Contribución de la ictiofauna arrecifal a los servicios ecosistémicos del Sistema Arrecifal Mesoamericano

Introduction: Ecosystem services (ES) are benefits derived from ecological processes that contribute to human well-being. Coral reefs and their fish communities provide multiple ES, but they face growing threats in the Mesoamerican Reef System (MRS), where reef degradation affects biodiversity and associated benefits. Although assigning ES at the species level remains a challenge, their assessment is key to conservation and management. Objective: To characterize the contribution of reef fish species included in the Reef Health Index (RHI) to the ES of the Mexican MRS. Materials and Methods: Based on scientific literature, databases, identification guides, and consultations with experts, twelve ecosystem services in the categories of provisioning, regulation, support, and cultural were assigned to 28 species of Epinephelidae, Lutjanidae, and Labridae included in the RHI. Differences in the average number of ES among families and categories were evaluated using ANOVA; hierarchical clustering analyses were performed; and the contribution of fish to ES was calculated using an index at six sites within the Cozumel Reefs National Park (CRNP), relating it to environmental factors and the RHI. Results: All species contributed to multiple ecosystem services, with Epinephelus striatus standing out with seven ecosystem services. Groupers and snappers dominated provisioning services, while parrotfish were primarily responsible for regulatory functions such as herbivory and bioerosion. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between service categories but not between families. Cluster analyses identified functional groupings related to ecological processes and social benefits. At six sites in the CRNP, the relationships between ecosystem service diversity, environmental variables, and the RHI were weak and not significant. However, the Ecosystem Service Index showed marked spatial heterogeneity, with Chankanaab standing out as the site with the highest value. Conclusions: The results highlight the multi-service nature of the reef fish fauna and suggest that ES can complement traditional reef health metrics to strengthen conservation and management strategies in the Mexican Caribbean.