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Inter. J. of Marine Science 2012, Vol.2, No.2, 12
-
17
http://ijms.sophiapublisher.com
12
Research Report Open Access
Hydrological Characteristics of Cienfuegos’ Bay, Cuba, Related to the Presence
of the Invasive Green Lipped Mussel
Perna viridis
Yuliesky Garcés , Abel Betanzos , Alexander Lopeztegui , Adriana Artiles
Fisheries Research Centre, 5th. Ave. and 246, Barlovento, Playa, Havana, Cuba
Corresponding author email:
aartiles@cip.telemar.cu;
Authors
International Journal of Marine Science, 2012, Vol.2, No.2 doi: 10.5376/ijms.2012.02.0002
Received: 26 Jun., 2012
Accepted: 12 Jul., 2012
Published: 19 Jul, 2012
This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any
medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Preferred citation for this article:
Garcés et al., 2012, Hydrological Characteristics of Cienfuegos’ Bay, Cuba, Related to the Presence of the Invasive Green Lipped Mussel
Perna viridis
,
International Journal of Marine Science, Vol.2, No.2
12-17
(doi: 10.5376/ijms.2012.02.0002)
Abstract
The aim of this work was to analyze hydrological condition variations in Cienfuegos’ Bay in 2011 and its possible
influence in life cycle and distribution of the green lipped mussel
Perna viridis
. The hydrological parameters in the bay are described
according to the campaigns performed in February, May and November. Samples from two levels (surface and bottom) were taken, in
order to get water temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen. The results show the climatic seasonality influence (dry and rain) both
in spatial as well as in vertical distribution of the observed parameters. The mean concentrations of the analyzed hydrological
markers were in agreement with the NC 25: 1999 requirements of good quality water for fishing use. The observed hydrological
variability allows the growth and development of the green lipped mussel in Cienfuegos Bay waters.
Keywords
Hydrological markers; Cienfuegos Bay;
Perna viridis
; Cuba
Background
Cienfuegos Bay is a semi-closed bay, with estuarine
characteristics mostly in rainy season, which has an
influence in dynamics and quality of their waters
(Tomsack and García, 1975; Seisdedo, 2006).
This aquatic system is one of the major industrial
seaports in Cuba, and thus there is an extreme
vulnerability to anthropogenic effects. Many previous
data account for hydrometeorologycal influence in
distribution and behavior of sea species (Blumberg
et al., 2000; Laodong et al., 2000). Many ecological
damage signs have been described in Cienfuegos Bay
so far, such as: benthic community changes, decrease
of commercial marine species, loss of microalgae
biodiversity and increase in sedimentation rates as
well as higher contamination levels (Moreira et al.,
2003; P
é
rez et al., 2004; Alonso et al., 2006).
Non intentional introduction of the green lipped
mussel
Perna viridis
in this bay first reported by
Fernández-Garcés and Roldan (2005), had generated
several research topics. In general this bivalve
inhabits in intermareal marine, submareal and estuarine
environment with elevated salinity levels where they
frequently form high density colonies (Rajagopal, 2006).
This mussel is highly valued from the commercial
point of view, mainly for his lofty yield, fast growth
and easy culture handling practices. Being a sessile
and strainer species,
Perna viridis
maintains a close
relationship to the environment, and so, temperature,
salinity, dissolved oxygen and other physicochemical
markers are the key in its growth, development and
distribution.
Cienfuegos Bay is located in the south central region
in Cuba, 22°09’ N and 80°27' W (Figure 1). It´s a
typical pocket bay that it communicates with the
adjacent sea by a tight three-kilometer channel. Its
shape is oval and it is oriented from NW to SE. An
irregular littoral morphology of their costs is
characteristic. The total area is about 88 km
2
, 19 km of
maximum longitude and 7.5 km in the widest part,
and a mean deep of 9.5 m (Tomsack and García,
1975). It is naturally divided in two lobules, with
well defined hydrographic characteristics delimited
by "Las Cuevas" shoal to the north of Carenas Key,
which has an enormous influence in water circulation
inside the bay.