Taxonomy of Porifera from São Pedro and São Paulo Archipelago, Brazil

Despite its great biogeographic and strategic importance, only six sponge species have been identified from São Pedro and São Paulo Archipelago, Brazil (formerly Saint Paul Rocks ), since 1886. ln the present study 101 sponge specimens were collected in the archipelago through free diving and SCUBA down to 50 m depth in two expeditions in 2000 and 2001. Twenty-one species were described, including photographs of living and preserved specimens, light micrographs of thick sections, scanning electron micrographs of microscleres, and camera lucida drawings of megascleres. Seventeen species were identified at species level and four at genus level; they represent 10 orders of two classes of Porifera (Calcarea and Demospongiae ). Five new species and 20 new records for the archipelago are described. The genus Discodermia, known to produce compounds with high pharmacological potential is recorded for the first time from Brazil. A key to the identification of the 21 species described is given. Based on previous records, field observations and present identifications, I estimate that 29 is the minimum number of sponge species in São Pedro and São Paulo Archipelago. The sponge fauna of the archipelago has greater similarity with those of Brazil and Caribbean than with that of West Africa, supporting the hypothesis of its colonization via the Equatorial Counter-Current.CAPESFAPERJApenas seis espécies de esponjas haviam sido identificadas no Arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo, Brasil, desde 1886, apesar da sua grande importância biogeográfica e estratégica. Neste trabalho foram coletados 101 espécimes de esponjas no Arquipélago, através de mergulhos livres e autônomos até 50 metros de profundidade, durante duas expedições realizadas em 2000 e 2001. Vinte e uma espécies de esponjas foram decritas, incluindo fotografias de espécimes in vivo e fixados, fotografias em microscopia ótica de cortes espêssos, micrografias eletrônicas de varredura das microscleras e desenhos das megascleras. Dezessete espécies foram identificadas ao nível de espécie e quatro ao nível de gênero, abrangendo 10 ordens de duas Classes (Demospongiae e Calcarea ). São descritas cinco espécies novas de esponjas e registradas 20 novas ocorrências para o Arquipélago. O gênero Discodermia, que produz compostos com alto potencial farmacológico, é registrado pela primeira vez para o Brasil. É fornecida uma chave para a identificação das 21 espécies descritas no trabalho. Com base em registros anteriores observações de campo e nas presentes identificações estima-se em 29 o número mínimo de espécies de esponjas no Arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo. A fauna de esponjas do Arquipélago apresentou uma maior semelhança com a do Caribe e Brasil que com a da África Ocidental, reforçando a teoria de uma colonização via Contra Corrente Equatorial

Bryozoan framework composition in the oddly shaped reefs from Abrolhos Bank, Brazil, southwestern Atlantic: taxonomy and ecology

Ramalho, Laís V., Taylor, Paul D., Moraes, Fernando Coreixas, Moura, Rodrigo, Amado-Filho, Gilberto M., Bastos, Alex C. (2018): Bryozoan framework composition in the oddly shaped reefs from Abrolhos Bank, Brazil, southwestern Atlantic: taxonomy and ecology. Zootaxa 4483 (1): 155-186, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4483.1.

Sponges and fish facilitate succession from rhodolith beds to reefs

UNIFESP, Inst Mar, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilUniv Fed Paraiba, Dept Engn & Meio Ambiente, Joao Pessoa, Paraiba, BrazilUniv Fed Rural Rio de Janeiro, Programa Posgrad Biol Anim, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUCSC, Dept Ecol & Evolutionary Biol, Santa Clara, CA 95060 USACalif Acad Sci, San Francisco, CA 94118 USAUFES, Dept Oceanografia & Ecol, Viroria, ES, BrazilUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, Inst Biol & SAGE COPPE, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilInst Pesquisas Jardim Bot Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUNIFESP, Inst Mar, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Carbonate Production by Benthic Communities on Shallow Coralgal Reefs of Abrolhos Bank, Brazil

<div><p>The abundance of reef builders, non-builders and the calcium carbonate produced by communities established in Calcification Accretion Units (CAUs) were determined in three Abrolhos Bank shallow reefs during the period from 2012 to 2014. In addition, the seawater temperature, the irradiance, and the amount and composition of the sediments were determined. The inner and outer reef arcs were compared. CAUs located on the inner reef shelf were under the influence of terrigenous sediments. On the outer reefs, the sediments were composed primarily of marine biogenic carbonates. The mean carbonate production in shallow reefs of Abrolhos was 579 ± 98 g m^-2 y^-1. The builder community was dominated by crustose coralline algae, while the non-builder community was dominated by turf. A marine heat wave was detected during the summer of 2013–2014, and the number of consecutive days with a temperature above or below the summer mean was positively correlated with the turf cover increase. The mean carbonate production of the shallow reefs of Abrolhos Bank was greater than the estimated carbonate production measured for artificial structures on several other shallow reefs of the world. The calcimass was higher than the non-calcareous mass, suggesting that the Abrolhos reefs are still in a positive carbonate production balance. Given that marine heat waves produce an increase of turf cover on the shallow reefs of the Abrolhos, a decrease in the cover represented by reef builders and shifting carbonate production are expected in the near future.</p></div

Mean light intensity measured during the day on the shallow reefs between March of 2013 and February 2014.

<p>Mean light intensity measured during the day on the shallow reefs between March of 2013 and February 2014.</p

Mean light intensity measured during the day on the shallow reefs between March of 2013 and February 2014.

<p>Mean light intensity measured during the day on the shallow reefs between March of 2013 and February 2014.</p

Map of Abrolhos Bank, eastern Brazil, showing study sites and marine protected areas.

<p>1) Pedra de Leste, 2) Abrolhos Archipelago, 3) Parcel dos Abrolhos. Abrolhos Marine National Park is represented by polygons.</p

Abundance of reef-builder and non-builder organisms on shallow reefs (P. Leste, Archipelago and P. Abrolhos) after one year of colonization.

<p>Different letters above bars are used to indicate statistically differences (p< 0.05) of cover of organisms obtained through pair-wise tested after the PERMANOVA analysis.</p