One-third of reef-building corals face elevated extinction risk from climate change and local impacts

The conservation status of 845 zooxanthellate reef- building coral species was assessed by using International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List Criteria. Of the 704 species that could be assigned conservation status, 32.8% are in categories with elevated risk of extinction. Declines in abundance are associated with bleaching and diseases driven by elevated sea surface temperatures, with extinction risk further exacerbated by local- scale anthropogenic disturbances. The proportion of corals threatened with extinction has increased dramatically in recent decades and exceeds that of most terrestrial groups. The Caribbean has the largest proportion of corals in high extinction risk categories, whereas the Coral Triangle ( western Pacific) has the highest proportion of species in all categories of elevated extinction risk. Our results emphasize the widespread plight of coral reefs and the urgent need to enact conservation measures

One-third of reef-building corals face elevated extinction risk from climate change and local impacts

The conservation status of 845 zooxanthellate reef-building coral species was assessed by using International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List Criteria. Of the 704 species that could be assigned conservation status, 32.8% are in categories with elevated risk of extinction. Declines in abundance are associated with bleaching and diseases driven by elevated sea surface temperatures, with extinction risk further exacerbated by local-scale anthropogenic disturbances. The proportion of corals threatened with extinction has increased dramatically in recent decades and exceeds that of most terrestrial groups. The Caribbean has the largest proportion of corals in high extinction risk categories, whereas the Coral Triangle (western Pacific) has the highest proportion of species in all categories of elevated extinction risk. Our results emphasize the widespread plight of coral reefs and the urgent need to enact conservation measures

Environmental influences on distribution of four Sciaenidae species (Actinopterygii, Perciformes) in a tropical bay at Southeastern Brazil

We sampled fish and measured environmental variables in the Sepetiba Bay, a tropical embayment at Southeastern Brazil. The aim was to assess environmental influences on distribution of four abundant species of Sciaenidae Micropogonias furnieri (Desmarest, 1823), Ctenosciaena gracilicirrhus (Metzelaar, 1919), Cynoscion leiarchus (Cuvier, 1830) and Menticirrhus americanus (Linnaeus, 1758) to test the habitat partition hypothesis. Samples were taken between June 1993 and July 1996, at three bay zones (outer, central and inner). Depth was the most important environmental variable to influence fish distribution, followed by transparency. M. furnieri showed significant negative correlation to depth, transparency and salinity, while C. gracilicirrhus showed the opposite situation. The highest densities of C. leiarchus occurred in the lowest temperature, while M. americanus did not showed preferences for any of the examined environmental variables. Spatial separation, mainly between M. furnieri and C. gracilicirrhus, seems to be the strategy developed to coexist in the Sepetiba Bay, with M. furnieri being more adapted to copy with harsh environmental conditions of the inner bay. The other three species, which use mostly the outer bay zone, seem to be restricted to more stable conditions, where influences from oceanic waters are more intense.<br>Foram coletados peixes e medidas as variáveis ambientais na Baía de Sepetiba, uma baía tropical do Sudeste do Brasil. O objetivo foi determinar influências ambientais na distribuição de quatro espécies abundantes de Sciaenidae Micropogonias furnieri (Desmarest, 1823), Ctenosciaena gracilicirrhus (Metzelaar,1919), Cynoscion leiarchus (Cuvier,1830) and Menticirrhus americanus (Linnaeus, 1758) para testar a hipótese de partição do hábitat. Amostragens foram feitas entre Junho de 1993 e Julho de 1996 em três zonas da baía (externa, central e interna). A profundidade foi a mais importante variável ambiental que influenciou a distribuição dos peixes, seguida pela transparência. M. furnieri mostrou uma correlação negativa significante em relação à profundidade, transparência e salinidade, enquanto C. gracilicirrhus evidenciou uma situação oposta. As maiores densidades de C. leiarchus ocorreram nas menores temperaturas, enquanto M. americanus não parece ter preferências por nenhuma das variáveis ambientais examinadas. A separação espacial, principalmente entre M. furnieri e C. gracilicirrhus, parece ser uma estratégia desenvolvida para coexistirem na Baía de Sepetiba, com M. furnieri sendo mais adaptada para suportar as condições ambientais mais difíceis da zona interna. As outras três espécies, que utilizam mais a zona externa, parecem ser restritas às mais estáveis condições, onde influências das águas oceânicas são mais intensas