title: Coral Reef Health Indices versus the Biological, Ecological and Functional Diversity of Fish and Coral Assemblages in the Caribbean Sea.
abstract: This study evaluated the relationship between the indices known as the Reef Health Index (RHI) and two-dimensional Coral Health Index (2D-CHI) and different representative metrics of biological, ecological and functional diversity of fish and corals in 101 reef sites located across seven zones in the western Caribbean Sea. Species richness and average taxonomic distinctness were used to asses biological estimation; while ecological diversity was evaluated with the indices of Shannon diversity and Pielou´s evenness, as well as by taxonomic diversity and distinctness. Functional diversity considered the number of functional groups, the Shannon diversity and the functional Pielou´s evenness. According to the RHI, 57.15% of the zones were classified as presenting a "poor" health grade, while 42.85% were in "critical" grade. Based on the 2D-CHI, 28.5% of the zones were in "degraded" condition and 71.5% were "very degraded". Differences in fish and coral diversity among sites and zones were demonstrated using permutational ANOVAs. Differences between the two health indices (RHI and 2D-CHI) and some indices of biological, ecological and functional diversity of fish and corals were observed; however, only the RHI showed a correlation between the health grades and the species and functional group richness of fish at the scale of sites, and with the species and functional group richness and Shannon diversity of the fish assemblages at the scale of zones. None of the health indices were related to the metrics analyzed for the coral diversity. In general, our study suggests that the estimation of health indices should be complemented with classic community indices, or should at least include diversity indices of fish and corals, in order to improve the accuracy of the estimated health status of coral reefs in the western Caribbean Sea.
authors: Laboratorio de Ecosistemas Marinos y Acuicultura, Departamento de Ecología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Zapopan Jalisco, México.
authors: Leopoldo
authors: L
authors: Díaz-Pérez
authors: Laboratorio de Ecosistemas Marinos y Acuicultura, Departamento de Ecología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Zapopan Jalisco, México.
authors: Fabián Alejandro
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0066-4275
authors: FA
authors: Rodríguez-Zaragoza
authors: Laboratorio de Modelamiento de Sistemas Ecológicos Complejos (LAMSEC), Instituto de Ciencias Naturales AvH, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos Investigaciones Oceanológicas, Facultad de Recursos del Mar, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Ortiz
authors: Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Centro de Investigaciones Costeras, Centro Universitario de la Costa, Universidad de Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México.
authors: Amílcar Leví
authors: AL
authors: Cupul-Magaña
authors: Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Ensenada, Baja California, México.
authors: Jose D
authors: JD
authors: Carriquiry
authors: Laboratorio de Ecosistemas Marinos y Acuicultura, Departamento de Ecología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Zapopan Jalisco, México.
authors: Eduardo
authors: E
authors: Ríos-Jara
authors: Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Centro de Investigaciones Costeras, Centro Universitario de la Costa, Universidad de Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México.
authors: Alma Paola
authors: AP
authors: Rodríguez-Troncoso
authors: Reserva de la Biosfera Banco Chinchorro- CONANP. Chetumal, Quintana Roo, México.
authors: María Del Carmen
authors: Mdel C
authors: García-Rivas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D044822:Biodiversity; D017691:Caribbean Region; D057894:Coral Reefs; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology*