Subtidal soft sediments of the Paranaguá Bay inlet: mapping habitats and species distribution at a landscape scale

Abstract

Subtidal soft sediments of the Paranaguá Bay inlet: mapping habitats and species distribution at a landscape scaleThis study aimed to map habitats and species distribution in a benthoscape section of the Paranaguá Bay inlet, Paraná State, Southern Brazil. The degree of correspondence between maps independently generated through sidescan imagery and macrofauna and sediment samples was also evaluated. The study area had approximately 9km 2 and was chosen considering both diverse landscape features and proximity to future port developments. Sampling was performed in 67 evenly distributed and unreplicated sites. Patterns related to backscatter intensity (high and low) and the presence or absence of bedforms were observed, as well as other large-scale features like sand waves and beach rock outcrops. Local sedimentary environments were represented in a mosaic used for comparisons with sedimentary and faunistic data. Cluster analysis using grain size data formed four groups with similar particle size distribution. A strong correspondence between habitats and grain size distribution was found in only one habitat class. Macrofauna around the deeper Poço Point region and the Mel Island shallower banks presented high species richness and number of individuals. These were considered habitats of high biological relevance. Regions with bedforms indicate higher rates of sand transport in which a few species can thrive. The navigation channel had the lowest number of species and individuals when compared to vicinal regions, indicating persistent impacts. The study evidenced local estuarine bottom heterogeneity and contributed to the understanding of local processes of both bottom sediments dynamics and their associate faunal components.

Uma avaliação sistemática sobre os efeitos de metais e metaloides, presentes em sedimentos, sobre comunidades de macroinvertebrados bentônicos em estuário subtropical no Brasil – sistema estuarino de Paranaguá

“…O material arenoso acumula-se nos canais e na parte oriental do estuário de Paranaguá (Negrello-Filho et., 2018).…”

“…A avaliação da qualidade biológica do ambiente é fundamentada na resposta específica de táxons empregados nos indicadores ecológicos, de acordo com a sua tolerância a fatores de estresse. FILHO et al, 2018).…”

Spatio-temporal sublittoral macrobenthic distribution and dominant species in Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

“…In addition to environmental conditions, community dynamics, and biological pressures exerted by species from other ecological compartments, specific strategies, such as dispersion, tube formation, intra and interspecific relations can also contribute to characterize these communities (Gray and Elliott, 2009;Echeverría et al, 2010;Neves et al, 2013;Pereira et al, 2013;Negrello-Filho et al, 2018;Pessoa et al, 2020).…”

New and additional records of Metharpinia Schellenberg, 1931 and Microphoxus Barnard, 1960 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Phoxocephalidae) from Brazilian waters

“…Microphoxus uroserratus was described by Bustamante (2002) with material from Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro. The species was previously recorded for the states of Ceará (Barros et al, 2017), Paraná (Negrello-Filho et al, 2018) and Rio de Janeiro (Zalmon et al, 2013). As well as in Mi.…”