Joaquin Rodrigo Garza-Perez

• Ph.D in Marine Science
• Professor at National Autonomous University of Mexico

Since 2011, recurring Sargassum Brown Tides (SBTs), caused by periodic massive influxes of holopelagic Sargassum spp., have impacted seagrass meadows in the 50–200 m wide nearshore fringes of Mexican Caribbean reef lagoons. The present study aimed to assess the cumulative effects of SBTs in 2015 and 2018–2019 through a spatial–temporal analysis of...

Phase shifts from hard coral to macroalgae have led to the formulation of a top-down herbivory paradigm, whose assumption is that a reduction in herbivory is the primary driver of these changes. Caribbean parrotfish from Scarus and Sparisoma genera are usually known as main reef herbivorous. Yet, they are a diverse group of organisms that perform m...

Coral reefs worldwide are being exposed to an interconnected myriad of anthropogenic stressors degrading their structure and functions. Therefore, global coral cover and coral reef ecosystem services have declined by half since the 1950s. Yet, remote reefs represent a time capsule to study ecological processes on minimally disturbed reefs, and thes...

Geomorphic differences among Caribbean reefs have long been noted. These differences are considered to reflect the presence of reefs in different stages of development, following an incomplete recovery from rapid deglacial sea-level rise. But the possibility that these reflect real developmental differences caused by variation in wind, wave, and cl...

A five-band short-range multispectral sensor (MicaSense RedEdge-M) was adapted to an underwater housing and used to obtain data from coral reef benthos. Artificial illumination was required to obtain data from most of the spectral range of the sensor; the optimal distance for obtaining these data was 0.5 m, from the sensor to the bottom. Multispect...

Caribbean coral reefs have suffered shifts in their coral assemblages, driven by local and global stressors. These shifts have affected reef functions, ecosystem processes, and services essential to human well-being. Akumal Reef, located in the northern Mexican Caribbean, generates valuable ecosystem services, mainly linked to tourism, that depend...

Coral diseases acting synergistically with other environmental stressors are a growing problem for Caribbean reefs. Hard coral cover, coral traits, and coral diseases were examined from 1999 to 2021 for Akumal reef, located in the Northern Mexican Caribbean. The 45 recorded coral species were classified into life-history strategies: competitive, st...

Chapter 12. Status and trends of coral reefs of the Caribbean region, pp. 1-25. In: Souter, D., Planes, S., Wicquart, J., Logan, M., Obura, D., & Staub, F. (Eds.) Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2020. Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, International Coral Reef Iniciative, Australian Institute of Marine Science, & Australian Governement.

Un artículo de difusión para comunicar los resultados principales publicados en: 25 years of multiple stressors driving the coral- algae phase shift in Akumal, Mexico. (2021). Randazzo-Eisemann A., Garza-Pérez J.R., Penié Rodriguez I. & B. Zavala Figueroa. Ocean and Coastal Management 214 (2021) 105917, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.1059...

This dataset (in Excel format) represents in-situ information on the percentage of benthic cover collected at 714 stations. Seven field campaigns were conducted (2010-2016), in shallow waters (up to 25 m depth) along the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, from Cabo Catoche to Xcalak, as part of the Mesoamerican Reef System. The biotopes of r...

This collection integrates data from the project "Spatial distribution of benthic habitats in shallow water marine ecosystems of the Mexican Caribbean using WorldView-2 (ArrecifeSAM) satellite images (2010-2018)". The study area covers the shallow waters of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, from Cabo Catoche to Xcalak, as part of the Mesoamerican Re...

Interactions between multiple stressors (climate change, pollution, and overfishing) can erode ecological thresholds and trigger a phase shift from a coral-dominated reef state to less desired benthic states. Akumal Reef located in the North of the Mexican Caribbean is an important case study to quantify the ecological changes of coral reefs affect...

Los espacios y los recursos naturales de la porción septentrional del Caribe mexicano, conocida como Riviera Maya, han sido impactados en las últimas cuatro décadas por el crecimiento de la industria turística. Akumal es la primera comunidad que se desarrolló turísticamente en la zona costera continental del Caribe mexicano, y el peso de décadas de...

Global controls on the oceanographic influences on the nature of carbonate factories are broadly understood. The details of the influences of changes in temperature and nutrients across individual carbonate shelves are less well constrained, however. This study explores spatial and temporal variations in chemical oceanography along and across the Y...

An effective management tool for the spatial prioritization of the Cozumel Reefs National Park (CRNP), using a systematic approach, is an urgent need for the conservation of one of the most important Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Mexico. In this study, we integrated a model using seascape metrics, the spatio-temporal variation of substrate cover...

The assessment of biodiversity in coral reefs requires the application of geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing and analytical tools in order to make cost-effective spatially explicit predictions of biodiversity over large geographic areas. Here we present a spatially explicit prediction for coral reef fish diversity index, as well a...

The Campeche Bank is an important fishing ground in the Gulf of Mexico due to its high diversity of marine resources, exploited by artisanal and industrial fleets. Specifically, red grouper's (Epinephelus morio) fishery has the highest catch volume, making it an important resource for fishermen livelihood and regional economy. Nevertheless, red gro...

No-take marine reserves (fish refuges -FR-in Mexico) eliminate fishing pressure for long periods in delimited areas, promoting fish reproduction and recruitment, recovery of fish community abundance and biomass, augment resistance and resilience in coral reef-associated marine ecosystems, and support local fishing-based economies. A FR was implemen...

Tourism is the primary economic activity on the Riviera Maya in Quintana Roo, Mexico. The area's main attractions are the fringing coral reefs along the coast and the myriad white sand beaches produced by them. Rapid growth of tourism and supporting industries generates jobs and a steady flow of immigrants, increasing demand for housing and service...

Coral-algal phase shifts in which coral cover declines to low levels and is replaced by algae have often been documented on coral reefs worldwide. This has motivated coral reef management responses that include restriction and regulation of fishing, e.g. herbivorous fish species. However, there is evidence that eutrophication and sedimentation can...

Results of PERMANOVA analysis and Pairwise tests of temporal trends in Length (cm), Abundance (number of individuals), and Biomass (kg/100 m2) for different categories of herbivorous fish at Mahahual reefs, over the period corresponding to the observed coral-algal phase shift (2000–2010). The categories are Total herbivorous fish (scarids and scant...

Model parameters and the locations pertaining to data used for parameterization, with corresponding references. To increase readability, the row colors for the parameters alternate between white and gray. (DOC)

Average and Standard Deviation (SD) of Length (cm), Abundance (number of individuals) and Biomass (kg/100 m2) of Total herbivorous fish (acanthurids and scarids combined), acanthurids and scarids at Mahahual reefs, for years during the observed coral-algal phase shift (DOCX)

On Campeche Bank (CB) in the southern Gulf of Mexico, Gags Mycteroperca microlepis are captured as part of a sequential multispecies fishery. Limited scientific data suggest that the Gag is the third most important commercial species in the region, contributing 21% (total weight) of the overall grouper catch. Neither age nor stock data are currentl...

This study investigated the influence of geochemical and environmental factors on seasonal variation in metals in Yucatan's Chelem lagoon. Anthropogenic activities discharge non-treated wastewater directly into it with detrimental environmental consequences. Accordingly, this study established the spatial and temporal patterns of fine grain sedimen...

The Campeche Bank, Gulf of Mexico, is a region with abundant coral reef ecosystems that haven't been studied despite providing goods and services to some human communities. This work presents the topography, coral community and conspicuous reef associated fauna of three reefs of this region: Sisal, Madagascar and Serpiente. Three-D models of reef t...

The Campeche Bank, Gulf of Mexico, is a region with abundant coral reef ecosystems that haven't been studied despite providing goods and services to some human communities. This work presents the topography, coral community and conspicuous reef associated fauna of three reefs of this region: Sisal, Madagascar and Serpiente. Three-D models of reef t...

Akumal, Q. Roo is a site of ecological and economic importance in its system of bays, wetland areas, beaches and different marine ecosystems (seagrass beds, coral reefs) that support a great biodiversity. It is part of the Cancún-Tulum tourist corridor, it was the first tourist destination in the Mexican Caribbean coastal zone and although it is cu...

The assessment of biodiversity in coral reefs requires the application of geo-graphic information systems (GIS), remote sensing and analytical tools in order to make cost-effective spatially explicit predictions of biodiversity over large geographic areas. Here we present a spatially explicit prediction for coral reef fish diversity index, as well...

We applied remote sensing techniques using WorldView-2 images with high spatial resolution and field verification to map the bathymetry and benthic habitats of the Puerto Morelos Reef National Park in the Mexican Caribbean. These images were processed using the standardized physics-based data processing of EOMAP´s Modular Inversion and Processing S...

We applied remote sensing techniques using WorldView-2 images with high spatial resolution and field verification to map the bathymetry and benthic habitats of the Puerto Morelos Reef National Park in the Mexican Caribbean. These images were processed using the standardized physics-based data processing of EOMAP´s Modular Inversion and Processing S...

Shelf-margin reefs and reef sand aprons are important geomorphic and facies elements associated with many isolated platforms today and in the stratigraphic record. Although it is generally appreciated that shelf-margin reefs and reef sand aprons have formed at or near breaks in slope at the rims of platforms throughout geologic time, possible envir...

Isolated carbonate platforms and atolls occur throughout the geologic record, from Archean to present. Although the roles of sea-level change, tectonics, and sediment supply on large-scale changes in stratigraphical architecture of these systems are relatively well understood, the details of the nature and controls on sedimentological variability b...

Otolith shape analysis was used for discriminating stocks of Epinephelus morio (red grouper) from the Campeche Bank. Since red grouper is the most commercially exploited specie in Yucatan, to identify different stocks becomes a major issue for fishery management. From a total of 420 red groupers sampled between 1996 and 1999 by commercial and artis...

Understanding the transformation of unconsolidated sediments into their lithified equivalents is an essential concept in geology, and is especially complex for coral reef deposits accumulating at marine and terrestrial interfaces. Because corals are used as paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental proxies, it is important to identify the extent of alte...

The complex relationship between coral reef fish assemblages and reef habitats at Davies Reef, a middle-shelf reef in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, was approached from a reefscape perspective. A reefscape merges the spatial patterns found in a reef with 3 ecological components: structure, function and change. The main objective of this study w...

Spatial prediction of coral reef habitats and coral reef community components was approached on the basis of the 'predict first, classify later' paradigm. Individual community components (biotic and geomorphologic bottom features) were first predicted and then classified into composite habitats. This approach differs from widely applied methods of...

Ten IKONOS images of different coral reef sites distributed around the world were processed to assess the potential of 4-m resolution multispectral data for coral reef habitat mapping. Complexity of reef environments, established by field observation, ranged from 3 to 15 classes of benthic habitats containing various combinations of sediments, carb...

Purposes To better understand sedimentologic variability on isolated platforms, this project examines the sedimentology of several isolated platforms from across a range of wave, tide, and geochemical settings, examining the influence of these variables on facies distribution and character. Collectively, data on facies body dimensions (presented la...