The Botafogo estuary is of socio-economical importance for Pernambuco State. It is located at the north of Santa Cruz Channel, Itamaracá, Pernambuco, Brazil (07 o 42'50"S and 34 o 52'10"W). There is a critical need to understand its functioning because of the rate at which this area is being converted to land uses. The phytoplankton dynamics was studied to enhance the knowledge of and verify the possible changes which have occurred in this ecosystem. Sampling was carried out with a plankton net 65 micrometers mesh size for qualitative data, and a Van Dorn bottle for quantitative data. Concurrent hydrological and chlorophyll-a data were collected. Samplings were made in one fixed station in July 1996 (rainy season) and December 1996 (dry season), at 3-hour intervals during 24 hours. Eighty-seven specific and infra-specific taxa were identified from net plankton samples. Diatoms were most frequent, mainly Coscinodiscus centralis and Odontella regia in the rainy and dry seasons, respectively. Phytoplankton density varied from 205,000 to 1,210,000 cell.L -1 in the dry season, and from 230,000 to 2,510,000 cell.L -1 in the rainy season, indicating eutrophic conditions. Most numerically abundant were the diatoms Cyclotella meneghiniana and Cylindrotheca closterium and the phytoflagellates. The ecosystem is polluted, and deleterious effects are minimized by the marine influence which allows periodic water renewal.Key words: estuarine phytoplankton, nyctemeral variation, tropical. RESUMO

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The Amazon generates the world's largest offshore river plume, which covers extensive areas of the tropical Atlantic. The data and samples in this study were obtained during the oceanographic cruise Camadas Finas III in October 2012 along the Amazon River-Ocean Continuum (AROC). The cruise occurred during boreal autumn, when the river plume reaches its maximum eastward extent. In this study, we examine the links between physics, biogeochemistry and plankton community structure along the AROC. Hydrographic results showed very different conditions, ranging from shallow well-mixed coastal waters to offshore areas, where low salinity Amazonian waters mix with open ocean waters. Nutrients, mainly NO3− and SiO2−, were highly depleted in coastal regions, and the magnitude of primary production was greater than that of respiration (negative apparent oxygen utilization). In terms of phytoplankton groups, diatoms dominated the region from the river mouth to the edge of the area affected by the North Brazil Current (NBC) retroflection (with chlorophyll a concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 0.94 mg m−3). The North Equatorial Counter Current (NECC) region, east of retroflection, is fully oligotrophic and the most representative groups are Cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates. Additionally, in this region, blooms of cyanophyte species were associated with diatoms and Mesozooplankton (copepods). A total of 178 zooplankton taxa were observed in this area, with Copepoda being the most diverse and abundant group. Two different zooplankton communities were identified: a low-diversity, high-abundance coastal community and a high-diversity, low-abundance oceanic community offshore. The CO2 fugacity (fCO2sw), calculated from total alkalinity (1,450 < TA < 2,394 μmol kg−1) and dissolved inorganic carbon (1,303 < DIC < 2,062 μmol kg−1) measurements, confirms that the Amazon River plume is a sink of atmospheric CO2 in areas with salinities <35 psu, whereas, in regions with salinities >35 and higher-intensity winds, the CO2 flux is reversed. Lower fCO2sw values were observed in the NECC area. The ΔfCO2 in this region was less than 5 μatm (−0.3 mmol m−2 d−1), while the ΔfCO2 in the coastal region was approximately 50 μatm (+3.7 mmol m−2 d−1). During the cruise, heterotrophic and autotrophic processes were observed and are indicative of the influences of terrestrial material and biological activity, respectively.

ResumoDistribuição espacial dos macroorganismos bentônicos nos recifes da Praia de Porto de Galinhas (nordeste do Brasil) com atenção especial aos corais e hidróides calcários. Apesar da sua importância ecológica e socioeconômica, os recifes de coral estão sob constante ameaça e requerem práticas de gestão adequadas. Dados sobre a estrutura espacial destes ecossistemas são essenciais para projetos de conservação de boa qualidade nestas áreas. Este estudo objetivou analisar a distribuição espacial dos macroorganismos bentônicos do ambiente recifal da praia de Porto de Galinhas, com enfoque especial nos corais e hidróides calcários. Realizou-se um levantamento da plataforma recifal através de mergulho autônomo, utilizando-se transectos em linha de 10m de comprimento. Grandes regiões cobertas por algas foram verificadas, totalizando 53% das observações. Os zoantídeos compreendem o segundo grupo mais representativo (11%). Um total de 173 colônias de corais e hidróides calcários foi observado sendo que 40% destas colônias estavam total ou parcialmente branqueadas. Unitermos: ambientes recifais, Brasil, corais, distribuição espacial, Praia de Porto de Galinhas AbstractDespite their ecological and social-economic importance, coral reefs are under constant threat and thus require proper management practices. Data on the spatial structure of these ecosystems are essential for good quality conservation projects in such areas. This study aimed to quantitatively analyze the spatial distribution of benthic macroorganisms from the reef environment of Porto de Galinhas Beach, with special focus on its corals and calcified hydroids. Reef flats of the area were surveyed by scuba diving, using 10m line transects. A high cover of macroalgae was verified, averaging 53% of the observations. Zoanthids were the second most representative group (11%). A total of 173 colonies of corals and calcified hydroids were observed and 40% of these colonies were partially or totally bleached.

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Abstract.-This paper presents a hydrobiological time series at Barra de Jangadas estuary in Northeastern Brazil. Studies were carried out during seven consecutive days from a spring to a neap tide, in one fixed station during the dry (January) and rainy (July) seasons, in 2001. The meteorology (rainfall, evaporation, wind intensity), hydrology (temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen-DO and relative saturation, BOD 5 , nutrients (NH 3 + NH 4 , NO 2 -, NO 3 -, PO 4 -3 , SiO 2 )), bathymetry, current intensity and, chlorophyll-a, were studied. The principal component analysis (PCA) explained 80% of the total variance showing an inverse relationship between nutrients and DO, salinity and pH. This analysis showed a positive correlation between low tide and nutrients, indicating anthropogenic pollution. The water temperature presented low seasonal variation, similar to chlorophyll-a, which presented values over 20 mg m -3 , characterizing a eutrophic environment. Higher salt concentrations were registered during the dry season with no vertical stratification. DO varied significantly in both seasons. Total dissolved inorganic nitrogen and dissolved inorganic Phosphorus values in July were in general 2 to 5 times higher than values registered in January, respectively. The average N/ P ratio varied from 35:1 in January to 8:1 in July, being both phosphate and nitrogen limiting for phytoplankton growth. Night/day differences showed that in January, ammonia decreased in higher proportion than the other nitrogen compounds indicating assimilation by the autotrophic organisms during the day. , SiO 2 )), batimetría, intensidad de las corrientes y clorofila-a. El análisis de componentes principales (ACP), explicó el 80% de la varianza total, mostrando una relación inversa entre nutrientes y OD, salinidad y pH. Este análisis mostró una correlación positiva entre la bajamar y los nutrientes, indicativo de polución de origen antropogénica. La temperatura del agua varió poco estacionalmente, similar a la clorofila-a que caracterizó un ambiente eutrófico con valores superiores a 20 mg m -3 . Mayores concentraciones de sal ocurrieron en el mes estival y sin mostrar estratificación vertical. El oxígeno disuelto varió significativamente entre ambos períodos. Los valores totales de nitrógeno y fósforo inorgánico disuelto en julio fueron en promedio 2 y 5 veces superiores a los de enero, respectivamente. Las medias de N:P variaron de 35:1 en enero a 8:1 en julio, siendo ambos, el fosfato y el nitrógeno limitantes para el crecimiento del fitoplancton. Diferencias día/noche evidenciaron que, en enero, el amonio decreció en mayor proporción que el resto de los compuestos nitrogenados, indicativo de la asimilación por los organismos autotróficos durante el día.Palabras clave: Nutrientes, oxígeno disuelto, Barra de Jangadas, eutroficación

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