Riverine input of particulate material and inorganic nutrients to a coastal reef ecosystem at the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica

RODER, C.; CORTÉS, J.; JIMÉNEZ, C.; LARA, R.J.

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2009 vol. 58 p. 1937 - 1943

0025-326X

The aim of this study was to evaluate the present influence of aheavily anthropogenic impacted river on the distribution of particulatematerial and dissolved inorganic nutrients in the waters of anearby coral reef area in Costa Rica.The results of this study confirm that the Cahuita National Park reef already shows a decline in livecoral cover and species diversity and theongoing chronic exposure to a combination of high nutrient andsediment loads is likely to further persist. Due to siltation, combinedwith eutrophication, algal growth and bioerosion , the loss of the coral reefecosystem and a shift to an algal-dominated reef will continue.