Abstract

Communities Coral and fish communities at Guanahacabibes National Park were evaluated in March of 2005; after the impact of the Ivan hurricane. This coral reef is located in the SW coast of Pinar del Rio province. The square mark methodology (Weinberg, 1981) was used for corals and visual census belt or lineal transects methodology (Brock, 1954) for fishes. Biological indicators (coral cover, density and mortality of colonies, density and biomass of fish, and diversity indexes) were compared with previous data. The community of corals didn't show variation in its main components. Recent mortality was significant in the colonies; variations in the cover, density, and size indicators in some stations were founded too. The damages to the colonies are attributed fundamentally to the fallen silt product of the surf and not to mechanical rupture consequence of the same one. The fish communities, were not remarkable variations in the composition for species density and diversity indexes, however, the biomass was increased after of hurricane what could mean an increase in the food readiness

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