true

ISRA FACTSHEETS

SOUTH AMERICAN ATLANTIC REGION

ISRA FACTSHEETS

SOUTH AMERICAN ATLANTIC REGION

Providencia Island ISRA

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Providencia Island ISRA

Providencia Island

Summary

Providencia Island is located in the northwest side of the Colombian Caribbean Sea. It is characterised by the presence of coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, and sandy and rocky substrates. The area overlaps with the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve Key Biodiversity Area and the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve marine protected area. Within this area there are: threatened species and undefined aggregations (Caribbean Reef Shark Carcharhinus perezi).

Providencia Island

Providencia Island

DESCRIPTION OF HABITAT

Providencia Island is located in the northwest side of the Colombian Caribbean Sea. It is part of the San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina Archipelago, situated ~220 km east of Nicaragua and ~700 km northwest of the Colombian mainland. It is characterised by a coral reef bordering the island, seagrass beds, and mangroves. Sandy and rocky substrates are commonly found in the area. Two main seasons dominate the area, a dry season from February–April and a rainy season from June–December (Ballesteros-Galvis 2007). Sea surface temperatures range from 26–30°C (Monroy-Silvera & Zambrano 2017).

The area overlaps with the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve Key Biodiversity Area (KBA 2025). It also overlaps with the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve marine protected area (UNEP-WCMC & IUCN 2025).

This Important Shark and Ray Area is benthic and pelagic and is delineated from inshore and surface waters (0 m) to 30 m based on the bathymetry of the area.

CRITERION A

VULNERABILITY

One Qualifying Species considered threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species regularly occur in the area. This is the Endangered Caribbean Reef Shark (Carlson et al. 2021).

CRITERION C

SUB-CRITERION C5 – UNDEFINED AGGREGATIONS

Providencia Island is an important area for undefined aggregations of one shark species.

Aggregations of Caribbean Reef Sharks have been regularly observed by divers operating in the area (D Cardeñosa unpubl. data 2024; Fundación Squalus unpubl. data 2024). Aggregations between 3–10 individuals were opportunistically observed by divers and on 11% of Baited Remote Underwater Video Station (BRUVS) survey deployments (n = 170) in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2024 (MacNeil et al. 2020; D. Cardeñosa unpubl. data 2024; Fundación Squalus unpubl. data 2024). Aggregations are composed of individuals measuring between 100–250 cm total length (TL) and are found on the east and west sides of the island (D Cardeñosa unpubl. data 2024, Fundación Squalus unpubl. data 2024). Additionally, videos recorded opportunistically by scientists in 2020 show aggregations of 5–6 Caribbean Reef Sharks. BRUVS surveys conducted between 2019–2024 have shown a MaxN (maximum number of individuals of a species observed in a single frame) value between 1.2–1.8 individuals (D Cardeñosa unpubl. data 2024). These values revealed that Providencia Island holds the largest abundances of Caribbean Reef Sharks across the San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina Archipelago (D Cardeñosa unpubl. data 2024). Additional information is needed to confirm the nature and function of these aggregations.

Providencia Island

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