UFSC activities, results and plans – WP2 'Mapping Atlantic Ecosystems'

As part of WP2 objectives (map deep and open-ocean ecosystems at basin, regional and local scales), we gathered all records of deep-water corals in iAtlantic Region 11 (Vitória-Trindade Seamount Chain) and the adjacent continental slope available and known to us in the literature. A total of 68 stations from two research programs yielded deep-water corals, in depths up to 1,806 m. Deep-water coral taxa sampled were Stylasteridae (Class Hydrozoa), Scleractinia, Octocorallia and Antipatharia (Class Anthozoa). Most of these stations are in the adjacent continental slope and only 19 are on seamounts or off islands in the seamount chain. Additionally, only 5 of these 19 stations off islands and seamounts were deeper than 200 m. Region 11 thus remains a poorly sampled region for deep-water corals. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, it was not possible to sample this far. However, we gathered deep-water coral samples (particularly octocorals) collected in the outer shelf and slope of Campos Basin (Region 10) in two Petrobras cruises (December 2019 and January 2021), in depths up to 722 m. Preliminary results indicate three species of Paragorgia, two morphotypes of Corallidae, three genera in the subfamily Anthomastinae and morphotypes of Plexauridae (e.g., Paramuricea). Images and additional samples will be collected during the BR10 cruise to Region 10 and the BR11 cruise to Region 11, postponed due to the COVID-19 restrictions and rescheduled for 2022. These samples will also be used in the Taxonomy Workshop (WP6) and some will be selected and provided for geochemical analyses at USP (WP3).