First report of the coral formation of Bahía Honda, Guajira, Colombia

Abstract

The discovery of a previously unregistered fringing coral reef in Bahía Honda, Alta Guajira, Colombia, is presented. Historically, Bahía Honda has been referenced as an area without coral formations despite previous visits from researchers. This discovery happened during the characterization of seagrasses and mangroves in Hondita and Portete Bays. To describe its specific and structural
formation, rapid ecological assessments were carried out through free diving. The reef is composed of two segments: a mixed coral formation no more than 30 m long and a barrier of approximately 1.8 km of Acropora palmata, extending from 0.5 to 4.0 m deep. In this barrier, massive growth corals, mainly of Colpophyllia natans, Pseudodiploria strigosa and Siderastrea siderea, were observed distributed
along the reef. A total of 22 species of coral were recorded. The coral formation was determined to be in good health, with the only observed affectation being the dark spot disease in S. siderea. No other diseases commonly associated with the reefs of the Colombian Caribbean were observed. Additionally, a preliminary record of fish species present in the reef was made, identifying 30 species.