CANCELLED - Influence of the water’s quality in the aquatic macro-invertebrate communities’ distribution in an urban coastal wetland – Ciénaga Las Cucharillas

Background/Question/Methods

Not much is known about short-lived waterlogged habitats and the vital role they play in coastal urban wetlands. The limited knowledge there is about their importance shows that mal management processes can cause an eventual deterioration of the habitats. Aquatic macroinvertebrates, who live in these temporary habitats, are very useful bioindicators to determine the state of health of the ecosystem that surrounds them. Our aim is to determine the responses of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities to physicochemical factors fluctuations in temporary ponds at a tropical palustrine/estuarine coastal urban wetland, las Cucharillas Natural Reserve (the research area). We collected aquatic macroinvertebrate samples monthly throughout the rainy season (August, September, and October) and then were identified by order and family in the laboratory. To do so, samples of the logged water were taken to test its quality, specifically conductivity, salinity (PPT), and pH, and one millimeter was used (1ml) for Escherichia coli culture methods.

Results/Conclusions

By studying the presence and variations of these organisms it is possible to understand how natural phenomenons or nearby environmental changes impact a coastal urban wetland and what improvements can be made in its management. To address this imperative matter, we selected to study the Ciénaga Las Cucharillas Reserve in Cataño, Puerto Rico which is a coastal urban palustrine/estuarine wetland anthropogenically modified since European colonial times. When analyzing the data collected, by using the JMP software, we were able to determine there was a significant difference in pH, salinity, and water level in the distinct dates. These differences were due to the variations in rain throughout the three months of the study, which resulted in the distinct durability of the temporary aquatic habitats. Consequently, these variations in the abiotic components of the ecosystem result in a notable change in the diversity and abundance of aquatic macro-invertebrates in the Ciénaga las Cucharillas Reserve.