an extraordinarily diverse group of microorganisms and, as revealed by increasing molecular information, this biodiversity is...
  • Cell turnover and detritus production in marine sponges from tropical and temperate benthic ecosystems
    Abtsract This study describes in vivo cell turnover (the balance between cell proliferation and cell loss) in eight marine sponge species from...
  • Predictors of bat species richness within the islands of the Caribbean Basin
    Several mechanisms have been shown to influence species richness among island ecosystems, yet most studies limit their focus to a few predictor...
  • Evolutionary trends in the seagrass Halophila (Thouars): Insights from molecular phylogeny
    Relationships among members of the seagrass genus Halophila (Hydrocharitaceae) were investigated using phylogenetic analysis of the internal...
  • Distribution, abundance and survival of juvenile hermatypic corals (Scleractinia) and the importance of life history strategies in the parent coral community
    The distribution and abundance of juvenile corals were examined at depths from 3 to 37 m on the reefs of Curaçao and Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles)....
  • Construction setback regulations and sea-level rise: Mitigating sea turtle nesting beach loss
    Global sea-level rise of up to 0.6 m is predicted in the next 100 years. In areas where coastal structures prevent landward mi- gration of beaches, a...
  • A baseline water quality assessment of the coastal reefs of Bonaire, Southern Caribbean
    Bonaire is considered to harbor some of the best remaining coral reefs of the Caribbean, but faces multiple pressures including eutrophication. We...
  • Qualitative Impact Evaluation of a Social Marketing Campaign for Conservation
    Social marketing campaigns use marketing techniques to influence human behavior for the greater social good. In conservation, social marketing...
  • Population Genetic Structure, Abundance, and Health Status of Two Dominant Benthic Species in the Saba Bank National Park, Caribbean Netherlands: Montastraea cavernosa and Xestospongia muta
    Saba Bank, a submerged atoll in the Caribbean Sea with an area of 2,200 km2, has attained international conservation status due to the rich diversity...
  • Adding insult to injury: Effects of chronic oxybenzone exposure and elevated temperature on two reef-building corals
    Coral bleaching due to globalwarming currently is the largest threat to coral reefs,which may be exacerbated by altered water quality. Elevated...
  • Large birth size does not reduce negative latent effects of harsh environments across life stages in two coral species.
    When juveniles must tolerate harsh environments early in life, the disproportionate success of certain phenotypes across multiple early life stages...
  • Increased recruitment rates indicate recovering populations of the sea urchin Diadema antillarum on Curaçao
    Abstract: Recruitment of the sea urchin Diadema antillarum philippi, 1845 was studied on artificial recruitment panels along the leeward coast of the...
  • The mitochondrial genome of Nemalecium lighti (Hydrozoa, Leptothecata)
    The hydrozoan species Nemalecium lighti (Hargitt, 1924) is widely distributed in tropical marine waters around the world. Here we report the complete...
  • Los Batoidos o rayas de mar
    Batoidea, rays
  • Genetic evidence supports larval retention in the Western Caribbean for an invertebrate with high dispersal capability (Ophiothrix suensonii: Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea)
    Abstract The brittle star Ophiothrix suensonii is a com- mon coral reef sponge commensal with high dispersal potential. Here, we utilize COI sequence...
  • Managing Recovery Resilience in Coral Reefs Against Climate-Induced Bleaching and Hurricanes: A 15 Year Case Study From Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Coral reefs are among the world’s most endangered ecosystems. Coral mortality can result from ocean warming or other climate-related events such as...
  • Rapid Assessment of Stony Coral Richness and Condition on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles
    Findings: Combining the findings of this study with that of other studies, the authors conclude that the coral assemblage on the Saba Bank is diverse...
  • Extreme mitochondrial variation in the Atlantic gall crab Opecarcinus hypostegus (Decapoda: Cryptochiridae) reveals adaptive genetic divergence over Agaricia coral hosts
    The effectiveness of migration in marine species exhibiting a pelagic larval stage is determined by various factors, such as ocean currents, pelagic...
  • A critical checklist of the non-marine molluscs of St. Martin, with notes on the terrestrial malacofauna of Anguilla and Saint-Barthélemy, and the description of a new subspecies
    Summary - The non-marine malacofauna of St. Martin is critically revised. Forty-seven terrestrial taxa and 7 freshwater taxa are accepted as being...
  • Evaluation of the Status of the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle After the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
    Coincident with the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, unprecedented numbers of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) stranded on northern...
  • Population stock structure of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in the Atlantic revealed using mtDNA and microsatellite markers
    Abstract: This study presents a comprehensive genetic analysis of stock structure for leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), combining 17...
  • Hydraulic circulation of the tides in Lac Bay, Bonaire.
    In Lac Bay, Bonaire, a part of the mangrove forest is dying partly because of reduced water circulation through the forest. Tidal waves are the main...
  • The Light and Motion Sensor Program: Low cost coral reef monitoring
    Proceedings of the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 7-11 July 2008 Session number 16 Effective coral reef management...
  • The evolution of the reproductive system of Urodasys (Gastrotricha: Macrodasyida).
    Abstract Macrodasyidan gastrotrichs are hermaphrodites with complex reproductive organs that function in sperm transfer and receipt, but homology...
  • Notes on bats (mammal:chiroptera) from Bonaire and Curaçao, Dutch West Indies
    Five species of bats are reported from islands of Bonaire and Curaçao. 
  • Status of coral reefs in the south central Caribbean
    Caribbean corals have suffered from bleaching, diseases and Diadema die-off. Reefs on narrow shelves adjacent to high human population and many...
  • Predicting the impact of sea‐level rise on Caribbean Sea turtle nesting habitat
    The projected rise in sea level is likely to increase the vulnerability of coastal zones in the Caribbean, which are already under pressure from a...
  • Coral reefs under rapid climate change and ocean acidification
    Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration is expected to exceed 500 parts per million and global temperatures to rise by at least 2°C by 2050 to 2100...
  • Host species, range extensions, and an observation of the mating system of Atlantic shallow-water gall crabs (Decapoda: Cryptochiridae)
    Coral-associated invertebrates dominate the biodiversity of coral reefs. Some of the associations involving symbiotic invertebrates remain unknown or...
  • Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire Creole Pigs
    History on Aruba, Curacao's and Bonaire's Creole pigs.
  • Restoration of critically endangered elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) populations using larvae reared from wild-caught gametes, Global Ecology and Conservation
    Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) populations provide important ecological functions on shallow Caribbean reefs, many of which were lost when a...
  • Implications of ambiguity in Antarctic ice sheet dynamics for future coastal erosion estimates: a probabilistic assessment
    Sea-level rise (SLR) can amplify the episodic erosion from storms and drive chronic erosion on sandy shorelines, threatening many coastal communities...
  • Diver Depth-Gauge Profiling beyond Wading Depths: A New Simple Method for Underwater Surveying
    Surveying subaqueous beach profiles and features beyond wading depths can be a costly process, requiring use of expensive equipment and boats. This...
  • The Reef Fish Assemblage of Bonaire Marine Park: An Analysis of REEF Fish Survey Data
    Abstract: The REEF/TNC Fish Survey Project is a volunteer fish monitoring program developed by the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF)...
  • Nieuwe gegevens over de land- en zoetwatermollusken van Sint Maarten (Nederlandse Antillen)
    New data on the land and freshwater mollusks of St. Martin (Lesser Antilles) Summary. In follow-up of a species list of St. Martin, Anguilla and St....
  • Tortugas Marinas Fósiles de Venezuels Una Historia de 113 milliones de años
  • Spatiotemporal and species-specific patterns of diseases affecting crustose coralline algae in Curac ̧ao
    Abstract Distribution and abundance of coral diseases have been well documented, but only a few studies con- sidered diseases affecting crustose...
  • Evidence from plutonic xenoliths for magma differentiation, mixing and storage in a volatile‐rich crystal mush beneath St. Eustatius, Lesser Antilles
    Quantifying the storage conditions and evolution of different magmatic components within sub-volcanic plumbing systems is key to our understanding of...
  • Marine Macroalgal Diversity Assessment of Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles
    Background: Located in the Dutch Windward Islands, Saba Bank is a flat-topped seamount (20–45 m deep in the shallower regions). The primary goals of...
  • Trimalaconothrus pilipes, eine neue Oribatide aus Westindien
    Taxonomy Trimalaconothrus pilipes
  • Phytomyxid infection in the non-native seagrass Halophila stipulacea in St Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    Highlights   • First record of phytomyxid infection in H. stipulacea in the Caribbean. • Morphological changes to leaves, roots and internodes in...
  • Long-term movements of an adult male Kemp's Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico
    LONG-TERM MOVEMENTS OF AN ADULT MALE KEMP’S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE (LEPI- DOCHELYS KEMPII) IN THE NORTHWEST- ERN GULF OF MEXICO—Despite recent insights...
  • Sound production by red hind Epinephelus guttatus in spatially segregated spawning aggregations
    Abstract: Many fishes, including groupers, produce sounds associated with mating behavior; recording and analyzing the occurrence of these sounds can...
  • Feeding on Feces: The nutritional value of fish feces to Caribbean Parrotfishes
    Parrotfishes can often be observed consuming fish feces on coral reefs. Our recent study highlights the nutritional value of these feces to...
  • Assessment of the Distribution of Seed Plants Endemic to the Lesser Antilles in Terms of Habitat, Elevation, and Conservation Status
    The Lesser Antilles is part of the Caribbean biodiversity hotspot and a priority for conservation of its flora is its endemic taxa. Using data from...
  • Sponges hosting the zoantharia-associated crab Platypodiella spectabilis at St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean
    Crabs of the genus Platypodiella (Brachyura: Xanthidae) are known for their association with zoantharians (Hexacorallia: Zoantharia), predom- inantly...
  • Evolutionary history of Caribbean species of Myotis, with evidence of a third Lesser Antillean endemic
    Currently, four species of Myotis are known from the islands of the Caribbean (Myotis dominicensis, M. martiniquensis, M. nesopolus, and M. nigricans...
  • Coral Larvae Move toward Reef Sounds
    Free-swimming larvae of tropical corals go through a critical life-phase when they return from the open ocean to select a suitable settlement...
  • Effects of Recreational Scuba Diving on Caribbean Coral and Fish Communities
    Scuba diving on coral reefs is an increasingly lucrative element of tourism in the tropics, but divers can damage the reefs on which tourism depends...
  • Climate change and temperature-linked hatchling mortality at a globally important sea turtle nesting site
    The study of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in vertebrates has attracted major scientific interest. Recently, concerns for species...
  • The effectiveness of two bat species as pollinators of two species of columnar cacti on Curaçao
    Two species of columnar cacti, Subpilocereus repandus and Stenocereus griseus, are pollinated on Curacao by two species of glossophagine bats,...
  • Field observations on some Curaçao landsnails, and new records for its fauna.
    Currently 31 species of terrestrial snails are known from Curaçao, 28 of these are indigenous. The taxonomy of Curaçao land snails has been studied...
  • The Dynastinae of the island of Saba, Dutch Caribbean (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
    The fauna of Dynastinae (Scarabaeidae) on the island of Saba, Dutch Caribbean, was investigated through fieldwork during 2006 to 2015. Three species...
  • Seagrass coastal protection services reduced by invasive species expansion and megaherbivore grazing
    Seagrasses provide an important ecosystem service by creating a stable erosion‐resistant seabed that contributes to effective coastal protection....
  • Assessment of the degree of mercury contamination of marine fish around Bonaire
    Many reports indicate that the levels of mercury (Hg) contamination of marine fish in other regions are above the United States Food and Drug...
  • Sea Turtles as Flagships for Protection of the Wider Caribbean Region
    Abstract: Sea turtles are emerging as one of the most popular icons of the marine environment. Capitalising on their charismatic image, a remarkable...
  • Drie nog niet vermelde landslakkensoorten van Saba en Sint Maarten, Nederlandse Antillen, verzameld in 1991
    Three not yet reported land snail species from Saba and St. Martin (Netherlands’ Antilles), collected in 1991 Summary. During a one-day visit to Saba...
  • Bats of Sint Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    The bat fauna of the Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius consists of five documented species—Monophyllus plethodon, Brachyphylla cavernarum, Artibeus...
  • Deepwater marine litter densities and composition from submersible video-transects around the ABC-islands, Dutch Caribbean.
    Baseline data on anthropogenic seafloor debris contamination in the year 2000 is provided for 24 submersible video transects at depths of 80-900 m,...
  • Ecological and socioeconomic strategies to sustain Caribbean coral reefs in a high-CO world
    The Caribbean and Western Atlantic region hosts one of the world’s most diverse geopolitical regions and a unique marine biota distinct from tropical...
  • A Stage-Based Population Model for Loggerhead Sea Turtles and Implications for Conservation
    Management of many species is currently based on an inadequate under- standing of their population dynamics. Lack of age-specific demographic...
  • Host switch by the Caribbean anemone shrimp Periclimenes rathbunae in Curacao
    The anemone shrimp Periclimenes rathbunae Schmitt, 1924 (family Palaemonidae), is a common associate of shallow- water anthozoans in the tropical...
  • A new species of Trapania Pruvot-Fol, 1931 (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia, Nudibranchia) from the Caribbean Sea with an analysis of its phylogenetic relationships
    Trapania bonellenae , a new species from Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles belonging to the nudibranch family Goniodorididae, is characterized by having...
  • Thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the critically endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) revealed by double-digest restriction-associated DNA sequencing: opportunities for previously elusive conservation genetics research
    THOUSANDS OF SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISMS IN THE CRITICALLY EN- DANGERED KEMP’S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE (LEPIDOCHELYS KEMPII) REVEALED BY DOU- BLE-...
  • Linking removal targets to the ecological effects of invaders: a predictive model and field test
    Abstract: Species invasions have a range of negative effects on recipient ecosystems, and many occur at a scale and magnitude that preclude complete...
  • Population genetic structure, abundance and health status of two dominant benthic species in the Saba Bank National Park, Caribbean Netherlands: Montastraea cavernosa and Xestospongia muta
    Abstract Saba Bank, a submerged atoll in the Caribbean Sea with an area of 2,200 km2 , has attained international conservation status due to the rich...
  • Orange-bellied racer (Alsophis rufiventris); diet and arboreality
    The orange bellied racer, Alsophis rufiventris (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854), is one of four Alsophis species endemic to the Caribbean Lesser...
  • Green and hawksbill turtles in the Lesser Antilles demonstrate behavioural plasticity in inter-nesting behaviour and post-nesting migration
    Abstract Satellite transmitters were deployed on three green turtles, Chelonia mydas, and two hawksbill turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata, nesting in...
  • Some rarely reported deep-water macroalgal species from Bonaire, Caribbean Sea, including Verdigellas discoidea sp. nov. (Palmophyllaceae, Chlorophyta) based on submersible collections
    Two rarely reported and one newly described species of benthic marine algae are herein recognized from deep-water habitats at Bonaire, representing...
  • Crustose, calcareous algal bloom (Ramicrusta sp.) overgrowing scleractinian corals, gorgonians, a hydrocoral, sponges, and other algae in Lac Bay, Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Findings: Ramicrusta overgrows 14 of Lac’s species of scleractinian corals including Acropora, Agaricia, and Diploria, as well as three species of...
  • Isolation by oceanic distance and spatial genetic structure in an overharvested international fishery, Diversity and Distributions
    Abstract Aim A detailed understanding of spatial genetic structure (SGS) and the factors driving contemporary patterns of gene flow and genetic...
  • Distribution and ontogenetic habitat shifts of reef associated shark species in the northeastern Caribbean
    Understanding how reef-associated sharks utilise coastal reef habitats throughout their ontogeny is essential for their effective management. In this...
  • Climate change impact on Balearic shearwater through a trophic cascade
    A recent study showed that a critically endangered migratory predator species, the Balearic shear- water Puffinus mauretanicus, rapidly expanded...
  • The reproductive phenology of three sympatric species of columnar cacti on Curacao
    The phenological response by three sympatric species of columnar cacti of the semi-arid island of Curaçao (Stenocereus griseus, Subpilocereus...
  • The water bore of Oranjestad 1942-1943, and its implication as to the geology and geohydrology of the island of Aruba (Netherlands West Indies)
    In 1942-1943 a water test well was drilled by the Government of Curacao within the limits of Aruba's capital Oranjestad, following the "discovery" of...
  • Ocean acidification compromises recruitment success of the threatened Caribbean coral Acropora palmata
    Ocean acidification (OA) refers to the ongoing decline in oceanic pH resulting from the uptake of atmospheric CO2. Mounting experimental evidence...
  • Multiple purple spots in the Caribbean sea fan Gorgonia ventalina caused by parasitic copepods at St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean
    Symbiotic Copepoda comprise a widespread, diverse, and abundant ecological group of small crustaceans associat- ed with various invertebrates,...
  • Extreme spatial heterogeneity in carbonate accretion potential on a Caribbean fringing reef linked to local human disturbance gradients
    Abstract The capacity of coral reefs to maintain their structurally complex frameworks and to retain the potential for vertical accretion is vitally...
  • Growth potential and predation risk drive ontogenetic shifts among nursery habitats in a coral reef fish
    Various species of aquatic animals have complex life cycles and utilize different habitats during consecutive phases of their life cycles. For...
  • Geographic coupling of juvenile and adult habitat shapes spatial population dynamics of a coral reef fish
    Abstract: Marine spatial population dynamics are often addressed with a focus on larval dispersal, without taking into account movement behavior of...
  • High levels of dioxins and PCBs in meat, fat and livers of free ranging pigs, goats, sheep and cows from the island of Curaçao
    Samples of adipose tissue, meat and livers from pigs, cows, sheep and goats from Curaçao were analysed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and...
  • A new species of Thecadactylus from Sint Maarten, Lesser Antilles (Reptilia, Squamata, Gekkonidae)
    Abstract We describe a new species of Thecadactylus from the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten. The new species differs from all other species in the...
  • A mesophotic record of the gall crab Opecarcinus hypostegus from a Curacaoan reef
    Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean, is home to three species of gall crabs belonging to Cryptochiridae, a family obligatorily associated with a wide range of...
  • Caribbean Sea Soundscapes: Monitoring Humpback Whales, Biological Sounds, Geological Events, and Anthropogenic Impacts of Vessel Noise
     Assessing marine soundscapes provides an understanding of the biological, geological and anthropogenic composition of a habitat, including species...
  • Conservation of the herpetofauna on the Dutch Windward Islands: St. Eustatius, Saba, and St. Maarten
    The Dutch Windward Islands (St. Eustatius, Saba, St. Maarten) support a collective herpetofauna consisting of two frogs (both introduced), six...
  • Breeding success of Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus on the Caribbean island of Saba
    In 2011 and 2012 the breeding success of Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus mesonauta was monitored on Saba, a 13-km2 island in the Caribbean...
  • Spatially explicit removal strategies increase the efficiency of invasive plant species control
    Effective management strategies are needed to control expansion of invasive alien plant species and attenuate economic and ecological impacts. While...
  • Evaluation of coral reef management effectiveness using conventional versus resilience-based metrics
    With increasing stressors to coral reefs, defining tools that evaluate their dynamics and resilience is important to interpret system trajectories...
  • Morphological and genetic evaluation of the hydrocoral Millepora species complex in the Caribbean
    Abstract: Background: The hydrocoral Millepora is an important framework builder that dominates shallow turbulent environments in the Indo-Pacific...
  • POPULATION ESTIMATE, NATURAL HISTORY AND CONSERVATION OF THE MELANISTIC IGUANA IGUANA POPULATION ON SABA, CARIBBEAN NETHERLANDS
    Abstract.– Intraspecific diversity is among the most important biological variables, although still poorly understood for most species. Iguana iguana...
  • A historical review of records of the West Indian manatee and the American crocodile in the Dutch Antilles
    We discuss the significance of two manatee records for the Dutch Windward Islands (Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten) as well as six manatid and one...
  • Toxicopathological Effects of the Sunscreen UV Filter, Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3), on Coral Planulae and Cultured Primary Cells and Its Environmental Contamination in Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands
      Abstract Benzophenone-3 (BP-3; oxybenzone) is an ingredient in sunscreen lotions and personal-care products that protects against the damaging...
  • The rise of a native sun coral species on southern Caribbean coral reefs
     Abstract. In contrast with a general decline of Caribbean reef corals, a previously rare sun coral is increasing in abundance within shallow coral...
  • Surveying bats for conservation: the status of cave-dwelling bats on Curaçao from 1993 to 2003
    In view of their ecological importance and the abundance of threats on a developing Caribbean island, we surveyed the bats of Curaçao, Netherlands...
  • Terrestrial degradation impacts on coral reef health: Evidence from the Caribbean
    Coral reefs are in decline worldwide. While coral reef managers are limited in their ability to tackle global challenges, such as ocean warming,...
  • Biochemical variability in sponges across the Caribbean basin
    Abstract Sponges are a diverse phylum of sessile filter-feeding invertebrates that are abundant on Caribbean reefs and provide essential ecological...
  • Western Antarctic Peninsula physical oceanography and spatio–temporal variability
    This study focuses on 12 years of physical oceanography data, collected during the Palmer, Antarctica, Long-Term Ecological Research program (PAL...
  • Nectar Production of Two Sympatric Species of Columnar Cacti
    We examined the potential for exploitation competition by differential attractiveness in two sympatric species of columnar cacti on Curaçao,...
  • Population monitoring and modelling of yellow-shouldered parrot on Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands
    Abundance estimates based on adequate survey design and count methodology are needed for population monitoring and modelling, and for assessing the...
  • Invasionsoft: A web-enabled tool for invasive species colonization predictions
    Predicting and averting the spread of invasive species is a core focus of resource managers in all ecosystems. Patterns of invasion are difficult to...
  • First record from the Atlantic: a Zanclea-scleractinian association at St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean
    Scleractinian reef corals have been acknowledged as the most numerous host group for associated hydroids belonging to the genus Zanclea. To date,...
  • Painted black: Iguana melanoderma (Reptilia, Squamata, Iguanidae) a new melanistic endemic species from Saba and Montserrat islands (Lesser Antilles)
    Abstract The Lesser Antilles, in the Eastern Caribbean, is inhabited by three Iguana species: the Lesser Antillean iguana Iguana delicatissima, which...
  • Occupation rates of artificial and restored natural nest cavities by yellow-shouldered Amazons Amazona barbadensis on Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands
    The breeding success of obligate secondary cavity nesting birds, including most parrots, can be limited by the availability and quality of nest...
  • How much time can herbivore protection buy for coral reefs under realistic regimes of hurricanes and coral bleaching?
    Abstract: Coral reefs have been more severely impacted by recent climate instability than any other ecosystem on Earth. Corals tolerate a narrow...
  • Comparing the dietary niche overlap and ecomorphological differences between invasive Hemidactylus mabouia geckos and a native gecko competitor
    Abstract Hemidactylus mabouia is one of the most successful, widespread invasive reptile species and has become ubiquitous across tropical urban...
  • Environmental DNA reveals tropical shark diversity in contrasting levels of anthropogenic impact
    Sharks are charismatic predators that play a key role in most marine food webs. Their demonstrated vulnerability to exploitation has recently turned...
  • Genetic Characterization of an Invasive Boa constrictor Population on the Caribbean Island of Aruba
    Boa constrictor was first documented on the Caribbean island of Aruba in 1999. Despite intensive efforts to eradicate the snake from the island, B....
  • Co-designing a data platform to impact nature policy and management:experiences from the Dutch Caribbean
    To secure the sustainable use of nature, governments track nature’s health and develop regulations and policies.Although there is a seeming abundance...
  • Land Cover and Forest Formation Distributions for St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Eustatius, Grenada and Barbados from Decision Tree Classification of Cloud-Cleared Satellite Imagery
    Satellite image-based mapping of tropical forests is vital to conservation planning. Standard methods for automated image classification, however,...
  • New species of ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) from the Caribbean
    A list of identified oribatid ptyctimous mites from Lesser Antilles and Bahamas, including 18 species, six generaband three families, is provided. Of...
  • Shotgun metagenomic sequencing reveals the full taxonomic, trophic, and functional diversity of a coral reef benthic cyanobacterial mat from Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands
    Anthropogenic forcing is spurring cyanobacterial proliferation in aquatic ecosystems worldwide. While planktonic cyanobacterial blooms have received...
  • Effects of feral goats (Cupru hircus) on island ecosystems
    Feral goats (Capra hircus) are implicated in habitat destruction, and alteration of species composition on sensitive insular ecosystems. In the...
  • Extirpation of the Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) on St. Martin, West Indies
    Abstract: Recent surveys for the Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) on St. Martin reveal that the species is no longer a resident on the island...
  • Feeding Behavior of Coralliophila sp. on Corals Affected by Caribbean Ciliate Infection (CCI): A New Possible Vector?
    Abstract: Coral reefs in the Caribbean are known to be affected by many coral diseases, yet the ecology and etiology of most diseases remain...
  • Beach Erosion along the West Coast of Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
  • The effect of recreational SCUBA divers on the structural complexity and benthic assemblage of a Caribbean coral reef, Biodiversity and Conservation
      Abstract The effect of recreational SCUBA diving on coral reefs is likely secondary to many of the commonly cited stressors that threaten the long-...
  • A dynamic vulnerability approach for tourism destinations
    Tourism destinations are vulnerable to increasing environmental change. The available scientific knowledge, however, is of little practical use as it...
  • Boat noise disrupts orientation behaviour in a coral reef fish
    Coral reef fish larvae use sound to find suitable habitat during their vital settlement stage. Yet boat noise, which can cause stress and avoidance...
  • Combined Effects of Experimental Acidification and Eutrophication on Reef Sponge Bioerosion Rates
    Health of tropical coral reefs depends largely on the balance between constructive (calcification and cementation) and destructive forces (mechanical...
  • A global compilation of U-series-dated fossil coral sea-level indicators for the Last Interglacial period (Marine Isotope Stage 5e)
    Abstract. This dataset is a comprehensive, global compilation of published uranium–thorium (U-series) dated fossil coral records from ∼ 150 000–110...
  • Quantifying the Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) coupling to CO2 concentration and to the length of day variations
    Abstract   The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the Earth’s strongest climate fluctuation on inter-annual time scales and has global impacts...
  • Effects of mixed-species pollen load on fruits, seeds, and seedlings of two sympatric columnar cactus species
    Two sympatric species of columnar cacti on Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles, share bat pollinators, overlap in flowering phenology, and are floral...
  • High human influence on beach response to tropical cyclones in small islands: Saint-Martin Island, Lesser Antilles
    Using multi-date satellite imagery and field observations, this paper assesses the inferred impacts of September 2017 cyclones on the beaches of...
  • Synthesis of coral reef health indicators for the Western Atlantic: Results of the AGRRA program (1997-2000)
    Abstract: The Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) sampling strategy is designed to collect both descriptive and quantitative information...
  • Effect of light and nutrient availability on the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) by Caribbean turf algae
    Turf algae increasingly dominate benthic communities on coral reefs. Given their abundance and high dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release rates,...
  • Scuba diver behaviour and the management of diving impacts on coral reefs
    Coral reefs worldwide are attracting increasing numbers of scuba divers, leading to growing concern about damage. There is now a need to manage diver...
  • Histopathology of crustose coralline algae a ected by white band and white patch diseases
    Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are major benthic calci ers that play crucial roles in marine ecosystems, particularly coral reefs. Over the past two...
  • Extension of the Recorded Host Range of Caribbean Christmas Tree Worms (Spirobranchus spp.) with Two Scleractinians, a Zoantharian, and an Ascidian
    Caribbean Christmas tree worms (Annelida: Polychaeta: Serpulidae: Spirobranchus) are considered host generalists in their associations with anthozoan...
  • Coralline algae disease reduces survival and settlement success of coral planulae in laboratory experiments
    Disease outbreaks have been involved in the deterioration of coral reefs worldwide and have been par- ticularly striking among crustose coralline...
  • Coastal stratigraphies of eastern Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles): New insights into the palaeo-tsunami history of the southern Caribbean
    Abstract: A sediment record of three alluvial sites along the east- and northeast-oriented shore of Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles) provides evidence...
  • A new endemic species of Sesuvium (Aizoaceae: Sesuvioideae) from the Caribbean Basin, with further notes on the genus composition in the West Indies
    https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12225-021-09985-w Summary A distinctive new species, Sesuvium curassavicum Sukhor. (Aizoaceae:...
  • Bright spots of sustainable shark fishing
    Sharks, rays and chimeras (class Chondrichthyes; herein 'sharks') today face possibly the largest crisis of their 420 million year history. Tens of...
  • Hierarchical spatial patterns in Caribbean reef benthic assemblages
    Aim Coral assemblages on Caribbean reefs have largely been considered to be biogeographically homogeneous at a regional scale. We reassess this in...
  • Field Evaluation of DNA Based Biodiversity Monitoring of Caribbean Mosquitoes
    Mosquito borne diseases pose a threat to human health worldwide. Disease risk is primarily determined by presence and abundance of vector species. A...
  • Rapid invasion of Indo-Pacific lionfishes (Pterios volitans and P.miles) in the Florida Keys, USA: Evidence from multiple pre- and postinvasion data sets
    Over the past decade, Indo-Pacific lionfishes, Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) and Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828), venomous members of the...
  • Discovery of a new species of hermit crab of the genus Pylopaguropsis Alcock, 1905 from the Caribbean: “den commensal” or “cleaner”? (Crustacea, Anomura, Paguridae)
    A new secretive, yet brightly colored hermit crab species of the family Paguridae, Pylopaguropsismollymullerae sp. n., is fully described based on...
  • Over grotten en grottenvorming op Curacao, Aruba en Bonaire
    Elke kenner van de eilanden weet het: Grotten zijn op Curasao niets bijzonders! Al bezoekt ook niet iedereen de grot van Hato, onze meestbekende en...
  • Spatially explicit dispersal dynamics and equilibrium population sizes in marine harvest refuges
    For marine reserves to function as effective harvest refuges for exploited species, the reserve must protect a substantial proportion of the...
  • Native Predators Do Not Influence Invasion Success of Pacific Lionfish on Caribbean Reefs
    Abstract: Biotic resistance, the process by which new colonists are excluded from a community by predation from and/or competition with resident...
  • Black Mantle Tissue of Endolithic Mussels (Leiosolenus spp.) Is Cloaking Borehole Orifices in Caribbean Reef Corals
    Abstract: Bioerosion caused by boring mussels (Mytilidae: Lithophaginae) can negatively impact coral reef health. During biodiversity surveys of...
  • Structures in deposits from beach recovery, after erosion by swell waves around the southwestern coast of Aruba (Netherlands Antilles)
    Hurricane- or storm-generated swell waves may cause erosion and deposition along coasts which are situated thousands of kilometers outside the...
  • Crude oil contamination interrupts settlement of coral larvae after direct exposure ends
    Oil spills cause damage to marine wildlife that lasts well past their immediate aftermath. Marine offspring that must settle and metamorphose to...
  • Damages caused by hurricane Irma in the human-degraded mangroves of Saint Martin (Caribbean)
    In early September 2017, Irma was the most powerful hurricane that struck the northern Caribbean over the last 100 years. In the 21stcentury, the...
  • Life-history traits of the common snook Centropomus undecimalis in a Caribbean estuary and large-scale biogeographic patterns relevant to management
    The ecology of common snook Centropomus undecimalis in Amatique Bay, a tropical estuary in eastern Guatemala, was investigated and life-history...
  • Population structure and connectivity of the mountainous star coral, Orbicella faveolata, throughout the wider Caribbean region,
    As coral reefs continue to decline worldwide, it becomes ever more necessary to understand the connectivity between coral populations to develop...
  • Space-filling and benthic competition on coral reefs
    Abstract   Reef-building corals are ecosystem engineers that compete with other benthic organisms for space and resources. Corals harvest energy...
  • A blueprint for blue carbon: toward an improved understanding of the role of vegetated coastal habitats in sequestering CO2.
    Recent research has highlighted the valuable role that coastal and marine ecosystems play in sequestering car- bon dioxide (CO2). The carbon (C)...
  • The pollinators of two species of columnar cacti on Curaco, Netherlands Antilles
    Three species of columnar cacti (Stenocereus gri seus, Subpilocereus repandus, and Pilosocereus lan uginosus) are conspicuous elements of arid...
  • Leveraging sex change in parrotfish to manage fished populations
    Healthy parrotfish (family Scaridae) communities fulfill the essential ecosystem process of herbivory in coral reefs, but artisanal fisheries that...
  • Predicted impact of the invasive lionfish Pterois volitans on the food web of a Caribbean coral reef
    The invasion of lionfish in the Caribbean is causing grave concern because of its deleterious impacts on coral reef food-webs. We have used an...
  • Occurrence patterns of coral-dwelling gall crabs (Cryptochiridae) over depth intervals in the Caribbean.
    Coral-associated invertebrates form a major part of the diversity on reefs, but their distribution and occurrence patterns are virtually unstudied....
  • Host-related Morphological Variation of Dwellings Inhabited by the Crab Domecia acanthophora in the Corals Acropora palmata and Millepora complanata (Southern Caribbean)
    Brachyuran crabs of various families are known as obligate associates of stony corals, with many of these species living as endosymbionts inside the...
  • Geographic variation in long-term trajectories of change in coral recruitment: a global-to-local perspective
    Compiled abundances of juvenile corals revealed no change over time in the Pacific, but a decline in the Caribbean. Using these analyses as a...
  • Comparison between Colony Morphology and Molecular Phylogeny in the Caribbean Scleractinian Coral Genus Madracis
    Abstract: A major challenge in coral biology is to find the most adequate and phylogenetically informative characters that allow for distinction of...
  • Mapping the economic loss of ecosystem services caused by the invasive plant species Antigonon leptopus on the Dutch Caribbean Island of St. Eustatius
    Abstract Invasive species are a worldwide threat to biodiversity, especially on Caribbean islands. Through their impact on the structure and...
  • Range extension of the lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) within the Dutch Caribbean: First records of young individuals in the waters of Sint Eustatius
    The first observations of juvenile lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) around the island of Sint Eustatius are described. Observations were made in...
  • Genetic diversity of free-living Symbiodinium in the Caribbean: the importance of habitats and seasons
    Although reef corals are dependent of the di- noflagellate Symbiodinium, the large majority of corals spawn gametes that do not contain their vital...
  • Diet and growth of juvenile queen conch Lobatus gigas (Gastropoda: Strombidae) in native, mixed and invasive seagrass habitats
    Juvenile queen conch are primarily associated with native seagrass such as Thalassia testudinum in large parts of their range in the Caribbean and...
  • Community Change within a Caribbean Coral Reef Marine Protected Area following Two Decades of Local Management
    Structural change in both the habitat and reef-associated fish assemblages within spatially managed coral reefs can provide key insights into the...
  • Multiyear Sampling Reveals an Increased Population Density of an Endemic Lizard after the Establishment of an Invasive Snake on Aruba
    The island of Aruba is home to several endemic species, and has been colonized recently by the invasive boa, Boa constrictor. We present data for a...
  • The global need to address threats from invasive alien iguanas
    Common Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) and Spiny-tailed Iguanas (Ctenosaura similis and C. pectinata) are native to Neotropical regions. These reptiles...
  • Impending Trade Suspensions of Caribbean Queen Conch under CITES: A Case Study on Fishery Impacts and Potential for Stock Recovery
    The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Authority issued injunctions in 2003 and 2004 to halt export trade of Caribbean...
  • The catastrophic impact of invasive mammalian predators on birds of the UK Overseas Territories: a review and synthesis
    Abstract: The UK has sovereignty over 16 Overseas Territories, which hold some of the world’s great seabird colonies and collectively support more...
  • A New Species of Jaspidiconus (Gastropoda: Conidae) from Aruba
    ABSTRACT A new species of small cone shell, in the conilithine genus Jaspidiconus, has been discovered from off the Malmok area of Aruba. The new...
  • New Sea Turtle Nesting Records for the Netherlands Antilles Provide Impetus to Conservation Action
    Until the early 1990s, information on sea turtle nesting in the Netherlands Antilles amounted to little more than a few anecdotal accounts and sea...
  • Visual-Acoustic Survey of Cetaceans during a Seismic Study in the South- east Caribbean Sea, April–June 2004
    Abstract Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s monitoring and mitigation program during an academic seismic study in April–June 2004 was the largest...
  • Green and hawksbill turtle abundance and population dynamics at foraging grounds in Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands
    Green turtles Chelonia mydas and hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata are neg- atively impacted by natural and anthropogenic disturbances....
  • A new Haptoclinus blenny (Teleostei, Labrisomidae) from deep reefs off Curaçao, southern Caribbean, with comments on relationships of the genus
    A second species of the blenniiform genus Haptoclinus is described from deep reefs off Curaçao, southern Caribbean. Haptoclinus dropi sp. n. differs...
  • Caribbean parrotfish density and size inside and outside marine protected area
    The direct and indirect impacts of the increase in human population, in particular the growing demand for food, as well as various aspects of climate...
  • A taxonomist‘s nightmare – Cryptic diversity in Caribbean intertidal arthropods (Arachnida, Acari, Oribatida)
    Abstract There has been a long controversy about what defines a species and how to delimitate them which resulted in the existence of more than two...
  • Effects of Climate Variability on the Morphodynamics of Uruguayan Sandy Beaches
    Effects of long-term trends in climatic variability on the morphodynamics of a reflective and a dissipative sandy beach in Uruguay (SW Atlantic Ocean...
  • First records of the mourning gecko (Lepidodactylus lugubris Duméril and Bibron, 1836), common house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus in Duméril, 1836), and Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko Linnaeus, 1758) on Curaçao, Dutch Antilles, and remarks on their Caribbean di
    Globally, geckos (Gekkonidae) are one of the most successful reptile families for exotic species. With the exception of the widespread invader, ...
  • A baseline assessment of beach debris and tar contamination in Bonaire, Southeastern Caribbean
    Data on beach debris and tar contamination is provided for 21 natural beach sites in Bonaire, Southeastern Caribbean. Transects amounting to a...
  • Molecular phylogeny, analysis of character evolution, and submersible collections enable a new classification of a diverse group of gobies (Teleostei: Gobiidae: Nes subgroup), including nine new species and four new genera
    The Nes subgroup of the Gobiosomatini (Teleostei: Gobiiformes: Gobiidae) is an ecologically diverse clade of fishes endemic to the tropical western...
  • Tailoring participatory action research to deal with the latent problem of an invasive alien vine on Saba, Caribbean Netherlands
    Abstract Participatory action research (PAR) is an approach for fully co-creating research into environmental problems with the public. We argue this...
  • Systematics and phylogeography of Cerion sensu stricto (Pulmonata: Cerionidae) from Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire
    The systematic relationships of the Cerion uva complex and its constituent taxa are reviewed based on partial sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase I...
  • Population structure of Symbiodinium sp. associated with the common sea fan, Gorgonia ventalina, in the Florida Keys across distance, depth, and time
    Abstract:  Numerous marine invertebrates form endosymbiotic relationships with dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium. However, few studies have...
  • Demographic changes in Pleistocene sea turtles were driven by past sea level fluctuations affecting feeding habitat availability
    Abstract Pleistocene environmental changes are generally assumed to have dramatically af-fected species’ demography via changes in habitat...
  • Controls on Neogene carbonate facies and stratigraphic architecture of an isolated carbonate platform – the Caribbean island of Bonaire
    Highlights • Isolated carbonate platforms respond to allogenic controls by changing depositional styles. • Allogenic factors are the dominant...
  • Importance of differentiating Orbicella reefs from gorgonian plains for ecological assessments of Caribbean reefs
    ABSTRACT: Region-wide assessments of coral cover typically rely on meta-analyses of small- scale ecological studies which have combined different...
  • Filinia species in brackish waters at St. Maarten (Dutch Caribbean)
    From a brackish lagoon on St. Maarten (Dutch Caribbean) plankton samples were collected from 2003 to 2005. The samples were taken and physical-...
  • The scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) of Sint Eustatius, Lesser Antilles
    In the present note, we revise the scorpion fauna of the small island of Sint Eustatius, in the Lesser Antilles. A total of two families, three...
  • Revisiting St. Eustatius: Estimating the population size of Lesser Antillean Iguanas, Iguana delicatissima
    Update on the status of Iguana delicatissima in 2004.
  • No need for artificial light: nocturnal activity by a diurnal reptile under lunar light
    Species are commonly described as either diurnal or nocturnal, with rare reports of deviations outside their normal activity period. Observations of...
  • Reproductive cycle of Strombus gigas Linnaeus 1758 (Caenogastropoda: Strombidae) from Archipelago of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina, Colombia
    The reproductive cycle of the Queen Conch, S. gigas, in the Archipelago of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina, Colombia, was estimated during...
  • Effect of introduced species and habitat alteration on the occurrence and distribution of euryhaline fishes in fresh- and brackish-water habitats on Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao (South Caribbean)
    Abstract: We conducted an ichthyological survey during the dry season of 2006 on the semi-arid islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao to provide...
  • Status of the Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the Caribbean Region
    The status and trends of hawksbill populations are reviewed for 35 countries and territories in the Caribbean region. Annual nesting data for many...
  • Sand temperatures for nesting sea turtles in the Caribbean: Implications for hatchling sex ratios in the face of climate change
    A 200-year time series of incubation temperatures and primary sex ratios for green (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and...
  • An annotated checklist of the Branchiopoda (Crustacea) of the Dutch Caribbean islands
    The launch of the Dutch Caribbean Species Register by Naturalis Biodiversity Center (2017)—https://www.dutchcaribbeanspecies.org/—raised the question...
  • The Lesser Antillean Iguana on St. Eustatius: A 2012 population status update and cause for concern
    To assess the status and current population densities of the endangered Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) on the island of St. Eustatius...
  • Conservation of amphibians and reptiles in Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire
    Curaçao and Bonaire form part of the Netherlands Antilles, while Aruba has a “status aparte” within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. All three islands...
  • Implications of 2D versus 3D surveys to measure the abundance and composition of benthic coral reef communities
    Abstract A paramount challenge in coral reef ecology is to estimate the abundance and composition of the communities residing in such complex...
  • Global synchrony of an accelerating rise in sea surface temperature
    The oceans have shown a recent rapid and accelerating rise in temperature with, given the close link between temperature and marine organisms,...
  • Management of moored fish aggregation devices (FADs) in the Caribbean
    Humans have used fish aggregation devices (FADs) for centuries to attract fish. Technological advances in recent decades have made FADs more...
  • A post-hurricane rapid assessment of reefs in the Windward Netherlands Antilles (stony corals, algae and fishes)
      Reefs of the windward Netherlands Antilles (Saba, Saba Bank, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten) were assessed at 24 sites in the late 1999. The...
  • Post-breeding migration routes of marine turtles from Bonaire and Klein Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands
    The management of small rookeries is key to conserving the regional genetic diversity of marine turtle populations and requires knowledge on...
  • Disentangling the effects of plant species invasion and urban development on arthropod community composition
    Abstract Urban development and species invasion are two major global threats to biodiversity. These threats often co-occur, as developed areas are...
  • First record of a Caribbean green turtle (Chelonia mydas) grazing on invasive seagrass (Halophila stipulacea)
    From Bonaire, we here provide the first documented case of the green turtle feeding on the invasive seagrass, Halophila stipulacea, in the Caribbean...
  • The Relationship between Diver Experience Levels and Perceptions of Attractiveness of Artificial Reefs - Examination of a Potential Management Tool
    Abstract: Artificial reefs are increasingly used worldwide as a method for managing recreational diving since they have the potential to satisfy both...
  • High peak settlement of Diadema antillarum on different artificial collectors in the Eastern Caribbean
    The massive die-off of the herbivorous sea urchin Diadema antillarum in 1983 and 1984 resulted in phase shifts on Caribbean coral reefs, where...
  • An updated checklist of the lichens of St. Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles
    In the course of a multi-taxon biodiversity inventory for the island of St. Eustatius, lichens were collected from 11 plots representing different...
  • The Aruba Island rattlesnake Crotalus unicolor Species Survival Plan: a case history in ex situ and in situ conservation
    Established in 1982, the Aruba Island rattlesnake Crotalus unicolor Species Survival Plan (SSP) is the longest continual functioning snake...
  • Making Vector-Borne Disease Surveillance Work: New Opportunities From the SDG Perspectives
    Surveillance of vector-borne diseases (VBDs) exemplifies a One Health approach, which entails coordinated, collaborative, multidisciplinary, and...
  • Report of the Scientific Committee (Annual meeting 2011, 30 May-11 June 2011, Trømso, Norway)
    ...National Progress Reports presented at the 2002-10 meetings are accessible on the IWC website. Reports from previous years will also become...
  • Notes on the flowers and distribution of the Caribbean island endemic ipomoea sphenophylla (Covolvulaceae)
    The original description of Ipomoea sphenophylla by Urban in 1908, based upon a fruiting specimen, did not include a description of the owers. The...
  • Inconclusive evidence of sexual reproduction of invasive Halophila stipulacea: a new field guide to encourage investigation of flower and fruit production throughout its invasive range
    The dioecious seagrass species Halophila stipulacea reproduces mainly through fast clonal growth, underlying its invasive behavior. Here, we provide...
  • Growth, morphological variations in the shell, and biological data of the conch (“Cobo”) Strombus gigs L. (Mollusca, Mesogastropoda)
    The present study was undertaken in nine locations along the north coast of Havana province; at the reefs located east and south of Batabano Gulf,...
  • Diversity and spatial heterogeneity of mangrove associated sponges of Curaçao and Aruba
    Abstract: Sponges are major epibionts of mangrove roots in the Caribbean. Mangrove sponge communities in the Caribbean mainly consist of species that...
  • Recent Occurrence and Dietary Habits of Boa constrictor on Aruba, Dutch West Indies
    Boa constrictor was first documented on the island of Aruba in April of 1999. By the end of December, 2003, 273 B. constrictor had been captured....
  • Reducing bycatch in coral reef trap fisheries: escape gaps as a step towards sustainability
    Widespread use of minimally selective fish traps has contributed to the overfishing of Caribbean coral reefs. Traps typically target high-value fish...
  • Reproductive performance, mate fidelity and nest cavity fidelity in Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus mesonauta on St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    Mate choice and nest cavity selection are directly linked to reproductive performance in seabirds, and disruption of these can result in breeding...
  • Rapid Assessment of Octocoral Diversity and Habitat on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles
    Saba Bank is a large submerged platform (~2200 km2), average depth 30 m, located 4 km southwest of Saba Island in Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean Sea...
  • Genome-wide survey of single-nucleotide polymorphisms reveals fine-scale population structure and signs of selection in the threatened Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata.
    The advent of next-generation sequencing tools has made it possible to conduct fine-scale surveys of population differentiation and genome-wide scans...
  • A centuries-old manmade reef in the Caribbean does not substitute natural reefs in terms of species assemblages and interspecific competition
    ABSTRACT   With increasing maritime activities in the proximity of coral reefs, a growing number of manmade structures are becoming available for...
  • Caribbean-Wide, Long-Term Study of Seagrass Beds Reveals Local Variations, Shifts in Community Structure and Occasional Collapse
    The CARICOMP monitoring network gathered standardized data from 52 seagrass sampling stations at 22 sites (mostly Thalassia testudinum-dominated beds...
  • Optimism for mitigation of climate warming impacts for sea turtles through nest shading and relocation
    Increasing incubation temperatures may threaten the viability of sea turtle populations. We explored opportunities for decreasing incubation...
  • A survey of medicinal plants of Curacao
    Autopsy records (1936-66) show esophageal cancer to be the most common tumor for both men and women among the locally-born negroid population of...
  • First Atlantic record of the green alga Parvocaulis exiguus from St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean
    The Polyphysaceae is a well-studied family of green algae occurring in tropical and warm-temperate regions around the world. One of its species, ...
  • Adding insult to injury: Effects of chronic oxybenzone exposure and elevated temperature on two reef-building corals
    Abstract: Coral bleaching due to global warming currently is the largest threat to coral reefs, which may be exacerbated by altered water quality....
  • Bird Communities of Contrasting Secondary Habitats of Bonaire, in the Arid South-Eastern Caribbean
    We studied the bird communities of five contrasting semi-natural habitats of Lac Bay, Bonaire, South- eastern Caribbean, during the fall of 2011. A...
  • Are infectious diseases really killing corals? Alternative interpretations of the experimental and ecological
    Abstract: Emerging infectious diseases are a worldwide problem and are believed to play a major role in coral reef degradation. The study of coral...
  • Results of an entomological collecting trip to St. Eustatius (Coleoptera)
    In February and March 2020 the second author visited St. Eustatius to collect various insect groups. The beetles collected during this trip were...
  • Bioaccumulation of mercury and other metal contaminants in invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) from Curaçao
    Highlights • Lionfish Hg concentrations fell below World Health Organization safety limits. • Lionfish Hg concentration increased with body size and...
  • Two New Species of Tenorioconus (Gastropoda: Conidae) from Aruba
    ABSTRACT Two new members of the Caribbean Province endemic conid genus Tenorioconus Petuch and Drolshagen, 2011 are described from the Netherlands...
  • The complete mitochondrial genome of the critically endangered Lesser Antillean iguana ( Iguana delicatissima ; Squamata: Iguanidae)
    The Lesser Antillean iguana, Iguana delicatissima Laurenti 1768, is one of the most endangered vertebrate taxa in the West Indies. This species faces...
  • Corals Chemically Cue Mutualistic Fishes to Remove Competing Seaweeds
    Corals in the genus Acropora generate much of the structural complexity upon which coral reefs depend, but they are susceptible to damage from toxic...
  • Trends in element incorporation in hyaline and porcelaneous foraminifera as a function of pCO2
    Abstract In this study we analyzed the impact of seawater carbonate chemistry on the incorporation of elements in both hyaline and porcelaneous...
  • Bromeliad Invertebrate Communities on Saba, Netherlands Antilles
    We sampled tank bromeliads and censused their invertebrate fauna at four elevations on the small Caribbean island of Saba. We expected that...
  • Reproductive patterns of queen conch, Strombus gigas (Mollusca Gastropoda), across the wider Caribbean region
    Queen conch, Strombus gigas (Linnaeus, 1758), is a species of significant economic importance in the Caribbean Sea, exploited mainly for consumption...
  • Molecular characterization of Cryptococcus gattii genotype AFLP6/VGII isolated from woody debris of divi-divi (Caesalpinia coriaria), Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Abstract: Background: The basidiomycetous yeast Cryptococcus gattii is an emerging and primary pathogen. There is a lack of information about its...
  • A Review of the Freshwater Fishes of Curacao, with Comments on those of Aruba and Bonaire
    Based on a field survey and review of published records, I report the occurrence of 13 species of fishes in fresh waters of Curacao. Seven species...
  • Octocorals as secondary hosts for Christmas tree worms off Curaçao
    Christmas tree worms, Spirobranchus spp. (Serpulidae), are known for their wide range of stony host corals, being either scleractinians or...
  • Nemocephalus monilis (Fabricius, 1787) (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Brentidae), an Apparently Recent Arrival and Effective Colonizer of the Oceanic Island of Saba, Dutch Caribbean
  • Controls of Caribbean surface hydrology during the mid- to late Holocene: insights from monthly resolved coral records
    Several proxy-based and modeling studies have investigated long-term changes in Caribbean climate during the Holocene, however, very little is known...
  • Costs and benefits of maternally inherited algal symbionts in coral larvae
    Many marine invertebrates provide their offspring with symbionts. Yet the consequences of maternally inherited symbionts on larval fitness remain...
  • Close encounters of the worst kind: reforms needed to curb coral reef damage by recreational divers
    Abstract Intentional and unintentional physical contact between scuba divers and the seabed is made by most divers and multiple times per dive, which...
  • Accelerating loss of seagrasses across the globe threatens coastal ecosystems
    Coastal ecosystems and the services they provide are adversely affected by a wide variety of human activities. In particular, seagrass meadows are...
  • Successful demonstration of assisted gene flow in the threatened coral acropora palmata across genetically-isolated caribbean populations using cryopreserved sperm
    Global change will compromise the population sizes, species ranges, and survival of economically-important plants and animals, including crops,...
  • Comparing the Complete Hierarchical Structuration of Species Abundances in Reef Fish Communities According to Coral Morphology, Using the Numerical Extrapolation of Only Incomplete Inventories
    Numerous investigations have been conducted trying to unveil some possible correlations between coral-associated fish communities and different gross...
  • Coral reef crisis in deep and shallow reefs: 30 years of constancy and change in reefs of Curacao and Bonaire
    Coral reefs are thought to be in worldwide decline but available data are practically limited to reefs shallower than 25 m. Zooxanthellate coral...
  • Somatic growth dynamics of West Atlantic hawksbill sea turtles: a spatio-temporal perspective
    Somatic growth dynamics are an integrated response to environmental conditions. Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are long-lived, major...
  • Taxonomy, ecology and distribution of the mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of the Dutch Leeward Islands, with a key to the adults and fourth instar larvae
    Abstract Assessing mosquito biodiversity is important for disease surveillance and ecosystem health assessments. Such studies are particularly needed...
  • Stable and sporadic symbiotic communities of coral and algal holobionts
    Coral and algal holobionts are assemblages of macroorganisms and microorganisms, including viruses, Bacteria, Archaea, protists and fungi. Despite a...
  • On the relationship between native grouper and invasive lionfish in the Caribbean
    Abstract: The Indo-Pacific lionfish, Pterois volitans, has invaded most of the Tropical Western Atlantic in the last few years. The degree to which...
  • Two small beetle collections from Saba (Coleoptera)
    In January and February 2009 the third and fourth authors visited Saba to sample the invertebrate fauna of tank bromeliads. They also collected a...
  • Early cementation and lithification in intertidal cryptalgal structures, boca jewfish, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
    On the shore of the Boca Jewfish area of the Lac, Bonaire, N.A., blue-green algae perform a sediment-stabilizing and binding function resulting in a...
  • Molecular and Morphological Species Boundaries in the Gorgonian Octocoral Genus Pterogorgia (Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae)
      Abstract Most gorgonian octocoral species are described using diagnostic characteristics of their sclerites (microscopic skeletal components)....
  • Black spot syndrome in reef fishes: using archival imagery and field surveys to characterize spatial and temporal distribution in the Caribbean
    Recently, observations of black spot syndrome (BSS) in Caribbean fishes have been linked to infection by a digenean trematode parasite, ...
  • Geographical structure and cryptic lineages within common green iguanas, Iguana iguana
    Aim Our aim was to investigate genetic structure in Neotropical populations of common green iguanas (Iguana iguana) and to compare that structure...
  • Large-scale invasion of western Atlantic mesophotic reefs by lionfish potentially undermines culling-based management
    The detrimental effects of invasive lion- fishes (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) on western Atlantic shallow reefs are well documented,...
  • Sea-grass communities: structure, distribution and classification
    Aims: In the marine biological literature sea-grass beds are generally regarded as being more or less similarly structured, and typically indicated...
  • Multilocus Adaptation Associated with Heat Resistance in Reef-Building Corals
    The evolution of tolerance to future climate change depends on the standing stock of genetic variation for resistance to climate-related impacts [1,...
  • Chemical defenses and resource trade-offs structure sponge communities on Caribbean coral reefs
    Abstract: Ecological studies have rarely been performed at the community level across a large biogeographic region. Sponges are now the primary...
  • Caribbean shallow water corallimorpharia
    The present paper comprises a review of the Caribbean shallow water Corallimorpharia. Six species, belonging to four genera and three families are...
  • The Miocene genus Mantellina (Bivalvia: Limidae) discovered living on the deep reefs off Curaçao, with the description of a new species
    Abstract   Mantellina translucens n. sp. inhabits the deep reefs (215–310 m) off southeastern Curaçao, occurring singly or in pairs, attached to...
  • Diet choice in a generalist predator, the invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles)
    Diet choice in marine species is typically derived from indirect methods such as stomach contents and stable isotope analysis, while choice...
  • Geoacoustic inversion in the north-eastern Caribbean using a hydrographic survey vessel as a sound source of opportunity
    During the spring of 2006, hydrographic survey vessel HNLMS “Snellius” ran an extensive multibeam and sidescan survey of the Saba bank, a large...
  • Endolymphatic Sac Use and Reproductive Activity in the Lesser Antilles Endemic Gecko Gonatodes antillensis (Gekkota: Sphaerodactylidae)
    Geckos are among the most diverse radiations of lizards; however, the lack of baseline natural history data on the reproductive biology for many...
  • Find me if you can: Pre- and Post-hurricane Densities of the Red-bellied Racer (Alsophis rufiventris) on St. Eustatius, and a review of the genus in the Caribbean
    Abstract We estimated population densities of the red-bellied racer (Alsophis rufiventris) on the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius in 2011, 2018 and...
  • Ocean temperatures chronicle the ongoing warming of Earth
    To the Editor — e global ocean has absorbed 93% of the extra heat trapped by the Earth since 19701 and the rate of change in ocean heat content is a...
  • Survey of Columnar Cacti and Carrying Capacity for Nectar-Feeding Bats on Curaçao
    We estimated the population sizes of the three species of columnar cacti that grow on the island of Curaçao using ground and aerial transects, and we...
  • High Prevalence and Endemism of Trypanosomatids on a Small Caribbean Island
    We describe the monoxenous trypanosomatids parasitizing true bugs and flies on the island of Curaçao. Out of 248 examined true bugs belonging to 17...
  • Nutritional properties of the invasive lionfish: A delicious and nutritious approach for controlling the invasion
    Lionfish, Pterois volitans and P. miles, are native to the Indo-Pacific and have recently invaded the Western Atlantic Ocean. Strategies for control...
  • Non-native seagrass Halophila stipulacea forms dense mats under eutrophic conditions in the Caribbean
    Seagrasses comprise 78 species and are rarely invasive. But the seagrass Halophila stipulacea, firstly recorded in the Caribbean in the year 2002,...
  • Population recovery changes population composition at a major southern Caribbean juvenile developmental habitat for the green turtle, Chelonia mydas
    Understanding the population composition and dynamics of migratory megafauna at key developmental habitats is critical for conservation and...
  • Ocean acidi cation and global warming impair shark hunting behaviour and growth
    Alterations in predation pressure can have large e ects on trophically-structured systems. Modi cation of predator behaviour via ocean warming has...
  • Global Analysis of Anthropogenic Debris Ingestion by Sea Turtles
    Abstract: Ingestion of marine debris can have lethal and sublethal effects on sea turtles and other wildlife. Although researchers have reported on...
  • First records of three new lizard species and a range expansion of a fourth lizard species introduced to Aruba
    Abstract The Caribbean islands are becoming a hotspot for the spread of non-native reptiles. Consistent with this trend, we provide the first...
  • Seagrasses as indicators for coastal trace metal pollution: A global meta-analysis serving as a benchmark, and a Caribbean case study
    Seagrass beds are highly productive coastal ecosystems providing a large array of ecosystem services including !sheries and carbon sequestration. As...
  • Three new species for Aruba, with notes on other significant sightings
    A visit to Aruba during April 2013 yielded three species previously unrecorded there: Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis), Swainson’s Flycatcher (...
  • Patterns of distribution and drivers of change in shallow seagrass and algal assemblages of a non-estuarine Southern Caribbean mangrove lagoon
    Shallow marine macrophyte communities serve key roles in the tropical coastal ecosystem but are undergoing large and rapid deterioration worldwide,...
  • Marine turtles of the Leeward Islands, Lesser Antilles
    Although marine turtles are conspicuous members of the Caribbean fauna, significant gaps remain in our knowledge of their distribution and status...
  • New Locality, Depth, and Size Records and Species Character Modifications of Some Caribbean Deep-Reef/Shallow Slope Fishes and a New Host and Locality Record for the Chimaera Cestodarian
    New geographic localities are noted for chimaera cestodarian, Gyrocotyle rugosa, from the central Atlantic; it and Antillean snake eel, Ophichthus...
  • Some Notes on Charophyta Collected in The Netherlands West Indies, North Venezuela and Colombia
    In 1930 Mr. P. Wagenaar Hummelinck made an excursion to Curacao, Aruba, and Bonaire with the main object of studying the land and freshwater fauna....
  • Reproduction, Laboratory Culture, and Growth of Strombus Gigas, S. Costatus and S. Pugilus in Los Roques, Venezuela
    Egg masses of Strombus gigas, S. costatus, and S. pugilus were gathered from depths of 3 to 18 m in the western part of the Los Roques Archipelago,...
  • Genetic seascape of the threatened Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, on the Puerto Rico Shelf
    It has been proposed that the elkhorn coral Acropora palmata is genetically separated into two distinct provinces in the Caribbean, an eastern and a...
  • Anthropogenic Mortality in the Critically Endangered Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) on St. Eustatius
    The Lesser Antillean Iguana, Iguana delicatissima (Laurenti 1768) is a Lesser Antillean endemic (Anguilla to Martinique, with the exception of Saba...
  • Connectivity across the Caribbean Sea: DNA Barcoding and Morphology Unite an Enigmatic Fish Larva from the Florida Straits with a New Species of Sea Bass from Deep Reefs off Curaçao
    Integrative taxonomy, in which multiple disciplines are combined to address questions related to biological species diversity, is a valuable tool for...
  • A review of Caribbean Copepoda associated with reef-dwelling cnidarians, echinoderms and sponges
    This review of copepod crustaceans associated with reef-dwelling cnidarians, sponges and echinoderms of the Greater Caribbean is based on published...
  • Nieuwe Pectinoidea vondsten van Bonaire
    In March 2004, eight pectinoidean species (7 Pectinidae and one Propeamussiidae) are collected by scuba-diving from Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles),...
  • The Curious Case of the Left-Sided Dewlap: Directional Asymmetry In the Curaçao Anole, Anolis lineatus.
    We examined asymmetry in the color of the dewlap of Anolis lineatus from Curaçao. We confirmed previous reports that one side of the dewlap appears...
  • Hurricane-induced population decrease in a Critically Endangered long-lived reptile
    ABSTRACT Catastrophic events, like hurricanes, bring lethal conditions that can have population-altering effects. The threatened Caribbean dry forest...
  • Feral goat eradications on islands.
    Abstract: Introduced mammals are major drivers of extinction. Feral goats (Capra hircus) are particularly devastating to island ecosystems, causing...
  • The status of bats on Curaçao
    The bat population of the island of Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles, was surveyed in 1992 and 1993. The 1993 survey concentrated mostly on caves, which...
  • First records of Odonata from Sint Eustatius, Dutch Lesser Antilles
    Six species of dragonflies are recorded for the island of Sint Eustatius, Lesser Antilles. Breeding records are established for four out of the six...
  • Coral reefs and their zonation in the Netherlands Antilles
    Although coral reefs are well developed in the Leeward islands of the Netherlands Antilles, they are poorly developed in the Windward group. Coral...
  • Varicus lacerta, a new species of goby (Teleostei, Gobiidae, Gobiosomatini, Nes subgroup) from a mesophotic reef in the southern Caribbean
    We describe a new species of goby, Varicus lacerta sp. n., which was collected from a mesophotic reef at Curacao, southern Caribbean. The new species...
  • Baseline Study of Submerged Marine Debris at Beaches in Curaçao, West Indies
    The objective of this study was to quantify the extent and nature of submerged debris at beaches in Curacao.
  • Global analysis of the effect of local climate on the hatchling output of leatherback turtles
    The most recent climate change projections show a global increase in temperatures along with precipitation changes throughout the 21st century....
  • Nederlandse vlinders op tropisch eiland
    Sinds 10 oktober 2010 maken de eilanden Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba onderdeel uit van het Nederlandse staatsbestel. Met deze tropische eilanden...
  • Ranking the sustainable development goals: perceived sustainability priorities in small island states
    Abstract The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to elicit global mobilization to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and are...
  • Important foraging areas of seabirds from Anguilla,Caribbean: Implications for marine spatial planning
    Marine spatial planning(MSP) has become an important tool to balance the needs of commercial,economical and recreational users of the marine...
  • A new, mesophotic Coryphopterus goby (Teleostei, Gobiidae) from the southern Caribbean, with comments on relationships and depth distributions within the genus
    A new species of western Atlantic Coryphopterus is described from mesophotic depths off Curaçao, south- ern Caribbean. Coryphopterus curasub sp. n.,...
  • The Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) in the southern Caribbean: A compilation and review of records for the Dutch Leeward islands and the central Venezuelan coast
    The Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) is a subspecies of the West Indian manatee and is found from Mexico and the Bahamas south to...
  • Invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans blow directed jets of water at prey fish
    Field and laboratory observations of feeding by invasive Pacific red lionfish Pterois volitans were conducted during June through August of 2008,...
  • The foraminifera of the Saba Bank Expedition
    Bottom samples obtained by means of a Van Veen grab during the 1972 Saba Bank Expedition ( CICAR cruises 34 and 35) appeared to comprise many samples...
  • Caribbean Bryozoa: Anasca and Ascophora Imperfecta of the inner bays of Curaçao and Bonaire
    The present paper deals with the Anasca and Ascophora Imperfecta of the inland bays of Curaçao and Bonaire. Collections were made by P. Wagenaar...
  • Seascape continuity plays an important role in determining patterns of spatial genetic structure in a coral reef fish
    Detecting patterns of spatial genetic structure (SGS) can help identify intrinsic and extrinsic barriers to gene flow within metapopulations. For...
  • Distribution, feeding habits and morphology of killer whales Orcinus orca in the Caribbean Sea
    Abstract: 1. Killer whales Orcinus orca are found in all oceans of the world, but most of our knowledge on the species comes from studies conducted...
  • An environmental risk assessment of three organic UV-filters at Lac Bay, Bonaire, Southern Caribbean
    Highlights • UV filters oxybenzone and octocrylene are detected at Lac Bay Bonaire. • They are present at significant levels in both water column and...
  • A new Liopropoma sea bass (Serranidae, Epinephelinae, Liopropomini) from deep reefs off Curaçao, southern Caribbean, with comments on depth distributions of western Atlantic liopropomins
    Abstract Collecting reef-fish specimens using a manned submersible diving to 300 m off Curaçao, southern Caribbean, is resulting in the discovery of...
  • Revision of the amphiamerican genus Mysidium Dana, 1852 (Crustacea: Mysida: Mysidae), with descriptions of two new species and the establishment of two new subgenera
    Revised definitions are given for the genus Mysidium Dana, 1852, and its eight previously known species, based on material from Curaçao, Bonaire and...
  • Marine gastropods from the ABC islands and other localities 14. The family Terebridae with the description of a new species from Aruba (Gastropoda: Terebridae)
    The species of the family Terebridae occurring at the Dutch Leeward Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao), and other parts of the tropical western...
  • Host-dependent variation in density of corallivorous snails (Coralliophila spp.) at Curaçao, southern Caribbean.
    Snails of the genus Coralliophila (Muricidae: Coralliophilinae) are common in the Caribbean as corallivores that feed on a large range of host...
  • Diversity of drift macroalgae in Aruba, Netherland Antilles, Caribbean Sea, including the rarely reported deep-water species Dasya puertoricensis and Cottoniella filamentosa (Delesseriaceae, Rhodophyta)
    Abstract: Drifting and wrack seaweeds may originate from the detachment of natural populations and transport by currents until reaching the coast....
  • A comparison of ungrazed and livestock-grazed rock vegetations in Curacao.
    Five of the largest remaining patches of livestock-inaccessible rock vegetation of Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, were described and compared to rock...
  • Eutrophication threatens Caribbean seagrasses – An example from Curaçao and Bonaire
    Seagrass beds are globally declining due to human activities in coastal areas. We here aimed to identify threats from eutrophication to the valuable...
  • First record on fecundity of an Iguana hybrid and its implications for conservation: evidence for genetic swamping of Iguana delicatissima populations by non-native iguanas
       The Lesser Antillean iguana, Iguana delicatissima Laurenti, 1768, is a large herbivorous iguana historically ranging from Anguilla to Martinique (...
  • A survey of butterflies from Aruba and Bonaire and new records for Curacao
    We document 29 butterfly species for the island of Aruba and 32 for Bonaire. We also document five new records for Curaçao, increasing the total to...
  • The invasive sun coral Tubastraea coccinea hosting a native Christmas tree worm at Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean
    Interspecific relationships of invasive species hosting a native associated species are noteworthy, particularly if the invasive does not have a...
  • Impacts of parrotfish predation on a major reef-building coral: quantifying healing rates and thresholds of coral recovery
     Parrotfishes are important Caribbean herbivores that are believed to indirectly benefit corals by grazing algae; yet, some species also feed on live...
  • The Role of Tourism and Recreation in the Spread of Non-Native Species: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
    Managing the pathways by which non-native species are introduced and spread is consid- ered the most effective way of preventing species invasions....
  • Vectored dispersal of Symbiodinium by larvae of a Caribbean gorgonian octocoral
    Abstract: The ability of coral reefs to recover from natural and anthropogenic disturbance is difficult to predict, in part due to uncertainty...
  • Ranking the sustainable development goals: perceived sustainability priorities in small island states
    Abstract The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to elicit global mobilization to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and are...
  • A call to action for climate change research on Caribbean dry forests
    Tropical dry forest (TDF) is globally one of the most threatened forest types. In the insular Caribbean, limited land area and high population...
  • Spatial and demographic consequences of nursery-dependence in reef fishes: an empirical and simulation study
    The rainbow parrotfish Scarus guacamaia has an obligate dependence on man- groves at juvenile stages, and, as the largest herbivorous fish in the...
  • Vegetation associations and relative abundance of rodents on St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    Since the introduction of non-native rodents to the Caribbean region, these invaders have successfully occupied many, if not most, islands where they...
  • Lionfish Invasion off the Northern Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, Southern Gulf of Mexico: What Do we Know?
    Abstract: In 2009, the first lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) was found in the Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel, in Quintana Roo, in the Mexican...
  • Recent brachiopoda from the Snellius and Luymes Expeditions to the Surinam-Guyana Shelf, Bonaire-Curacao, and Saba Bank, Caribbean Sea, 1966 and 1969-1972
    Recent brachiopods collected by the Snellius and Luymes expeditions to the Surinam-Guyana shelf, Bonaire-Curacao region and Saba Bank area in 1966...
  • Mosses from the Netherlands Antilles
    The Netherlands Antilles comprise the islands Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire of the Leeward Group, and St. Eustatius, Saba and the southern part of St....
  • Patterns, causes, and consequences of marine larval dispersal
    Quantifying the probability of larval exchange among marine populations is key to predicting local population dynamics and optimizing networks of...
  • What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Wary? Effect of Repeated Culling on the Behaviour of an Invasive Predator
    Abstract: As a result of being hunted, animals often alter their behaviour in ways that make future encounters with predators less likely. When...
  • Shark and ray diversity in the Tropical America (Neotropics)—an examination of environmental and historical factors affecting diversity
    We present the first comprehensive review of the present and past shark and ray diversity in marine waters of Tropical America, examining the...
  • Wrangelia gordoniae, a new species of Rhodophyta (Ceramiales, Wrangeliaceae) from the tropical western Atlantic
      Abstract On the basis of comparative morphological and molecular analyses, a new red algal species in the genus Wrangelia(Wrangeliaceae, Ceramiales...
  • First records of the mourning gecko (Lepidodactylus lugubris Duméril and Bibron, 1836), common house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus in Duméril, 1836), and Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko Linnaeus, 1758) on Curaçao, Dutch Antilles
    and remarks on their Caribbean distributions Abstract Globally, geckos (Gekkonidae) are one of the most successful reptile families for exotic...
  • Marine Biodiversity in the Caribbean: Regional Estimates and Distribution Patterns
    This paper provides an analysis of the distribution patterns of marine biodiversity and summarizes the major activities of the Census of Marine Life...
  • New Fortuyniidae and Selenoribatidae (Acari, Oribatida) from Bonaire (Lesser Antilles) and morphometric comparison between Eastern Pacific and Caribbean populations of Fortuyniidae
    Two new intertidal oribatid mite species were found on the coast of Bonaire. Litoribates bonairensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from its only...
  • Animal-borne video reveals atypical behaviour in provisioned green turtles: A global perspective of a widespread tourist activity
    Abstract Feeding wildlife as a tourist activity is a growing industry around the world. However,providing alternative food sources can affect...
  • Food Production and Tourism in Jamaica: Obstacles to Increasing Local Food Supplies to Hotels.
    Abstract : Although it would seem natural for hotels in Jamaica to use a greater proportion of local food than at present, the expansion of domestic ...
  • Odonata of Curaçao, southern Caribbean, with an update to the fauna of the ABC islands
    A three-year field study (January 2011–December 2013) of the Odonata of Curaçao, supported by photos and exuvial collections, recorded a total of 21...
  • Migratory destinations and timing of humpback whales in the southeastern Caribbean differ from those off the Dominican Republic
    Humpback whales wintering in the entire West Indies chain are widely treated as comprising a single breeding population. However, most areas outside...
  • Geological reconnaissance survey of Saba Bank, Caribbean Sea
    Findings The main conclusion from this study is that the Saba Bank has little modern material/ sediment deposited in relation to present sea level....
  • Underwater Towed Video: A Novel Method to Estimate Densities of Queen Conch (Lobatus gigas; Strombidae) Across Its Depth Range
    Queen conch (Lobatus gigas) populations living deeper than 20 m are rarely studied, because of the limitations of conventional survey methods using...
  • Using participatory action research to operationalize critical systems thinking in social-ecological systems
    We present a research approach that seeks to develop and strengthen participatory action research (PAR) when applied in social-ecological systems (...
  • Four-year-old Caribbean Acropora colonies reared from field-collected gametes are sexually mature
    Rehabilitating populations of Caribbean coral species that have declined in recent decades has become a management priority throughout the region,...
  • A Review of the Freshwater Fishes of Curaçao, with Comments on those of Aruba and Bonaire
    Abstract: Based on a field survey and review of published records, I report the occurrence of 13 species of fishes in fresh waters of Curaçao. Seven...
  • Same but different? Zoantharian assemblages (Anthozoa: Hexacorallia) in Bonaire and Curaçao, southern Caribbean
    Abstract Marine community datasets are key to the effective management and conservation of marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, which are...
  • Environmental DNA illuminates the dark diversity of sharks
    In the era of “Anthropocene defaunation,” large species are often no longer detected in habitats where they formerly occurred. However, it is unclear...
  • Effect of light availability on dissolved organic carbon release by Caribbean reef algae and corals
    Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release of three algal and two coral species was determined at three light intensities (0, 30–80, and 200–400 μmol...
  • A review of records of the Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata in the Caribbean Sea
    The Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata is a pelagic seabird with a dangerously small population size. Remaining breeding sites are threatened by...
  • First record of Fraser’s dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei for the Dutch Caribbean
    A dead dolphin found on Bonaire in August 2011 is identified as adult Fraser’s dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei, a new species for the Dutch Caribbean. A...
  • New species, taxonomist’s delight and faunist’s plight. On the variation range in Loxosomella vivipara Nielsen, 1966 (Entoprocta: Loxosomatidae)
    The Entoprocta Nitsche, 1870, or Kamptozoa Cori, 1929, are a small animal class with only two orders, Solitaria Emschermann, 1972, and Coloniales...
  • Neogene–Quaternary tectonic evolution of the Leeward Antilles islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) from fault kinematic analysis
    Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao are islands aligned along the crest of a 200-km-long segment of the east–west-trending Leeward Antilles ridge within the...
  • Shell Lip Thickness Is the Most Reliable Proxy to Sexual Maturity in Queen Conch (Lobatus gigas) of Port Honduras Marine Reserve, Belize
    Queen conch (Lobatus gigas) is an important food source and export product for Belize, where extraction is regulated by shell length (SL) and market...
  • Prevalence of External Injuries in Small Cetaceans in Aruban Waters, Southern Caribbean
    Abstract: Aruba, located close to the coasts of Colombia and Venezuela, is one of the most densely populated islands in the Caribbean and supports a...
  • The trophic ecology of Caribbean reef sharks (Carcharhinus perezi) relative to other large teleost predators on an isolated coral atoll.
    Bulk stable isotope analysis was used to assess the trophic level and foraging habitats of Caribbean reef sharks (Carcharhinus perezi) compared to...
  • Attenuiconus marileeae, a new species of cone (Gastropoda: Conidae: Puncticulinae) from Curacao
    Attenuiconus marileeae new species is described from deep reefs off southeastern Curac ̧ao. It resembles A. attenuatus, A. honkeri, and A....
  • Monitoring of terrestrial avifauna in six habitats on St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands, 2009–2017
    The Caribbean is a biodiversity hotspot due to its rich biodiversity and wholesale loss of primary vegetation. Yet, there is a paucity of studies on...
  • Exploring the diversity of western Atlantic Bathygobius (Teleostei: Gobiidae) with cytochrome c oxidase-I, with descriptions of two new species
    Bathygobius is currently represented by three species in the western Atlantic (B. soporator, B. curacao and B. mystacium) based on diagnostic...
  • The effects of dolomite geobodies within carbonate clinoforms on fluid flow and connectivity: Insights from an outcrop analogue on Bonaire, The Netherlands (South Caribbean)
    Abstract Carbonate clinoforms are often challenging to characterize and model due to their complex geometries and additional heterogeneity introduced...
  • Severity of the Effects of Invasive Rats on Seabirds: A Global Review
    Abstract: Invasive rats are some of the largest contributors to seabird extinction and endangerment world- wide. We conducted a meta-analysis of...
  • Densities of the sea urchin Diadema antillarum before and after mass mortalities on the coral reefs of Curacao
    The sea urchin Diadema antillarum commonly occurs on Caribbean reefs in densities sufficiently high to influence characteristics such as community...
  • Exploring how non-native seagrass species could provide essential ecosystems services: a perspective on the highly invasive seagrass Halophila stipulacea in the Caribbean Sea
    The loss of biodiversity by the replacement of invasive species could lead to the loss of functional traits that maintain certain ecosystem services...
  • Coral growth rates revisited after 31 years: What is causing lower extension rates in Acropora palmata?
    Linear extension of branches in the same Acropora palmata (Lamarck, 1816) population in Curaçao was measured, employing exactly the same methods, in...
  • Does Slow and Variable Recovery of Diadema antillarum on Caribbean Fore-Reefs Reflect Density-Dependent Habitat Selection?
    Recovery of the Caribbean long-spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum from the pathogen-induced mass mortality event of 1983 has been slow and variable...
  • Mimicry of emergent traits amplifies coastal restoration success
    Restoration is becoming a vital tool to counteract coastal ecosystem degradation. Modifying transplant designs of habitat-forming organisms from...
  • High coral cover at lower mesophotic depths: a dense Agaricia community at the leeward side of Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean
    Coral cover at lower mesophotic depths (particular- ly >75 m) by zooxanthellate scleractinians is usually very scarce, largely due to the...
  • Geographic variation in Poecilia Bloch and Schneider, 1801 (Teleostei: Poeciliidae), with descriptions of three new species and lectotypes for P. dovii Günther, 1866 and for P. vandepolli van Lidth de Jeude, 1887
    Abstract: The South American species with the vernacular name "mollies" are analyzed and three new species of the genus Poecilia are described and...
  • The molecular phylogenetic position of Mariplanella piscadera sp. nov. reveals a new major group of rhabdocoel flatworms: Mariplanellida status novus (Platyhelminthes: Rhabdocoela)
    Abstract Rhabdocoels comprise a large group of flatworms that currently consists of two major subgroups: (1) Kalyptorhynchia with an anterior...
  • Resolving Carbonate Platform Geometries on the Island of Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands through Semi-Automatic GPR Facies Classification
    The study of exposed carbonate platforms provides observational constraints on regional tectonics and sea-level history. In this work Miocene-aged...
  • Island biogeography of the Anthropocene
    For centuries, biogeographers have examined the factors that pro- duce patterns of biodiversity across regions. The study of islands has proved...
  • Consumption of benthic cyanobacterial mats on a Caribbean coral reef
    Herbivory is an important process in the general structuring of coral reef benthic communities. However, evidence of its ability to control coral...
  • Additional Records and a Review of the Cetacean Fauna of the Leeward Dutch Antilles
    Forty-one additional cetacean records are reported for the Leeward Dutch Antilles, expanding the list of documented records to 70 (53 sightings and...
  • Coat of many colours - DNA reveals polymorphism of mantle patterns and colouration in Caribbean Cyphoma Röding, 1798 (Gastropoda, Ovulidae).
    The iconic gastropod genus Cyphoma is commonly observed in the Caribbean, where it lives in association with various octocorallian hosts. Each...
  • A quantitative study of the seagrass and algal meadows of the Spaanse Water, Curaçao, the Netherlands Antilles
    The Spaanse Water is a relatively turbid, 3.19 km2 inland bay of virtually oceanic salinities and contains the largest seagrass, algal and mangrove...
  • Growth patterns and demography of pioneer Caribbean seagrasses Halodule wrightii and Syringodium filiforme
    The shoot demography and rhizome growth of Syringodium filiforme Kutz. and Halodule wrightii Aschers. were studied, based on plant dating techniques...
  • Linking public participation in scientific research to the indicators and needs of international environmental agreements
    Abstract: Different monitoring approaches collect data that can measure progress toward achieving global environmental indicators. These indicators...
  • Nitrogen fixation and diversity of benthic cyanobacterial mats on coral reefs in Curaçao
    Benthic cyanobacterial mats (BCMs) have increased in abundance on coral reefs worldwide. However, their species diversity and role in nitrogen...
  • Defining and Dividing the Greater Caribbean: Insights from the Biogeography of Shorefishes
    The Greater Caribbean biogeographic region is the high-diversity heart of the Tropical West Atlantic, one of four global centers of tropical marine...
  • Morpho-molecular traits of Indo-Pacific and Caribbean Halofolliculina ciliate infections
    Coral diseases are emerging as a major threat to coral reefs worldwide, and although many of them have been described, knowledge on their...
  • Seven new species within western Atlantic Starksia atlantica, S. lepicoelia, and S. sluiteri (Teleostei, Labrisomidae), with comments on congruence of DNA barcodes and species
    Abstract: Specimens of Starksia were collected throughout the western Atlantic, and a 650-bp portion of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase-c...
  • Dissolution of a submarine carbonate platform by a submerged lake of acidic seawater
    Abstract. Submarine sinkholes are found on carbonate platforms around the world. They are thought to form and grow when 15 groundwater interactions...
  • Invasive house (Rattus rattus) and brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) threaten the viability of red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) in Abrolhos National Park, Brazil.
    Destruction of nests and predation by introduced species are among the main factors responsible for seabird declines.The red-billed tropicbird (...
  • Effects of tropical storm Bret on Curaçao reefs
    Here we report on damage caused by tropical storm Bret, passing south of the island of Curacao at a distance of 110-145 km in August 1993. Damage on...
  • Assessment of an unprotected red hind (Epinephelus guttatus) spawning aggregation on Saba Bank in the Netherlands Antilles
    Although little fisheries data exist for red hind, Epinephelus guttatus (Linnaeus, 1758) on the Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles, spawning aggregation...
  • Observations of territorial behavior of the Antillean Crested Hummingbird (Orthorhyncus cristatus) on St. Eustatius
    Abstract Little information is available on territorial behavior of the Antillean Crested Hummingbird (Orthorhyncus cristatus). This study set out to...
  • Understanding the Lionfish Invasion in Bonaire to Develop the Best Strategy for Trinidad and Tobago
    Abstract: Lionfish are venomous, predatory reef fish native to the Indo-Pacific region, but have become widely distributed due to its popularity as...
  • The reproductive biology and early life ecology of a common Caribbean brain coral, Diploria labyrinthiformis (Scleractinia: Faviinae)
    Despite the fact that most of the severe demographic bottlenecks in coral populations occur during their earliest life stages, information on the...
  • Fish assemblages of three common artificial reef designs during early colonization
    Highlights Fish abundance and biomass differed per artificial reef type. This difference is driven by the availability of small shelters. Artificial...
  • Biofouling of inlet pipes affects water quality in running seawater aquaria and compromises sponge cell proliferation
    Marine organism are often kept, cultured, and experimented on in running seawater aquaria. However, surprisingly little attention is given to the...
  • Surviving in a Marine Desert: The Sponge Loop Retains Resources Within Coral Reefs
    Ever since Darwin’s early descriptions of coral reefs, scientists have debated how one of the world’s most productive and diverse ecosystems can...
  • Seahorse Predation by Octopuses in the Caribbean and the West Pacific
    Abstract: There is much documentation about seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) being threatened by habitat degradation and overfishing, but relatively few...
  • On a collection of deep-water shrimp (Crustacea, Decapoda) from the Dutch Caribbean, with the description of a new species of Pseudocoutierea
    A collection of shrimp from deep reefs in the Dutch Caribbean is described. Most material originates from the Bonaire deep reef expedition (2013) by...
  • Wide-ranging phylogeographic structure of invasive red lionfish in the Western Atlantic and Greater Caribbean
    The red lionfish (Pterois volitans) is an invasive predatory marine fish that has rapidly expanded its pres- ence in the Western Hemisphere. We...
  • First Occurrence of Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) on the Caribbean Island of Curaçao
    Abstract The predatory ladybird species, Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fabricius), is native to Asia and Australia but has established populations outside...
  • Saving Saba Bank: Policy Implications of Biodiversity Studies
    Abstract: This paper provides a context for the results of recent biodiversity surveys of Saba Bank. Recent biological surveys of corals, fishes, and...
  • Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems: A Geoacoustically Derived Proxy for Habitat and Relative Diversity for the Leeward Shelf of Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Current trends demonstrate coral reef health in serious decline worldwide. Some of the most well-preserved coral reefs in the Caribbean basin are...
  • A comparison of fish communities of subtidal seagrass beds and sandy seabeds in 13 marine embayments of a Caribbean island, based on species, families, size distribution and functional groups
    Differences in fish community structure between different estuaries, lagoons and bays can be very large, and generalisations are complicated by the...
  • A Quantitative, Non-Destructive Methodology for Habitat Characterisation and Benthic Monitoring at Offshore Renewable Energy Developments
    Following governments’ policies to tackle global climate change, the development of offshore renewable energy sites is likely to increase...
  • Observations on the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in the Dutch Caribbean
    Abstract: Records of whale sharks in the Caribbean are relatively sparse. Here we document 24 records of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus Smith 1882)...
  • Spatio–temporal variation in stable isotope signatures (δ13C and δ15N) of sponges on the Saba Bank
    Sponges are ubiquitous on coral reefs, mostly long lived and therefore adaptive to changing environmental conditions. They feed on organic matter...
  • The genus Paragiopagurus Lemaitre, 1996 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura, Paguroidea, Parapaguridae): A worldwide review and summary, with descriptions of five new species
    A review of the deep-water hermit crab species of the genus Paragiopagurus Lemaitre, 1996 from the world oceans is presented. The core specimen base...
  • The butterflies of St.Eustatius with faunal comparisons among the adjacent islands of the Lesser Antilles
    Based on four years of butterfly monitoring in four contrasting natural habitats on St. Eustatius, we document large and consistent differences in...
  • Reconciling Genetic Lineages with Species in Western Atlantic Coryphopterus (Teleostei: Gobiidae)
    Abstract: Species identification of western Atlantic Coryphopterus can be problematic because some of the species are morphologically similar, there...
  • Spatial dependency in abundance of Queen conch, Aliger gigas, in the Caribbean, indicates the importance of surveying deep-water distributions
    Abstract Aim: To evaluate how the spatial distribution of a heavily exploited marine gastropod (i.e. Queen conch) varies in response to a number of...
  • Future Caribbean Climates in a World of Rising Temperatures: The 1.5 vs 2.0 Dilemma
    A 10-member ensemble from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) is used to analyse the Caribbean’s future climate when mean...

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