Habitat of juvenile Caribbean reef sharks, Carcharhinus perezi, at two oceanic insular marine protected areas in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean: Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and Atol das Rocas, Brazil

Habitat of juvenile Caribbean reef sharks, Carcharhinus perezi (Carcharhinidae), was identified using fishing surveys and capture of immature specimens at two Brazilian insular sites in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and Atol das Rocas. Standardized sampling at Fernando de Noronha indicated that parturition occurred from February to April and that a wide depth-range (at least 5-30 m) along the insular shelf was used by immature sharks throughout the year. The catch-per-unit effort of C. perezi was significantly higher inside than outside a marine protected area at this location, suggesting that these sharks are more common in pans of the reef least disturbed by human activities. More limited sampling at Atol das Rocas suggested that juvenile C. perezi occurred at similar depths and utilized similar substrate as sharks at Fernando de Noronha. These findings suggest that successful conservation and management of this economically important, protected species will need to include conservation of habitat around insular reef systems. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes in coral reef communities and an associated reef fish species, Cephalopholis cruentata (Lacepede), after 30 years on Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)

Using the same methodology and identical sites, we repeat a study dating from 1973 and quantify cover of hard coral species, soft corals, sponges, hard substratum and soft substratum, and density of a commercially important reef fish species, the graysby Cephalopholis cruentata, along a depth-gradient of 3-36 m oil the coral reefs of Curacao. The objective was to determine the multi-decade change in benthic coral reef cover and structural complexity, and their effect oil densities of an associated reef fish species. Total hard coral cover decreased on average from 52% in 1973 to 22% in 2003, representing a relative decline of 58%. During this time span, the cover of hard substratum increased considerably (from 11 to 58%), as did that of soft corals (from 0.1 to 2.2%), whereas the cover of sponges showed no significant change. Relative decline of hard coral cover and of reef complexity was greatest in shallow waters (near the coast), which is indicative of a combination of anthropogenic influences from shore and recent storm damage. Cover of main reef builder coral species (Agaricia spp., Siderastrea siderea, Montastrea annularis) decreased more than that of other species, and resulted in a significant decrease in reef complexity. Although density of C. cruentata was highly correlated to cover of Montastrea and Agaricia in 1973, the loss of coral cover did not show any effect on the total density of C. cruentata in 2003. However, C. cruentata showed a clear shift in density distribution from shallow water in 1973 to deep water in 2003. It call be concluded that the reefs of Curacao have degraded considerably in the last three decades, but that this has had no major effect on the population size of one commercially important coral-associated fish species.

The early larval development of the tropical reef lobster Enoplometopus antillensis Lütken (Astacidea, Enoplometopidae) reared in the laboratory

Os estágios iniciais da lagosta tropical Enoplometopus antillensis Lütken, 1865 foram descritos e ilustrados a partir de espécimes cultivados em laboratório. Fêmeas ovígeras foram capturadas em seu habitat, na profundidade cerca de 15 metros e transportadas para o laboratório. As larvas foram cultivadas em tanques de água recirculante por aproximadamente 15 dias e, então transferidas para quatro aquários (capacidade 10 litros). As larvas foram alimentadas com náuplios de Artemia sp. recém eclodidos. A microalga Dunaliella viridis AUTOR foi diariamente adicionada no cultivo. As larvas mudaram sete vezes alcançando o zoea VIII. O estágio megalopa não foi obtido. O período de intermuda de cada estágio variou de cerca de oito a 12 dias. Comparações morfológicas com trabalhos anteriores são brevemente discutidas.

Bathymetric trends of northeastern Brazilian snappers (Pisces, Lutjanidae): implications for the reef fishery dynamic

A distribuição batimétrica de cinco espécies de peixes do Nordeste Brasileiro foi examinada através da análise da composição da captura e e abundância relativa (CPUE) mostrou que, de uma maneira geral, o comprimento furcal aumentou com a profundidade e que algumas espécies dominaram a captura de acordo com a faixa de profundidade. A cioba, L. analis, a guaiúba, L. chrysurus, e o dentão, L. jocu foram principalmente pescados na zona intermediaria (20-80 m) enquanto ariocó, L. synagris e o pargo olho-de-vidro L. vivanus ocorreram respectivamente nas águas rasas e nas águas profundas. Cada tipo de embarcação do Nordeste do Brasil explota preferencialmente uma combinação particular de espécies e uma determinada amplitude de tamanho. A dinâmica da frota do nordeste do Brasil é tecnologicamente heterogênea e determina a composição da captura. A distribuição geográfica da pesca e a interação técnica entre as frotas e as artes de pesca devem ser consideradas pelo manejo destas espécies visando a manutenção dos estoques em bases sustentáveis e a garantia de continuidade do recurso.

Caracterização mineralógica, petrológica e química da sulfetação nos reef's da mina Canavieiras, Jacobina, Bahia

In the Serra de Jacobina, localized in the North Central portion of the state of Bahia, occours the Jacobina Group. It’s a sedimentary basin and the gold deposit is stocked on the basal portion, which consist on quartzites intercalated with oligomítico metaconglomerates of Serra do Córrego Formation. There are controversies about the origin of the gold mineralization, but the currently most accepted hypothesis corresponds to a paleoplacer deposit with subsequent ore remobilization and concentration by hydrothermal process. The sulphidation is one of the main results of hydrothermal process, which was more detail characterized, besides identifying if there was more than one sulfides phase generation and its relationship with gold mineralization. The analyzes were performed from the main reef's (metaconglomerates mineralized levels) of Mine Canavieiras: Maneira, Holandez, Liberino, Piritoso, MU and LU. Chemical analyzes semi-quantitative were developed with EDS in MEV and also petrographics analyses. The main sulfide is pyrite, followed by chalcopyrite. Six groups of pyrite were classified according with chemical composition, however they show similarities in their habit and occurrence. Were identified four types of chlorite, labeled A, B, C, D. Gold occurs in free form, associate to pyrites, to Fe-Ti-Muscovite, to chlorite type B and to microfractures with iron hydroxide. Gold presents three different compositions: pure, with Ag or associated with U-Zr. The results of chemical analysis showed that the hydrothermal process have as their main source, ultramafic rocks present in the Jacobina Basin

Potential impacts of polar fronts on sedimentation processes at Abrolhos coral reef (South-West Atlantic Ocean/Brazil)

Several reefs of the world have undergone changes in community due to sedimentation processes. It has been suggested that Abrolhos reefs (Brazil/South-West Atlantic) are subjected to a steady coastal influence, although there is still little information regarding this assumption. In this work, we have analyzed a set of environmental parameters concerning sedimentation characteristics at the Abrolhos reefs, near 18 degrees S-39 degrees W. The analysis included remote sensing, model and in situ data to provide a three-dimensional quantitative description of the processes that influence sediment apportionment to the reefs. Mineralogy and natural radioactivity of sediment trapped at three reef sites in a transect perpendicular to the coastline were used in conjunction with numerical weather prediction model and remote sensing databases. We have observed an increase of around 100% of sediment flux during the summer compared to the winter season. A comparison of regional rainfall regime, sediment plume dynamics and a year-around monitoring of polar fronts trajectories and surface wind showed that the wind-driven resedimentation due to polar front activity is the major contributor to the intensification of sedimentation processes at the offshore area of Abrolhos reefs, despite river runoff from mainland. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT PROTOCOLS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF MICROBIAL DNA FROM REEF CORALS

This study aimed to test different protocols for the extraction of microbial DNA from the coral Mussismilia harttii. Four different commercial kits were tested, three of them based on methods for DNA extraction from soil (FastDNA SPIN Kit for soil, MP Bio, PowerSoil DNA Isolation Kit, MoBio, and ZR Soil Microbe DNA Kit, Zymo Research) and one kit for DNA extraction from plants (UltraClean Plant DNA Isolation Kit, MoBio). Five polyps of the same colony of M. harttii were macerated and aliquots were submitted to DNA extraction by the different kits. After extraction, the DNA was quantified and PCR-DGGE was used to study the molecular fingerprint of Bacteria and Eukarya. Among the four kits tested, the ZR Soil Microbe DNA Kit was the most efficient with respect to the amount of DNA extracted, yielding about three times more DNA than the other kits. Also, we observed a higher number and intensities of DGGE bands for both Bacteria and Eukarya with the same kit. Considering these results, we suggested that the ZR Soil Microbe DNA Kit is the best adapted for the study of the microbial communities of corals.

Comparison of different protocols for the extraction of microbial DNA from reef corals

This study aimed to test different protocols for the extraction of microbial DNA from the coral Mussismilia harttii. Four different commercial kits were tested, three of them based on methods for DNA extraction from soil (FastDNA SPIN Kit for soil, MP Bio, PowerSoil DNA Isolation Kit, MoBio, and ZR Soil Microbe DNA Kit, Zymo Research) and one kit for DNA extraction from plants (UltraClean Plant DNA Isolation Kit, MoBio). Five polyps of the same colony of M. harttii were macerated and aliquots were submitted to DNA extraction by the different kits. After extraction, the DNA was quantified and PCR-DGGE was used to study the molecular fingerprint of Bacteria and Eukarya. Among the four kits tested, the ZR Soil Microbe DNA Kit was the most efficient with respect to the amount of DNA extracted, yielding about three times more DNA than the other kits. Also, we observed a higher number and intensities of DGGE bands for both Bacteria and Eukarya with the same kit. Considering these results, we suggested that the ZR Soil Microbe DNA Kit is the best adapted for the study of the microbial communities of corals.

Gradients in the number of species at reef-seagrass ecotones explained by gradients in abundance

[EN] Gradients in the composition and diversity (e.g. number of species) of faunal assemblages are common at ecotones between juxtaposed habitats. Patterns in the number of species, however, can be confounded by patterns in abundance of individuals, because more species tend to be found wherever there are more individuals. We tested whether proximity to reefs influenced patterns in the composition and diversity (‘species density’ = number of species per area and ‘species richness’ = number of species per number of individuals) of prosobranch gastropods in meadows of two seagrasses with different physiognomy: Posidonia and Amphibolis. A change in the species composition was observed from reef-seagrass edges towards the interiors of Amphibolis, but not in Posidonia meadows. Similarly, the abundance of gastropods and species density was higher at edges relative to interiors of Amphibolis meadows, but not in Posidonia meadows. However, species richness was not affected by proximity to reefs in either type of seagrass meadow. The higher number of species at the reef-Amphibolis edge was therefore a consequence of higher abundance, rather than species richness per se. These results suggest that patterns in the composition and diversity of fauna with proximity to adjacent habitats, and the underlying processes that they reflect, likely depend on the physiognomy of the habitat.

The relative influence of local to regional drivers of variation in reef fishes

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