Ambergris Caye Belize Resort Development - Department of ...

The area of the coastal waters as defined by the latitude of the northern and southern
boundaries of the property and running from the shoreline to the reef crest is 405 acres.
The ratio of the area of the terrestrial habitats, and wetlands and lagoons of the property to
these habitats in the greater BCNP/MR is approximately 1.5%. The ratio of the coastal seas of
the immediate project area to the waters of the greater BCNP/MR is approximately 2.6%. The
ratio of property boundaries and coastal seas to the greater BCNP/MR is approximately 2.1%.
2.3.1.2.1 Invertebrates
The invertebrates found in the area have been listed in Table 2.3. Grimshaw and Paz [2004]
have cited the existence of 145 species in the overall BCNP/MR whereas the Tunich Nah
Survey Team has documented 60 species [See Table 2.3]. Grimshaw and Paz [2004] have cited
the existence 44 species of hard corals and 24 species of soft corals [SeeTable 2.3]. The Tunich
Nah Survey Team has documented 16 species of Hard Corals and 7 Species of Soft Corals [See
Table 2.3]. Two (2) of the species of soft corals documented by the Tunich Nah Survey were
not previously recorded by Grimshaw and Paz [2004] (See Table 2.3).
The Tunich Nah Survey Team documented representatives from six (6) invertebrate phyla.
These included: the Cnidarians or Jellyfishes and corals, the Poriferans or sponges, the
Molluscans which includes the conch, as well as the Crustaceans which includes the crabs and
lobsters, the Ehinodermatans which includes the star-fishes, and the Annelidans or earthworm
group.
In terms of the molluscs, the Horse Conch (Pleuroplanca gigantean) was found in the
nearshore seagrass beds in front of the property [See PL’s 2.23 & 2.24]. The Periwinkle
(Littorina angulifera) was found in some abundance in the nearshore waters of the Laguna de
Cantena [See PL 2.27]. A scientifically undescribed bivalve mollusc was also collected from
the Laguna de Cantena [See PL 2.28].
One of the most frequently encountered crustacean on land was the Soldier Crabs (Calcinus
tibicen) which was found throughout the littoral forest floor [See PL 2.25].
In terms of the crustacean assemblage, the Sally Lightfoot Crab (Graspus sp.) and the familiar
Large Land Crab (Cardisoma guanhumi) were also encountered in the littoral forest and the
beach environment [See Table 2.3].
The most abundant invertebrates encountered were the corals. The large reef-building forms or
Hard Corals such as the Boulder Star Coral (Montastrea annulari), the Pillar Coral (Dendrogyra
cylindricus) and the Mustard Hill Coral (Porites astreoides) were prominent in the shallow
fore-reef and back-reef areas [See Tabole 2.3]
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