Publications

16. López-Pérez AD, Hernández-Delgado E, Cunio IT, Alejandro PJ, Suleimán-Ramos S, Mercado-Molina AE. Higher Fireworm Densities in Structurally Complex Substrate Do Not Increase Predation on Acropora cervicornis Outplants. Revista de Biología Tropical. 2026; 74(S1). https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rrbt/article/view/10950/17831

15. Calderón IP, Andraso GM, Mercado-Molina AE, Sabat AM. Life History Traits of Thalassoma Bifasciatum, in Culebra, Puerto Rico. Revista de Biología Tropical. 2026; 74(S1). https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rrbt/article/view/10158/16253 

14. Toledo-Hernández C, Ruiz-Díaz CP, Mercado-Molina AE. Emerging filamentous red algae blooms: A rising threat to coral reef restoration. Revista de Biología Tropical. 2026; 74(S1). https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rrbt/article/view/7683/10608

13. Cunio IT, Mercado-Molina AE. Beyond Heat: Sediment and Wave Energy Influence Bleaching and Demography in the Coral Acropora cervicornis. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 2026; 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2026.1665257.

12. Rivas N, Ryan JW, Bautista B, Sandquist M, Guerriero AF, Arias SB, Mercado-Molina AE, Rehage J, Santos RO. Tipping the balance: reef community shifts after a regional urchin population collapse. Coral Reefs. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-026-02822-1

11. Lopez-Jimenez IT,  Mercado-Molina AE, Wong JM, Eirin-Lopez J.  Physiological and Epigenetic Responses of the Long-Spined Sea Urchin Diadema antillarum Across a Spatiotemporal Gradient. Ecology and Evolution. 2026; 16 (1): e72915. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.72915.

10. Velázquez-Alvarado J, Pérez-García V, Tellechea JS, Backstrom JT, Mercado-Molina AE. Lack of Consistent Diurnal Trends in Acoustic Metrics from Restored Coral Reefs. Gulf and Caribbean Research. 2025; 36 (1): 71-88. doi: https://doi.org/10.18785/gcr.3601.16

9. Hernández-Delgado EA, Fonseca-Miranda JS, Mercado-Molina AE, Suleimán-Ramos SE. Integrating 3D-Printed and Natural Staghorn Coral (Acropora cervicornis) Restoration Enhances Fish Assemblages and Their Ecological Functions. Diversity. 2025; 17(7):445–445. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/d17070445. 

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8. Baerga-Jiménez G, Mercado-Molina AE. 3D-Printed Polylactide Structures Do Not Affect the Demography of the Threatened Coral Acropora cervicornis. Gulf and Caribbean Research. 2025; 36(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.18785/gcr.3601.04

7. Perez Garcia V, Velázquez-Alvarado J, Dones-Ortiz M, Martínez RE, Backstrom JT, Tellechea JS, Mercado-Molina AE. Phonic Richness Daily Variation Across Three Coral Reefs Under Restoration in Culebra, Puerto Rico. American Geophysical Union, Ocean Sciences Meeting. 2024. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024AGUOSOT24G1576P/abstract

6. Fernández-Negrón L, Ortiz-Rivera I, Pacheco C, Galindo-Estronza A, Suleimán-Ramos SE, Mercado-Molina AE. Natural History of Endangered Cactus Lectocereus Grantianus: Implications for Its Conservation and Management. Caribbean Journal of Science. 2024; 54(2). doi: 10.18475/cjos.v54i2.a23

5. Ruiz-Diaz CP, Toledo-Hernández C, Sánchez-González JL, Mercado-Molina AE. A successful method to restore seagrass habitats in coastal areas affected by consecutive natural events. PeerJ. 2024;11. doi:10.7717/peerj.16700 

4. Rodriguez-Casariego JA, Mercado-Molina AE, Lemos LS, Quinete NS, Bellantuono A, Rodriguez-Lanetty M, Sabat A, Eirin-Lopez JM. Multi-omic characterization of mechanisms contributing to rapid phenotypic plasticity in the coral acropora cervicornis under divergent environments. Coral Reefs. 2023. doi:10.1007/s00338-023-02446-9 

3. Mercado-Molina AE, Suleimán-Ramos SE. Outplants of the threatened Coral Acropora cervicornis promote coral recruitment in a shallow-water coral reef, Culebra, Puerto Rico. Sustainability. 2023;15(24):16548. doi:10.3390/su152416548 

2. Aponte-Marcano PI, Suleimán-Ramos SE, Mercado-Molina AE. Effectiveness of different nursery designs for the restoration of the threatened Coral Acropora cervicornis in Culebra, Puerto Rico. Conservation Evidence Journal. 2023;20:30–39. doi:10.52201/cej20/pnci5011 

1. Santiago-Padua P, Velázquez-Alvarado J, López-Pérez A, Nevárez-Mélendez J, Díaz-Druet LE, Suleimán-Ramos SE, Mercado-Molina AE. Demographic and population response of the threatened Coral Acropora cervicornis (Scleractinia, Acroporidae) to fireworm corallivory. Revista de Biología Tropical. 2023;71(S1):254912. doi:10.15517/rev.biol.trop..v71is1.54912