This study aimed to collect information on the diversity of corals and calcified hydroids of the Manuel Luiz Marine State Park (state of Maranhão, Northeast Brazil) to aid in the development of a management plan for the park. A total of 21 cnidarian species were identified, of which 16 were corals and calcified hydroids. The bathymetric and geographic distribution of each of these species was extended. This area has a rich coral fauna in relation to other parts of Brazil and is comparable in diversity to the Abrolhos Islands (Bahia State) -an unexpected result considering the region's proximity to the Amazon River Basin. Most of the specimens of corals and calcified hydroids observed were bleached.Keywords FD et al. -Biota Neotropica, v7 (n3) -bn00907032007

sedentary macrofauna from the Pirapama Shipwreck, Pernambuco, Brazil. Biota Neotrop. 10(4): http://www. biotaneotropica.org.br/v10n4/en/abstract?article+bn03310042010.Abstract: Shipwrecks are considered artificial reef environments -structures immersed in aquatic environments (especially marine ones) that provide fauna with shelter, hard substrates, food and nursery areas. This study aimed to survey the benthic animal biodiversity of the Pirapama shipwreck, located 23 m deep and six miles off Recife harbor. From 2001 to 2007, species were observed, photographed and collected through scuba diving. The material was later sorted and identified in the laboratory. A total of 76 sessile and sedentary animal taxa were recorded belonging to the following phyla: Porifera (Demospongiae and Calcarea), Cnidaria (Hydrozoa and Anthozoa), Mollusca (Bivalvia and Gastropoda), Annelida (Polychaeta), Arthropoda (Cirripedia), Bryozoa (Gymnolaemata), Echinodermata (Asteroidea and Echinoidea), and Chordata (Ascidiacea). The greatest richness was for Porifera and Bryozoa -13 listed species for each. Eleven new occurrences were recorded for the state of Pernambuco, the hydroid Halopteris polymorpha and ten bryozoan species, one of them being the first record for Brazil (Scrupocellaria curacaoensis). The Pirapama's biodiversity was considered typical when compared to other shipwrecks that have been studied around the world. Resumo: Naufrágios são classificados como ambientes recifais artificiais, estruturas imersas em ecossistemas aquáticos (principalmente marinhos) que fornecem abrigo, substratos consolidados, áreas de crescimento, alimentação e de berçário. Este estudo objetivou pesquisar a biodiversidade bentônica animal do Naufrágio Pirapama, localizado a 23 m de profundidade e a seis milhas do Porto de Recife. Entre 2001 e 2007 mergulhos autônomos foram realizados para coletar, observar e fotografar as espécies. No laboratório, o material foi posteriormente classificado e identificado. Um total de 76 táxons foi registrado para a fauna séssil e sedentária, pertencentes aos seguintes filos: Porifera (Demospongiae e Calcarea), Cnidaria (Hydrozoa e Anthozoa), Mollusca (Bivalvia e Gastropoda), Annelida (Polychaeta), Arthropoda (Cirripedia), Bryozoa (Gymnolaemata), Echinodermata (Asteroidea e Echinoidea), e Chordata (Ascidiacea). A maior quantidade de espécies foi de Porifera e Bryozoa, com 13 espécies listadas para cada um. Onze novas ocorrências foram registradas para o Estado de Pernambuco, o hidróide Halopteris polymorpha e dez espécies de briozoários, uma deles sendo o primeiro registro para o Brasil (Scrupocellaria curacaoensis). A biodiversidade do Pirapama foi considerada típica quando comparada com a de outros naufrágios que foram estudados no mundo. Palavras-chave: recifes artificiais, biofouling, inventário da fauna bentônica, invertebrados marinhos, biodiversidade.

The skeletal variability of the coral Favia gravida, a species endemic to Brazil, was quantitatively described including populations from three locations: Tamandaré (state of Pernambuco), Abrolhos (state of Bahia), and Santa Cruz (state of Espírito Santo). Ten colonies were collected from each population and fourteen morphological characters were measured from ten corallites per colony. The results of univariate (among 14 skeletal characters, 7 showed p < 0.05) analysis provide evidence to suggest that F. gravida has considerable morphological plasticity, which may explain its ability to adapt to different ecological conditions. The species also displays polymorphism within and between colonies of each population. Intercolony variation within populations was relevant for most of the variables measured. Canonical discriminant analysis (r = 0.8648) showed that the population farthest offshore (Abrolhos) was distinct from the other two (Tamandaré and Santa Cruz), which have been affected by terrigenous sediments carried from the coast. Specimens from Santa Cruz displayed the highest degree of meandrinization.Keywords A variação do esqueleto do coral Favia gravida, uma espécie endêmica do Brasil, foi descrita quantativamente a partir de populações de três localidades, incluindo Tamandaré (Estado de Pernambuco), Abrolhos (Estado da Bahia) e Santa Cruz (Estado do Espírito Santo). Dez colônias foram coletadas de cada população e quatorze caracteres morfológicos foram medidos de dez coralitos por colônia. Os resultados da análise univariada (dentre os 14 caracteres esqueléticos, sete apresentaram p < 0,05) fornecem evidências que sugerem que F. gravida tem uma plasticidade morfológica considerável, o que pode explicar sua habilidade para se adaptar às condições ecológicas diferentes. A espécie demonstra, também, polimorfismo dentro e entre as colônias de cada população. A variação intercolonial dentro de populações foi, também, marcante para a maioria das variáveis medidas. A análise discriminante canônica (r = 0,8648) mostrou que a população mais distante da costa (Abrolhos) foi distinta das outras duas (Tamandaré e Santa Cruz), as quais estão sendo afetadas por sedimentos terrígenos provenientes da costa. Os espécimes de Santa Cruz demonstraram o mais alto grau de meandrinização.Palavras-chave: variação morfológica, caracteres esqueléticos, Favia.

. 2009. Vertical zonation of the hard substrata macrofauna of the Massangana River estuary, Suape Bay (Pernambuco, Brazil). Biota Neotrop. 9(1): http://www.biotaneotropica. org.br/v9n1/en/abstract?article+bn01609012009. Abstract:The estuarine area of the Massangana River (Pernambuco, Brazil) undergoes several kinds of interventions as a result of the activities of the Suape Industrial and Harbor Complex, which could affect local biotic communities. Thus, this study aimed to verify the composition of the benthic macrofauna of hard substrates regarding their vertical distribution in order to support the future biomonitoring of possible changes in this complex. The invertebrates found in an area of 519 m 2 were collected and their distribution on the biogenic and abiogenic substrates was described. A total of 79 species were found, primarily in the mangroves and distributed in three intertidal zones: a Chthamaletum, which comprised the intertidal and upper shore, the balanid zone, with barnacles and oysters in the mid intertidal, and the Bostrychietum, in the lowest region. In general, this matched the Brazilian and international vertical distribution patterns for mangrove invertebrates. The presence of rocky substrate and the area's high salinity made possible the occurrence of 28 species-including the coral Siderastrea stellata -in an estuarine area. The enlarged distribution of the bivalve Isognomon alatus, the barnacle Amphibalanus reticulatus, and the bryozoans Biflustra savartii, Bowerbankia gracilis, and Conopeum reticulum on the Brazilian coast can be explained by the proximity to the Port of Suape, which allows for passive transportation on ships. The scattered distribution of the fouling organisms among the substrates and the absence of characteristic animals of this ecosystem (such as the mussels) suggest that the environment is already undergoing some stress due to the diverse human interventions occurring in this area. Keywords: spatial distribution, macrobenthos, mangrove, biodiversity, Northeast Brazil. Resumen: El área estuarina del río Massangana (Pernambuco, Brasil) está sujeta a diversas intervenciones antropomórficas resultantes de las actividades del Complejo Industrial y Portuario de Suape, que pueden afectar las comunidades bióticas. Con esa perspectiva, este estudio tuvo como finalidad verificar la composición de la macrofauna bentónica de los sustratos sólidos, en su gradiente de distribución vertical, que sirva de referencia para futuros monitoreos biológicos relacionados a los cambios que pueden ocurrir en el complejo portuario. Se colectaron los invertebrados presentes en un área de 519 m 2 y su distribución en los sustratos biogénicos y abiogénicos es mostrada en el siguiente trabajo. Fueron encontradas 79 especies presentes principalmente en los mangles y distribuidas en tres zonas del intermareal: Chthamaletum, delimitando el supralitoral, "zona balanoide", conteniendo cirripedios y ostras, en la región intermareal media, y el Bostrychietum, en la región inferior. Esta distribución co...

Long-term monitoring program of organisms is the most recommended for understanding changing processes on reefs. The video transect method presents advantages for that. Specialists state that it is important to make sure that the recorded coverage is always the same between campaigns, so that differences in results may be entirely attributed to environmental changes. This study aimed to test the capability of implementing this requirement through tracking simulation and its validity for monitoring the benthic communities of reefs using the video transect method. Ten transects 20 m long were established in Todos os Santos Bay coral reefs. Subsequent to the first transect capture, a second diver repeated the same track, simulating two different monitoring campaigns. Data were transformed and a matrix of similarity was generated using Bray-Curtis' Index. ANOSIM analysis was performed to test the similarity of the ten transects and its repetitions. The result, R = 0.08 (P = 0.928), shows that reef monitoring using video transect, the way it is described in the literature, is appropriate, but it is important to consider some premises discussed in this work.

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Leite et al./ Epistemologia e história da Ciência em Ecologia: o passo inicial na formação do ecólogo ResumoUma educação consistente sobre teoria, história e filosofia da Ciência para estudantes de pós-graduação em Ecologia pode elevar a qualidade das pesquisas nesse campo. Entender a prática científica como um processo integrado, desde a criação das hipóteses até as análises estatísticas, é importante, mas não suficiente. É relevante compreender que a atividade científica é precedida e guiada por nossa concepção sobre o conhecimento científico. Neste trabalho, discutimos o envolvimento da epistemologia e história da Ciência na Ecologia e sua importância na formação dos ecólogos, ressaltando implicações da escolha de diferentes abordagens estatísticas. Argumentamos a favor da integração de tais áreas à educação formal de ecólogos e apresentamos formas de incluí-las no currículo dos programas de pós-graduação em Ecologia.Palavras-chave: História da Ciência. Filosofia da Ciência. Ensino de Pós-Graduação. Ecologia. AbstractA consistent education about the theory, history, and philosophy of science to graduate students of ecology could increase the quality of research in this field. Understanding scientific practice as an integrated process from hypothesis selection through statistical analysis is necessary but insufficient. In this paper we aim to discuss the importance of the epistemology and the history of science in training ecologists and to encourage a search for a deeper understanding of discussions in this area. To this end we bring arguments favoring the integration of epistemology and history of science in formal ecology education. We also discuss the implications of choosing different statistical approaches and of selecting an appropriate conceptual framework for ecology education. Finally, we present alternative approaches for including these issues in graduate education in ecology.

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