Background:

Since 2011, the coasts of North America, Mexico, and the Caribbean have experienced an unusual increase in the arrival of Sargassum. As a consequence of this massive accumulations of Sargassum holopelagic species in Caribbean Sea have been generated and that threaten local biodiversity and trigger economic losses associated with beach deterioration and impact on fisheries and tourism.

Goals:

This document quantifies the occurrence of an excessive drift of Sargassum in two sites (Puerto Viejo and Punta Uva) of the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, Limón province, in March-April of 2019. A macroalgae species checklist is presented from six sites (Punta Cahuita, Puerto Vargas, Puerto Viejo, Playa Chiquita, Punta Uva and Manzanillo) in the Caribbean. In addition, the Sargassum morphotypes are quantified for the study area.

Methods:

Transects (50 m) were located parallel to the shoreline and, in points previously estimated, a quadrat of 25 x 25 cm covered the entire Sargassum band width on the beach until the water line, by fliping the quadrats and collecting the biomass for as many quadrats were necessary for the band. Then, pelagic Sargassum biomass was weighted in every point, and the dry weight biomass was estimated. Three quadrats were collected by the transect method. Associated species were identified as well as Sargassum morphotypes in all sites.

Results:

Descriptions that illustrate the morphology of the three morphotypes of pelagic species. The putatively rare S. natans VIII dominated the dritf (65 % dry weight), followed by S. natans I (25% dry weight), and S. fluitans (10 % dry). Twenty eight species were identified from Chlorophyta (9), Ochrophyta (15), and Rhodophyta (4) Divisions.

Conclusions:

There were no significant differences between months (March-April) and sites (Puerto Viejo and Punta Uva) for the dritf biomass.