Cozumel Species Finder

The coral reefs off the island of Cozumel, are amongst the most important due to its high biodiversity, both of vertebrates and invertebrates, and the heterogeneity of its habitats. Coral reef ecosystems are the most complex and diverse, with their distribution and abundance directly linked to the environment. A relative diversity of organisms denotes stability in the reef environment, however, species abundances and population dynamics can change due to anthropogenic activities. Artificial fractal reefs (AFA) are platforms created from impermeable marine concrete, to allow their colonization by organisms present in coral reefs. This catalogue contains a list of all known marine species in the Villa Blanca Reef, Cozumel. It should be noted that the study was carried out in areas where the CCRRP is working to restore the reef, and where the construction of a new cruise ship pier threatens to destroy the reef entirely.

This species finder is based on the work from the Autonomous University of Yucatán, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, as well as the work of the Cozumel Coral Reef Restoration Program volunteer and Dr. German Méndez.

Initial Method of survey

Daily 2-hour dives were conducted from February 8 to March 15, 2022 in the Villa Blanca Reef, Cozumel (Figure 1). No organisms were disturbed by our research, all data was collected through photography and video. By carrying out the work based on the visual census and limited time, it is pointed out that greater wealth could be found in Villa Blanca. Identification of the organisms was done in situ according to literature on reef fish and marine invertebrates by Paul Humman.