Marine biodiversity of an Eastern Tropical Pacific oceanic island, Isla del Coco, Costa Rica

Isla del Coco, a remote oceanic island in the Eastern Tropical Pacific and part of Costa Rica's largest national park, hosts one of the highest marine biodiversity concentrations in its region. A comprehensive compilation of published records identifies at least 1688 species, with gastropods, bony fishes, and crustaceans being the most diverse groups. Notably, 45 species (2.7% of the total) are endemic to the island's national park, underscoring its unique ecological significance. Despite this wealth of biodiversity, significant knowledge gaps remain, particularly in poorly studied regions such as the south side, pelagic environments, and deeper waters, as well as groups like flatworms, nematodes, nemerteans, and gelatinous zooplankton. This study synthesizes scattered historical and contemporary data to highlight both the richness and the unexplored potential of Isla del Coco's marine ecosystems.

Cortés, J. (2017). Marine biodiversity of an Eastern Tropical Pacific oceanic island, Isla del Coco, Costa Rica. Revista de Biología Tropical, 131–185. https://doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v60i3.28356