Death on the beach: the recycled utopia of Midnight

The chapter conducts close analysis of the film Midnight (O primeiro dia) in the light of Brazilian history and Brazilian film history

Reproductive cycle and recruitment period of Ocypode quadrata (Decapoda, Ocypodidae) at a sandy beach in southeastern Brazil

The reproductive cycle and recruitment period of a ghost crab population from Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil were investigated by means of examining the developmental stages of gonads of breeding crabs and the ingress of young recruits to the studied population. Monthly collections over a one-year period were carried out during nocturnal low-tide periods at Vermelha beach. The morphology of the abdomen and pleopods was used for sex determination. All captured crabs were measured for carapace width and dissected for the determination of the development stage of the gonads. A total of 582 specimens was captured: 271 males, 241 females, and 70 juveniles. Size ranged from 8.5 to 37.5 mm for males, from 9.5 to 39.2 mm for females, and from 5.8 to 12 mm for early juveniles. Median size of males and females did not differ statistically. The frequency of ovigerous females was markedly low. The onset of sexual maturity in females is achieved at around 23 mm of carapace width. Mature females with advanced gonad stages were not recorded from May to September. Recruitment of young was highest during summer, but the presence of early and late juvenile specimens throughout the year indicates that continuous recruitment is taking place in the studied population.

BRACHYURAN CRABS (DECAPODA, BRACHYURA) ASSOCIATED WITH THE GREEN SPONGE AMPHIMEDON VIRIDIS (DEMOSPONGIAE) FROM ITAGUA BEACH, SOUTH-EASTERN COAST of BRAZIL

This study provides information on the community structure of brachyuran crabs associated with the green sponge, Amphimedon viridis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864, from a beach on the south-eastern coast of Brazil. Monthly collections from May 2002 through August 2003 were carried out on the rocky bottoms off Itagua Beach (23 degrees 27'07 '' S 45 degrees 02'49 '' W). Crabs on the green sponge banks were hand-caught during snorkelling sessions, and 638 crabs belonging to 31 species, 19 genera, and 10 families were obtained. Biological parameters, including sponge volume, number of individuals, density, richness, diversity, evenness, and dominance changed considerably over time. Species recruitment and foraging habit are some of the factors that drive the richness, dominance, and diversity patterns of this community. The green sponge banks are important sites for recruitment, refuge, and feeding of many species of brachyurans. Therefore, they are also important for the conservation of this group on the south-eastern coast of Brazil.

Occurrence and behavior of butyltins in intertidal and shallow subtidal surface sediments of an estuarine beach under different sampling conditions

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Carbonate cements in contemporaneous beachrocks, Jaguaribe beach, Itamaracá island, northeastern Brazil: petrographic, geochemical and isotopic aspects

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) displaying beach hunting behavior in the Cananéia Estuary, Brazil: social context and conservation issues

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Physical, chemical and microbiological characterization of the intertidal sediments of Pereque Beach, Guaruja (SP), Brazil

Physical and chemical characteristics of intertidal sediments and their relationships with bacteria and cyanobacteria, were analyzed at four stations at Pereque Beach. Granulometric analysis showed that Pereque beach has sediment that is classified as sand. The lowest value of the sediment C/N rates (6.08), mainly due to a higher concentration of organic nitrogen, was found at the northern part of Pereque Beach, where organic matter of marine source was more prominent. In this area, density (9.6 x 106 cells cm(-3)), biomass (1992.04 ngC cm(-3)) and activity of bacteria were higher than at the southern end. In contrast, cyanobacteria density varied from 2.0 to 4.0 x 10(5) cells cm(-3), with biomass and total chlorophyll a of the sediment being higher at the southern part, where there are water input from Pereque River and higher organic matter of continental origin. The variability in the microbial population is discussed in the light of the sediment granulometry, organic matter quality, fresh water inflow and pollution. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Macrobenthic intertidal communities from wave to tide dominated beach environments. A case study in two Brazilian beaches

Modification showed by intertidal macrofaunal communities between two nearby sites that change from a wave to a tide dominated beach environment, was analyzed on the present study. At each site, eleven intertidal sampling stations were distributed along a transect, from the drift line to the spring low tide water level. Four macrofaunal samples one meter long-shore spaced were collected at, each station with an iron core of 0.05 m(2) surface area, taken to a depth of 20 cm. Major,differences on sediments between sites were the offshore decrease of mean particle size diameter and increase of kurtosis and water content at the tide dominated site. KIDS ordination showed major similarities between the lowest stations of this site, that represents the dissipative low tide-terrace portion of the beach. Two lower station of the wave dominated site presented similarities with this group. The other stations of the tide-dominated site, that represents the reflective high tide beach portion, grouped distant from the former. (canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) showed a similar spatial distribution of stations, suggesting the importance of environmental factors on the explanation of species distribution patterns. Sediment water content and water table depth, with the highest inertia value, seems to be the principal physical factor. Increase on water content affects the macrofaunal distribution by the expansion of typical infralitoral species, as was the case of Bathyporeiapus ruffoi, on the dissipative low tide terrace beach portion. A disrupted distribution with the lost of a gradate zonation along a physical gradient is one of the major modification presented by macrobenthic communities on the transition from a wave to a tide dominated beach environment.

Distribution of the orchid species in the coastal plains of the fazenda beach, municipality of ubatuba, state of sao-paulo, brazil

A floristic survey for the family Orchidaceae was undertaken in a coastal forest area of ca. 8 km2 in the Picinguaba Development Center of the Serra do Mar State Park, in the municipality of Ubatuba, Brazil. The sampling used all tracks and roads of the area, up to the altitude of 50 m.s.m. and resulted in 77 species distributed in 45 genera. The spacial distribution of the species was plotted in maps of the nine physiognomical units identified for the area, based on 1:8.000 and 1:25.000 aerial photographs, and field observations. The results are shown in 1:10.000 topographic charts. Ninety percent of the species occur in at least 3 physiognomical units while 60% only occurred in a single unit, what indicates that the orchids can be used to characterize the vegetation even in large scales.

Seasonal abundance of the shipworm Neoteredo reynei (Bivalvia, Teredinidae) in mangrove driftwood from a northern Brazilian beach

Turus são importantes decompositores de madeira, especialmente em manguezais, onde a produtividade é alta. Entretanto, pouca ênfase tem sido dada à atividade de turus em relação à exportação de nutrientes de manguezais para as áreas costeiras adjacentes. Como um passo inicial para obter tais informações, a freqüência de madeira do mangue à deriva colonizada por turus, bem como a densidade e comprimento de turus, foram estudados através da coleta de troncos encalhados durante 12 meses na praia de Ajuruteua, Estado do Pará, norte do Brasil. Uma única espécie, Neoteredo reynei (Bartsch, 1920), foi encontrada colonizando a madeira à deriva. Embora troncos grandes colonizados fossem mais comuns na praia, a densidade de turus foi maior nos troncos menores, especialmente na estação seca. Em geral, a densidade foi maior durante a estação chuvosa (janeiro a abril) e menor em julho. O comprimento médio geral de turus foi de 9,66cm e, em troncos grandes, o comprimento médio aumentou entre as estações chuvosa e seca. Entretanto, não houve nenhuma diferença em comprimento entre as categorias de tamanho dos troncos. O comprimento médio dos turus foi semelhante ao longo do maior parte do ano, mas a tendência foi de comprimentos maiores em julho. Embora a salinidade tenha variado entre 10,9 e 40 durante o ano, nenhuma relação entre salinidade e densidade ou comprimento foi encontrada. Os resultados sugerem que a atividade de turus em madeira à deriva é relativamente constante ao longo do ano. Maior umidade do ar e precipitação podem promover sobrevivência durante a estação chuvosa. Troncos maiores podem levar mais tempo para serem colonizados e portanto podem ter densidades menores do que nos troncos menores. Estes últimos são incomuns talvez porque sejam rapidamente destruídos pela atividade dos turus. Dados sobre a desintegração de troncos, entretanto, seriam necessários para corroborar esta hipótese. O tamanho maior de turus na estação seca possivelmente esteja relacionado ao crescimento após um período anterior de recrutamento. Na estação seca, turus em troncos grandes podem ser melhor protegidos da dessecação e de altas temperaturas pelas propriedades isolantes do maior volume de madeira.

The influence of tidal and rainfall cycles on intertidal nematodes: a case study in a tropical sandy beach

O presente estudo descreve a associação de nematódeos da Baía de Tamandaré (Brasil), praia arenosa tropical típica, durante as marés (baixa, enchente, alta e vazante) de dois ciclos de maré consecutivos, em quatro meses diferentes do ano (Maio, Julho, Setembro e Novembro). A associação de nematódeos foi dominada por Metachromadora e Perepsilonema e variou significativamente entre meses e marés. Densidades foram mais baixas em julho e as mudanças na associação ocorreram durante meses de transição entre chuvoso e seco mostrando a influência do ciclo de chuvas. No ciclo de maré a enchente e vazante pareceram exercer a maior influência, embora os padrões não fossem muito claros. Recomenda-se que os estudos devam ser feitos ao nível de gêneros/espécies para melhor compreensão dos padrões das associações de nematódeos durante ciclos de marés.