[Sedimentation on reef communities at Bahías de Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico]

Although coral reef sedimentation is important because it modifies processes like symbioses, reproduction, recruitment and coral growth, Mexican Pacific studies are lacking. On this regard, spatio-temporal variations in sedimentation rate were investigated in six coral reef communities from Oaxaca. During February 2006-January 2007 (excluding April, July and August) two sediment structures, with four sediment traps each, were randomly installed. Sediment traps were replaced with a mean periodicity of 38 days, and the sediments were washed, filtered, dried and weighted in order to calculate sedimentation rate. Sedimentation rate was heterogeneous among localities (F,36 = 7.06, P < 0.01). It was high at Isla Montosa (653.31 kg m(-2) year(-1)) and Isla Cacaluta (450.09 kg m(-2) year(-1)), intermediate at San Agustin, Jicaral-Chachacual and Dos Hermanas (155.18-92.53 kg m(-2) year(-1)) and low at La Entrega (14.33 kg m(-2) year(-1)). Sedimentation rate was homogeneous through time (F7,34 = 0.85, P > 0.5); nonetheless, during the dry season (November-March) sedimentation rate in the area oscillated between 6.8-73.5 mg cm(-2) day(-1), whereas during the rainy season (May-October) the values were 141-1088 % higher (74.5-147.6 mg cm(-2) day(-1), Mann-Whitney U = 137, n = 42, P = 0.03). There was a significant relationship between sedimentation rate and pluvial precipitation (Spearman R = 0.83, n = 8, P = 0.009), suggesting that the amount of sediment reaching coral communities is closely tied to regional precipitation. Sedimentation rates recorded at Isla Montosa (366.64 mg cm(-2) day(-1)) and Isla Cacaluta (366.03 mg cm(-2) day(-1)) during the rainy season can be considered lethal-sublethal considering sediment tolerance and rejection efficiency of stony corals. The absence of coral mortality during the rainy season may result from: a) high efficiency of active sediment removal, b) increased physiological tolerance to sediments, and c) a high degree of passive sediment removal via turbulence. Nonetheless, the combined effect of natural and anthropogenic induced sedimentation may cause a shift in coral community structure and eventually a loss of the reef areas in Bahiás de Huatulco.