Search

The TimeFISH database provides the first public time-series dataset on reef fish assemblages in the Southwestern Atlantic (SWA), comprising 15 years of data (2007-2022) based on standardized Underwater Visual Censuses (UVCs). The rocky reefs covered by our dataset are influenced by pronounced seasonal cycles of ocean temperatures with warm tropical waters from the Brazil Current in the summer (~27°C) and colder waters from the La Plata River Plume discharge and upwelling from the South Atlantic Central Water in the winter (~18°C). These oceanographic conditions characterize this area as the southernmost tropical-subtropical climatic transition zone in the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, reef fish assemblages comprise both tropical and subtropical species. All records included in TimeFISH were collected using UVCs, a non-destructive method that allows the estimation of fish species richness, abundance, and body size distributions. UVCs were performed through 40 m2 belt transects by scuba diving in nine locations along the southern Brazilian coast (25°S - 29°S). Four of these locations lie within the boundaries of the no-entry Arvoredo Marine Biological Reserve, where fishing and recreational activities are forbidden, and the remaining locations are unprotected from these activities. During each belt transect, a diver swam at a constant depth above and parallel to the reef, identifying fish species, counting the number of individuals, and estimating the total body length (Lt in cm) of all detected individuals. All fish individuals in the water column (up to 2 m above the substratum) and at the bottom were targeted. A total of 202,965 individuals belonging to 163 reef fish species and 53 families were recorded across 1,857 UVCs. All survey campaigns were funded by either public or mixed capital (private-public) sources, including seven grants from the Brazilian federal and Santa Catarina state government. Part of the data have already been used in multiple MSc and PhD theses and scientific articles. TimeFISH represents an important contribution for future studies aiming to examine temporal and spatial variations of reef fish assemblages in transition zones. No copyright restrictions apply to the use of this data set, other than citing this publication. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:32:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-01-01 Brazilian endemic batoid elasmobranch populations have declined dramatically in the past 40 years due to anthropic activities (e.g., overfishing). The Brazilian guitarfish, Pseudobatos horkelii, included in the IUCN red list of endangered species [Critically Endangered (CR)], has been captured as by-catch by trawling fishing boats to the edge of extinction. Despite governmental conservation initiatives, the species is still caught and commercialized along the Brazilian coast. In this study, the authors report three rare aggregation events for the Brazilian coast of P. horkelii, inside the only nearshore no-entry Brazilian marine protected area. Strategies for its protection are also discussed. Laboratory of Ichthyology Department of Oceanography Federal University of Espírito Santo Marine Macroecology and Biogeography Laboratory Department of Ecology and Zoology Federal University of Santa Catarina Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade NUPEM/UFRJ Avenida São José Barreto Biology of Teleosts and Elasmobranchs Laboratory (LABITEL) Department of Ecology and Zoology Federal University of Santa Catarina Elasmobranch Research Laboratory São Paulo State University Campus do Litoral Paulista Pça. Infante Dom Henrique Elasmobranch Research Laboratory São Paulo State University Campus do Litoral Paulista Pça. Infante Dom Henrique

Biogeographical transition zones are important areas to investigate evolutionary ecological questions, but long-term population monitoring is needed to better understand ecological processes that govern population variations in such edge environments. The southernmost Brazilian rocky reefs are the southern limit of distribution for 96% of the tropical ichthyofauna of the western Atlantic. The Arvoredo Marine Biological Reserve is the only nearshore no-take marine-protected area (MPA) located in this transition zone. The main aim was to investigate how the populations of rocky reef fish species vary in density and biomass in space and over time, inside and outside the Arvoredo MPA. This study presents results based on a 9 year (2008-2017) underwater visual census monitoring study to evaluate the density and biomass of key fish species. Variations in density and biomass were detected for most species. Factors and mechanisms that may have influenced spatial variation are habitat structural complexity and protection from fisheries. Temporal variations, otherwise, may have been influenced by species proximity to their distributional limit, in synergy with density-dependent mechanisms and stochastic winter temperature oscillations. The MPAs harbour higher density and biomass for most species. Nonetheless, a prominent temporal decline in the recruitment of Epinephelus marginatus calls into question the continuous effectiveness of the MPA.

The red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) is a carnivore bottom dweller sparid, inhabiting flat sandy bottoms, rhodolith and seagrass beds of the Mediterranean Sea, the Western Atlantic (from Florida to Argentina) and the Eastern Atlantic (from Britain to Gabon). Along its native range, the red porgy is highly targeted by commercial and artisanal fisheries. In the past 40 years, the population decline of the species has been widely reported. In many locations, such as the Brazilian coast, stocks have collapsed. The central portion of the Brazilian coast harbours the largest rhodolith beds in the world and the highest levels of nektonic and benthic biodiversity. Along the rhodolith megahabitat, P. pagrus density is disproportionately higher (by 480%) than that of conspicuous benthic fishes inhabiting the same environment. Despite the ecological and economic importance of such an important species along its native range, little is known regarding its habitat use, niche availability and population responses to global warming. Here we present habitat affinities based on data sampled using baited remote stereo-video systems, and modelled niche availability and global warming populational responses. Our findings reveal that the red porgy is a species highly associated with rhodolith beds along the central portion of the Brazilian coast. The presence of a disproportional density and biomass of the red porgy, compared to other marine fish species, indicates that the species plays a key ecological role as a carnivore, mesoconsumer and prey/predator tolerant species, maintaining essential ecological functions in the habitat. In a global warming scenario, the model predicted populational niche shifts poleward and a severe niche erosion at lower latitudes as expected. Conservation initiatives (implementation of Maine Protected Areas, trawling exclusion zones, mining exclusion zones, fisheries management policies) are urgent to secure future stocks of the red porgy and also preserve the fragile rhodolith beds they inhabit.

Kelps are canopy-forming brown seaweed sustaining critical ecosystem services in coastal habitats, including shelter, nursery grounds, and providing food resources to a myriad of associated species. This study modeled the fundamental niche of Laminaria abyssalis along the Brazilian continental margin, an endemic species of the South Atlantic, to anticipate potential distributional range shifts under two contrasting scenarios of future environmental changes (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5). The model for fundamental niche predictions considering the "present scenario" has shown a wider potential area than the realized niche (i.e., the area where the species actually occurs) along the Brazilian coast. In both future scenarios, the models have shown niche erosion on the northern portion of the Brazilian coast and niche gains towards the south. In both scenarios, L. abyssalis populations tend to shift to deeper regions of the reef. The restricted range of occurrence (33,000 km2), intense anthropic activities along these beds (e.g., trawling fisheries, oil/gas mining, or removal for agricultural purposes) acting synergically with global warming, may drive this ecosystem to collapse faster than kelp species' ability to adapt. We propose to classify L. abyssalis as Endangered - (EN) under IUCN criteria, and highlight that long-term monitoring of kelp beds is an urgent need to develop effective conservation initiatives to protect such rare and invaluable ecosystem. FCT: UID/Multi/04326/2019, PTDC/MAR-EST/6053/2014, SFRH/BSAB/150485/2019, PTDC/BIA-CBI/6515/2020 info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion

Human-mediated species invasions are recognized as a leading cause of global biotic homogenization and extinction. Studies on colonization events since early stages, establishment of new populations and range extension are scarce because of their rarity, difficult detection and monitoring. Chromis limbata is a reef-associated and non-migratory marine fish from the family Pomacentridae found in depths ranging between 3 and 45 m. The original distribution of the species encompassed exclusively the eastern Atlantic, including the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands. It is also commonly reported from West Africa between Senegal and Pointe Noire, Congo. In 2008, vagrant individuals of C. limbata were recorded off the east coast of Santa Catarina Island, South Brazil (27° 41' 44″ S, 48° 27' 53″ W). This study evaluated the increasing densities of C. limbata populations in Santa Catarina State shoreline. Two recent expansions, northwards to São Paulo State and southwards to Rio Grande do Sul State, are discussed, and a niche model of maximum entropy (MaxEnt) was performed to evaluate suitable C. limbata habitats. Brazilian populations are established and significantly increasing in most sites where the species has been detected. The distributional boundaries predicted by the model are clearly wider than their known range of occurrence, evidencing environmental suitability in both hemispheres from areas where the species still does not occur. Ecological processes such as competition, predation and specially habitat selectivity may regulate their populations and overall distribution range. A long-term monitoring programme and population genetics studies are necessary for a better understanding of this invasion and its consequences to natural communities. CNPq, Grant/Award Number: CNPq 475367/2006-5; ECOPERE-SE Project; FAPES, Grant/Award Number: PROFIX program No 10/2018 -T.O.: 348/2018; FAPESC, Grant/Award Number: Biodiversidade Marinha do Estado de Santa Catarina Project PI: A.L. FAPESC 4302/2010-8; FAPESC/CNPq, Grant/Award Number: SISBIOTA-Mar project PI: S.R.F. CNPq 563276/2010-0; FAPESC 6308/2011-8; Petrobras (BR), Grant/Award Number: MAArE Project; King Abdullah University of Science and Technology; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

This study presents two years of characterization of a warm temperate rhodolith bed in order to analyse how certain environmental changes influence the community ecology. The biomass of rhodoliths and associated species were analysed during this period and in situ experiments were conducted to evaluate the primary production, calcification and respiration of the dominant species of rhodoliths and epiphytes. The highest total biomass of rhodoliths occurred during austral winter. Lithothamnion crispatum was the most abundant rhodolith species in austral summer. Epiphytic macroalgae occurred only in January 2015, with Padina gymnospora being the most abundant. Considering associated fauna, the biomass of Mollusca increased from February 2015 to February 2016. Population densities of key reef fish species inside and around the rhodolith beds showed significant variations in time. The densities of grouper (carnivores/piscivores) increased in time, especially from 2015 to 2016. On the other hand, grunts (macroinvertebrate feeders) had a modest decrease over time (from 2014 to 2016). Other parameters such as primary production and calcification of L. crispatum were higher under enhanced irradiance, yet decreased in the presence of P. gymnospora. Community structure and physiological responses can be explained by the interaction of abiotic and biotic factors, which are driven by environmental changes over time. Biomass changes can indicate that herbivores play a role in limiting the growth of epiphytes, and this is beneficial to the rhodoliths because it decreases competition for environmental resources with fleshy algae. Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPQ) [407365/2013-3] Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES) CNPqConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPQ) [302604/2015-4] FAPES (Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa e Inovacao do Espirito Santo, Brazil)/CAPES [10/2018] info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Species functional behaviors amidst the food web, such as feeding ecology in ecosystems, are directly connected to their habitat preferences and use. In reef ecosystems, groupers and sea bass are considered key species, as top-down controllers, regulating the trophic levels on which they feed. Moreover, they are a diversified group of actinopterygian fishes, ranging from 7 to 250 cm of total length and inhabiting many types of reef habitats, from shallow waters up to 200 m deep. Due to the exceptional ecological and commercial importance of groupers and sea bass to the rocky reef systems of southwestern Atlantic and considering the small amount of information on their behavior and habitat use available for this particular region, three questions have emerged. First, how are the species spatially distributed considering the topography complexity of their environment? Second, do large Epinephelids and small Serranids have the same use of the water column, when foraging (e.g., position related to the substrate)? Third, do marine protected areas influence the distributional patterns of both families? To answer these questions, we assessed the spatial distribution and habitat use of two dominant species of groupers (Epinephelus marginatus, Mycteroperca acutirostris) and three species of sea bass (Diplectrum radiale and Serranus flaviventris and S. baldwini), using underwater visual census at Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil, during the austral summers of 2010 and 2011. All of the five sympatric species studied are directly associated with specific topographic characteristics that may be related to shelter as well as to reproduction and feeding. Except for M. acutirostris, which was mainly recorded foraging in the water column, all the remaining species are benthic dwellers. Significant evidences of effectiveness advocate that Arvoredo Marine Biological Reserve has critical importance as a refuge for heavily targeted reef species in southern Brazil, such as E. marginatus and M. acutirostris. The establishment of more protected marine areas that encompass the nursery areas near AR, along with proper enforcement, is critical to the protection of endangered and vulnerable marine species. The present work has contributed to the knowledge of habitat use and partitioning of some key reef fishes, especially target species, which is critical to effective conservation measures, including the design and management of MPAs.

The damselfish Chromis limbata is native to the Macaronesian Archipelagos (Azores, Madeira and Canaries) and the western coast of Africa between Senegal and Angola. During the austral summers of 2008 and 2009 the species was recorded for the first time in the south-western Atlantic Ocean around Campeche and Xavier Islands, in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Here, the progression of C. limbata in southern Brazilian waters is described using visual counts and genetic surveys and changes in the density of the native congener Chromis multilineata were also investigated. Underwater visual censuses of both Chromis species were carried out from 2009 to 2014. Chromis limbata tissue samples were collected and the mtDNA control region was sequenced and compared with mtDNA haplotypes from the natural range to confirm species identity, compare genetic diversity and to infer connectivity between newly established Brazilian populations. The Brazilian population of C. limbata increased significantly over the past 5 years and the effect on C. multilineata is still an open question, longer time-series data will be necessary to clarify possible interactions. The molecular analyses confirmed species identity, revealed strong haplotype connectivity among Brazilian study sites and showed a low genetic diversity in Brazil when compared with the native populations, suggesting few individuals started the invasion. Four hypotheses could explain this colonizing event: C. limbata was released by aquarium fish keepers; larvae or juveniles were transported via ship ballast water; the species has rafted alongside oil rigs; they crossed the Atlantic Ocean through normal larval dispersal or naturally rafting alongside drifting objects. The rafting hypotheses are favoured, but all four possibilities are plausible and could have happened in combination.

Environmental conditions shape the occurrence and abundance of habitat-building organisms at global scales. Rhodolith beds structure important hard substrate habitats for a large number of marine benthic organisms. These organisms can benefit local biodiversity levels, but also compete with rhodoliths for essential resources. Therefore, understanding the factors shaping the distribution of rhodoliths and their associated communities along entire distributional ranges is of much relevance for conservational biology, particularly in the scope of future environmental changes. Here we predict suitable habitat areas and identify the main environmental drivers of rhodoliths' variability and of associated epiphytes along a large-scale latitudinal gradient. Occurrence and abundance data were collected throughout the South-western Atlantic coast (SWA) and modelled against high resolution environmental predictors extracted from Bio-Oracle. The main drivers for rhodolith occurrence were light availability and temperature at the bottom of the ocean, while abundance was explained by nitrate, temperature and current velocity. Tropical regions showed the highest abundance of rhodoliths. No latitudinal pattern was detected in the variability of epiphytes abundance. However, significant differences were found between sampled sites regarding the composition of predominant taxa. The predictors influencing such differences were temperature and nitrate. The Tropical region is abundant in species with warm-water affinities, decreasing toward warm temperate region. The expressive occurrence of tropical species not referred before for warm temperate beds indicate a plausible tropicalization event. Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPQ) Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES) BoticAirio Foundation FAPESC-Foundation supports research and innovation in the State of Santa Catarina Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) of PortugalPortuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [SFRH/BPD/111003/2015, CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013, DL57/2016/CP1361/CT0035] CNPq fellowshipConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPQ) [307368/2015-7] FAPES (Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa e Inovacao do Espirito Santo, Brazil)/CAPES - PROFIX program [10/2018] info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

We present a checklist of 278 species of reef fishes recorded along the coastline of Santa Catarina state, the southernmost limit of distribution of tropical ichthyofauna on the coast of Brazil. Twelve new species records for this state are presented: Acanthurus coeruleus, Acanthurus monroviae, Apogon americanus, Cantherhines macrocerus, Chaetodon sedentarius, Chromis flavicauda, Clepticus brasiliensis, Decapterus punctatus, Gymnothorax vicinus, Herpetoichthys regius, Muraena retifera and Stegastes partitus. Stegastes partitus and H. regius are reported for the first time, respectively, from the Southwestern Atlantic and for the coastal part of this region, while Acanthurus monroviae is reported for the second time for the Southwestern Atlantic. We present habitat distribution, trophic structure and comment on biogeographic affinities of this transitional region, discussing both remarkable species presences and absences.

Long-distance dispersal is one of the main drivers structuring the distribution of marine biodiversity. This study reports the first occurrence of Macrocystis pyrifera and Durvillaea antarctica rafts on the southwestern warm temperate coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Our results indicate that an extreme meteo-oceanographic event, characterized by a northward, displacement of cold sub-Antarctic oceanic waters driven by an extratropical cyclone, could account for these unusual occurrences. A niche model based on known current distribution and maximum entropy principle (MAXENT), revealed the availability of suitable habitats at lower latitudes, outside their actual distribution edges. The distributional boundaries, mainly driven by temperature and irradiance, suggest the existence of environmental suitability in warm temperate areas, as well as in the Northern Hemisphere off Atlantic and Asian coasts. These theoretical edges and respective environmental drivers agree with the physiological affinities of both species, supporting the hypothesis that these variables act as limiting factors for their occurrences in tropical or warmer areas. Emerging regions can function as refuges and stepping-stones, providing substrate with adequate habitat conditions for recruitment of propagules, allowing eventual colonization. Long dispersal events reinforce the need for an extensive discussion on selective management of natural dispersion, biological invasions, refuge mapping and conservation initiatives in a transnational perspective. Agência financiadora / Número do subsídio Portuguese Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT) SFRH/BPD/111003/2015 PTDC/MAR-EST/6053/2014 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnológico CNPq 306917/2009-2 Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior CAPES/PNPD 02828/09-0 CAPES/PNADB 2338000071/2010-61 Polito: CNPQ Universal 447109/2014-6 Instituto Nacional de Ciencia e Tecnologia para Mudancas Climaticas (INCT-MC) ProspecMar-Islands-Sustainable prospecting in Ocean Islands: Biodiversity, Chemistry, Ecology and Biotechnology, Boticario Foundation 1051-20152 Rede Coral Vivo, Brazilian Research Network on Global Climate Change REDEALGAS, Brazilian Research Network on Global Climate Change FAPESC-Foundation info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

We present a list with 10 new records of reef fish on the coast of Santa Catarina State, the southernmost site of tropical reef fish occurrence on the Brazilian coast. We also comment on the distribution-range of the recently described Halichoeres sazimai (Labridae).

Hybridization has been described in several families ofcoral reef fishes (Montanari et al. 2012), including grunts(genus Haemulon) (Rocha et al. 2008). Here, we report thepresence of a hybrid between two species of Anisotremusgrunts, the porkfish, A. virginicus, and the black margate, A.surinamensis, from Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro (23°S, 42°W).Interestingly, A. virginicus and A. surinamensis are notsister species (Bernardi et al. 2008), but both are commonin that region.On 1 December 2012, while collecting fish tissues formolecular studies at a local spearfishing tournament, weobserved one individual that showed typical morphologicaland coloration characteristics of both A. virginicus (goldlines along the body), and A. surinamensis (large bronzebody). DNA sequencing of that individual following pub-lished protocols (Tavera et al. 2012) showed that the mito-chondrial cytochrome oxydase 1 (CO1) was identical to A.virginicus, and the nuclear RAG2 gene displayed heterozy-gous peaks at all 6 fixed nucleotide positions that differbetween A. virginicus and A. surinamensis (Fig. 1)(GenBankaccessionnumbersKC844035–KC844036).The-se results are consistent with an F1 cross between these twospecies, with A. virginicus as a maternal lineage and thepresence of A. surinamensis in its paternal ancestry. Suchhybrids are not uncommon in the subtropical reefs of thesoutheasternregionofBrazil,wherefishermenrecognizethefish as a hybrid by its local name Sargo Amarelo ("yellowgrunt").