Table 1. Description of the sampling sites.

Protected area	Coast	Collecting site description	Sampling depth (m)	Location
Gandoca-Manzanillo	Caribbean	Open sea shallow waters located nearby fringing reefs, patch reefs, and carbonate banks and algal ridges. Sediments were dark and sandy	−10 to −6	9°37′10″N 82°36′59″W
Cahuita	Caribbean	The largest fringing reef in Costa Rica consisting of three barriers also presents patch reefs and carbonate banks. Sediments were coralline sandy. Fine sands from the beach were sampled as well	−17 to 0	9°45′44″N 82°49′3″W
Cabo Blanco	North Pacific	Open sea shallow waters located neary patch reefs with coarse sandy sediments of coralline origin. Coarse sands from the beach were sampled as well	−20 to 0	9°33′48″N 85°5′4″W
Las Baulas	North Pacific	Open sea shallow waters located in front of the mouth of the Tamarindo estuary. Fine sandy sediments	−20 to 0	10°18′5″N 85°51′16″W