BIODIVERSIDAD EN LA ZONA DE BUCEO DEL PARQUE NACIONAL DE PUNTA FRANCÉS, ISLA DE LA JUVENTUD, CUBA.

The diving zone of Punta Frances is situated in the South West of the Isle of Youth, and is proposed as National Park in the Cuban National System of Protected Areas. The Park has a marine extension of 5.15 km² and includes a coral reef with high diversity of species and biotopes. The study done in 2001 and 2002 allowed us to identify 42 species of algae, 3 fanergamas, 29 sponges, 21 gorgonians, 35 corals and 79 fish. The most representative habitats from the coast line to 25 m depth were: sand bottom with or without seagrass bead; shallow patch reef; Acropora crest; carbonate hardbottom with isolated coral and gorgonians with a slope (veril); deep patch reef and spur and groove close to the wall. In general a healthy reef was found, although some indicators, as a high macroalgae and cyans cover with damaging effect on benthonic sesil organisms and a scarcity of big herbivorous and carnivorous fish alerted about potential disturbances in the reef. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]