The Boquerón Wildlife Refuge is the largest mangrove forest on Puerto Rico's west coast. Many of the mangrove channels there are periodically invaded by mats of the floating fern Salvinia. Since invasive plant species impact the biodiversity of wetlands, a monthly assessment of the aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity was conducted from June to November of 2013, in three mangrove areas invaded by Salvinia as well as three areas without it. Three sampling methods were used: aquatic light traps, emergence traps, and D-net sweeps. A total of 21,305 invertebrates representing 24 orders and 72 families were collected and identified. Diptera (21 families) showed the greatest taxonomic richness, followed by Coleoptera (12 families). Shannon-Weiner, Simpson, and Jaccard indexes were calculated per sampling method to compare the diversity between habitat-types. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) indicated significant variations in abundances between habitat-types in light-traps and D-nets, while showing significant temporal variations in abundances in the emergence traps. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) was used to represent the results of the PERMANOVA. Analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) and similarity percentage analysis (SIMPER) were employed to evaluate (dis-)similarities between habitat-types. Regardless of the type of trap, about half of the taxa were shared between the two habitat-types.

Microplastics have been identified as an emergent pollutant in the aquatic environment. Ingestion of microplastics in the wild by various biota has been documented around the globe, but little has been documented on sea cucumbers and none on microplastics in sea cucumbers in the Caribbean region. In this study, we document the presence of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of the sea cucumber Holothuria floridana collected from the Placencia Lagoon, Belize, Central America. The collection site is surrounded by an active tourist and fishing community that was observed to discharge solid waste directly and indirectly into the lagoon habitats of H. floridana. The results confirms the ingestion of microplastics by H. floridana. From 30 individuals averaging 22.5 cm in length, a total of 252 microplastic particles were extracted, isolated, and categorized. The mean number of microplastic particles per individual sea cucumber was 8.4 ±4.5, with a mean length of 0.703 mm ±0.706. The microplastics identified were plastic fragments (93%) and fibers (7%); with no evidence of plastic pellets (0%). This finding raises concerns regarding the chemical effects these plastics can have on human health, especially since sea cucumber intestines are consumed as luxury foods in Asian countries.

The Wood Stork Mycteria americana is a rare resident bird species in the Caribbean, where it has small population sizes and reduced genetic variability. In the present study, we inferred the mating systems of the only two breeding colonies of Wood Stork known in the Caribbean, which are located in two of its most important wetlands: the Zapata Swamp Wetland and the Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago, both in Cuba. We sampled growing feathers of 27 chicks from 11 nests and analyzed genetic data from the most variable autosomal microsatellite loci described for the species. We estimated the relatedness between chicks by using the Queller-Goodnight coefficient and two maximum likelihood methods of kinship reconstruction. Evidence of monogamy was found in 27% of the nests analyzed, nest parasitism in the 36%, and extra-pair paternity in the 18%, while for the rest, inconsistencies among the methods were detected. Our results constitute the first evidence of extra-pair paternity for the Wood Stork and corroborate the usefulness of a non-invasive approach to perform kinship analysis in a poorly studied species.

Although plumage color aberrations are common in birds, they often are difficult or even impossible to properly identify in the field. Even though some of these aberrations are common, including progressive greying, leucism, and albinism, there is confusion among the mechanisms responsible for each of the color aberrations. Other color abnormalities, such as dilution and ino, are found or reported less frequently. The Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus; Piciformes: Ramphastidae) is predominantly black, red under the tail coverts, and the feathers above the tail that are white colored. It has a yellow bib covering the throat and chest with a red band countering it, and the skin of the face is chartreuse. The Keel-billed Toucan is most notable for its massive, multicolored bill that makes up to a third of its length. Here we report a genetic-based melanin deficiency producing an unusual coloration in the Keel-billed Toucan. An individual observed at Pital, San Carlos, in the lowlands of northern Costa Rica in October, 2020 lacked melanin, but retained carotenoids. As most parts of the plumage normally have both melanin and carotenoids, the yellow becomes visible where the black is now absent, such as the ventral feathers. We discuss possible explanations for this unusual coloration.

The occurrence of an unprecedented abundance episode of Historis acheronta semele in July, 2021 in Havana, Cuba is reported. Ecological and ethological notes are made, and the possible causes and outcomes of the presence of large numbers of butterflies in the city are discussed. The absence of additional records makes it impossible to assess if the event is a migration or just a local abundance episode. The event developed during the rainy season of the Cuban climate, in coincidence with previously reported events for similar butterflies in Cuba. Nonetheless, the exact causes of this event remain unknown, as does the host plant of this butterfly in Cuba.

Fisheries of juvenile and larval fishes (i.e., fish-fry fisheries) often exploit the migratory behavior of diadromous species on their return to rivers. Although these fisheries are common worldwide, fish-fry fisheries are subject to insufficient management and the identity of the target species is frequently unknown. The artisanal fish-fry fishery in Cuba is known as “Tetí,” and is restricted to the eastern region of the country. Fishing “Tetí” has been practiced for hundreds of years, but an increase in tourism has elevated demand in recent years and may pose a threat to the conservation of this natural resource. Also, it remains unclear if “Tetí” refers to one or to multiple species. The present study aims to identify the fish fry that make up the “Tetí” fishery in Eastern Cuba with genetic data. We first used a standard nucleotide BLAST to identify the sequences. Then, we recovered the phylogenetic position of these samples based on a maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis that also used available sequences from GenBank. Here, we provide evidence that Busck's Stone-Biting Goby, Sicydium buscki (Gobiidae), is a component of the “Tetí” fishery in Cuba. However, whether this fishery includes one or more species remains a mystery until additional samples can be analyzed. This species identification represents the first efforts towards effective management that can be taken to regulate this fishery. Collecting additional scientific and fishing data from the “Tetí” fishery, and including them in local management plans, will be an important strategy for avoiding overfishing this resource.

A morphometric investigation of suckermouth catfish specimens collected from the Upper and Lower Morass of Black River, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica was conducted between June 2007 and May 2008. Descriptions of 39 morphometric and 15 meristic measures are given. Taxonomic assessment through the application of dichotomous keys, photographic identification, and comparison with other morphometric work on similar species, identified the loricariid as Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Pisces, Loricariidae). Further analysis revealed that populations of P. pardalis in the Upper Morass have relatively longer heads, longer snouts, longer and deeper caudal penduncles, and deeper dorsal fins compared with individuals from the Lower Morass. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed no distinct groups of P. pardalis occurring throughout the Black River Basin. Both populations exhibited allometric growth and the relationships between length and weight in the P. pardalis populations were significant and linear.

Banco Chinchorro Atoll, the largest atoll in the Caribbean and Mexico, was declared a biosphere reserve due to its cultural, economic, and biological importance. The diversity of fish, birds, and reptiles in its aquatic and terrestrial environments has been well studied. However, knowledge about its richness in mammals is scarce and the existing information has not been synthesized to date. The objective of this work is therefore to search and review the existing literature on the mammals of Banco Chinchorro, and to present a first synthesis on the mastofauna of the atoll. Thirty documents mentioning mammals at Banco Chinchorro were found, from which eight species were identified. Of these, three species were invasive and have been eradicated, one native species became extinct, and four native species still occur in the reserve, two bats and two cetaceans. With these four mammal species, the number of known vertebrates at Banco Chinchorro is now 360. More research on the mammals of Banco Chinchorro is needed to increase the knowledge of the ecology and the population status of the species present in the area. It is also very likely that other species of bats and cetaceans are present in the reserve.

A concern about statistics in wildlife studies, particularly of endangered and threatened species, is whether the data collected meet the assumptions necessary for the use of parametric statistics. This study identified published papers on the nine endangered and six threatened species found only on Puerto Rico using five different databases. The results from the Zoological Record database identified the most articles, including all identified by the other databases. Of the 222 identified articles, 108 included some form of statistics, 26 used only descriptive statistics, 34 included only parametric statistics, 26 used only nonparametric statistics, and 22 reported both parametric and nonparametric statistical analyses. This meta-study showed that the percentage of articles with no statistical treatment decreased in the most recent 20 years, and that although parametric statistics continue to be the most commonly used in published wildlife studies of Puerto Rican wildlife, there has been a distinct increase in the use of nonparametric statistics over time.

Extinctions and population decline of species on islands are often attributed to invasive alien species (IAS). Predation from IAS, such as the Small Indian Mongoose (Urva auropunctata) drove the Critically Endangered Jamaican Rock Iguana (Cyclura collei) to near extinction. Historical and ongoing conservation efforts have restored the population to 500 to 600 adults today. Despite intensive control, IAS incursions into the core area remain common, preventing natural population recruitment. To improve our management and understanding of IAS, we investigated IAS spatial use within the range of the Jamaican Rock Iguana. Seventeen mongooses and cats were tracked with Very High Frequency (VHF) and Global Positioning System (GPS) transmitters for up to 72 days. Several spatial analyses were performed for all IAS, and home ranges were calculated for 13 individuals. Average 100% Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP) home range for VHF tracked mongoose and cats were 25.7 ha and 23.9 ha, respectively. Average 100% MCP, 95% Kernel Density Estimate (KDE), and 50% KDE home range estimates for GPS tracked cats were 78.2 ha, 80.3 ha, and 21.6 ha, respectively. Average IAS range length (distance between the two farthest points) was 979.2 m. Tracking tunnels were also utilized and revealed nearly equal numbers of mongoose tracks inside and outside the iguana core zone. Our results suggest the use of 100 m grid spacing for traps and the introduction of a buffer zone surrounding the core protected zone to restrict IAS incursions. The suggested modifications are expected to mitigate the effects of IAS on the Jamaican Rock Iguana population, improve hatchling survival, and facilitating natural population recruitment and growth.

The surface and subsurface geology of the Exuma Cays in the central Bahama Islands records sea-level cyclicity that extends back to the Jurasssic, however the focus of this paper is the Plio-Pleistocene, since approximately 1–3 million years ago. During the 1990s, the first author surveyed a large number of the islands by boat, mapped the geology on 1:25,000 topographic maps with the aid of air photos, and more recently complemented these mapping studies using Google Earth Pro. In 1994, two 33 m cores were extracted from Norman's Pond Cay and Lee Stocking Island in the southern group of the Exuma Cays. The outcropping rocks throughout the Cays are characterized by a mix of nearly pure bioclastic and oolitic sediments and limestone units. Generally, the highstand limestone deposits are capped with lowstand terra rossa paleosols, red-stained micritic limestone, calcrete, or karst surfaces. From surface and subsurface geology, a minimum of seven stratigraphic units are recorded, yet many cycles are obviously missing. Three broad eustatic intervals are evident from the δ¹⁸O record. These are associated with the Pliocene-early Pleistocene (“PP” >1.2 Ma), Mid-Pleistocene Transition (“MPT” ∼1.2–0.7 Ma), and the mid-late Pleistocene (“MLP” ∼0.7 Ma to present). A combination of physical stratigraphy, geomorphology, paleomagnetism, and amino acid racemization (AAR) provide a general age framework for these deposits. Pliocene beds at -25 m in only one core appear to indicate slow subsidence of the Bahama Banks. An interval of prolonged bank marginal or lower sea stands of the MPT are indicated by a cluster of dense, clayey red paleosols. Many MLP rocks on the islands and in the cores retain sufficient amino acids to establish a relative chronology for the MLP. The geomorphic and stratigraphic succession from the Exumas shows very rapid progradation of the over-steepened bank margin toward Exuma Sound by several km since the Plio-Pleistocene. The purpose of this paper is to: 1) characterize the geology of the existing Exuma rocks and cays; 2) demonstrate the shallow-subsurface stratigraphy in two 33-m long cores; and 3) provide some examples of how the Exuma Cays and their margins have evolved over the past 1–3 million years.

We used the chloroplast markers trnL-F and rbcL to construct a DNA barcode sequence library of Adiantum (Pteridaceae) from Puerto Rico. By conducting BLAST searches, the trnL-F marker was able to successfully determine specimens of six out of 10 species for which data were generated, and failed for four. For the nine species for which rbcL sequences were obtained, the BLAST search method was successful for three, partially successful for three, and a failure for three. Phylogenetic analyses of both markers were able to resolve and distinguish all sampled taxa, with the exception that sequences of A. latifolium and A. ×variopinnatum were recovered as an unresolved polytomy with A. petiolatum nested within it. The molecular data indicate that what has previously been determined as A. pyramidale on Jamaica, Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico likely represents at least two distinct species, based on data from Cuba and Puerto Rico. We also report the presence of A. ×variopinnatum on Puerto Rico for the first time.

Croton flavens shares a general morphology with multiple species throughout Croton section Adenophylli, which has complicated the application of names to these taxa. We generated nuclear (ITS) and chloroplast (trnL-F) phylogenies of C. sect. Adenophylli in order to identify the phylogenetic placement of C. flavens and morphologically similar species. Based on these phylogenies, we recognize six subsections within the section, two of which (C. subsects. Adenophylli and Velamea) required new combinations, three others (C. subsects. Caribaeus, Laceratoglandulosus, and Meridionalis) are newly described, and one (C. subsect. Pungentes) was previously described. Croton flavens is restricted to the islands of the West Indies, extending from the Bahamas to Trinidad, but absent from the Leeward Antilles. It appears to be rare at the extremes of its range in the Bahamas and Trinidad, but otherwise it is often a ubiquitous member of dry, shrubby vegetation of many Caribbean islands. Within C. flavens we recognize a widespread typical variety and C. flavens var. pallidus from Hispaniola and Cuba.