Abstract

The Strombus galeatus is a marine gastropod inhabitant of the Pacific tropical coast. It is a species of high economic value because of its generalized consumption and increasing extraction from natural and protected areas, that make it a species in risk and of aquaculture interest. The first studies for this species have been developed in order to describe natural populations in protected and public areas of the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Snorkel and scuba diving have been used for biological observations, and the mark-recapture method for biometric and population biology studies in each of the visited sites. Descriptions for its ecologic biology and population structure by size and sexes have been obtained from each one of the areas. At the same time, some attempts for larVal culture in the laboratory have beenmade. From the observations taken in public and protected coastal zones and after the most common invasion in protected ones, the maintenance and increase of marine protected areas is very important, because of the existence of relatively healthful and reproductive populations for this and other species. Resides, the development of new research to improve larval culture technologies and repopulation methodologies for this species is indispensable to mitigate social pressures under protected areas.

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