Marine biodiversity baseline for Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica: published records

A comprehensive baseline of marine biodiversity for the Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), Costa Rica, reveals 594 marine species, representing 15.5% of known Pacific coast species. Crustaceans, mollusks, and cnidarians dominate, while groups like red algae, polychaetes, and marine fishes appear underrepresented due to sampling bias. Notably, 89 species are endemic to ACG, and 30 have been originally described from the region. Sampling has been concentrated in specific areas, prompting an ongoing BioMar project to inventory marine organisms systematically, with plans for digital cataloging and voucher specimen deposition. This initiative aims to address knowledge gaps and serve as a model for future marine biodiversity studies.

Cortés, J. (2017). Marine biodiversity baseline for Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica: published records. ZooKeys, 652, 129–179. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.652.10427