Meeting Abstract

P2.117  Friday, Jan. 4  Primary Colonization of Marine Debris in Reefs at Cayos Cochinos, Honduras PRICE, Renee A.; New College renee.a.price@gmail.com

Humans discard a variety of trash that becomes incorporated into the marine environment. On coral reefs, discarded glass bottles and jars develop visible biofilms within 24 hours and are also colonized quickly both by fouling and mobile organisms. A series of fore reef, reef and back reef sites were used during a three week study at Cayos Cochinos, Honduras to examine the glass bottle and jar colonization. The bottles and jars also served as shelters and parts of territories for reef organisms. Fish fed from the biofilm and they used the jars to “cache” hermit crabs. What is typically discarded as marine debris became an integral part of the habitat on this reef.