José Ernesto Mancera Pineda

Geomorphological setting and sedimentary environment are key controls on mangrove soil development and organic matter dynamics. This study quantified and compared soil organic matter (SOM) across mangroves established in two contrasting sedimentary environments: an open-coast carbonate system with minimal riverine influence and a deltaic terrigenous system characterized by fluvial inputs. We tested the hypothesis that higher allochthonous inputs in terrigenous environments influence SOM accumulation. Two stations were established within each environment, and soil profiles were sampled to 1 m depth to determine SOM (%) and associated physicochemical properties. SOM varied markedly across environments, with higher values in the carbonate environment (55.2–78.6%) compared to the terrigenous environment (3.6–34.7%). In contrast, porewater temperature (28.4–30.0 °C) and pH (6.8–7.1) showed limited variation among sites. The main gradients were associated with bulk density (0.13–0.94 g cm⁻³), salinity (8.4–38.2), and soil depth (0.92–3.7 m). Principal component analysis indicated a tendency for the carbonate environment to be associated with higher salinity and SOM density; although there was considerable overlap with the terrigenous environment. The high SOM values in the carbonate environment, where allochthonous inputs were minimal, indicate a significant contribution of autochthonous production to soil formation. This finding suggests environmental controls on SOM dynamics in Neotropical mangroves that must be considered to improve assessments of carbon storage across coastal settings.

The Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (CGSM), Colombia's largest coastal wetland, has been monitored for more than 25 years due to its high ecological and socioeconomic importance. Since 2020, a freshening process has been observed that likely facilitated the recent invasion of the aquatic macrophyte Hydrilla verticillata in the Pajarales Complex, the only subsystemwhere this invasion has been documented so far.This study presents a rapid and quantitative assessment of the spatial and temporal expansion of aquatic vegetation using Sentinel-2 imagery and Google Earth Engine. Monthly NDVI composites were generated for the period July 2024–January 2026, classifying water surfaces with NDVI ≥ 0.40 as vegetation-covered.Vegetation cover increased from less than 2 km² in July 2024 to more than 48 km² in January 2026 within a study area of approximately 60.7 km². Field verification conducted between September 2025 and January 2026 confirmed that the detected vegetation mainly corresponded to dense stands of H. verticillata and Eichhornia crassipes. The applied workflow provides areproducible approach for monitoring invasive aquatic vegetation in tropical coastal wetlands. VER VIDEO

Ecosystem metabolism, represented by primary production and respiration, is a valuable indicator of the functioning and condition (autotrophic or heterotrophic) of a water body. Coastal lagoons produce organic matter predominantly through aerobic photosynthesis, releasing oxygen, and process this autochthonous matter and the influx of allochthonous organic matter, predominantly through aerobic respiration, consuming oxygen. Therefore, dissolved oxygen represents a window into metabolic processes, and a model of the site-specific daily cycle constitutes an important tool for evaluating ecosystem condition. To develop such a model, we used La Escollera, a man-made, small and shallow tropical urban coastal lagoon surrounded by implanted mangroves, in the city of Santa Marta, Colombian Caribbean. The diurnal oxygen curve method was applied to the dissolved oxygen series obtained during the dry season. Oxygen cycled daily on average from hypoxic (< 2 mg L ^− 1 ) to normal (> 4 mg L ^− 1 , seldom saturated), and net ecosystem production was almost always negative (mean − 3.75 g C m ^− 2 d ^− 1 ) owing to a high respiration (mean 6.16 g C m ^− 2 d ^− 1 ). The metabolic condition of the water body and its bottom was thus heterotrophic and a net carbon dioxide source. At La Escollera, the consumption of allochthonous organic matter was not coupled to primary production and therefore, the latter was exceeded by oxygen consumption. The potential contributions of turbidity, allochthonous organic matter and nutrients, in fueling bacterial biomass and production, could explain the heterotrophic metabolism that characterizes this urban coastal lagoon.

Extreme weather events are increasingly disrupting mangrove forests, undermining their structure, function, and the ecosystem services they provide. Although ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) is gaining attention, operational frameworks linking ecological processes with hurricane response remain limited, particularly in tropical island systems. This study develops a decision-oriented Eco-DRR framework that integrates ecological thresholds with hurricane response while incorporating community perspectives. It is applied to the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina (Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, Colombian Caribbean), which was severely impacted by Hurricane Iota (Category 4) in 2020. The framework is built on three pillars: ecological restoration principles, adaptation to island conditions, and participatory integration of scientific and local knowledge. It comprises three components: (1) a protocol covering preparedness, response, and restoration phases; (2) a threshold-based decision pathway using indicators such as hydrological connectivity and natural regeneration capacity to determine when passive recovery or active restoration is required; and (3) a cost–benefit layer linking restoration investments to ecosystem service values. Results show that mangrove restoration must be site-specific and process-based, with active interventions justified only when ecological thresholds are exceeded. Community participation is essential for identifying priority areas and aligning actions with locally valued services. Restoration costs range from $3,000 to $1,250,000 per hectare, while ecosystem service values average about $194,000 per hectare annually, indicating strong returns. At the archipelago scale (~210 ha), long-term benefits far outweigh restoration costs. Overall, the framework advances Eco-DRR into a practical, scalable decision-support tool to strengthen resilience in mangrove-dependent socio-ecological systems under increasing climate risk.

Microplastic (MP) pollution poses a significant and emerging threat to global marine ecosystems; however, regional data for the Caribbean remain limited. This study presents a spatial and temporal characterization of MPs in surface and mid-waters of the Colombian Caribbean (Atlántico and Magdalena departments), which were analyzed as independent compartments due to methodological differences in sampling strategies. Sixteen sampling stations were established across two anthropogenic influence zones: Zone 1 (nearshore/bather zone) and Zone 2 (offshore). MPs were quantified and characterized according to shape, color, size, and polymer composition using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (µATR-FTIR) and multivariate techniques. MPs were detected in 100% of samples. Surface water MP abundance was higher in Magdalena (4.5 MPs m⁻³) than in Atlántico (1.7 MPs m⁻³). Mid-water MP concentrations reached maximum values during the high rainfall season in Atlántico, reflecting localized hydrological and anthropogenic influences rather than vertical gradients. Higher concentrations were generally observed in the nearshore Zone 1 compared to offshore Zone 2, although these differences were not consistently statistically significant. Fibers and fragments were the predominant shapes, and synthetic–natural polymer blends, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), and polyacrylic acid (PAA) were the most prevalent. Generalized Additive Models (GAM) indicated that strong fluvial inputs and proximity to urban and riverine sources were factors driving MP distribution. Additionally, the detection of polymers reported in the literature as rare and high-risk, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), styrene–ethylene–butylene–styrene (SEBS), and polyvinyl stearate (PVS), highlights the complexity of MP sources in the region. Overall, these results provide the first spatial and temporal characterization of MPs in the surface and mid-water of the Colombian Caribbean and identify critical contamination hotspots that warrant targeted mitigation strategies.

Para las aguas oceánicas del Caribe colombiano existe un número limitado de publicaciones sobre la composición específica del fitoplancton, la mayoría es literatura gris. Hasta la fecha, se reportan para el Caribe colombiano 328 especies de diatomeas y 185 especies de dinoflagelados, que son principalmente registros en aguas neríticas. Con el fin de ampliar el conocimiento de la riqueza y aumentar el listado taxonómico existente en aguas oceánicas, se analizó la composición fitoplanctónica en la provincia oceánica del Caribe central colombiano, en un área estratégica que comprende 35,874 km2, representa 7.5% de las aguas oceánicas y se ubica frente a la influencia del río Magdalena. Para esto, se recolectaron 108 muestras entre 2015 y 2017 con botellas Niskin a 10, 80 y 250 m, y arrastres verticales con redes de 20 µm de poro de malla en los primeros 50 m. Se identificaron 287 taxones pertenecientes a dinoflagelados, diatomeas, cianobacterias, clorofitas, silicoflagelados, cocolitofóridos, criptofitas, carofitas y bigiros, encontrando mayor riqueza de dinoflagelados (61.32%) y diatomeas (30.64%). El listado taxonómico comprende 184 especies, 74 nuevos registros para la cuenca del Caribe colombiano; se incrementa la composición específica para dinoflagelados en 27.03% y para diatomeas en 2.44%.

To understand the changes in the position of the mangrove forest fronts, migration trends of Rhizophora mangle along the coast, were analyzed in response to oceanographic, climatic variability and hydrological coast regulators. Due to the large biological, physical and climatic differences between Pacific and insular Caribbean coasts of Colombia, the working hypothesis proposed differences in migration drivers and mangrove responses between the coasts. Remote sensing and photointerpretation techniques were used to identify and quantify the spatial variation of deltaic forest types on the Pacific coast and open-water forest types in the Caribbean. Regression analysis was used to relate mangrove front changes with river water discharge, ENSO climate variability, and wave height and velocity coming from directions in interaction or not with the coral reef (in open water forest). It was found that in 13 years of observation (2010 to 2023), there were constant changes in the position of the mangrove front in both the Caribbean and the Pacific. Wave heights from directions that do not interact with the coral reef barrier, such as during periods of strong hurricane influence, along with ENSO variability, collectively explained the annual changes in the mangrove front of open waters (R^² = 0.91). Freshwater discharge, which was linked to the size of a protective sediment bar in front of the mangroves, significantly accounted for the annual changes in mangrove coverage (R^² = 0.70). During the period analyzed, the open-coast mangrove front exhibited a progradation of 0.45 to 1.02 yr^⁻¹, while the deltaic mangrove in Bocagrande showed a retreat of 1.13 yr^⁻¹. These findings provide valuable insights for marine spatial planning, supporting mangrove conservation efforts.

La Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (CGSM) es uno de los sistemas socioecológicos más estudiados de Colombia y, a la vez, uno de los más amenazados. Su deterioro se ha intensificado desde los años sesenta por intervenciones de infraestructura que alteraron su conectividad hídrica. A pesar de múltiples esfuerzos de restauración, como el Proyecto Pro-Ciénaga, la falta de continuidad en la gestión y el desconocimiento de información técnica acumulada han limitado la efectividad de las intervenciones. Este artículo presenta un repositorio documental sistematizado con más de 1800 referencias sobre la CGSM, disponible en línea a través del portal del CEMarin. La colección incluye informes técnicos, tesis y artículos científicos de difícil acceso, recuperados de archivos institucionales y personales. La plataforma no solo facilita el acceso a documentos históricos, sino que también los categoriza por dimensiones abióticas, bióticas y antrópicas, integrando herramientas de navegación modernas y enlaces a copias digitales. Se propone que el uso estratégico de esta información histórica es esencial para una gestión ambiental más eficaz, proactiva y sostenible. En lugar de priorizar la generación constante de nuevos datos, se aboga por integrar la “memoria ecológica” en la toma de decisiones actuales. Este artículo invita a reflexionar sobre el valor del conocimiento acumulado como base para mejorar la relación costo-beneficio, evitar errores repetitivos y fortalecer las acciones de conservación en la CGSM. La pregunta que se aborda es: ¿Cuál es el alcance, calidad y disponibilidad de la información para la gestión ambiental en la CGSM?

Carbonate - open-water mangroves have high OC content, apparently due to sediments’ biophysical characteristics. However, the role of key regulators such as salinity and hydroperiod, which modulate the forest structure and therefore carbon dynamics, has been little explored. This study evaluates the influence of salinity on the accumulation of aerial and underground OC (production of litter and roots), in open-water karstic forests. For this purpose, an experimental design was implemented on San Andrés Island, where there is an edaphic salinity gradient because of the water regime. Three physiographic types of mangroves characterized by different saline regimes were selected. Two inland forests of mesohaline regime (9.63 ± 6.26 and 11.54 ± 7.46 PSU), a euhaline fringe forest (37.47 ± 5.76 PSU), and a hyperhaline regime basin forest (62.36 ± 10.54 PSU). The working hypothesis was the existence of an inverse relationship between salinity and litter production, and a direct relationship between salinity and root production. Root production was evaluated using the growth core implantation technique (108 soil cores), selecting live roots according to diameter (<2, 2-5 and 5-20 mm). The mean (±SD) OC content in dry litter (Mg C ha-1 y-1) was 8.96 ± 0.28; 5.57 ± 0.15; 6.31 ± 0.27; and 4.54 ± 0.8; while the production of dry roots was 0.41 ± 0.08; 1.19 ± 0.46; 1.30 ± 0.5 and 0.24 ± 0.20, for the mesohaline forests, the euhaline forest and the hyperhaline forest, respectively. The proposed hypothesis was sustained among forests with marked salinity ranges. Leaf litter production was not very high in forests with intermediate salinity, and root production was very low in high salinity, suggesting that salinity acts in synergy with other variables influencing the species composition and their functioning. These results affirm the high productivity of carbonate environments and the contribution of autochthonous production.