Who would think that in El Salvador a coralline reef exists: Stranger for many and for which know of his existence finds making concerted efforts to guarantee their conservation and protection so that him of a good use to this marine treasure. Also are promoting that was continued with the exploration and investigation on this area. The chorale reef is located in the Cóbanos beach. This it is the only reef of chorale who knows itself until the moment in El Salvador . Are for this reason which several institutions to be promoting, to who the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources declares zone protected to the zone of the Cóbanos and to initiate one more a deeper investigation on the zone.
One of the institutions that are making these efforts to protect the reef of the Cóbanos is the National University of El Salvador (UES), who recently make an invitation to the PhD. Carlos Jiménez specialist in chorales. The PhD. Carlos Jiménez is member of the Research Center in Sciences of the Sea of the University of Costa Rica .
The invitation was made in order that the PhD. Jiménez will make a technical study on the area of the Reef of Chorale of the Cóbanos. In effect the PhD. Carlos Jiménez took care of the invitation and makes a visit by the zone to carry out a study on the reef of chorale of the Cóbanos and to present his recommendations on this area of the Salvadoran coasts.
In a publication made in the newspaper New Approach (Nuevo Enfoque) in the edition that corresponds to the first fortnight of the month of July of 2007, is included articulate prepared by Olga Ligia Tejada titleholder: “It is urgent to declare area protected to the Cóbanos”; in which mention of the findings found by the PhD Carlos Jiménez, his recommendations on the area of the reef of chorale of the Cóbanos.
“… clear evidences exist that like any ecosystem coralline, there are noticeable patterns affluent of reproduction (sexual and asexual), as well as the effective recruitment of larvae of chorale in new substrates. The increase of the colonies of the different coralline species is active, which can be demonstrated from the superior part of the rocky platform, to little meters of the beach, to depths between 30 to 40 meters , in where are heads of the stony chorale lobata Porites reaching heights of to a meter and means, with evident growth of 200 years. In some zones of the reef, it is possible to observe these great little heads of lobata Porites 6 meters of depth. In opposition to which one thought, this it is not a dead ecosystem, if not rather a complex ecosystem the potential of growth to become a true reef of chorale; process in which six training reef species participate of chorale of the sorts: Porites, Psammocora, Pocillopora.” The PhD declares. Jiménez on its findings found in the area of the Cóbanos.
In addition, in this article elaborated by the investigating of the UES, the recommendations are included that the PhD. Carlos Jiménez did after making his study in the Cóbanos, the recommendations were:
“a) One is due to guarantee the use, protection and conservation of the marine resources of the reef of the Cóbanos;
b) It is important that one facilitates the reordering and planning of strategies and simple practices of handling;
c) It is important that it is continued with the promotion of the scientific research in the area (exploration, evaluation, experimentation, monitored, education);
d) It is important that one gets up the integral vision at local and regional level (running biological, handling of hydric river basins and Earth use in general, strategies of handle with the interest communities, comparative scientific studies with other coastal atmospheres in the Tropical Pacific;
e) The Cóbanos is first and, until the moment, the only coastal ecosystem that is known in El Salvador, with abundant chorales and other organisms associated to coralline atmospheres, thus becomes urgent to study it, to protect it and to make use of its resources from planned and ordered way.”
With this news article it has been wanted to present a little on the efforts that are being made protect the reef of chorale of the Cóbanos, unknown marine treasure for many. In addition, it has been wanted to present the findings and recommendations the specialist in chorales Carlos Jimenez of the CIMAR of Costa Rica, that came to already confirm what many specialists of the UES and the other organizations of the area of the Cóbanos which they are fighting to make of the Cóbanos a protected area that allows to the conservation and study of this coralline zone of El Salvador.
In future publications we will be giving more data on this beautiful site of great importance for our Country.
Source: Information provided by M.S.c. Olga Ligia Tejada Educational and investigating of the National University of El Salvador
Photography's courtesy of ICMARES UES
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