Successional trajectory of the fouling community on a tropical upwelling ecosystem in southeast Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

The present study describes the successional trajectory of the fouling community in the upwelling region of Cabo Frio in southeastern Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For 12 months, five PVC panels were sampled monthly by underwater photography to record the percent cover of fouling organisms, which allowed for the evaluation of the successional process through functional groups. The variability in the composition of the fouling community increased throughout the successional trajectory, creating a mosaic pattern. The identification of two associations after a year of observation, with one characterized by filamentous algae, Hydrozoa and Cirripedia and another mainly by articulated calcareous algae, shows that divergent trajectories can be observed even under the same environmental conditions. As an important seasonal factor of the local oceanographic characteristics, the upwelling events allowed for an environmental heterogeneity, and rejecting the classic orderly and directional succession model.

Invertebrate recruitment on artificial substrates in the Red Sea: role of substrate type and orientation

“…In this study, treatment panels of four different materials (acrylic, stainless steel, ceramic and concrete) were used to understand the recruitment preferences of marine invertebrates. The influence of environmental variables on the settlement and development of benthic communities has been reported by many previous studies, particularly from the biofouling ecology point of view (Rajagopal, 1997; Satheesh & Wesley, 2011; Masi et al ., 2015). In addition to environmental factors, the substratum type and submerged position (orientation) in marine waters may also influence the settlement, recruitment and development of benthic organisms (Glasby, 1999 a , 1999 b ; Glasby & Connell, 2001; Azevedo et al ., 2006; Tyrrell & Byers, 2007; Walker et al ., 2007; Satheesh & Wesley, 2010; Vaz-Pinto et al ., 2014).…”

Biofouling in the Southern Caspian Sea: recruitment and successional patterns in a low diversity region

“…The deployment of test panels is the most common method for studying biofouling communities and has been successfully used in different regions of the world (e.g., Ruiz et al 2006, Lindeyer and Gittenberger 2011, Masi et al 2015). Short-term panels (1 to 2 months of submersion) are used for studying seasonal recruitment patterns while long-term panels (more than 2 months of submersion) are appropriate for succession surveys (Rajagopal et al 1997).…”

Effects of structural factors on upwelling fouling community, Southeast Brazil

“…Lower temperatures, as low as 13 °C, and higher nitrate and phosphate concentrations, approximately 10 and 0.8 μgat.l −1 , respectively, characterize the upwelling conditions (GUIMARAENS et al, 2005). According to MASI et al (2015), the intensity and frequency of seasonal upwelling events might affect the environmental variability due to particular oceanographic characteristics and may influence the level of stress that the fouling community experiences, with divergent successional trajectories.…”