Publications by authors named "Joyce M Gomez-Samot"
Article Synopsis
- In October 2023, an alien soft coral species resembling an invader from Venezuela was discovered in shallow reefs of southwest Puerto Rico, identified as a xeniid octocoral.
- Multilocus barcoding of the coral's DNA revealed a 100% match with a species native to the Red Sea, marking it as the first confirmed occurrence of this species as an invader in Caribbean reefs.
- The coral's ability to rapidly overgrow and tolerate harsh environments poses a significant threat to local ecosystems, prompting the need for collaborative monitoring and control efforts among local management and stakeholders.
