Luis D'Croz
Staff Scientist
e-mail: dcrozl@si.edu
Address: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute,
Box 0843-03092
Balboa, Ancon
Republica of Panama
or
Unit 0948
APO AA 34002-0948
Telephone: +507 212-8745
FAX: +507 212-8790 / 8091
Publications
Publications by Luis D'Croz in STRI Bibliography
Research Interests
Biological Oceanography
Marine communities in the tropics may show important differential responses to environmental gradients. The role of periodical events, such as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), coastal upwellings, and large land runoff may contribute to important structural and functional differences in pelagic and benthic communities in Central America. Panama provides excellent ground for this type of research, since coastal marine biotas in both sides of the isthmus had common origin, but, evolved and adapted to contrasting environmental conditions derived from the separation of the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea after the closure of the Central American Isthmus, some 3.5 million years ago.
Current Research
Response of tropical marine communities to environmental changes, such as the effects of upwelling on plankton, and the alteration of the polyp-zooxanthellae symbiosis in eastern Pacific corals during El Niño. Part of my research is focussed in the study of plankton, fish larvae, and water quality in both sides of the Isthmus of Panama. The results of these studies have been useful to understand the distribution of coral reefs on both sides of the isthmus. While coral reefs are an important component of Caribbean coastal habitats, they are a small part of the coastal habitats in the eastern Pacific Ocean. These differences are thought to be related to the physical environments in the two oceans. The eastern Pacific Ocean is much more seasonal than the Caribbean. Nutrients, chlorophyll, phytoplankton, and zooplankton are more abundant in the eastern Pacific, where seawater is more turbid, less saline, and slightly cooler. These differences are amplified during the dry season upwelling on the Pacific coast of Panama, when conditions become eutrophic. There is no seasonal upwelling on the Caribbean coast of Panama and very little seasonal change in temperature, nutrients, phytoplankton, and zooplankton. Also, coral distribution might be affected in the eastern Pacific Ocean by ENSO sea warming events. High temperature tolerance experiments performed with several coral species resulted in loss of zooxanthellae, histopathological abnormalities, and mortality similar to that observed during severe El Niños. Experimental studies with the eastern Pacific coral Pocillopora damicornis suggests that high temperatures had greater negative effect on corals from the Gulf of Panama, than on corals from the non-upwelling Gulf of Chiriqui. We are now studying the possible synergistic effect of elevated seawater temperature and UV light exposition on eastern Pacific coral species.
Education and Degrees
B.Sc. (1971). University of Panama
M.Sc. (1974). University of Mexico.
Selected Bibliography
D'Croz, L. & D.R. Robertson. 1997. Coastal ocanographic conditions affecting coral reefs on both sides of the Isthmus of Panama. Proc. 8th Int. Coral Reef Symp. 2:2053-2058.
Jackson, J.B.C. & L. D'Croz. 1997. Chapter Two. The ocean divided. In: Central America: A cultural and natural history, Coates, A.G. ed.). Yale University Press. pp.38-70.
D'Croz, Luis, Jackson, Jeremy B. C., and Best, Mairi M. R. 1998. "Siliciclastic-carbonate transitions along shelf transects through the Cayos Cochinos archipelago, Honduras." Revista de Biologia Tropical 46(Suppl. 4): 57-66.
D'Croz, Luis, Robertson, D. Ross, and Martínez, José A. 1999. "Wind-induced changes in the distribution of plankton, and fish larvae in the San Blas Archipelago, Caribbean Panamá, 29th Meeting Association Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean (AMLC), July 18-24, 1999: 55. Cumaná, Venezuela.
D'Croz, Luis, Robertson, D. Ross, and Martinez, Jose A. 1999. "Cross-shelf distribution of nutrients, plankton, and fish larvae in the San Blas Archipelago, Caribbean Panama." Revista de Biologia Tropical 47(1-2): 203-215.
D'Croz, Luis, and Mate, Juan L. 2000. "The role of water temperature and UV radiation in the recovery of the experimentally bleached coral Pocillopora damicornis from the eastern Pacific Ocean (Panama). Abstract., World coral reefs in the new millennium: bridging research and management for sustainable development. Bali: 9th International Coral Reef Symposium.
2001. D'Croz, L., J.L. Maté & J.E. Oke. Responses to elevated sea water temperature and UV radiation in the coral Porites lobata from upwelling and non-upwelling environments on the Pacific coast of Panama. Bull. Mar. Sc. 69 (1): 203-214.
2001. Hueerkamp C, Glynn PW, D'Croz L, Maté JL, Colley SB. Bleaching and recovery of five eastern Pacific coral species in an El Niño-related temperature experiment. Bull. of Mar. Sc. 69(1):215-236
2002. D’Croz L & Maté JL. The role of water temperature and UV radiation in the recovery of the experimentally bleached coral Pocillopora damicornis from the eastern Pacific Ocean (Panama). Proceedings of the 9th International Coral Reef Symposium. Bali, Indonesia, 23-27 October 2000. Vol. 2: 1111-1116
2003. D’Croz L, Kwiecinski B, Maté JL, Gómez JA, Del Rosario JB. El afloramiento costero y el Fenómeno de El Niño: Implicaciones sobre los recursos biológicos del Pacífico de Panamá. Rev. Tecnociencias, FCNET, Univ. Panamá. Vol. 5, No. 2: 35-49.
2004. Dorta E, Díaz-Marrero AR, Cueto M, D’Croz L, Maté JL, San-Martín A, Darias J. Unusual chlorinated pregnanes from the eastern Pacific octocoral Carijoa multiflora. Tetrahedron Letters 45: 915-918
2004b. Dorta E, Díaz-Marrero AR, Cueto M, D’Croz L, Maté JL, Darias J. Carijenone, a novel class of bicyclic prostanoid from the eastern Pacific octocoral Carijoa multiflora. Organic Letters 6(13): 2229-2232
2004c. Dorta E, Díaz-Marrero AR, Cueto M, D’Croz L, Maté JL, Darias J. Chamigrenelactone, a polyoxygenated sesquiterpene with a novel structural type and devoid of halogen from Laurencia obtusa. Tetrahedron Letters (45): 7065-7068
2004. Schloeder C, D’Croz L. Responses of massive and branching coral species to the combined effects of water temperature and nitrate enrichment. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. Volume 313, issue 2: 255-268
2004. Mate, JL., D'Croz L. Arrecifes de coral en la República de Panamá. In República, Comisión Universitaria del Centenario de la (Ed.), Panamá: Cien Años de República: 465-475. Panama: MANFER, S.A.
2004. D’Croz L, Mate JL. Experimental responses to elevated water temperature in genotypes of the reef coral Pocillopora damicornis from upwelling and non-upwelling environments in Panama. Coral Reefs 23: 473-483