Aquatic macrophytes within a mesohaline bay, sanctuary for manatees , on the Caribbean coast of Mexico

Bahia de Chetumal, on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, is a large mesohaline bay that receives significant runoff of fresh water and supports salt-tolerant macrophytes and seagrasses. This bay is important for the endangered Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus) in Mexico, and the mai...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Southwestern Naturalist 2013, Vol.58 (2), p.216
Main Authors: Olivera-Gomez, Leon D, Mellink, Eric
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquatic plants
Environment
Environmental aspects
Food and nutrition
Identification and classification
Manatees
Protection and preservation
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Summary:Bahia de Chetumal, on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, is a large mesohaline bay that receives significant runoff of fresh water and supports salt-tolerant macrophytes and seagrasses. This bay is important for the endangered Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus) in Mexico, and the maintenance of submerged populations of macrophytes is a priority in the conservation plans for manatees because these plants play an important role in the habitat of the manatee. We surveyed the cover and biomass of aquatic macrophytes in the northern section of Bahia de Chetumal from November 1998-April 2000 and found them restricted to a small proportion of the area with Halodule wrightii and Ruppia maritima being the most frequent species. Less common species were Najas marina, Thalassia testudinum, and the algae Batophora oerstedii and Chara chara. Cover (
ISSN:0038-4909