Trophic ecology of juvenile bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) in the Coyote estuary, Costa Rica.

Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is a near-threatened elasmobranch species capable of moving between the fresh and salty waters of tropical and subtropical coastal areas, for which we still lack important ecological information. During their first years of life, bull sharks use estuarine systems as nursery areas, making them highly susceptible to environmental and anthropogenic pressures. We studied the trophic ecology of juveniles found in the Coyote estuary, a potential nursery area in Costa Rica, to understand the potential impact of further bull shark declines and gain knowledge that could aid in their conservation.

[Genetic variation and gene flow among populations of Crocodylus acutus (Crocodylia: Crocodylidae) in three rivers of Central Pacific, Costa Rica].

The crocodylid Crocodylus acutus is found in the Central Pacific of Costa Rica only in small populations, and the species is protected by law. RAPD was used to analyze 70 DNA samples of Crocodylus acutus from the rivers Jesus Maria, Tarcoles and Tusubres in the Central Pacific of Costa Rica in order to estimate genetic diversity, differentiation among populations, gene flow and genetic distance between them. Genetic diversity was low in the three rivers, H = 0.