Dominant Macroalgae in Bahía de Cochinos, Matanzas, Cuba

Spatial-temporal variations of macroalgae were analyzed in a study conducted in Cueva de Los Peces (CP) and Punta Perdiz (PP), two dive sites located on the eastern coast of Bahía de Cochinos. The most conspicuous species found from 3 to 20 m depths were present in the biotopes of ridges and shallow and deep terraces. Sampling was carried out in September 2014, and March and October 2016 by autonomous diving and direct methods. Qualitative visual censuses and quantitative analyzes were used to estimate the coverage (%) of the genera according to the AGRRA methodology with the use of the 10 m linear transect and quadrats as the sampling unit. The first list of macroalgae for the area is offered that includes 49 taxa of which 10 were Rhodophyta, 10 Ochrophyta (Phaeophyceae), and 29 Chlorophyta. The dominant genera during the study period were Halimeda, Dictyota, Lobophora, and Udotea. Spatial differences were found regarding the specific composition. Temporal variations were evidenced in terms of the relative abundance of the genera present, which reveals temporal changes in the qualitative structure, where some species replace others. The information obtained is pioneering and can serve as a comparative baseline for future monitoring of the area.