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Orientador: Prof. Dr. Gustavo Muniz Dias Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Evolução e Diversidade, São Bernardo do Campo, 2022. Os efeitos da luz artificial noturna (LAN) sobre as comunidades terrestres já são bem conhecidos e consolidados, porém no ambiente marinho ainda há muito a se conhecer, principalmente com a expansão das construções nas zonas costeiras com a ampla utilização dessas luzes e um efeito mais amplo e difuso que em terra. Com isso, realizamos seis experimentos de maneira a caracterizar a luminosidade artificial na costa e seus efeitos sobre comunidades incrustantes de infralitoral, mais especificamente no recrutamento, na comunidade já consolidada, no desenvolvimento e predação sobre as comunidades incrustantes; e sobre a comunidade de predadores. Na caracterização da luminosidade artificial foi identificado que a LAN atinge muito além do local de instalação nas cinco cidades do Estado de São Paulo avaliadas, inclusive com aumento do brilho do céu noturno. A luz artificial causou uma diminuição no recrutamento de alguns grupos como ascídias da família Didemnidae e alguns hidrozoários, favoreceu o aumento da cobertura de algumas espécies de esponjas nas regiões mais rasas das comunidades já estabelecidas nas plataformas das marinas e minimizou as diferenças das comunidades incrustante ao longo do gradiente de profundidade. Durante o desenvolvimento da comunidade, a LAN favoreceu o aumento da cobertura dos briozoários Savignyella lafontti, Crisia sp. e da ascídia Botrylloides niger e diminuiu a cobertura dos briozoários Schizoporella errata, Hipopodina sp. e da ascídia Didemnum perlucidum, alterando a estrutura da comunidade, mas não alterou a ocorrência das espécies presentes. A LAN também não interferiu na intensidade de predação, talvez devido à forte predação generalizada na região ou na composição de espécies de predadores. Assim, a LAN apresentou efeito sobre importantes processos, como o recrutamento e a abundância de algumas espécies, os quais irão afetar a estrutura da comunidade incrustante na região subtropical do hemisfério sul, corroborando os efeitos já demonstrado para regiões de clima temperado, e demonstrando a necessidade de planos de manejo para minimizar o efeito da luz artificial noturna sobre os ecossistemas costeiros. The benefits of artificial light were noticed immediately, but it's possible damages only began to be discussed over 100 years after being created. The effects of this artificial light at night (ALAN) on terrestrial communities are well known and consolidated, however, in the marine environment, there is still much to know, especially with the expansion of constructions in coastal areas with widespread usage of such lights and a wider and diffuse effect when compared to the terrestrial environment. Considering that, we did three experiments to characterize the coastal artificial lights and their effects on infralittoral fouling communities, specifically on recruitment, consolidated communities, the development and predation on fouling communities, and on the predator community. It was identified that ALAN affects much farther than the installation location in the five cities evaluated in the State of São Paulo, including an increase in the night sky brightness. The artificial lights caused a decrease in the recruitment of some groups such as ascidians of the Didemnidae family and some hydrozoans while favoring an increase in the area covered by a few sponge species in consolidated communities from shallower regions on the marina¿s platforms. This effect reducing the differences between fouling communities along the depth gradient. During the development of the communities, ALAN favored an increase in cover area by the bryozoans Savignella lafontii, Crisia sp., and the ascidian Botrylloides niger, while reducing the coverage area of the bryozoans Schizoporella errata, Hippopodina sp. and the ascidian Didemnum perlucidum, changing the community structure, but not the indetity of species. ALAN also did not interfere with the predation intensity, maybe due to the strong generalist predation or predator species composition. This way, ALAN presented effects over important processes, such as recruitment and the abundance of some species, which will affect the structure of the fouling communities in the subtropical South hemisphere, corroborating previously seen effects for temperate regions, and showing a necessity for management plans to minimize the effects of ALAN over coastal ecosystems.

Kajikia audax, Thunnus albacares, Katsuwonus pelamis, and Auxis spp. occupy high and middle-level trophic positions in the food web. They represent important sources for fisheries in Ecuador. Despite their ecological and economic importance, studies on pelagic species in Ecuador are scarce. This study uses stable isotope analysis to assess the trophic ecology of these species, and to determine the contribution of prey to the predator tissue. Isotope data was used to test the hypothesis that medium-sized pelagic fish species have higher δ15N values than those of the prey they consumed, and that there is no overlap between their δ13C and δ15N values. Results showed higher δ15N values for K. audax, followed by T. albacares, Auxis spp. and K. pelamis, which indicates that the highest position in this food web is occupied by K. audax. The stable isotope Bayesian ellipses demonstrated that on a long time-scale, these species do not compete for food sources. Moreover, δ15N values were different between species and they decreased with a decrease in predator size. Resumo Kajikia audax, Thunnus albacares, Katsuwonus pelamis e Auxis spp. ocupam posições tróficas intermedias e/ou elevadas nas cadeias alimentares. Estas espécies representam um importante recurso pesqueiro no Ecuador. Apesar da sua importância económica e ecológica, estudos nestas espécies pelágicas no Ecuador são raras. Este estudo usa isótopos estáveis para avaliar o seu nível trófico de modo a determinar a contribuição das suas presas para os tecidos destes predadores. Dados dos isótopos foram usados para testar a hipótese de que estas espécies de peixes pelágicos possuem valores mais elevados de δ15N do que daqueles das presas consumidas, e que não existe uma sobreposição entre os valores de δ13C e δ15N. Resultados mostram que valores mais elevados de δ15N para K. audax, seguidos por T. albacares, Auxis spp. e K. pelamis, indicam que a posição mais elevada na cadeia alimentar é ocupada por K. audax. Elipses Bayesianas de isótopos estáveis demonstram que, a uma escala de longo-termo, estas espécies de peixes não competem pelos recursos. Adicionalmente, os valores de δ15N são diferentes entre espécies de peixe estudadas e estes valores decrescem com a diminuição do tamanho do predador.

Orientador : Luiz Francisco Lembo Duarte Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia Resumo: Eriphia gonagra no costão rochoso da Praia do Rio Verde, cava tocas junto às colônias do poliqueto construtor de recifes de areia Phragmatopoma lapidosa, na região entre marés. Nos períodos de maré baixa, os caranguejos podem sair das tócas para se alimentar, acasalar, permanecer parados na beira da toca ou mesmo dentro dela. Através de observações do tipo animal-focal e de marcação e recaptura de indivíduos, verificou-se que os tipos e freqüências de comportamentos diferem entre as classes de tamanho sendo que, em geral, os indivíduos pequenos tendem a ficar próximos à toca mesmo quando se alimentam, enquanto os médios e grandes forrageiam mais distantes, exibindo também comportamentos relacionados ao aprendizado, reprodução, agressividade e defesa. Entretanto o raio de ação dos caranguejos foi sempre menor do que 5 metros. As tocas têm distribuição ao acaso e são ocupadas por um único indivíduo por um longo tempo. Na natureza, E. gonagra é generalista, alimentando-se de algas (principalmente UIva lactuca) cracas (ChthamaIus bisinuatus), mexilhões (Perna perna e Brachidontes solisianus) e do poliqueto onde se abrigam. Não foi observada a predação sobre gastrópodos, embora em outros locais a espécie selecione esse tipo de presa. O forrageamento também depende das condições da maré e da disponibilidade de presas, que varia durante o ano. Com mar agitado, os caranguejos forrageiam próximo à toca ou não saem da toca, provavelmente alimentando-se do próprio poliqueto dentro da mesma. Em laboratório, E. gonagra selecionou sempre os menores mexilhões. Em experimentos sem reposição de presas, os caranguejos só predaram os médios e grandes, quando não havia presas pequenas disponíveis. Nos experimentos de seleção de espécies de presas, C. bisinuatus e B. solisianus foram preferidas, provavelmente devido ao menor tempo de manipulação envolvido. Assim, em laboratório, E. gonagra se comportou conforme o previsto pela teoria de forrageamento ótimo. Na natureza, a escolha de presas envolve outros fatores como as condições de maré, a presença de indivíduos maiores e provavelmente a necessidade de outros nutrientes presentes em alguns alimentos especificos, o que nem sempre é previsto pela teoria Abstract: At Rio Verde rocky shore Eriphia gonagra lives in burrows inside sandy reefs built by the polychete Phragmatopoma lapidosa, along the intertidal zone. At low tides, the crabs may either leave their burrows searching for food or mates, or stay at burrows entrance or inside them. By means of animal-focal observations and mark/recapture techniques, it was verified that the individuals behaved differently according to their size: small crabs stayed close to their burrows even when they were eating, while medium and large crabs could forage far away from their burrows, exhibiting learning, mating, defense and agonistic behaviors. However, even for the latter, the maximum distance covered was inferior to 5 meters. The burrows were randomly distributed and each one was occupied by a single individual for a long time. In the field, E. gonagra behaved as a generalist, comsuming algae (Uiva Iactuca), barnacales (Chthamalus bisinuatus), mussels (Perna perna and Brachidontes solisianus), and the polychetes where they burrow. Gastropods were not preyed upon, although this was verified elsewhere. The foraging behaviour also depended on tidal conditions and and prey availability, which changed during the year. With strong the crabs foraged close to their burrows or do not went away, probably eating the polychetes inside the reef. or do not went away, probably eating the palychetes inside the reef. In laboratory, the crabs always selected the smallest mussels. In experiments with no prey reposition they preyed upon medium and large mussels only when the smallest ones were not available anymore. In experiments of prey species selection, the preferred preys were C. bisinuatus and B. solisianus, probably due to lesser manipulation times required by these species. So, in laboratory conditions E. gonagra behaved according to Optimal Foraging Theory predictions. On the other hand, in the field prey choice depended on other factors such as wave action, the presence of larger crabs, and probably the necessity of other nutrients provided by other kind of food items. These factors are not always considered by the Theory Doutorado Ecologia Doutor em Ciências Biológicas

Orientador: Vera Nisaka Solferin Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia Resumo: Anomalocardia brasiliana (Gmelin, 1791) (Bivalvia, Veneridae) é um molusco com grande distribuição na costa brasileira. Ocupa desde ambientes estuarinos até ambientes costeiros, como parte da infauna de areia. Esta diversidade de ambientes deve ser refletida de alguma maneira nas expressões fenotípicas destes animais. O objetivo desta dissertação foi estudar as características morfométricas das conchas de indivíduos desta espécie em diferentes condições ambientais. Populações de Cananéia, São Sebastião, Ubatuba (São Paulo) e Saquarema (Rio de Janeiro) foram amostradas para este estudo. Estas diferenças foram testadas em medidas individualizadas, em relações entre pares de destas e no conjunto de todas as elas. Apesar de ser possível encontrar diferenças estatísticas significativas entre as medidas individualizadas, não é possível relacionar tais diferenças com efeitos ambientais. As relações entre pares de medidas, por sua vez, criam padrões, mas nem todas elas estabelecem padrões relacionados com as condições ambientais. As análises dos conjuntos de medidas conseguem diferenciar tanto condições de ambientais quanto as localidades, mas ambas de maneira muito sutil. Além disso, a idade dos organismos pode afetar as análises causando interpretações errôneas Abstract: Anomalocardia brasiliana (Gmelin, 1791) (Bivalvia, Veneridae) is a mollusk with great distribution along brazilian shores. It habitats from estuaries until shores, living burrowed in the sand. This diversity of habitats may appear somehow in the phenotypic traits. The main objective of this dissertation was to understand how morphological characteristics of shell vary among specific environment conditions. Populations from Cananéia, São Sebastião, Ubatuba (São Paulo) and Saquarema (Rio de Janeiro) were sampled to this study. Environmental differences were tested using single measures, pair-to-pair relations between measures and comparing the whole group of measures. Significant statistical differences were obtained between single measures but no relations due environmental differences were found. The pair-to-pair tests vary. Some of them could be related to environmental differences but others could not. The whole group of measures tests showed differences among environmental conditions as well as localities. Relative age differences among populations could interfere in the tests above described. Mestrado Mestre em Ecologia

The threat of global warming has driven recent efforts of estimating upper thermal limits of ectothermic species all over the world. The investigation of thermal limits is crucial for the understanding of climate change ecology, since it provides insight into how climate will shape future species distributions. This work estimated the Critical Thermal Maxima (CTMax) of 42 coastal species (Gastropoda, Crustacea, Teleostei, Echinodermata and Cnidaria) in a tropical and a temperate area. The thermal safety margin (CTMax-Maximum Habitat Temperature) and future thermal safety margin (CTMax-(Maximum Habitat Temperature + 3 °C)) of each species was estimated for two alternative habitats, shallow coastal waters and tide pools. The CTMax of tropical species was higher than that of temperate species and no difference was found among the taxonomic groups tested. Thermal safety margins were larger for temperate species, than for tropical species, and considerably larger for shallow waters than for tide pools. Most tropical species had negative safety margins in tide pools (with only two exceptions), while most temperate species had positive safety margins (with only three exceptions). Future thermal safety margins for tide pools were negative for all tropical organisms and also for most of their temperate counterparts. This work adds to the data collection already available for the study areas, raising the number of species with known upper thermal limits to 100. These estimations do not take into account phenotypical acclimation, nor genetic adaptation, to future temperatures, which are likely to occur. However, they constitute important values for future reference, allowing insights into the adaptation capacity of coastal species, as well as basis to explain future distribution shifts and/or local extinctions.

Tese de Doutoramento, Ciências do Mar (Recursos Marinhos), 26 de maio de 2021. Esta dissertação forneceu uma visão global do estado de sustentabilidade das pescarias de lucianos1 e garoupas. Os lucianos e garoupas são recursos essenciais para o sector da pesca de "pequena-escala" a nível global, com um papel fundamental na subsistência e segurança alimentar de muitas comunidades costeiras em todo o mundo. Em termos globais, os desembarques destes recursos têm vindo a aumentar ao longo dos anos, com quase um milhão de toneladas reportadas em anos recentes. O estado de sustentabilidade de muitas pescarias de lucianos e garoupas é usualmente desconhecido, particularmente para as pescarias de "pequena-escala" em países em desenvolvimento, onde o sistema estatístico é normalmente ausente ou insuficiente, e onde existe uma capacidade limitada de investigação e monitorização para a realização de avaliações do estado do stock complexas e exigentes ao nível de informação necessária. Esta tese desenvolveu, aplicou e testou metodologias inovadoras, para avaliar o estado de pescarias de lucianos e garoupas com informação limitada, as quais podem igualmente ser aplicadas a um vasto número de pescarias a nível global. Os três principais pilares deste trabalho foram: 1) realizar um diagnóstico do conhecimento existente sobre a pescaria; 2) avaliar a sustentabilidade das pescarias através de metodologias adaptadas aos melhores dados disponíveis; 3) avaliar o estado dos recursos através de novas metodologias usando dados de frequência de comprimento da pesca comercial. O Indicador Genérico de Conhecimento (IGC) desenvolvido nesta tese permite identificar as principais lacunas de conhecimento e destacar áreas onde o desenvolvimento da investigação é fundamental para informar a gestão sustentável dos recursos pesqueiros. Este novo indicador realçou que 70% das pescarias de lucianos e garoupas apresenta um baixo nível de conhecimento e têm informação limitada. A análise do estado de sustentabilidade das pescarias de lucianos e garoupa mostraram que cerca de 50% destas pescarias foram classificadas como "sobre-explorada", 30% como "não-explorada" e 19% em "plena exploração". Além disso, o número de pescarias sobre-exploradas tem vindo a aumentar ao longo dos anos. Devido à limitação de dados quantitativos, foram investigadas fontes de informação alternativas e o Index de Desenvolvimento Humano (IDH) salientou-se como indicador do estado da biomassa. A modelação categórica revelou um alto nível de correspondência (72%) entre o estado do stock original e estimado, fazendo este procedimento bastante promissor para ser aplicado a outras pescarias com informação limitada. Para regiões específicas, o estado de pescarias de lucianos e garoupa foi analisado com base em dados da composição de comprimentos das capturas, mas adoptando abordagens distinctas. Uma abordagem metodológica aplicou diferentes métodos baseados em dados de comprimentos e simulou os diferentes efeitos dos parâmetros biológicos (crescimento) nas estimativas do estado do stock para as principais espécies de lucianos e garoupa capturadas no Mar de Java (Indonésia). Foram encontradas diferenças no estado dos recursos, consoante a arte de pesca utilizada, tendo o palangre apresentado bons indicadores do estado do stock para todas as espécies estudadas. Efeitos dos parâmetros biológicos foram testados: Linf e, secundariamente, M/K têm uma forte influência nos indicadores do estado do stock. Métodos baseados na frequência de comprimentos também foram aplicados, pela primeira vez, para avaliar o estado de sustentabilidade das principais espécies de serranídeos na região dos Açores, cobrindo seletividade de artes e padrões espaciais (ilhas) distintos. A garoupa (Serranus atricauda) apresenta uma pior condição do estado do stock do que o mero (Epinenhelus marginatus), em particular, para estimativas baseadas em desembarques na ilha de São Miguel. Estes resultados apontam para a necessidade de desenvolvimento de medidas de gestão que tenham em consideração as diferentes artes de pesca e padrões espaciais. Esta dissertação contribui com metodologia nova e análises para melhorar a compreensão do estado de pescarias para as quais existe pouca informação, em particular para pescarias de lucianos e garoupa. Este trabalho também fornece directrizes para apoiar a concepção de medidas de gestão para garantir a sustentabilidade destes recursos e destaca áreas onde melhorias são críticas. ABSTRACT: This dissertation provided a global overview of the sustainability status of snapper and grouper fisheries. Snapper and grouper are essential resources for the small-scale fisheries sector globally, with a critical role in the livelihoods and food security of many coastal communities worldwide. On a global scale, the reported landings of these resources have been increasing over the last decade reaching almost 1 million tonnes in recent years. The sustainability status of many snapper and grouper fisheries is often unknown, particularly for small-scale fisheries in developing countries where the reporting system is usually absent or insufficient, and there is a limited capacity for research and monitoring to carrying out complex and high data-demanding stock assessments. This work developed, applied and tested innovative methodologies to assess the status of snapper and grouper data-limited fisheries, which could as well be applied to a broader range of fisheries. The three main pillars of this work were to: 1) undertake a diagnosis of the existing knowledge of the fishery; 2) evaluate the sustainability status of the fisheries through methodologies adapted to the best available data; and 3) assess the status of the fisheries through new methodologies using length-frequency data from the commercial fisheries. The Generic Knowledge Indicator (GKI) framework developed in this thesis allows the identification of the main gaps in knowledge and highlights areas where research improvements are critical to inform the sustainable management of the fishing resources. This new indicator highlighted that 70% of the snapper and grouper fisheries worldwide exhibited low-knowledge and are data-limited. The analyses of the sustainability status of snapper and grouper fisheries showed that about 50% of these fisheries were classified as overexploited, while 30% as non-fully exploited, and 19% as fully exploited. The analysis also showed that the number of overexploited fisheries has been increasing over recent years. Due to the limitation of quantitative data, alternative sources of information were explored and the Human Development Index (HDI) emerged as a proxy for the status of biomass. The multinomial modelling approach revealed a high level of correspondence (72%) between the original and estimated status, making this procedure very attractive to be applied to other data-limited fisheries. Also, analyses on the status of snapper and grouper fisheries were conducted for specific regions based on length-frequency data available, with distinct approaches being adopted. A methodologic approach, applying different length-based methods and simulating different effects of the life-history parameters on the estimations, was carried out for the most important species caught in the snapper and grouper fishery in the Java Sea (Indonesia). Differences in the status of the resources were found depending on the gear used, with the longline fishery presenting good indicators for all species studied. Bias in the life-history parameters was tested: Linf and, secondarily, M/K parameters have a stronger influence in the stock indicators outputs. Length-based methods were also applied to assess the sustainability status of the main serranid species in the Azores region, covering distinct gear selectivity and spatial (islands) patterns. Black tail comber (Serranus atricauda) is in worse sustainability status than dusky grouper (Epinenhelus marginatus), in particular, for estimates based on landings from São Miguel island. These results support the need for the development of management measures that take into account different gears and spatial patterns. This dissertation contributes with new methodology and analyses to improve the understanding of the status of data-limited fisheries, in particular for snapper and grouper fisheries. This work also provided information to support the design of management measures aimed at guaranteeing the sustainability of these resources and highlights areas where improvements are critical. This thesis was supported by the doctoral grant SFRH/BD/103504/2014 from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a primary strategy for marine conservation worldwide, having as a common goal the protection of essential habitats to enhance fish population recovery. However, MPAs alone may not be effective because species are not isolated from critical impacts occurring outside their boundaries. We evaluated how protecting critical nursery habitats affect the population of an important fishing target, using a 6-year database to predict juvenile hotspots and estimate population trends of the endemic and endangered parrotfish Scarus trispinosus within a mosaic of MPAs at the Abrolhos Bank, NE Brazil. We found that important nursery habitats are within no-take areas, but both juvenile and adult populations still show a declining trend over time. MPAs failed to ensure population maintenance and recovery likely due to overfishing in adjacent areas and the lack of compliance to management rules within multiple-use and within no-take MPAs. MPAs alone are not enough to protect ecologically important endangered species, but is still one of the only conservation strategies, particularly in developing countries. Our results shed light on the need for a wider adoption of more effective conservation policies in addition to MPAs, both in Brazil and in countries with similar governance contexts.

A implementação de políticas ambientais conservacionistas afronta o modo de vida de comunidades tradicionais que habitam em unidades de conservação (UC). Uma alternativa sustentável de sobrevivência para essas comunidades tem sido o Turismo de Base Comunitária (TBC), que integra atividades turísticas de valorização da cultura local com a preservação ambiental. No Brasil, mudanças na gestão do uso público em UCs tendem a favorecer grandes grupos privados externos ao território, como no caso das parcerias público-privadas e da Lei nº 16.260/2016 do Estado de São Paulo (lei das concessões). Nesse contexto, este trabalho busca promover uma reflexão quanto às implicações de tal modelo de gestão às UCs com comunidades tradicionais envolvidas com o TBC. Por meio de observação direta e entrevista a agentes de TBC, a pesquisa objetivou, caracterizar o TBC realizado no Parque Estadual da Ilha do Cardoso (PEIC), discutir sua importância cultural e socioeconômica e levantar a percepção das comunidades do PEIC sobre a lei das concessões. Identificamos que o TBC no PEIC envolve atividades de cunho tradicional e beneficia diretamente as famílias residentes na UC, confirmando-se como uma alternativa sustentável de importância socioeconômica e cultural. Segundo a percepção dos comunitários, abrir as atividades de uso público do PEIC à inciativa privada sem envolver as comunidades neste processo poderá se sobrepor às atividades e serviços prestados pelo TBC e gerar impactos negativos dificultando a própria sobrevivência das comunidades na UC.

Connectivity is paramount for population stability, but the mechanisms underlying the distribution of populated patches and how they affect reproductive connectivity and individual fitness remain elusive. Here, we mapped the distribution of sand dollars – as habitat patches for obligate-commensal pea crabs – at several sites. At occupied patches, we assessed whole-crab population structure and the fitness of ovigerous females. While sand-dollar supply did not limit the size of crab populations, overall crab abundance limited reproductive connectivity and the potential for offspring production. However, except for sites of extremely low and high connectivity, crab aggregations at sand-dollar clusters countervailed the overall random distribution of sand-dollar populations, greatly enhancing the reproductive potential of whole-crab populations. Crab interactions, likely controlled by larger females, added to reproductive connectivity by increasing the frequency of mating pairs in hosts. Differently from the population-level case, effects of crab abundance on individual fitness were dual and only detectable when abundance was lowest (positive) or highest (negative), so that fitness remained high at intermediate crab abundance, decreasing when it became either too low (e.g. Allee effects) or too high (e.g. energetic costs of intraspecific competition). This study indicates that connectivity may affect different levels of biological organization in specific ways.

Este artículo contiene 7 páginas, 3 figuras, 1 tabla., The global distribution of primary production and consumption by humans (fisheries) is well-documented, but we have no map linking the central ecological process of consumption within food webs to temperature and other ecological drivers. Using standardized assays that span 105° of latitude on four continents, we show that rates of bait consumption by generalist predators in shallow marine ecosystems are tightly linked to both temperature and the composition of consumer assemblages. Unexpectedly, rates of consumption peaked at midlatitudes (25 to 35°) in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres across both seagrass and unvegetated sediment habitats. This pattern contrasts with terrestrial systems, where biotic interactions reportedly weaken away from the equator, but it parallels an emerging pattern of a subtropical peak in marine biodiversity. The higher consumption at midlatitudes was closely related to the type of consumers present, which explained rates of consumption better than consumer density, biomass, species diversity, or habitat. Indeed, the apparent effect of temperature on consumption was mostly driven by temperature-associated turnover in consumer community composition. Our findings reinforce the key influence of climate warming on altered species composition and highlight its implications for the functioning of Earth’s ecosystems., We acknowledge funding from the Smithsonian Institution and the Tula Foundation.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a primary strategy for marine conservation worldwide, having as a common goal the protection of essential habitats to enhance fish population recovery. However, MPAs alone may not be effective because species are not isolated from critical impacts occurring outside their boundaries. We evaluated how protecting critical nursery habitats affect the population of an important fishing target, using a 6-year database to predict juvenile hotspots and estimate population trends of the endemic and endangered parrotfish Scarus trispinosus within a mosaic of MPAs at the Abrolhos Bank, NE Brazil. We found that important nursery habitats are within no-take areas, but both juvenile and adult populations still show a declining trend over time. MPAs failed to ensure population maintenance and recovery likely due to overfishing in adjacent areas and the lack of compliance to management rules within multiple-use and within no-take MPAs. MPAs alone are not enough to protect ecologically important endangered species, but is still one of the only conservation strategies, particularly in developing countries. Our results shed light on the need for a wider adoption of more effective conservation policies in addition to MPAs, both in Brazil and in countries with similar governance contexts., SI

A secção UAciência é coordenada pelo Professor Universitário Armindo Rodrigues. Os Açores são conhecidos por possuírem condições ideais para observação de espécies marinhas junto à costa. A sua localização no Atlântico Norte, entre as correntes ricas em nutrientes vindas do Norte e as águas quentes da corrente do Golfo, reflecte-se num autêntico santuário para muitas espécies, reflectindo uma riqueza e biodiversidade marinhas únicas. Porém, algumas dessas espécies são também alvo da pesca comercial e/ou recreativa, uma potencial ameaça, particularmente, para espécies com elevado estatuto de conservação como o peixe-cão, badejo, mero, cavaco e lagosta. Essas cinco espécies vulneráveis apresentam desafios diferentes de sustentabilidade, considerando as suas características biológicas, valor socioeconómico e acesso. […]. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Coralline algae form important rocky intertidal habitats, but their function may be radically changing worldwide as increased land deforestation may ultimately lead to higher sedimentation rates over algal mats, and more frequent extreme weather conditions may increase physical disturbances. One way of addressing how environmental change may affect the ecosystem function of coralline algal mats is to examine the temporal dynamics of invertebrate assemblages associated with this habitat, and how they correlate to key environmental factors. Here, we investigated the dynamics of amphipod assemblages inhabiting coralline algal mats at two sites in southeastern Brazil from September 2010 to August 2013. Twenty-two different species were recorded, encompassing two life-styles (free-living and tube-dwelling), and four feeding habits (detritivorous, omnivorous, herbivorous, and carnivorous). Consistently across sites and over the years, species diversity peaked in autumn, together with the passing of cold fronts and increased wave height. Physical disturbance through wave action caused algal mat thinning and reduced overall amphipod abundance, suggesting habitat limitation, but also decreased species dominance, allowing other species to build up populations over autumn and winter. The omnivore generalist Apohyale media (Dana, 1853) tended to dominate in spring and summer, when the environment was more stable, and the organic matter retained in sediments was higher. When environmental conditions changed during autumn and winter, a second omnivore, Hyale niger (Haswell, 1879), took over, especially in years 1 and 3. During year 2, the virtual absence of H. niger allowed the detritivore Lysianassa temimino Senna and Souza-Filho, 2010 to thrive, which was likely facilitated by the retention of assorted sediments.

A secção UAciência é coordenada pelo Professor Universitário Armindo Rodrigues. […]. Assim como um agente de fronteira não conhece todos os viajantes que por ele passam, também não existe conhecimento sobre todas as espécies marinhas que chegam aos Açores. Tal como nem todos os centímetros de fronteira podem ser controlados, não é possível monitorizar toda a costa açoriana. No entanto, é preciso criar meios para auxiliar os decisores públicos a detetar, controlar e erradicar os riscos a que as nossas águas podem estar sujeitas. Neste sentido, o Projeto CRYPTO - (AÇORES-01-0145-FEDER-0000091), que se iniciou a 1 de maio de 2010, é que terá a duração de 3 anos, pretende determinar a origem, distribuição e risco de algas potencialmente invasoras, com base na aplicação de técnicas avançadas como códigos de barra de ADN e modelação oceanográfica, visando a proteção do ambiente é a conservação do singular ecossistema açoriano. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

This thesis aimed to provide students from public elementary schools in the Northeast Brazil with a differentiated and innovative way of teaching, using Environmental Education to raise their awareness for the protection of local coastal marine environments. The rhodolith/maërl beds are among the local potential environments to use for that purpose, since they are highly abundant on the Brazilian northeast coast, but still poorly known in the region. As such, the thesis also aimed to contribute to improve the knowledge of this habitat, with respect to local abundance, associated invertebrate communities, ecological importance and the impact of environmental constraints. The study was conducted in two schools in João Pessoa and Mataraca municipalities, in the State of Paraíba, integrating non-formal education, through a sequential program of practical activities, with traditional formal education. The efficiency of the program was tested with a questionnaire. In general, the integrated teaching was effective, since at the end of the program more than 80% of the students responded according to the concepts taught, demonstrating an improved level of ocean literacy. Regarding the rhodolith beds, a literature review was carried out, that confirmed their worldwide distribution and ecological importance, including for the balance of coastal ecosystems and maintenance of marine life. As a further research, the first taxonomic study of the invertebrates associated with rhodoliths was carried out on the beaches of Miramar (municipality of Cabedelo), Seixas (João Pessoa) and Maceió (Pitimbu). Sixty species were collected and identified, from different taxa. Of these, 53 were new records for the beaches under study, some of which may even be new species and/or endemic to rhodoliths. Finally, the rhodolith beds of these beaches, subjected to different anthropogenic impacts, were characterized, from the rhodoliths’ abundance, morphology, growth form, as well as the associated invertebrates, according to the environmental factors assessed at the study sites. In general, Seixas Beach presented the greatest abundance of rhodoliths, and diversity and abundance of associated invertebrates, a result related to the high levels of calcium carbonate in the region, since this is an essential component for the development of calcareous algae. Maceió beach had the lowest abundance of these organisms, mainly associated with the high level of contamination by thermotolerant coliforms and lower water transparency. The invertebrate communities were also analysed from a functional perspective. Miramar and Seixas beaches were similar, where biodiffusors, with free and slow movement and predators predominated; whereas in Maceió Beach these attributes were practically absent, with individuals with limited movement, limited sediment remobilization and suspended feeding. These differences were analysed according to habitat characteristics, whose rhodolith-invertebrate interaction may be more beneficial in Seixas and Miramar beaches. Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Estado da Paraíba - FAPESQ A presente tese objetivou proporcionar aos alunos de escolas públicas primárias do Nordeste do Brasil uma forma diferenciada e inovadora de ensino, usando a Educação Ambiental para sensibilizá-los para a proteção dos ambientes marinhos costeiros locais. Dentre as potencialidades locais para estudo, estão os bancos de rodolitos/maërl, altamente abundantes na costa nordestina brasileira, porém ainda pouco conhecidos na região. Como tal, a tese também objetivou contribuir para melhorar o conhecimento deste habitat, no que respeita a abundância local, comunidades de invertebrados associada, importância ecológica e impacto de condicionantes ambientais. O estudo foi realizado em duas escolas nas cidades de João Pessoa e Mataraca, no Estado da Paraíba, integrando o ensino não-formal, através de programa sequencial de atividades práticas, com o ensino formal tradicional. A eficiência do programa foi testada com um questionário. Na generalidade, o programa integrado de ensino foi efetivo, dado que no fim do programa mais de 80% dos alunos responderam de acordo com os conceitos transmitidos, demonstrando melhoria ao nível da literacia dos oceanos. Em relação aos bancos de rodolitos, foi realizada uma revisão acerca dos mesmos, sendo possível constatar a sua ampla distribuição a nível mundial e importância ecológica, incluindo o equilíbrio dos ecossistemas costeiros e manutenção da vida marinha. Como aprofundamento destas pesquisas, foi realizado o primeiro estudo taxonômico dos invertebrados associados aos rodolitos na região nordeste, nas praias de Miramar (no município de Cabedelo), Seixas (João Pessoa) e Maceió (Pitimbu). Foram coletadas e identificadas 60 espécies de diferentes taxa. Destas, 53 foram novas ocorrências para as praias em estudo, das quais algumas poderão ser novas espécies e/ou endêmicas associados aos rodolitos. Finalmente, os bancos de rodolitos destas praias com diferentes níveis de impacto antrópico foram caracterizados, desde abundância, morfologia, forma de crescimento, bem como fauna associada (invertebrados) em função dos fatores ambientais avaliados no local. No geral, a Praia do Seixas apresentou maior abundância de rodolitos, e diversidade e abundância dos invertebrados associados, resultado este relacionado aos altos níveis de carbonato de cálcio na região, um componente essencial para o desenvolvimento das algas calcárias. A Praia de Maceió apresentou a menor abundância destes organismos, associado sobretudo à contaminação elevado por coliformes termotolerantes e menor transparência da água. Os invertebrados foram também analisados numa perspectiva funcional. As praias de Miramar e Seixas foram similares, onde predominaram organismos biodifusores, com movimento livre e devagar, e predadores; ao passo que na Praia de Maceió estes atributos foram praticamente ausentes, predominando organismos de movimento limitado, com remobilização do sedimento limitada e com alimentação em suspensão. Estas diferenças foram analisadas de acordo com as características do habitat, cuja interação rodolito-invertebrados poderá ser mais benéfica nas praias de Seixas e Miramar.

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Leonardo Sandrini Neto Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro de Estudos do Mar, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sistemas Costeiros e Oceânicos. Defesa : Pontal do Paraná, 03/04/2020 Inclui referências: p. 38-49 Área de concentração: Biologia e Ecologia de Sistemas Oceânicos e Costeiros Resumo: Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar as respostas das defesas antioxidantes e dano celular no bivalve Anomalocardia brasiliana, experimentalmente exposto a óleo diesel e ao remediador químico Accell Clean SWA®. Essas respostas foram integradas com a avaliação de crescimento e mortalidade dos indivíduos expostos em laboratório e devolvidos para o campo durante 60 dias. Os organismos foram submetidos a uma exposição aguda de 48 horas com 4 tratamentos: controle (C), controle com remediador químico (SWA), fração acomodada de óleo diesel (D), e uma fração acomodada de óleo diesel e o remediador químico (D+SWA). Após o período de exposição, os organismos foram devolvidos para o campo e monitorados ao longo de 60 dias para a avaliação dos parâmetros de estresse oxidativo, crescimento e mortalidade. As hipóteses do estudo estavam relacionadas à: 1) Diferença significativa nos parâmetros bioquímicos entre os tratamentos D e D+SWA e os controle, 2) Intensificação dos efeitos deletérios no tratamento D+SWA, em relação ao tratamento D, 3) Menor nível de crescimento e maior nível de mortalidade dos indivíduos nos tratamentos D e D+SWA em relação aos controles. A A. brasiliana apresentou respostas tardias à contaminação por óleo diesel e óleo diesel com o remediador químico, com a indução da atividade da superóxido dismutase (SOD) e o aumento dos níveis de glutationa reduzida (GSH) somente no tempo de 60 dias. Os resultados apontam que o tratamento D+SWA não provocou um aumento das defesas antioxidantes e dano celular quando comparados aos tratamentos D, além de não ocorrer diferença significativa no crescimento médio dos indivíduos que pudesse ser atribuído à exposição experimental aos contaminantes, no entanto ocorreu uma mortalidade significativa nos tratamentos SWA e D+SWA, podendo indicar uma toxicidade do remediador. Esses resultados revelam uma necessidade de mais estudos que avaliem os efeitos do Accell Clean SWA® em áreas impactadas por petróleo e seus derivados. Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the responses of antioxidant defenses and cell damage in the bivalve Anomalocardia brasiliana, experimentally exposed to diesel oil and the surface washing agent Accell Clean SWA®. These responses were integrated with the growth and mortality assessment of individuals exposed in the laboratory and returned to the field for 60 days. The organisms were subjected to an acute exposure of 48 hours with 4 treatments: control (C), control with surface washing agent (SWA), accommodated fraction of diesel oil (D), and an accommodated fraction of diesel oil and surface washing agent (D + SWA). After the exposure period, the organisms were returned to the field and monitored over 60 days to assess the parameters of oxidative stress, growth and mortality. The hypotheses of study were related to: 1) Significant difference in biochemical parameters between treatments D and D + SWA and controls, 2) Intensification of adverse effects in treatment D + SWA, about treatment D, 3) Lower level of growth and higher level of mortality of individuals in treatments D and D + SWA in relation to controls. A. brasiliana showed late responses to contamination by diesel oil and diesel oil with the surface washing agent, with the induction of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and increased levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) only within 60 days. The results indicate that the D + SWA treatment did not cause an increase in antioxidant defenses and cell damage when compared to the D treatments, in addition there was no significant difference in the average growth of individuals that could be attributed to the experimental exposure to contaminants, however, there was a significant mortality in the SWA and D + SWA treatments, which may indicate a toxicity of the surface washing agent. These results reveal a need for more studies to assess the effects of Accell Clean SWA® in areas impacted by oil and derivatives.

Saint Peter and Saint Paul's Archipelago (SPSPA), one of the smallest and most isolated island groups in the world, is situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, between Brazil and the African continent. SPSPA has low species richness and high endemism, however, the diversity of fishes from deep habitats (> 30 m depth) had not been previously studied in detail. On several expeditions conducted between 2009 and 2018, we explored shallow and deep reefs of SPSPA using SCUBA, closed-circuit rebreathers, manned submersibles, baited remote underwater stereo-videos (stereo-BRUV), and fishing between 0 and 1,050 m depth. These expeditions yielded a total of 41 new records of fishes for SPSPA, nine in open waters, nine in shallow waters (0-30 m), eight in mesophotic ecosystems (30-150 m) and 15 in deeper reefs (> 150 m). Combined with literature records of adult pelagic, shallow and deep-reef species, as well as larvae, the database of the fish biodiversity for SPSPA currently comprises 225 species (169 recorded as adult fishes and 79 as larvae, with 23 species found in both stages). Most of them (112) are pelagic, 86 are reef-associated species, and 27 are deep water specialists. Species accumulation curves show that the number of fish species has not yet reached an asymptote. Whereas the number of species recorded in SPSPA is similar to other oceanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the proportion of shorefishes is relatively lower, and the endemism level is the third highest in the Atlantic. Twenty-nine species are listed as threatened with extinction. Observations confirm the paucity of top predators on shallow rocky reefs of the island, despite the presence of several pelagic shark species around SPSPA. Since all of the endemic species are reef-associated, we argue that the new marine protected areas created by the Brazilian government do not ensure the protection and recovery of SPSPA's biodiversity because they allow exploitation of the most vulnerable species around the archipelago itself. We suggest a ban on reef fish exploitation inside an area delimited by the 1,000 m isobath around the islands (where all known endemics are concentrated) as the main conservation strategy to be included in the SPSPA management plan being prepared by the Brazilian government. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Keystone species are on the move globally and understanding how these new arrivals integrate into their new environments will become increasingly important. We monitored the development of range-expanded seagrass meadows (Halophila decipiens) in the warm temperate waters of the Sao Sebastiao channel (SSC), Brazil. Following its first description in the summer of 2014, the meadows formed by this species have increased in terms of average patch size (3.6 × greater), biomass (3.8 × greater and 4.6 × greater, respectively for above and below ground biomass) and have been associated with increases in sediment organic carbon (Corg) stocks (2.6 × greater). We conclude that this traditionally pan-tropical species will play an increasingly important role in the structure (e.g., providing habitat for fauna), productivity (e.g., food resources) and carbon storage potential of shallow coastal waters in the southwest Atlantic.

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geografia, Florianópolis, 2020. Planejamento Espacial Marinho (PEM) pode ser definido como um processo público de análise e alocação de atividades humanas em áreas marinhas e deve ser baseado em ecossistemas, espacialmente explícito, adaptativo, estratégico e participativo. Sistemas ambientais com características semelhantes devem ser utilizados como unidades de planejamento no PEM. No Brasil, o processo de PEM se encontra em fase inicial, com exemplos de cunho acadêmico e/ou de abordagem local. Este trabalho avalia bases de dados (nacionais e globais) para o PEM, cria uma metodologia de mapeamento de zonas ecológicas marinhas (ZEM), quantifica usos e atividades humanas nestas zonas e propõe áreas prioritárias para gestão, usando como estudo de caso a Zona Econômica-Exclusiva do Sul do Brasil (ZEESB). A ZEESB representa 13% da área total da ZEE brasileira, possui quatro dos dez principais portos do país e é uma das regiões com maior volume de pesca industrial marinha, sendo portanto representativa e relevante no contexto nacional. Bases de dados para o PEM foram avaliadas quanto à disponibilidade, facilidade de acesso e distribuição espacial. No Brasil, dados marinhos se encontram dispersos, de difícil acesso e baixa padronização, evidenciando a necessidade de investimento na integração, harmonização e compartilhamento de dados. A metodologia proposta classifica zonas ecologicamente distintas através da obtenção e processamento de dados existentes, e transformação destes dados em descritores abióticos apontados pela literatura. A classificação se deu através de 14 descritores bentônicos e 20 pelágicos, após padronização dos dados, análise de componentes principais (PCA) para redução da colinearidade, cálculo do melhor número de classes (Índice CH) e classificação não supervisionada por agrupamento (k-médias). A ZEESB foi classificada em dez Zonas Ecológicas Pelágicas (ZEP) e sete Bentônicas (ZEB). Métricas de paisagem foram utilizadas para estimar a resiliência ecológica de cada zona, partindo do princípio de que zonas menores, mais fragmentadas e com forma mais complexa possuem menor capacidade de se recuperar de pressões e impactos. No estrato bentônico, duas zonas se destacaram com os menores índices de resiliência: montes submarinos na elevação continental (ZEB2) e parcéis biogênicos na plataforma interna (ZEB6). Foram analisados seis usos e atividades humanas atuais (pesca de emalhe, cerco, arrasto e espinhel, navegação e unidades de conservação) e três potenciais (blocos de mineração, áreas potenciais para mineração, blocos de exploração de petróleo). Dados de pesca e navegação foram transformados em ?home range?. Os mapas de usos mostraram alta sobreposição entre três modalidades de pesca industrial (emalhe, arrasto e cerco) e áreas de mineração, sugerindo alto potencial de conflito. A ZEB7 (plataforma interna dominada por areia) foi apontada como a zona bentônica mais utilizada (256% da sua área) e da qual dependem as seguintes atividades: blocos de mineração (79% da sua área), pesca de cerco (57%), de arrasto (58%) e de emalhe (48%). No compartimento pelágico, a ZEP9 (costeira e com alta produtividade) se destacou em relação à utilização (239%) e diversidade de usos. A sobreposição do índice de resiliência ecológica e diversidade de usos resultou em um mapa de áreas prioritárias para o PEM, do qual se destacaram: (1) proximidades do Farol do Albardão; (2) desembocadura da Lagoa dos Patos; (3) APA da Baleia Franca e (4) plataforma norte de Santa Catarina. A metodologia proposta integra dados existentes, diminui processos subjetivos, é baseada em softwares livres, replicável e escalonável. As Zonas Ecológicas Marinhas (ZEM) mapeadas neste trabalho podem ser utilizadas para quantificar serviços ecossistêmicos, planejar a coleta de dados ou modelar habitats da biota. Além disto, fornecem indicadores para que propostas de unidades de conservação marinhas abranjam zonas com distintas características. Por fim, a quantificação de usos atuais e potenciais em cada ZEM fornece indicadores de pressões antrópicas e principais atores, facilitando o processo de negociação e tomada de decisões no PEM. Abstract: Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) can be defined as a public process for analyzing and allocating human activities in marine areas, and should be based on ecosystems, spatially explicit, adaptive, strategic and participatory. Environmental systems with similar characteristics should be used as planning units in MSP. In Brazil, the MSP process is at an early stage, with examples of academic nature and/or with a local approach. This work evaluates databases (national and global) for MSP, creates a methodology for mapping marine ecological zones (MEZ), quantifies human uses and activities in these zones and proposes priority areas for management, using the South Brazil Exclusive Economic Zone (SBEEZ) as a case study. The SBEEZ represents 13% of the total area of the Brazilian EEZ, has 4 of the 10 main ports of the country and is one of the regions with the highest volume of marine industrial fishing, being therefore representative and relevant in a national context. Databases needed for MSP were evaluated in terms of availability, ease of access and spatial distribution. In Brazil, marine data is scattered, difficult to access and has low standardization, highlighting the need for investment in data integration, harmonization and sharing. The proposed methodology classifies ecologically distinct zones by obtaining and processing existing data, with its transformation into abiotic descriptors pointed by the literature. Classification was done through 14 benthic and 20 pelagic descriptors, after data standardization, principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce collinearity, calculation of the best number of classes (CH Index) and unsupervised classification through clusters (k-means). The SBEEZ was classified in 10 Pelagic (PEZ) and 7 Benthic (BEZ) Ecological Zones. Landscape metrics were used to estimate the ecological resilience of each zone, assuming that smaller, more fragmented and more complex zones have less ability to recover from pressures and impacts. In the benthic stratum, two zones stood out with the lowest resilience indices: submarine hills at the continental rise (BEZ2) and biogenic parcels at the inner shelf (BEZ6). Six current human uses and activities (gillnet, seine, trawl and longline fisheries, navigation and conservation units) and 3 potential (mining blocks, potential mining areas, oil exploration blocks) were analyzed. Fishing and navigation data were transformed into home range polygons after calculating kernel densities. Usage maps showed high overlap between 3 industrial fisheries (gill, trawl and seine) and mining areas, suggesting a high potential for conflict between these activities. BEZ7 (sand-dominated inner shelf) was identified as the most commonly used benthic zone (256% of its area) on which the following activities depend: mining areas (79% of the area), seine (57%), trawl (58%) and gillnet fishery (48%). In the pelagic stratum, PEZ9 (coastal and with high productivity) stood out in relation to utilization (239%) and diversity of uses. The overlap of ecological resilience index and intensity of use resulted in a map of priority areas for MSP, of which we highlight: (1) the Albardão Lighthouse; (2) the Patos Lagoon Estuary mouth; (3) Baleia Franca Protected Area; and (4) the inner shelf north of Santa Catarina state. A more detailed analysis in terms of spatial scale and the interactions between uses and temporal dynamics of activities at different depths is suggested for these areas. The proposed methodology integrates existing data, decreases subjective processes, is based on free software, replicable scalable. The Marine Ecological Zones mapped in this paper can be used to quantify ecosystem services, plan data collection (biotic and abiotic) or model habitats for biota. In addition, they provide indicators for proposed marine conservation units in the SBEEZ to have greater habitat diversity, covering areas with distinct physical characteristics. Finally, quantifying current and potential uses in each MEZ provides indicators of anthropogenic pressures and key actors, facilitating the MSP negotiation and decision-making process.

Submitted by Fernanda Andreoli Rolim (fernanda.rolim@unesp.br) on 2019-07-19T14:13:46Z No. of bitstreams: 2 TESE_FernandaRolim.pdf: 5347587 bytes, checksum: 670440a0ae35879fe44391c70de7806c (MD5) Rolim et al.2019_Network of small no-take marine reserves reveals greater abundance and body size of fisheries target species.pdf: 2642977 bytes, checksum: e24c43b12c1a78b854078a2f3cdeed45 (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Aparecida Puerta Buzzá (dripuerta@rc.unesp.br) on 2019-07-19T17:47:20Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 rolim_fa_dr_rcla.pdf: 5347587 bytes, checksum: 670440a0ae35879fe44391c70de7806c (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2019-07-19T17:47:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 rolim_fa_dr_rcla.pdf: 5347587 bytes, checksum: 670440a0ae35879fe44391c70de7806c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2019-05-03 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) O estabelecimento de reservas marinhas de restrição total (No-take reserves - NTRs), ou seja, áreas com proibição total de pesca, tem sido uma alternativa mundial para preservar a biodiversidade e as funções dos ecossistemas. O Brasil tem importantes NTRs com poucos estudos descrevendo sua relevância e eficiência para a vida marinha. Com isso, o objetivo central desta tese foi avaliar os efeitos de NTRs em assembleias de peixes, testando a hipótese de que as diferenças em riqueza, abundância, biomassa e tamanho corporal dos peixes são mais explicadas pelo status de proteção do que por características ambientais. Para tanto, técnicas inovadoras no Brasil, estéreo-vídeos subaquáticos com isca (Baited Remote Underwater stereo-Videos - stereo-BRUVs) e estéreo-vídeos operados por mergulhador (Diver Operated stereo-Videos - stereo-DOVs) foram testados no Atlântico Sudoeste, comparando com os censos visuais tradicionalmente aplicados (estacionário e transecto), e utilizados para analisar os efeitos da Estação Ecológica Tupinambás e do Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos nas assembleias de peixes. Para isso, as características das assembleias de peixes em termos de riqueza, biomassa, abundância e tamanho corpóreo, foram comparadas com as áreas onde a pesca é permitida, e a complexidade do habitat foi estimada através das imagens. Em relação à comparação dos métodos, o estéreo-DOV apresentou maior eficiência, amostrando mais riqueza e abundância com menor esforço, e o estéreo-BRUV amostrou uma assembleia específica, composta principalmente por espécies de peixes móveis e de grande porte, geralmente alvos da pesca. Em ambas as NTRs avaliadas, as características das espécies-alvo foram explicadas pelo nível de proteção, enquanto as assembleias de espécies não-alvo foram mais relacionadas às características do habitat. Os resultados incluem a implementação de técnicas não-destrutivas de amostragem da ictiofauna no Brasil, uma geração de conhecimento sobre a ecologia dos peixes e a disseminação da importância dessas áreas protegidas, que auxiliarão nas medidas de manejo e estimularão a sua preservação. The establishment of no-take marine reserves (NTRs), i.e. areas with total fishing restrictions, has been an alternative worldwide aiming to preserve both biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Brazil has important NTRs with few studies describing their relevance and efficiency for marine life. With this, the central objective of this thesis was to evaluate the effects of NTRs on fish assemblage, testing the hypothesis that the differences in richness, abundance, biomass and fish body size is more explained by protection status than environmental characteristics. Thus, innovative techniques in Brazil, Baited Remote Underwater stereo-Videos (stereo-BRUVs) and Diver Operated stereo-Videos (stereo-DOVs) were tested in the Southwestern Atlantic, comparing with traditional visual census (stationary point count and belt transects), and used to analyze the effects of the Tupinambás Ecological Station and Abrolhos Marine National Park on fish assemblages. For this, fish assemblage characteristics, such as richness, abundance, biomass and body size, were compared to areas where fishing is allowed, and the habitat complexity was estimated through the footages. Concerning methods comparison, stereo-DOV showed to be more effective, sampling more richness and abundance within less effort, and Stereo-BRUVs showed to sample a very specific assemblage, comprised mostly by mobile and large bodied fish species, usually targeted by fisheries. Within both NTRs evaluated, target species characteristics was explained by protection status, while non-target species assemblage were more related to habitat characteristics. The results include an implementation of non-destructive ichthyofauna sampling techniques in Brazil, a generation of knowledge about fish ecology and the dissemination of the importance of these protected areas, which will assist management measures and encourage the preservation of the region. CNPq: 141799/2016-1.

CAPES Este estudo teve como objetivo fazer o inventário da flora planctônica marinha e identificar padrões de distribuição geográfica das espécies no litoral de Pernambuco, relacionando-os com dados de clorofila a e parâmetros hidrológicos (temperatura, salinidade, pH, sais nutrientes e OD), através de consulta prévia em artigos, dissertações e teses de 35 áreas. Constatou-se que a flora planctônica é rica e diversificada, constituída por 1.061 espécies distribuídas em 10 filos (Bacillariophyta 554 spp; Miozoa 197 spp; Cyanobacteria 98 spp; Chlorophyta 90 spp; Charophyta 70 spp; Euglenozoa 44 spp; Ochrophyta 4 spp; Cryptophyta 2 spp; e Rhodophyta 1 espécie) que formam populações distintas dentro das diferentes províncias geomorfológicas estudadas. Cinco padrões de distribuição geográfica foram identificados: o primeiro é constituído pelas espécies exclusivas; o segundo é formado por 185 espécies que ocorreram tanto em estuários como na plataforma; o terceiro padrão englobou 88 espécies que estiveram presentes nas três áreas (estuários, região nerítica e oceânica); o quarto padrão incluiu 23 espécies com registro apenas na região nerítica e arquipélagos; e no quinto padrão foram incluídas apenas 19 espécies, todas de baixa distribuição geográfica que ocorreram em estuários e arquipélagos mas sem registros na região nerítica. As espécies de ampla distribuição foram principalmente ticoplanctônicas marinhas neríticas, planctônicas marinhas neríticas e planctônicas marinhas oceânicas. Dentre o total de espécies se destacaram: Climacosphenia moniligera, Coscinodiscus centralis, Cylindrotheca closterium e Odontella aurita que ocorreram em 85,71% dos ecossistemas estudados. Dominando praticamente toda zona litorânea, C. centralis foi a espécie que melhor caracterizou o ambiente, apresentando uma excelente adaptação nas águas salobras e eutrofizadas dos estuários. Para clorofila a, maiores concentrações foram registradas em áreas degradadas dos grandes centros urbanos com elevada concentração de sais nutrientes. A temperatura apresentou pequenas variações ao longo da costa e a salinidade foi um fator bastante dinâmico, principalmente nas áreas de maior influência do fluxo de água doce continental, ocasionando mudanças estruturais na composição das populações locais. The objective of this study was to make an inventory of the marine plankton flora and to identify patterns of geographic distribution of the species in the coast of Pernambuco, relating them with chlorophyll data and hydrological parameters (temperature, salinity, pH, nutrient salts and OD) through prior consultation in articles, dissertations and theses of 35 areas. It was verified that the planktonic flora is rich and diversified, constituted by 1.061 species distributed in 10 phyla (Bacillariophyta 554 spp; Miozoa 197 spp; Cyanobacteria 98 spp; Chlorophyta 90 spp; Charophyta 70 spp; Euglenozoa 44 spp; Ochrophyta 4 spp; Cryptophyta 2 spp; and Rhodophyta 1 species) forming distinct populations within the different geomorphological provinces studied. Five patterns of geographic distribution were identified: the first consists of the exclusive species; the second consists of 185 species that occurred in both estuaries and on the shelf; the third pattern included 88 species that were present in the three areas (estuaries, neritic and oceanic region); the fourth standard included 23 species recorded only in the neritic region and archipelagos; and in the fifth standard were included only 19 species, all of low geographic distribution that occurred in estuaries and archipelagos but without records in the neritic region. The species of wide distribution were mainly nericotic marine ticoplankton, marine plankton neritic and oceanic plankton. Among the total of species were: Climacosphenia moniligera, Coscinodiscus centralis, Cylindrotheca closterium and Odontella aurita, which occurred in 85.71% of the studied ecosystems. Dominating practically all the coastal zone, C. centralis was the species that best characterized the environment, presenting an excellent adaptation in the brackish and eutrophic waters of the estuaries. For chlorophyll a, higher concentrations were recorded in degraded areas of large urban centers with high concentration of nutrient salts. The temperature presented small variations along the coast and salinity was a very dynamic factor, especially in the areas of greatest influence of the continental freshwater flow, causing structural changes in the composition of local populations.

Seabirds are very sensitive to environmental changes and due to their large longevity they are also sensitive to cumulative impacts. These birds usually occupy the higher trophic levels. White-chinned petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis) and black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) are Procellariiformes, which is a seabird order, composed of 4 families. In the last years, researches are being done and actions are being taken to reduce the mortality of albatrosses and petrels caused by human activities. Due to the great ecological importance of these birds and the developed work with Procellariiformes, this study purpose was to quantify the Br, Cl, Cu, K, Mg, Mn, Na and V elements in white-chinned petrel and black-browed albatross feathers. Bird specimens were killed accidentally by pelagic longline fisheries operating off southern Brazil. Feathers were cleaned with acetone and then milled in a cryogenic mill. Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) was used for quantification of the element concentrations and measurements of induced activities were performed in a High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector for gamma ray spectrometry. The obtained results on feathers showed that concentrations in these birds are not higher than others studies with the same species and, with exception of Br, there are no significant differences between elements mean concentrations in the two seabirds.

While coastal management has been recognized as an urgent and strategic process since 1970s worldwide, it is still struggling to show robust outcomes in some countries and even among regions within countries. Coastal Ecological and Economic Zoning was proposed in 1988 as an integrated environmental and territorial management tool by the Brazilian National Coastal Management Plan (NCMP). This paper applied a recently-developed methodological framework towards the analysis of C-EEZ implementation processes in the context of the 17 coastal States in Brazil. The results evidence particularities that may improve coastal management policies and highlights the situation of late consolidation of this management tool, with evident asymmetries along the Brazilian coast. Although the C-EEZ is one of the most enduring initiatives in coastal management in Brazil, some critical issues still need to be solved, such as articulation among sectors of society, generation of technical products for society, provision of State’s annual budget laws, integration with land territorial management policies, identification and mitigation of conflicts throughout the territory and its uses, foster public participation, integration between the technical teams and public spheres, and guidance on environmental licensing processes by the states. Finally, it is proposed that the discussion be brought to the social actors involved with the coastal management theme, seeking to optimized efforts and financial, material and human resources, aiming for greater effectiveness of what really matters: the sustainable development of the coastal zone in Brazil.

Polymorphism may allow individuals to expand habitat use through morph-specific resource demands. However, the underlying mechanisms maintaining different morphotypes in nature are difficult to identify. We sampled populations of the shrimpHippolyte obliquimanusin the macroalgaeSargassum furcatumandGalaxaura marginatato examine morph-specific distribution patterns, population structure and female reproductive output, as an initial step to understand polymorphism in this species. Two main colour morphotypes were identified: homogeneous shrimps (H), which change their colour, mostly from pink to greenish-brown tones, and striped translucent shrimps (ST), whose colour remain unaltered. Distribution of individuals between habitats was clearly morph-specific. H shrimps occupied colour-matching substrates, mainlySargassum, where they can attain large densities, and ST individuals were evenly distributed in both algae. Brood production and size-fecundity relationships were similar between morphs and habitats, suggesting these are relatively fixed traits in the population. However, sex proportions, defined as the male to female ratio, were different between morphs and macroalgae. H shrimps were chiefly females (1:2.04) and ST shrimps mostly males (1:0.30). Given the likely polygynic pure-search mating system inH. obliquimanus, the female-biased sex ratio observed inSargassumis apparently more advantageous than the Mendelian proportion found inGalaxaurahabitat. Clustering on vegetated habitat, the female-biased H morph may be relatively cryptic and sedentary, compared with the male-biased ST morph which apparently combines a more neutral camouflage strategy to a generalized habitat use. Altogether, results suggest that selection for sex-specific traits favours the maintenance of polymorphism inH. obliquimanus.

Settlement of most marine benthic invertebrates is intrinsically linked to the end of the pelagic life, but for a few, the transition to the benthos can be less well-defined. Early metamorphosed postlarvae of temperate and subtropical bivalves are known to delay final settlement, i.e., undergo secondary migrations, until detecting specific habitat cues. Here, we test the hypothesis that postlarval drifting occurs as well in tropical systems, being mediated by the nutritional quality of nearshore waters. We monitored early stages of the flat tree oyster Isognomon alatus on the Caribbean coast of Panama, and observed successive numerical dominance of late-stage larvae (pediveligers) and postlarvae (juvenile drifters) of this isognomonid in the water column. Of all the pelagic individuals collected, 19% corresponded to juvenile drifters, suggesting that conditions favoring juvenile drifting were present at the time of sampling and/or juvenile drifting may be commonplace for this species. During 23 consecutive sampling days, we detected a single settlement peak of long-term drifters that followed a decrease in sea-surface salinity. The shell morphology of juveniles revealed that first settlement for I. alatus takes place after theoretical competence, when prodissoconch II exceeds c. a. 300 μm. A shift in nearshore trophic conditions was detected after settlement, with particulate matter dominated by tracers of microalgae and vascular plant matter shifting to tracers for detritic matter and bacterial load. Essential fatty acids comprised 28% of the seston, yet, were minimally accumulated by I. alatus pediveligers (2% of energetic reserves). We highlight the importance of accounting for juvenile drifters of I. alatus on settlement estimates, as the spatial distribution of late larval stages and/or early settlers might not reflect their final distribution. This information is key to manage, exploit and/or conserve natural stocks.

The Brazilian coast, from Oiapoque to Chui, is particularly diverse in coastal environments (mangroves, coral reefs, rocky shores, sandy beaches). The conservation of biodiversity in these areas has been threatened by biological invasions. The increase in introduction of nonindigenous marine species is related to the expansion of maritime trade. Fouling species are mainly transported in ship hulls and maritime structures, overcoming geographic barriers and facilitating their establishment in new regions. Understanding the scenario of marine bioinvasions in Brazil is crucial for conservation of marine biodiversity. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate and discuss the current scenario of marine bioinvasions research by fouling organisms in Brazil. An exhaustive survey by scientific articles was carried out in Google Scholar and Periódicos Capes databases, using the terms "marine" AND "bioinvasion" AND "Brazil" in both english and portuguese languages. We only selected studies related to bioinvasion by fouling organisms in Brazilian marine environments, including estuaries, and with an impact factor calculated by the Journal Citation Reports. We analyzed 83 articles. The oldest work found dates back to 2006. Only as of 2016, has been published, annually, more than 5 articles on this thematic. These data indicate that marine bioinvasion of fouling organisms is a recent science in Brazil. Most of the research with invading marine fouling is related to the study of the interaction of these species with other marine organisms (14%). Most of the studies with bioinvasion of fouling are from studies to survey fouling species in a specific coastal region (13%), with no focus on invasive species. Researches conducted to record the occurrence of invasive fouling (11%) are common. There is a shortage of studies that approach the environmental impacts (4%) and social impacts (1%) caused by bioinvasions. There is also few researches with invading fouling focusing on the genetic (4%), successional (1%), life cycle (0.8%) and climate change (0.8%) aspects. Among the works analyzed, most of them are descriptive (73%, including 7 bibliographical reviews) and few are experimental (26%). In general, experimental evaluations focus on an invasive target species, being the most studied: Tubastraea spp., Perna perna and Stragulum bicolor. However, a few experimental studies approach the fouling community or large groups of organisms (eg, ascidians and corals). The data reveals the need to increase experimental research, both in the field and in the laboratory. Studies of the ecological relationships of fouling bioinvasions at the population and community levels are also required, due to evaluation of interactions by individuals or by few species has a low predictive power regarding the impacts of invasive species.

The seasonal breeding patterns of a wide array of marine invertebrates are shaped by strong and deterministic environmental factors over their geographic distribution range, such as temperature or photoperiod. Whether or not such patterns will remain adaptive at more localized scales may depend on how consistent are secondary drivers controlling resource supply to parents and offspring. We address this question by examining the seasonal patterns of both the trophic state of coastal waters, and larval production and quality produced by a filter-feeding invertebrate, the intertidal barnacle Chthamalus bisinuatus, along a 150 km long trophic gradient in Southeastern Brazil. Results are consistent to previous remote sensing work showing strong seasonal variation of chlorophyll-a and particulate organic carbon concentrations, increasing 2 to 2.5 times from summer – early autumn to winter, compatible to enhanced production through vertical mixing caused by passing cold fronts. The spatial gradient was also verified and found to be consistent between seasons, but contrasts were of smaller magnitude (coefficients of variations between 15 and 35%). All reproductive parameters showed important seasonal but no spatial trends. Larval production was much higher in summer-early autumn, agreeing with previous results based on gonad development and early recruitment rate for this same species and published results for other chthamalids. However, per capita parental transfer of neutral fatty acids to larvae and larval survival without exogenous food increased 2 and 1.4 times from the breeding to the non-breeding season, respectively, indicating that coastal oceanographic processes favor larval quality when reproductive activity is lower. Given that food limitation is likely frequent in the study region, shifting from oligotrophic to mesotrophic, and that effects of larval nourishing can be carried over to benthic barnacle stages, results also suggest that the contribution of out-of-season offspring to overall recruitment may be disproportionately higher.

Invasive engineering species impact local biodiversity and ecosystem services as they often change habitat complexity while displacing native species, ultimately altering fundamental processes such as secondary production and the energy flow through trophic levels. The sun corals Tubastraea coccinea and T. tagusensis have successfully invaded reef habitats along the Brazilian coast, drastically reducing the diversity of benthic fouling invertebrates and macroalgae at places where colonies had taken large fractions of the available space. Yet, there is no consistent information on the effects of this invasion on assemblages of mobile invertebrates. We sampled shallow vertical reef areas at Buzios Island, SP, Brazil, and compared univariate and multivariate attributes of these assemblages at different levels of sun-coral cover (no cover, half and full cover), at two sites separated by a few km, and two areas within sites separated by several tens of meters. Consistent declines of overall abundance and biomass with increasing coral cover were found at one sampled site, while richness responded only to small-scale heterogeneity with no sun-coral effects. Changes in assemblage structure were area-specific, but similarity analyses most often grouped no coral and half coral cover, leaving aside full coral plots. Tanaids, ostracods and harpacticoid copepods were among the most important groups where sun corals were absent or covering only half of the reef habitat. However, these groups became almost absent in coral saturated habitats. Polychaetes also contributed substantially to dissimilarities, but effects on this group were less clear. Overall, results suggest a negative tipping point between partial to nearly full coral cover, especially at sites where physically complex macroalgae, capable to retain sediments and hence the invertebrates therein, are displaced by the establishment and growth of sun-coral colonies. As important prey for reef fishes, the collapse of small crustacean populations may alter whole-reef ecosystem functioning and negatively impact local fisheries.

Several authors have put forward the hypothesis that juveniles of transient marine fish concentrate in intertidal tide pools, not only to benefit from refuge and higher temperatures, but also to use them as feeding grounds. However, there have been no attempts to test this. The feeding ecology of fish was studied in intertidal tide pools to evaluate the importance of these habitats as feeding grounds for non-resident juvenile fish. Fish were collected in 5 beaches in Southeastern Brazil. Juveniles of four species of non-resident fish were identified in the pools: Abudefduf saxatilis (Linnaeus, 1758), Diplodus argenteus (Valenciennes, 1830), Eucinostomus melanopterus (Bleeker, 1863) and Odontesthes argentinensis (Valenciennes, 1835). The most abundant species was A. saxatilis, followed by E. melanopterus and D. argenteus. The diet of those three species was characterized and correlated to the supply of potential food items in the pool where they were collected, in the surrounding intertidal and the nearest subtidal habitat. There was extensive diet overlap among species, largely explained by a generalized predation on copepods. The diet of all species was best correlated to the frequency of resources in tide pools, except for the diet of E. melanopterus which was equally correlated to the intertidal nearby habitat. The consistent similarity between stomach contents and prey availability inside the pool, observed for all species, indicates that intertidal tide pools are likely used as feeding grounds by juvenile stages of these transient fish.

Bioinvasion is a worldwide threat and requires global cooperation to be successfully overcome. Along with climate change, bioinvasion is considered the largest cause of the loss of biological diversity. It causes changes in the structure and function of ecosystems, increasing the homogenization of biota and causes economic losses. In Brazil, there is a growing number of bioinvasion events. At the same time, there is an absence of a national public policy to prevent bioinvasions affected by the disarticulation between the different initiatives and public agents. On the other hand, monitoring programs for marine invasive species are well developed in other countries such as Denmark, including the use of DNA data and molecular techniques. Along their life cycles organisms leave DNA signatures in the environment. Their current or recent presence can often be inferred from signatures by analyzing environmental DNA (eDNA). Identifying this environmental imprinting may ensure early detection of exotic and potentially invasive species on a non-native area. For this, there is a need of the development of eDNA protocols for on early detection on marine environments, including the comparison of marine substrate and water samples, selection of primers and bioinformatic pipeline analysis. A recent collaboration between research groups from IEAPM Marine Biotechnology Group, the Natural History Museum of Denmark, and National Museum of Brazil was established. Our objective is to develop a protocol for early detection of marine exotic species that can be applied to Brazilian coastal regions and improve the management and conservation of native species.

First life form on Earth developed at moderate temperatures, before it evolves into a much warmer environment and later in a climate similar to the current one. In this sense, it is well known that temperature has an important role in the life and of all organisms growth around the planet. For example, marine organisms suffer from small changes in temperature, which can affect their behavior and metabolism. Also, a area that requires great attention when the subject is temperature, is aquarium industry, that is the creation of fish and other aquatic organisms in aquariums. However, keeping aquariums in certain conditions, as the summer, requires special attention to preserve life, because temperature increasing creates some risks for this environment. Then, it is necessary an equipment that suppress this failure, making stable the temperature in the aquariums. However, in most cases the high cost these devices is a major constraint for this area. Therefore, this work aims to develop a low cost system for temperature controlling and monitoring in aquariums. This system is based on physical programmable circuit board (Arduino) connected to 1 temperature sensor and 4 peltier modules (2 to heat and 2 to cold). User can be adjust temperature thresholds (minimum and maximum) according to desired. From this, temperature sensor measures and sends information to Arduino. When this temperature exceeds configured thresholds, Arduino turn on the peltier module. For equipment test, was performed an experiment using an aquarium with 1.5l of water. This test showed that for increasing and decreasing of 1 degree the system took 30 seconds and 27 seconds, respectively. Thus, this system prevents abrupt changes in temperature that can be harmful to organisms. The main conclusions that can be drawn are that this system is low cost, quick deployment and customizable.

Rocky shores benthic community are characterized by ecological interactions between the biota and the environment, resulting in complex and heterogeneous ecosystems. The present work analyzed the distribution and the relative abundance of the benthic communities of infralittoral along different environmental gradients in Arraial do Cabo (RJ). In order to identify the spatial and temporal variations of the main components of this community, the sampling was performed every three months, from July 2017 to June 2019, at four sheltered (Anequim, Porcos, Pedra Vermelha and Saco do Gato) and two exposed sites (Fraanceses e Ingleses). The substrate coverage data was obtained by the photo-square method. The taxa were grouped by morphofunctional groups. Percentage coverage data was transformed to square root arcsine. The non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS), using the Bray-Curtis similarity matrix, was applied to identify the formation of groups based on the benthic community composition and abundance. The results evidenced that the dominance trend of “macroalgae” was inversely proportional to the presence of the “turf” and “articulate coralline algae”. The contribution of “turf” increased with depth in all sites, and during the winter at Anequim, Porcos and Pedra Vermelha. It was noticeable the differentiation between Franceses and the other sampled sites regarding to the “macroalgae” and “invertebrates” contribution. The nMDS analysis did not evidenced formation of groups. Therefore, further analysis concerning differences focused on specific groups may help depict finer scale patterns on spatial variation on benthic cover along studied gradients.

Tese de mestrado, Ecologia Marinha, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2020 Submitted by Cristina Manessiez (camanessiez@fc.ul.pt) on 2020-09-01T11:07:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ulfc125798_tm_Joana_Correia.pdf: 2828540 bytes, checksum: 58db871f75231c61b2fe26bfcc8ccab4 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2020-09-01T11:07:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ulfc125798_tm_Joana_Correia.pdf: 2828540 bytes, checksum: 58db871f75231c61b2fe26bfcc8ccab4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020

Larval pool are the main source of new individuals for rock shore barnacle communities, and thus the conditions of the pelagic environment are decisive for their dispersion and growth. The larval pool is considered to be the set of larvae that reach a community, and directly affect the number of individuals that will settle. The present study was conducted in a region with influence of upwelling and coastal subsidence events. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the temporal and spatial variation of two stages (nauplii and cypris) of larval supply, in a quantitative way. To establish this connection is especially important for the understanding of mechanisms and scales of variability that model invertebrate species settlement patterns in underwater environments and intertidal. The plankton samples were collected in four rocky shores on the same day, during the Spring period of 2018. It was carried out at points A - Arraial do Cabo, B - Saquarema, C - Jaconé and D - Niterói, with weekly samplings beginning July and finishing at the end of September. The barnacle larvae were collected using a plastic bucket of 10 L volume, filtering in a mesh of 100 μm, in the water that directly bathed the shore. Each plankton sample was constituted by 15 successive collections, totaling 150 liters per sample. It was taken 3 sample replicates (3 x 150 L), which were immediately fixed in a 4% saline formaldehyde solution, until laboratory analysis. The nauplii concentration ranged between points over the periods. Site A was significantly different from the others (p=0,006), in the cypris stage, the results show that the B and C sites are significantly different from the other (p

Large coastal landscapes has been degraded by human development. The application of ecological engineering techniques to recuperate degraded environments have been widely studied. However, few studies evaluate the people’s perceptions about marine environment and eco-engineering. The present study was part of the Green Engineering working group of the World Harbour Project, organized by the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (Australia). In Brazil, this study was carried out at Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro and aimed to evaluate people's knowledge about marine environment health around Forno Harbour and ecological engineering applications in harbour environments. For this, a survey was conducted through personal interviews and online questionnaire in order to collect responses of different people groups (i.e. residents, coastal managers and marine scientists). A face-to-face questionnaire was applied in locations such as streets, businesses and dive centers. In addition, the questionnaire also remained available online from June to December, 2017. The survey included 19 questions divided into 4 sections: basic personal informations, harbour uses, views on artificial structures and perceptions of ecological engineering. At the end of the survey, we had 179 participants. Among these, the most representative groups were marine scientist, researchers/students and tourists. About 45% of respondents considered the marine environment around the Forno Harbour an unhealthy ecosystem. Most respondents (53%) associated this degradation to human development. However, they consider man-made structures in marine environments as economic development indicator in and around the harbour. About 86% of surveyed showed interest in ecological engineering, but just 30% would be willing to pay extra taxes to support its implementation. Previous studies indicated that ecoengineering techniques in degraded areas may be effective in restoring intertidal fouling community. However, the understanding about what people think about the application of these techniques in harbours can also help to better planning management strategies. This information can be used to support ecological engineering initiatives not only in areas less impacted as Arraial do Cabo, but also in places heavily modified by artificial structures.

The influence of the moon cycles on the ichthyofauna has been little studied in the surf zone. In this study, the number of species, density and biomass were evaluated as a function of the moon. A total of 49 species distributed in 24 families were captured in two areas of Miramar beach. The mean density was significant high in the weaning and low in the new moon, while density and biomass together showed differences for areas. The most abundant species were Anchoa tricolor and Trachinotus falcatus (new moon), and Anchovia clupeoides showed significant differences in the waning moon. The RDA indicates that turbidity influenced significantly the presence of two species group. The group I were represented by Stellifer brasiliensis, Trachinotus goodei, A. clupeoides, Chilomycterus spinosus and Conodon nobilis that occurred on the waning and new phases in both areas, while the group II were represented by Polydactylus virginicus and Haemulopsis corvinaeformis in the full moon. The surf zones may also be strongly governed by the lunar phases. Therefore, the results found in this study, showed that the biological interactions between the species with turbidity and moon might explain the density and biomass variations for some species in the surf zone. RESUMO A influência das fases lunares sobre a ictiofauna tem sido pouco estudada na zona de arrebentação. Nesse estudo, foram avaliadas, o número de espécies, densidade e a biomassa da ictiofauna em função da lua. Foram capturadas 49 espécies distribuídas em 24 famílias em duas áreas na Praia de Miramar. A densidade foi significativamente elevada nas luas minguante e nova. Além disso, a densidade e biomassa juntas mostraram diferenças entre as áreas. As espécies mais abundantes na lua nova foram Anchoa tricolor e Trachinotus falcatus, e Anchovia clupeoides teve uma maior abundancia na lua minguante. O RDA, indicou que a turbidez influenciou significativamente a presença de dois grupos distintos. O grupo I, representado por Stellifer brasiliensis, Trachinotus goodei, A. clupeoides, Chilomycterus spinosus e Conodon nobilis estiveram presentes nas luas minguante e nova em ambas as áreas, e o grupo II, representado por Polydactylus virginicus e Haemulopsis corvinaeformis na lua cheia. As zonas de arrebentação também podem ser reguladas fortemente pelas fases lunares. Os resultados mostraram que as interações biológicas entre as espécies com a turbidez e as fases lunares podem explicar as variações de densidade e biomassa para algumas espécies na zona de arrebentação.

Recreational diving has been na importante tool for acquisition of data for ocean sciences, with special contribution of SCUBA diving. Standards and procedures have been developed, with the main purpose of maintaining divers integrity (American Academy of Underwater Science). However, in some countries (i.e. Brazil), there are no standard procedures for scientific diving. The Centro de Treinamento de Mergulho advises researchers to achieve certifications that meet their studies requirements. We present here three innovative technologies that offer great improvement in the use of SCUBA diving as a research tool: 1 – the independent diving program; 2 – the SCUBA package for R programming; 3 – low cost sampling devices (LCSD) for underwater images acquisition. The most notable benefits of the independent diving program for researchers are the ability to completely focus on their activities (i. e. benthos sampling) and the better preparation for more complex and defiant diving environments. The minimum setup for this activity includes two independent air delivery systems; spare mask, fin straps and diving computer; knife; diving reel; dive buoy; primary and secondary lamps. The requirements are: minimum of 18 years old; at least 75 open water dives, with at least 50 hours underwater; being certified on navigation, low visibility and deep diving programs or at least 5 logged dives in each of these specialities; certification in Stress and Rescue. Good dive planning applications are usually paid, however now we can count on the SCUBA package for R programing, which performs theoretical diving calculations, that allows the creation and manipulation of sintetic diving profiles, execute decompression calculations, calculates the better non-decompression double dive, verifies oxygen partial pressure and toxicity, among other functionalities. Video and photo devices are becoming more accessible for land use (i. e. Drones), however the costs for underwater image acquiring devices are still very high. We utilize a simple device, composed of a structure for holding Gopro cameras, a light system and a scale for acquisition of images for previous recognition of the study area. This device can be used dynamically or statically. Images are not seen in real time, however, are very important for planning dives below 40 meters deep

International audience; Climate change, particularly ocean warming, is thought to benefit the spread of invasive species due to their increased tolerance to temperature fluctuations as compared to native species. The physiological tolerance of invasive species as a potential mechanism driving invasion success is therefore a subject that merits further study. Specifically, we need to adequately evaluate the potential of species invasions under changing environmental conditions, so that adequate preventive measures can be taken to minimize any impacts on coastal ecosystems. Here, we experimentally evaluated the physiological responses of a recent invader in the Southern Atlantic, the shrimp Lysmata lipkei, under a warming ocean scenario. Adult shrimps were collected from rocky shores in southeastern Brazil and subjected to experimental trials under a control and a + 3 °C scenario. Molecular biomarkers (in gills and muscle), upper thermal limits, acclimation response ratios, thermal safety margins, mortality rates, estimates of body condition and energy reserves were measured over 1 month. Results suggest that higher temperatures elicit physiological adjustments at the molecular level, underpinning a high thermal tolerance. In addition, results indicated substantial acclimation capacity, with no evidence of decreased performance under an ocean-warming scenario. Thermal safety margins were low for shrimp from intertidal rock pools but high for shrimp from subtidal habitats. We conclude that the thermal tolerance of this shrimp species may favor its ongoing invasion along the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean, mainly in subtidal habitats, both under present and future thermal conditions.

In the southeast of Brazil, rocky shores are common features, present in coastal areas and islands. This is one of the most productive environments on Earth, and show a high diversity and ecological importance. Near rocky shore areas, the sound produced when many benthic invertebrates are active can be quite representative in the marine soundscape. These sounds merge into a timed signal, characterized as Rocky Shore Bioacoustic Signature (RSBS). However, RSBS patterns can be influenced by many factors, including circadian and lunar cycles, wind, tide, temperature and luminosity. Other factor that can change the RSBS is the sound attenuation caused by photosynthesis bubbles. The present work aims to characterize the relationship between RSBS and light. A structure with 4 hydrophones and 1 luminosity sensor was installed near the Cabo Frio Island, Brazil, acquire data during 82 days. Solar radiation data from National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) was utilized for RSBS modelling. The RSBS model was based on a nonlinear regression technique. Two frequency bands were under analysis: Band B (1.5-8kHz) and Band C (8-24kHz). Spearman's correlation showed that Band B and C have a negative correlation with solar radiation and luminosity. It suggests that solar radiation and RSBS have a nonlinear relationship. Regression analysis revealed that solar radiation explain approximately 27% and 19% of RSBS variance in B and C, respectively. Probably, the benthic invertebrates biorhythm can be the main contributor for RSBS decreasing during daytime. Furthermore, the study area presents a high density of macroalgae, and during the period of higher luminosity, some species produce bubbles caused by photosynthesis that can influence the local marine soundscape. The amount and size of these bubbles affect the underwater sound propagation, and the presence of free gas in the bubbles attenuates and reflects the sound energy due to absorption and scattering. The interference caused by bubbles will be evaluating in further works.

International audience; Predator-prey interactions in natural ecosystems generate complex food webs that have a simple universal body-size architecture where predators are systematically larger than their prey. Food-web theory shows that the highest predator-prey body-mass ratios found in natural food webs may be especially important as they create weak interactions with slow dynamics that stabilize communities against perturbations and maintain ecosystem functioning. Identifying these vital interactions in real communities typically requires arduous identification of interactions in complex food webs. Here, we overcome this obstacle by developing predator-trait models to predict average body-mass ratios based on a database comprising 290 food webs from freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems across all continents. We analyzed how species traits constrain body-size architecture by changing the slope of the predator-prey body-mass scaling. Across ecosystems, we found high body-mass ratios for predator groups with specific trait combinations including (1) small vertebrates and (2) large swimming or flying predators. Including the metabolic and movement types of predators increased the accuracy of predicting which species are engaged in high body-mass ratio interactions. We demonstrate that species traits explain striking patterns in the body-size architecture of natural food webs that underpin the stability and functioning of ecosystems, paving the way for community-level management of the most complex natural ecosystems.

Marine invertebrates inhabiting low-latitude shores are exposed to both extremely hot and highly variable conditions. Further changes in habitat temperature may pose a risk to these populations. In this study, we examined the early life stage response of foundation species from subtropical and tropical latitudes to changes in the thermal habitat. We manipulated the color of settling surfaces for barnacle species that occupy the same ecological niche, Chthamalus bisinuatus (southeastern coast of Brazil), and Chthamalus proteus (northwestern coast of Panama). Using an in situ experimental approach, we assessed: 1) the combined effects of temperature and other abiotic parameters, and 2) the significance of larval and early juvenile traits in determining post-settlement performance for the first three days of benthic life. We found that the biological outcomes differed for the two species, according to the local thermal regime experienced. C. bisinuatus juveniles responded positively to higher temperatures, through a positive interaction between larval energetic condition, post-metamorphic size and temperature on their initial growth. Conversely, C. proteus juveniles grew slower at higher temperatures, although a positive effect of size at settlement was found. Continuous air- and sea-surface temperature measurements revealed that the tropical chthamalids experienced temperatures ≈6 °C higher than their subtropical congeners, as well as harsher thermal conditions during aerial exposure. This suggests that manipulated temperatures likely exceeded the tolerance of the Caribbean population, already living on the edge of their thermal threshold. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the factors underpinning the critical post-settlement events that drive patterns of abundance and distribution of barnacles in low-latitude systems.

Special issue Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of a subtropical coastal ecosystem: subsidies for integrated management.-- 12 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables, supplementary data https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2018.02.007, A model-oriented research project can organize and systematize high quality sampling information and convert observed values into information needed to parameterize ecological models. In this paper, we describe the value parameterization process from an interdisciplinary project to the development of a food web model (using Ecopath) in order to comprehend the Araçá Bay ecosystem structure (Brazil) and to forecast the impact of a port expansion (São Sebastião Port) over a bay environment. Araçá Bay Ecopath model has 34 compartments, Phytoplankton, Phytobenthos, Mangrove, Zooplankton, 10 groups of benthos, 13 fish groups, Shrimp, Crabs, Turtles, two bird groups and two groups of Detritus. The model outputs showed that Araçá Bay is a mature and detritus-based ecosystem. It is highly influenced by the role of benthos groups which are responsible for a huge amount of detritus recycling due to their large biomass value. The simulation of port expansion (primary producers' reduction), using the Ecosim module, indicated negative impacts on almost all living groups and an increase in detritus accumulation, leading the entire bay ecosystem towards its collapse (in the short term). The interdisciplinary organized sampling process presented here is an example of how objectively planned sample design and modeling may guide scientists, local people and stakeholders' decisions with valuable integrated information and overall predictions in order to consider the sustainable use of natural areas and resources, This work was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) through the BIOTA-Araçá project (2011/50317-5) and scholarship grants to Riguel Contente Number 2013/19435-7; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico (CNPq) through a productivity grant to ACZA (306558/2010). CAPES supported M. Coll (Proc. PVE A063/2013, Ed.71/2013)