Large-scale patterns of benthic marine communities in the Brazilian Province

Abstract

As marine ecosystems are influenced by global and regional processes, standardized information on community structure has become crucial for assessing broad-scale responses to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Extensive biogeographic provinces, such as the Brazilian Province in the southwest Atlantic, present numerous theoretical and methodological challenges for understanding community patterns on a macroecological scale. In particular, the Brazilian Province is composed of a complex system of heterogeneous reefs and a few offshore islands, with contrasting histories and geophysical-chemical environments. Despite the large extent of the Brazilian Province (almost 8,000 kilometers), most studies of shallow benthic communities are qualitative surveys and/or have been geographically restricted. We quantified community structure of shallow reef habitats from 0° to 27°S latitude using a standard photographic quadrat technique. Percent cover data indicated that benthic communities of Brazilian reefs were dominated by algal turfs and frondose macroalgae, with low percent cover of reef-building corals. Community composition differed significantly among localities, mostly because of their macroalgal abundance, despite reef type or geographic region, with no evident latitudinal pattern. Benthic diversity was lower in the tropics, contrary to the general latitudinal diversity gradient pattern. Richness peaked at mid-latitudes, between 20°S to 23°S, where it was ~3.5-fold higher than localities with the lowest richness. This study provides the first large-scale description of benthic communities along the southwestern Atlantic, providing a baseline for macroecological comparisons and evaluation of future impacts. Moreover, the new understanding of richness distribution along Brazilian reefs will contribute to conservation planning efforts, such as management strategies and the spatial prioritization for the creation of new marine protected areas.

The omnivorous triggerfish Melichthys niger is a functional herbivore on an isolated Atlantic oceanic island

“…The EAM is therefore considered an important link in the trophodynamics of reef systems (Wilson et al ., ). The EAM is a ubiquitous component of Brazilian reefs (Aued et al ., ) and although no detailed assessment of its components has been carried out in the region, M. niger is likely to benefit from the nutrients from algae and detritus from the EAM in the SPSPA. Indeed, the diet of M. niger was largely dominated by detritus when feeding upon the EAM.…”

Spatial patterns and drivers of fish and benthic reef communities at São Tomé Island, Tropical Eastern Atlantic

“…This pattern is similar to the observed in other South Atlantic oceanic islands such as Trindade Island (turf: 30%–40%; calcareous algae: 16%–25%; Pinheiro et al, ), Rocas Atoll (turf: 51%; calcareous algae: 33%; Longo et al, ) and St. Peter and St. Paul's Archipelago (turf: 20%–70%; calcareous algae: 10%–25%; Luiz et al, ). Overall, turf algae (the main component of the epilithic algal matrix) are the dominant primary producers on most tropical and many temperate coasts, playing key roles in the ecology of subtidal shores (Adey & Goertemiller, ; Aued et al, ; Hatcher, ). They occupy substantial areas of rock substrate, both on surface cover and biomass basis (Copertino, Connell, & Cheshire, ).…”

“…Turf and calcareous coralline algae were the overall dominant ben- 10%-25%; Luiz et al, 2015). Overall, turf algae (the main component of the epilithic algal matrix) are the dominant primary producers on most tropical and many temperate coasts, playing key roles in the ecology of subtidal shores (Adey & Goertemiller, 1987;Aued et al, 2018;Hatcher, 1988). They occupy substantial areas of rock substrate, both on surface cover and biomass basis (Copertino, Connell, & Cheshire, 2005).…”

Network of small no-take marine reserves reveal greater abundance and body size of fisheries target species

“…In general, the Brazilian province concentrates high number of endemic species and biomass of organisms [23–26]. In the transition zone between tropical and subtropical-temperate environments (20°S to 23°S), the mixture of habitat types results in some of the highest species diversity of benthic [27] and reef fish species recorded in Brazil [23]. These transitional reefs are biologically rich and complex environments where it is vitally important to use the established network of NTR’s, in the region, to increase our ecological understanding and provide benchmarks for conservation and fisheries management.…”