1 research outputs found
Bryozoans are Major Modern Builders of South Atlantic Oddly Shaped Reefs
Supplementary information accompanies this paper at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-27961-6.In major modern reef regions, either in the Indo-Pacific or the Caribbean, scleractinian corals are
described as the main reef framework builders, often associated with crustose coralline algae. We
used underwater cores to investigate Late Holocene reef growth and characterise the main framework
builders in the Abrolhos Shelf, the largest and richest modern tropical reef complex in the South
Western Atlantic, a scientifically underexplored reef province. Rather than a typical coralgal reef,
our results show a complex framework building system dominated by bryozoans. Bryozoans were
major components in all cores and age intervals (2,000 yrs BP), accounting for up to 44% of the reef
framework, while crustose coralline algae and coral accounted for less than 28 and 23%, respectively.
Reef accretion rates varied from 2.7 to 0.9 mm yr−1, which are similar to typical coralgal reefs.
Bryozoan functional groups encompassed 20 taxa and Celleporaria atlantica (Busk, 1884) dominated
the framework at all cores. While the prevalent mesotrophic conditions may have driven suspensionfeeders’
dominance over photoautotrophs and mixotrophs, we propose that a combination of historical
factors with the low storm-disturbance regime of the tropical South Atlantic also contributed to the
region’s low diversity, and underlies the unique mushroom shape of the Abrolhos pinnacles.We thank CNPq/FAPES-Sisbiota/PELD, CAPES/IODP, CAPES/Ciências do Mar, and ANP/Brasoil for long
term project funding. We also thank ICMBio for research permits and field logistic support, and Conservation
International for providing and authorizing the use of the IKONOS image. JMW and JCB are International
Visiting Researcher at UFES and JBRJ, supported by the Science Without Borders program. Zá Cajueiro
provided invaluable field support and Ronaldo Francini, Carlos Janovitch and Lucio Engler helped in the drilling
operations. This is a contribution from the Rede Abrolhos (abrolhos.org)