Abstract
This work integrates and proposes protocols for monitoring marine biodiversity in marine protected areas of the Mexican Caribbean, as part of a program with an integrative approach that allows its implementation to be extended to the marine protected areas of the Greater Caribbean region. The application of the described methodologies makes it possible to estimate the resilience and evaluate the condition and health status of three priority ecosystems (coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves), and two groups of key species: sea turtles and chondrichthyans (sharks and rays). The five monitoring protocols include the theoretical foundation of 60 biological and physicochemical monitoring indicators based on knowledge of the structure, function and biological processes that occur in priority ecosystems in the region, as well as the ecology of the species. The calculation procedures and the relevance of each indicator to estimate the health of these ecosystems and species are described. The book, coordinated by CONABIO, integrates the scientific-technical knowledge of academics, researchers, decision makers, and members of civil society in Mexico, of which 21 are authors and 33 collaborators from 17 institutions, with experience in work for the conservation of marine protected areas of the Mexican Caribbean. It also describes how the information resulting from the monitoring is integrated and assimilated within the Marine-Coastal Information and Analysis System (SIMAR), keeping the information available to the scientific community and decision makers. This work brings together technical elements available to support the generation of better public policies for the conservation and sustainable use of our marine resources for the well-being of society. The protocols are part of international efforts to integrate and distribute marine biodiversity data that allow assessing its condition in a context of climate change and variability.