Artículo original 115
paid to the deep water coral communities in different areas, where impressive coral formations have been described (García, 2010). Some ofthese coral reef areas around Puerto Rico have already been designated as Nature/Marine Reserves such as: Cordillera Reef Nature Reserve in Fajardo, Luis Peña No-take Marine Reserve in Culebra, Caja de Muertos Island Nature Reserve in Ponce, the Nature Reserves of Desecheo and Mona in the West and Tres Palmas Marine Reserve in Rincón. The Isla Verde coral reef in Carolina is under consideration for designation as a Nature Reserve by the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER). The coral reefs, throughout the World, are subjected to serious threats: natural and anthropogenic. From the natural scenario, corals are subject to diseases, storms that may damage the living tissues and uproot individuals from the bottom. Climate change, with rise in ocean temperatures and increase acidification has been related to bleaching events (Wilkinson, 2008). Coral bleaching is the result of a combination of environmental factors that result in the death or expulsion of the microalgae (zooxanthellae from the polyp’s tissues) causing a very slow rate of growth of the coral, and in some instances their death (Hernandez-Delgado et al., 2006). The second, and probably most immediate, threat to coral reef ecosystem integrity is related directly to human activities. These include, among others: fishing intensity and gear that disrupts the food web by removing critical species like herbivores and high level carnivores from the chain. Coral reefs near major centers of population are subject to increased levels of sediments and contaminants from inland practices reaching the reef and causing high stress on coral species (Wilkinson, 2008). Coral reefs in Puerto Rico are under stress, as well. There are environmental conditions present throughout Puerto Rico that affect coral reefs. The results of recent and ongoing research and the monitoring activities on the coral reefs throughout the Island evidence notable deterioration of these ecosystems (Garcia et al., 2010; Scharer et al., 2009). The causes for this decline in coral reef live cover and general ecosystem health originate from human impacts of different sources, diseases and other natural stresses (Wusinich-Mendez et al., 2007). Also, research shows a decrease in fishing activity in the Island (Valdez-Pizzini, 2011). However, the decline of fisheries activities on coral reefs, have not alleviated the impact, due to the fact that an increase in sediment load from inland activities have increased in the past ten years thus maintaining a constant stress environment on all coastal ecosystems, specially on coral reefs (Ramos-Scharron, 2009; Norat-Ramírez, Mattei & Hernández, 2010). All four-priority areas, selected in 2010 for LAS application: Culebra, the North East Reserves, Cabo Rojo and Guánica, present evidence of these research findings.