A biological survey of St. Paul's Rocks in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

In May 1971, an ornithological census was taken, and samples of soil and marine invertebrates collected, on St. Paul's Rocks-an isolated group of small islands in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean. Fish were caught nearby. Crabs (Crapsusgrapsus) were abundant on the Rocks and rock pools contained anthozoa, polychaetes, crustacea and gastropods-a marine invertebrate fauna apparently closely related to that of Brazil. Specimens of four species of fish were obtained including one of Holocenmtm sanctipauli, a species endemic to the Rocks.Protozoa, nematodes, bdelloid rotifen and cuticles of cryptostigmatid mites were found in the soil; most of the species identified were microbial feeders with a cosmopolitan distribution. The only terrestrial flora observed were green and blue-green algae and a nematode-predacious fungus, continuous sea-spray upon the Rocks preventing the growth of higher plants. Breeding populations of brown boobies and black and brown noddies were observed and counted. The presence of all life-cycle stages of the booby suggested that its.breeding is seasonal.

The ecology of Saint Paul's Rocks (Equatorial Atlantic)

“…A filamentous blue-green alga (Lyngbya sp.) in the soil, and small green algae both in the soil and growing on guano-derived encrustations appear to be the only terrestrial vegetation (Hemsley, 1884;Smith et al, 1974).…”

A checklist of fishes from Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago, Brazil

“…Information concerning Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago ichthyofauna was published by Delano (1817), followed by the research of Darwin (1839), Ross (1847), Gu¨nther (1880), Nicoll (1908), Clark (1915), Wild (1923), Speiss (1928), Springer (1972) and Smith et al (1974), all of whom recorded fish species in the archipelago. Lubbock and Edwards (1981) published the most comprehensive list which contained 50 observed species in addition to others compiled from the literature.…”

Green algae in soil: assessing their biodiversity and biogeography with molecular-phylogenetic methods based on cultures

“…The edaphic microflora of small and isolated islands is almost unknown, except for e.g. St. Paul's Rocks in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean (Smith et al 1974).…”