Study areas
For management purposes the coast of Curaçao has been separated into a
set of coastal areas: Klein Curaçao (1), Oostpunt (2), Caracasbaai (3),
Willemstad (4), Bullenbaai (5), Valentijnsbaai (6), Westpunt (7), North
Shore (8). We compared the fish composition between two environmentally
contrasted areas along the southern protected coast, Willemstad (4, area
from Jan Thiel to Boka Sami) and Valentijnsbaai (6, area from Kaap Sint
Marie to Santa Cruz). The area adjacent to Willemstad includes a port,
an oil refinery and is associated with high industrial and touristic
activities. This area is generally more polluted, where various
pollutants can reach the sea including runoff from agriculture, industry
or sewage pollution, but the high amount of resources leads to a large
fish biomass (Waitt institute 2017). In contrast, Valentijnsbaai is
further away from the city and contains among the highest reef quality
of the entire island, receives lower visits from recreational diving and
a moderate amount of fishing activities, but is also associated with
lower fish biomass (Waitt institute 2017).