Late Pleistocene terrestrial faunas of Jamaica are typically found in limestone caves and fissures. Unusually, lithified sand dunes at Great Pedro Bluff, parish of St. Elizabeth, have yielded a biota of land snails and rhizoliths. The land snails include Poteria? sp., Sagda sp. cf. S. delaminata (C. B. Adams), Pleurodonte sp. cf. P. lucerna (Müller) and Pleurodonte sp. 2. These are all large, ground dwelling genera that are widely distributed in other mid-late Pleistocene land snail bearing deposits of Jamaica, as well as the Recent. Small species are not present at Great Pedro Bluff, probably a taphonomic artifact rather than collection failure. Amino acid racemization ratios from Pleurodonte tentatively suggest an oxygen isotope stage 5e correlation; morphostratigraphic correlation previously suggested a younger, Wisconsin age, which still seems more likely.

Mangrove wetlands are being altered by human impacts throughout the Caribbean and Bahamas at an alarming rate. There is a pressing need for a set of criteria that can be used to identify the degree of anthropogenic impact, as well as to identify those areas most suitable for conservation and/or restoration initiatives. We provide a set of taxa that can be used as indicators in mangrove-dominated tidal creek ecosystems. The analysis was based on gradients of human impact measured at both local (tidal creek fragmentation) and regional (human threat indices) spatial scales. Such indicator taxa provide a simple tool for local resource managers, policy makers, and educators, and can be used for rapid assessments of human impacts on floral and faunal assemblages in tidal creeks.

The Pliocene geological history of Trinidad's Northern Basin is little known. The need for such knowledge is pressing; some rock units cropping out there yield hydrocarbons offshore in the Gulf of Paria, but the environments in which they were deposited have yet to be deciphered. As a first step towards unravelling this geohistory, this study examines the sedimentology of the Carolina sand, a small and informal member of the Pliocene Talparo Formation. From plan view the lenticular Carolina sand is concluded to comprise a tidal sand ridge that built up almost to sea level. This interpretation is supported by abundant sedimentary structures indicative of tidal influence (herringbone cross-bedding, mud couplets, clay drapes). Drape and ripple orientations show northward transport that is concluded to be indicative of ebb tide currents. For most of the succession, sediments alternate between two lithofacies (tabular cross-bedded sands with clay drapes, and interlaminated sands and silts). Comparison with tidal flats suggests these lithofacies indicate rapid cycling between different water depths. The depth changes are suggested to be related to outflow from the paleo-Orinoco River, which, like the present day Orinoco, is suggested to have raised sea levels around Trinidad during the annual rainy season. The cross-bedded sands were deposited as deeper-water megaripples on the tidal ridge surface during the rainy season, the interlaminated sands and silts under intertidal conditions when sea levels fell during the dry season. The Carolina sand was probably deposited during one of the eustatic sea level highstands hitherto noted farther east, in the offshore Columbus Basin.

Juvenile lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris, were captured at shallow-water sites around South Caicos over a 16 month period. Capture and recapture rates were relatively low, and residency time appeared to be short, possibly indicating that South Caicos is just part of a larger nursery area. Nonetheless, the presence of neonates with fresh umbilical scars confirms that parturition did take place within the study area. It is suggested that the juvenile sharks utilise a larger activity space than in previously studied areas, and that this is facilitated by strong tidal movements over a large expanse of contiguous habitat.

Jamaica has a rich invertebrate fossil record. The principal localities for fossil decapod crustaceans are Upper Cretaceous (two sites), Paleocene (one site), Eocene (four sites), Miocene (one site), Pliocene (one site) and Pleistocene (six sites); there are no Oligocene localities. Few taxa and specimens are known from the Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene, but this is interpreted, in part, as collection failure. Neogene localities have produced much more diverse faunas, but the only site to yield moderately common and diverse carapace remains is Lower Miocene.

An important goal of coral reef ecology is elucidating the factors driving the distribution of corals, and to this end much attention has focused on disturbances and biotic agents. In this study, small-scale variations in the abiotic characteristics of seawater along the south coast of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, were quantified with the objective of assessing its potential to contribute to variation in coral community structure. This goal was achieved by combining several studies that were completed between 1994 and 2005, and were designed separately to measure flow, in situ light intensities, and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) chemistry. Together, the results reveal a slow westward surface flow at mean speed of 3.4 cm s^-1, and high residency times within semi-enclosed bays. Upstream versus downstream locations periodically differed in light levels, and short-term measurements of DIC chemistry identified diel variation in aragonite saturation state that appeared to intensify in downstream locations. The association between flow and the abiotic properties of seawater suggests that small-scale patterns in water circulation are related to physical gradients that have the potential to mediate the distribution of corals.

As currently understood the bat fauna of the British Virgin Islands consists of five species — Noctilio leporinus, Brachyphylla cavernarum, Artibeus jamaicensis, Tadarida brasiliensis, and Molossus molossus. Our knowledge of distribution of bats in the British Virgin Islands is far more limited than that in the United States Virgin Islands. As part of ongoing research on the bats of the Virgin Islands, recent brief surveying periods in the British Virgin Islands have produced new records for some islands. Also, our researching of existing museum collections has discovered unreported new records. Our new data adds information for five species of bats from five islands in the British Virgin Islands—Guana, Jost Van Dyke, Mosquito, Norman, and Tortola.

Coelothrix irregularis (Harv.) Børgesen, until recently a member of the Rhodymeniaceae, has had several familial assignments within the Rhodymeniales. While suggested by some that the genus belonged in the Champiaceae on the basis of morphological characters, the transfer of Coelothrix to that family has only recently been made and that effected on the basis of molecular evidence. Additional morphological characters for the species as well as DNA sequence analyses from SSU and rbcL genes further support the placement of Coelothrix in the Champiaceae rather than the Rhodymeniaceae. Coelothrix represents a sister taxon to genera in the Champiaceae: Chylocladia, Gastroclonium and Neogastroclonium. Tetrasporangial origin is the result of a single division by a cortical cell, and the tetrasporangial division pattern in Puerto Rican plants appears to be principally decussate cruciate.

The coral reefs of Tobago represent some of the southernmost reefs in the Caribbean and have developed under the influence of runoff (e.g. terrestrial sediment and nutrients) from South American rivers. Local terrestrial runoff resulting from poor land management practices have also impacted reef development. Benthic surveys were conducted at 11 sites around the island in order to assess reef status. Mean (±SD) coral cover across Tobago was 14.9 (±7.6) % and macroalgae cover was highly variable ranging between 65 % at Bulldog Reef (Atlantic Coast), to 1.2 % at Mt Irvine (Caribbean coast). Montastrea faveolata (Ellis) and Diploria strigosa (Dana) dominated scleractinian coral communities and gorgonians accounted for 12.3 (±7.1) % of total benthic cover. Yellow band disease was observed on the major reef builders, M. faveolata, at most sites. The grazing urchin, Diadema antillarum (Philippi), have not recovered since their demise in the 1980's. However despite limited grazing, the majority of monitoring sites were still dominated by coral communities.

In dioecious plants, sexual selection can promote the evolution of differences in the flowering display of males and females. Theory indicates that male reproductive success is principally limited by the number of mates, while female reproductive success is principally limited by resources invested in fruit production. Consequently, male-male competition may result in earlier and prolonged flowering displays of males, while females should flower later than males and exhibit shorter flowering displays because they need to optimize available resources for fruit production. Here, we report sexual differences in the time of flowering of Cecropia schreberiana and Dacryodes excelsa, two dioecious trees native to Puerto Rico. We interpret our results in the context of sexual selection and potential pollen limitation. Timing of flowering was estimated by direct observations of the trees during flowering and by using flower and seed records of a long-term phenology study. Our results show that males of both species tend to exhibit earlier and more prolonged flowering displays than females. In addition, more than 70% of male and female reproductive activity of both species was prolonged, lasting more than six consecutive months. We propose that prolonged flowering periods working in conjunction with other ecological traits associated with dioecy in plants might help to reduce the effect of pollen limitation on reproductive success.

Collecting trips in the American tropics have yielded two unusual specimens of Scutellinia. Although assigned to existing species, these specimens exhibit subtle differences from the descriptions of both species. Normally red to brownish red, a specimen of Scutellinia balansae was collected on decaying banana leaves in Venezuela that has a yellow hymenium. In Scutellinia blumenaviensis the hymenium is usually bright red, brownish red to grayish, however, a specimen with a golden-yellow hymenium was collected on a rotting log in the northeastern lowlands of Ecuador. Descriptions and illustrations of these two species are provided.

We conducted two surveys of Mona Island, off the western coast of Puerto Rico. Bats were surveyed using mist nets and an ANABAT. Five species are reported for the island, two (Monophyllus redmani and Molossus molossus) represent new records for the island. We document the occurrence of maternity colonies of bats in hot caves.

Torrecilla Lagoon, part of the San Juan Bay Estuary system, is a moderately-polluted estuary on the northern coast of Puerto Rico. Foraminiferal assemblages from two 30 cm cores were dominated by Ammonia spp. and Quinqueloculina rhodiensis. The latter taxon exhibits a relatively high occurrence of deformed tests (up to 18%). Analyses for potentially toxic-element in bulk sediment samples of one core show concentrations below recognized toxicity levels except for copper. Copper concentrations (50–138 ppm) fall between previously established Effect Range Low and Effect Range Median values, representing potential for occasional detrimental effects to the aquatic environment. Organic matter content (loss-on-ignition) ranging from 10–23%, coupled with the presence of framboidal pyrite, indicate low oxygen conditions. Ammonia spp. showed no significant variation in size with depth in core. Ammonia-Elphidium index values, a previously established indicator of hypoxia, are 69–100, reflecting relative few Elphidium. Species diversity indices indicate temporal variability in abundance and distribution of foraminifers. Foraminiferal assemblages and organic matter in sediments indicate that Torrecilla Lagoon has undergone episodes of hypoxia.

The Caribbean coot Fulica caribaea is a breeding resident on 15 islands in the Caribbean region. Formerly considered conspecific with American coot F. americana a reappraisal of its conservation status suggests it to be Vulnerable according to IUCN Red Listing threat criteria. Based on a study of 19 sites in the Netherlands Antilles and records of 49 sites (>5 ha) throughout its range I analyze the relationships between numbers of coots and wetland size and the relationships between wetland size, inclusion in the protected area network, and threats to the site and / or the coots. In the Netherlands Antilles there is no relationship between numbers of coots and wetland size, with some of the larger numbers (>200 birds) found on small (<20 ha) ponds. Throughout the Caribbean, protected sites tend to be smaller (median size 30 ha) than unprotected sites (400 ha) and there are significant size differences between threatened sites (drainage, reclamation, hunting), which tend to be large, and those site that are less threatened which tend to be small. While there is a need for field data from many parts of the species' range, it is clear that a successful conservation strategy needs to include education and increasing awareness about the plight of the Caribbean coot as well as an increase in active protection of both habitat and bird. The data from the Netherlands Antilles suggests that protection should not only focus on large wetlands but that protection and active management of a series of smaller ponds may provide a quick return on investment and allow a swift response to improve the status of the Caribbean coot.

We present the results of a preliminary survey conducted in 2006 of the spider fauna of the small oceanic island of Anguilla in the Lesser Antilles. We found 26 species in 10 habitats at eight localities and in nests of the mud-dauber wasp Sceliphron (Spechidae). The most spider-diverse habitat was among the least natural: Roadside vegetation. This was equaled by the species found in nests of Sceliphron. Anguilla shares 12 known species with the islands of St. Kitts-Nevis, also in the Lesser Antilles.

Phytoplankton samples from five freshwater lakes and ponds on the island of Dominica were examined for silica-scaled chrysophytes and heliozoa using transmission electron microscopy. Three species of Synurophyceae were observed: Synura echinulata, S. petersenii and Mallomonas tonsurata; two species of Chrysophyceae: Paraphysomonas vestita and Spiniferomonas trioralis; and five species of heliozoa: Acanthocystis nichollsi, Raineriophrys erinaceoides, Raphidiophrys intermedia, Raphidocystis tubifera and Polyplacocystis marginata. The species composition was not indicative of a tropical environment, but included taxa found worldwide. All are new records for Dominica.

Ceramium fujianum Barros-Barreto et Maggs has been collected for the first time outside Brazil, its type-locality. The species is distinguished from similar species by the presence of tetrasporangia covered by cortical cells. This represents the first report of the taxon for the Cuban archipelago as well as the entire Caribbean region.