Are metals of antifouling paints transferred to marine biota?

Devido sua alta toxicidade, o TBT está banido desde 2003, o que resultou na re-utilização de tintas a base de cobre. O objetivo deste trabalho é determinar se os metais provenientes das tintas anti-incrustantes (AFP) são transferidos para organismos bentônicos da Baía de Guanabara (BG) (Rio de janeiro, Brasil). Concentrações de metais foram analisadas em duas espécies de algas Ulva flexuosa e U. fasciata e no isópoda, Sphaeroma serratum, em duas áreas de marinas em locais de substrato artificial coberto com tintas AFP e em locais de substrato natural. Também foram coletadas amostras em uma área oceânica (controle). Concentrações de Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb e Zn foram determinadas por Espectrofotometria de Absorção Atômica. Concentrações mais elevadas de Cu, Pb e Zn foram detectadas na BG em ambas espécies de algas em relação a área controle. Dentre as espécies de algas e do isópoda da BG, as populações coletadas sobre as superfícies cobertas com AFP apresentaram concentrações significativamente mais elevadas do que as populações do substrato natural. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que a liberação de metais presentes nas AFP dos decks e embarcações, estão sendo acumulados pelas algas e isópodas. Esses resultados indicam que o revestimento com AFP é a principal fonte de metais para a biota de marinas em áreas da BG.Because of its high toxicity, TBT (trybutiltin) was banned since 2003, which resulted in a greater re-use of Cu as based-biocide in antifouling paints (AFP). The aim of this work is to determine if metals form of AFP are transferred to benthic organisms from Guanabara Bay (GB) (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Metal concentrations were measured in two main fouling algae species Ulva flexuosa and U. fasciata and one isopod species, Sphaeroma serratum, in two GB marinas areas from sites with artificial substrate covered by AFP and natural substrate.In addition, control samples were collected in an adjacent open ocean area. Concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn were determined by Atomic Absortion Spectrophotometry. Higher concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn were detected in both algal species from GB in relation to control areas. Among samples of algae and isopod species from GB, populations collected over artificial surfaces covered by AFP presented significantly higher metal concentration than population of rocky natural substrate. Our data showed that the leaching of metals by antifouling paints present on decks and boats are being taken up by algae and isopods. These results indicate that antifouling coatings are the main source of heavy metal to biota of GB marina area

Seaweed diversity associated with a Brazilian tropical rhodolith bed

This study describes the predominantly tropical, subtidal seaweed populations growing on rhodoliths between 4 and 18 m depth in the southern part of Espírito Santo State (Brazil). Qualitative and quantitative sampling revealed species-rich algal communities, comprising 167 species. Three species of rhodophytes represent new records for the Brazilian marine flora (Lithothamnion muelleri, Scinaia aborealis, and Mesophyllum engelhartii). Marked seasonal differences in fleshy algal species composition and abundance were related to seasonal instabilities caused by winter-storm disturbance over the rhodolith beds. In relation to depth, rhodolith density appears to be an important factor for the variation in the abundance of fleshy algae. The rhodolith community is composed of at least seven nongeniculate crustose coralline algal species. Rhodolith beds in southern Espírito Santo State, in an area of 150 km2, provide an important habitat for epibenthic communities, supporting 25% of the known macroalgal species richness along the Brazilian coast.Web of Scienc

First report of Sporolithon ptychoides (Sporolithales, Corallinophycidae, Rhodophyta) for the Atlantic Ocean

Samples corresponding to Sporolithon ptychoides Heydrich were collected in the mesophotic zone (50 m depth) south of Espírito Santo State, Brazil. The collected material presented features characteristic of the species namely: tetrasporangia of 75-105 x 40-55 μm grouped into sori that are raised above the surrounding vegetative thallus surface; presence of a basal layer of elongate cells in areas where the tetrasporangia develop; presence of buried tetrasporangial compartments deep in the thallus; and 3-5 cells in the tetrasporangial paraphyses. These same features said to collectively characterise S. ptychoides, were all observed in a representative specimen and the type specimen of Sporolithon dimotum (Foslie & Howe) Yamaguishi-Tomita ex M.J Wynne. 2 This latter species is thus conspecific with S. ptychoides and is therefore considered a heterotypic synonym thereof as S. ptychoides has nomenclatural priority. This study expands the known geographical distribution of the species and may give insight into the origin of the species into other geographical regions.Web of Scienc

Rhodoliths and rhodolith beds

Rhodolith (maërl) beds, communities dominated by free living coralline algae, are a common feature of subtidal environments worldwide. Well preserved as fossils, they have long been recognized as important carbonate producers and paleoenvironmental indicators. Coralline algae produce growth bands with a morphology and chemistry that record environmental variation. Rhodoliths are hard but often fragile, and growth rates are only on the order of mm/yr. The hard, complex structure of living beds provides habitats for numerous associated species not found on otherwise entirely sedimentary bottoms. Beds are degraded locally by dredging and other anthropogenic disturbances, and recovery is slow. They will likely suffer severe impacts worldwide from the increasing acidity of the ocean. Investigations of rhodolith beds with scuba have enabled precise stratified sampling that has shown the importance of individual rhodoliths as hot spots of diversity. Observations, collections, and experiments by divers have revolutionized taxonomic studies by allowing comprehensive, detailed collection and by showing the large effects of the environment on rhodolith morphology. Facilitated by in situ collection and calibrations, corallines are now contributing to paleoclimatic reconstructions over a broad range of temporal and spatial scales. Beds are particularly abundant in the mesophotic zone of the Brazilian shelf where technical diving has revealed new associations and species. This paper reviews selected past and present research on rhodoliths and rhodolith beds that has been greatly facilitated by the use of scuba

Rhodolith bed structure along a depth gradient on the northern coast of bahia state, brazil

O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a estrutura de um banco de rodolitos ao longo de um gradiente de profundidade na plataforma em frente à cidade de Salvador, nordeste brasileiro. Foram analisadas as dimensões, a forma e composição das algas calcárias dos rodolitos, bem como a vitalidade, densidade e flora associada ao banco, em três profundidades: 5, 15 e 25 m. As amostras foram obtidas por meio de mergulho autônomo no verão de 2007. Cinco espécies de algas calcárias formadoras de rodolito foram identificadas: Sporolithon episporum, Lithothamnion brasiliense, Lithothamnion superpositum, Mesophyllum erubescens e Lithophyllum sp. A forma de crescimento incrustante e a forma esférica foram predominantes em todas as profundidades. Houve uma redução da dimensão e vitalidade dos rodolitos e um aumento da densidade com a profundidade. Cinqüenta e seis espécies de macroalgas foram encontradas como flora associada aos rodolitos. A profundidade mais rasa apresentou os maiores valores de biomassa e número de espécies de macroalgas. Esses resultados, associados com outras descrições recentes de bancos de rodolitos, indicam que o padrão estrutural desses bancos no Brasil, ao longo de gradientes de profundidade, pode estar relacionado a uma combinação da extensão e da inclinação da plataforma continental.The aim of this study was to determine the structure of a rhodolith bed along a depth gradient of 5 to 25 m in the shelf in front of Salvador City, a region of northeastern Brazil. The dimensions, morphology and coralline algae composition of the rhodoliths were analyzed, as well as the vitality, density, and associated flora of the bed at three depths: 5, 15 and 25 m. Samples were obtained by SCUBA divers in summer 2007. Five rhodolith-forming taxa were identified: Sporolithon episporum, Lithothamnion brasiliense, Lithothamnion superpositum, Mesophyllum erubescens, and Lithophyllum sp. The encrusting growth form and the spherical shape were predominant at all depths. Rhodolith dimensions and vitality decreased and the density increased from the shallow to the deepest zones. Fifty-six macroalgal species were found as rhodolith-associated flora. The shallower depth presented higher values for macroalgal biomass and number of species. These results associated with other recent rhodolith bed descriptions indicate that the pattern of Brazilian rhodolith bed structure along depth gradients may be related to a combination of the extent and slope of the continental shelf

Structure of rhodolith beds from 4 to 55 meters deep along the southern coast of Espírito Santo State, Brazil

Rhodoliths are one of the most extensive benthic communities of the Brazilian continental shelf, but their structure is poorly known. The richest marine flora of Brazil’s coastal zone is found in Espírito Santo State and its diversity has been partly associated with the presence of extensive areas of rhodoliths, extending from the intertidal zone to 120 m across the continental shelf. One species of kelp, Laminaria abyssalis, is endemic to this area and occurs between 45 and 120 m depth. Our objective was to determine the density and physical dimensions of the superficial rhodoliths between 4 and 55 m depth in the southern region of Espírito Santo State. The study area was 3 to 45 km offshore. Samples were obtained in 2004 and 2005 by Scuba diving in three depth zones: 4–18 m, 25–30 m and 50–55 m. Transect lines and video images were used to determine rhodolith density. The diameter and sphericity of at least 60 individuals from each zone were measured. Rhodolith size increased and density decreased from the shallow to the deeper zones. Spheroidal was the typical shape throughout the depth zones. Five rhodolith-forming genera were identified: Lithothamnion, Lithophyllum, Hydrolithon, Neogoniolithon and Sporolithon. Epibenthic biomass and species richness over the rhodolith bed in the shallow zone was lowest in winter, likely the result of disturbance caused by typical winter storms. Changes in light and temperature are probably the most important factors in the changes observed in the rhodolith beds from the deepest zones.Web of Scienc

Subtidal benthic marine algae of the Marine State Park of Laje de Santos (São Paulo, Brazil)

O Parque Estadual Marinho da Laje de Santos tem sido apontado como local de elevada diversidade marinha. Apesar de sua importância para a conservação da biota marinha não existem resultados efetivamente publicados. O objetivo deste trabalho é o de caracterizar a flora marinha bentônica desse Parque Marinho. Amostragens foram realizadas por mergulho autônomo: uma qualitativa que incluiu a zona do sublitoral até a profundidade de 26 m e outra quantitativa em duas profundidades pré-determinadas, 10 e 20 m.. Dentre os 129 táxons encontrados, foram identificadas pela primeira vez, 5 espécies para o Estado de São Paulo, 3 espécies para o litoral brasileiro e 1 espécie para o Atlântico sul. As algas mais abundantes foram Sargasum vulgare e tufos compostos de coralináceas geniculadas e algas filamentosas. A freqüência de ocorrência dos táxons revelou que a maioria deles ocorreu em menos de 20 % das amostras. A análise da flora marinha bentônica demonstra que o Parque Estadual Marinho da Laje de Santos é um local de elevada riqueza e que sua composição florística esta relacionada a uma estrutura de comunidade bentônica dominada por populações de S. vulgare e grupos formadores de tufos.Laje de Santos Marine State Park has been pointed out as a site of high marine diversity. In spite of its importance to conservation of marine biota no results of investigations about its marine biodiversity have been published. The aim of this work was to characterize the subtidal seaweed flora of this Marine Park. Samplings were performed by scuba diving: a qualitative one that included the subtidal zone down to 26 m depth and other quantitative at two pre-determined depths, 10 and 20 m. Among the 129 taxa identified, 5 species were identified for the first time for the São Paulo State, 3 for the Brazilian coast and 1 for the South Atlantic Ocean. The most abundant algae were Sargassum vulgare and turf composed by geniculate coralline and filamentous groups. The frequency of occurrence of taxa revealed that most of species are restricted to frequencies less than 20 % in all samples. The analyses of the subtidal marine benthic algal flora indicate the Marine State Park of Laje de Santos as a site of elevated species richness and that its floristic composition is related to a benthic community structure dominated by turf-forming groups and population of S. vulgare

Spatial and temporal dynamics of the abundance of crustose calcareous algae on the southernmost coral reefs of the western Atlantic (Abrolhos Bank, Brazil)

Crustose calcareous algae (CCA) constitute one of the main reef builders on the Abrolhos Bank, Brazil. Once CCA taxonomy is locally understood, differences in growth-forms may be useful for the delimitation of taxa using characteristics such as the presence or absence of surface protuberances. Here, growth-forms were used to identify and quantify the most common CCA taxa on the shallow reefs (3-10 m) of the Abrolhos Bank to determine possible changes in the CCA community over a period of 10 years, and the ecological significance of CCA to local reefs was interpreted. The CCA assemblages were surveyed from 2006-2015 by using fixed photoquadrats at four sites in the inner (10-20 km from the mainland) and mid-shelf reefs (40-75 km from the mainland). The five most common CCA taxa were Pneophyllum conicum, the Lithophyllum kaiserii / Lithophyllum sp. complex, Melyvonnea erubescens, the Hydrolithon boergesenii / Porolithon onkodes complex and Peyssonelia sp. The overall mean CCA cover on the reefs was 20%. A comparison with a previous monitoring study in the same region indicated that the CCA cover nearly doubled from 2003-2008 to 2006-2015. This study reveals that the coral-killing species P. conicum dominated CCA flora on the shallow Abrolhos reefs in the last decade, and the local specific abundance of CCA slightly fluctuated over time and was species-and site-specific. The information obtained in this study contributes to the understanding of the ecology of the key calcifying components of the Abrolhos reefs and provides a useful baseline for exploring the responses of CCA to future environmental changes.PELDMudancas Climaticas scientific programmes of the Brazilian National Science Agency (CNPq)Brazilian IODP Program (CAPES/MEC)P&D Program ANP/BrasoilFAPERJDiretoria Pesquisa Cient, Inst Pesquisas, Jardim Bot Rio De Janeiro, Rua Pacheco Leao 915, BR-22460030 Rio De Janeiro, RJ, BrazilUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, Inst Biol, BR-21941599 Rio De Janeiro, RJ, BrazilUniv Fed Espirito Santo, Dept Oceanog, Ave Fernando Ferrari 514, BR-29090600 Vitoria, ES, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Inst Mar, Campus Baixada Santista, BR-11030400 Santos, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Paraiba, Ctr Ciencias Aplicadas & Educ, Campus 4 Litoral Norte, BR-58297000 Rio Tinto, PB, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Inst Mar, Campus Baixada Santista, BR-11030400 Santos, SP, BrazilANP/Brasoil: 48610.011015/2014-55Web of Scienc

Reef fish and benthic assemblages of the Trindade and Martin Vaz Island group, southwestern Atlantic

O conjunto insular de Trindade e Martin Vaz (CITMV) está localizado a aproximadamente 1.120 km da costa brasileira. Apesar de sua importância, salientada pela presença de diversas espécies endêmicas de peixes, não existem informações detalhadas sobre as assembléias de peixes e bentos do CITMV. É apresentada aqui a primeira caracterização quantitativa das assembléias de peixes e bentos do CITMV em um gradiente de profundidade entre 5 e 45 m. Informações qualitativas adicionais sobre assembléias recifais entre 45 e 100 m foram obtidas utilizando-se técnicas avançadas de mergulho (TRIMIX) e um veículo de operação remota (VOR). Assim como outras ilhas oceânicas brasileiras, a CITMV possui assembléias depauperadas de peixes e bentos, possivelmente devido ao seu isolamento e pequeno tamanho em comparação ao continente. A profundidade foi o fator que mais afetou a estrutura das assembléias de peixes, com a densidade da maioria das espécies declinando com o aumento da profundidade. Os recifes profundos (>; 45 m) foram caracterizados pela presença de bancos extensivos de rodolitos e recifes rochosos esparsamente cobertos por algas coralináceas incrustantes, corais negros (Cirripathes sp.) e alguns corais massivos e em de forma de placa. Peixes parcialmente ou obrigatoriamente planctívoros (e.g. Cephalopholis furcifer and Clepticus brasiliensis) também dominaram em recifes profundos. Características similares foram registradas para recifes mesofóticos ao longo do Atlântico Ocidental. Evidências de sobrepesca (obtidas aqui e em outros estudos recentes), a presença de quatro espécies de peixes endêmicas e com distribuição restrita, e o aumento no número de espécies novas ainda não descritas, indicam que a adoção de medidas de conservação baseadas no princípio da precaução é urgentemente necessária para garantir a manutenção dos ecossistemas frágeis e únicos do CITMV.The Trindade and Martin Vaz island group (TMVIG) is located at about 1,120 km off the Brazilian coast. Despite its importance, highlighted by the presence of several endemic fish species, the TMVIG lacks detailed information on the structure of fish and benthic assemblages. Presented here is the first quantitative assessment of reef fish and benthic assemblages of the TMVIG in a depth gradient ranging from 5 to 45 m. Additional qualitative information on reef assemblages between 45 and 100 m was obtained using advanced gas diving techniques (TRIMIX) and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Similarly to other Brazilian oceanic islands, the TMVIG possesses depauperated fish and benthic assemblages, possibly due to its isolation and small size in comparison to the mainland. Depth was the most important factor affecting the structure of fish assemblages, with the density of most fish species declining with depth. Deep reefs (>; 45 m) were characterized by the presence of extensive rhodolith beds and rocky reefs sparsely covered with crustose coralline algae, black coral (Cirripathes sp.) and a few massive or plate-like reef corals. Part-time or obligatory planktivorous fishes (e.g. Cephalopholis furcifer and Clepticus brasiliensis) also dominated deep reefs. Similar characteristics were recorded in mesophotic reef ecosystems across the Western Atlantic. Evidence of overfishing (obtained here and in other recent studies), the presence of four endemic and restricted range fish species, as well as the increase in number of new (and still undescribed) endemic taxa, indicates that the adoption of precautionary conservation measures are urgently needed in order to maintain the fragile and unique ecosystems of the TMVIG