Biology and Ecology of Puerto Rican Coral Reefs

Puerto Rico, the easternmost island (18°15' N and 66°30' W) of the Greater Antilles, is about 50 km wide and 180 km long on its east/west axis, and has a coastline of 1,384 km including the adjacent islands of Vieques, Culebra, Desecheo, and Mona (Fig. 9.1). Puerto Rico is a “high” island with a central mountain range running east/west with peak elevations greater than 1,000 m. As with most Caribbean islands, the coastal climate of Puerto Rico is usually dictated by oceanic influences. Seasonal rainfall and wind patterns largely follow north/south movements of the Intertropical Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and the atmospheric high pressure area in the North Central Atlantic (the “Bermuda High”). Tradewinds are strongest in winter/spring and weakest in summer/fall because of the south/north positions of the Bermuda High, respectively. Conversely, rainfall is greatest in summer/fall and least in winter/spring due to the north/south positions of the ITCZ, respectively. Due to the relative location of mountainous terrain, annual rainfall is high (1,550 mm) on the east, north and west coasts. In contrast, the south coast (especially the southwest coast in the vicinity of La Parguera) receives annual rainfalls of less than 800 mm. As a result of these geographic and rainfall patterns, major rivers are found on the west (e.g., Añasco River) and north (e.g., Manati, Plata, and Loiza Rivers) coasts. Rivers on the south coast are few with intermittent and low flows except for heavy rainfall events (López Marrero et al. 2006).