Amaral, A.C.Z. and Rossi-Wongtschowski, C.L.B. (2004). Biodiversidade Bentônica da Região Sudeste-Sul do Brasil - Plataforma Externa e Talude Superior. [Benthic biodiversity of the southeast and southern regions of Brazil - continental shelf and slope.]. Instituto Oceanográfico, São Paulo, 216 pp.
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Amaral, A.C.Z. and Rossi-Wongtschowski, C.L.B.
2004
Biodiversidade Bentônica da Região Sudeste-Sul do Brasil - Plataforma Externa e Talude Superior. [Benthic biodiversity of the southeast and southern regions of Brazil - continental shelf and slope.]
This work presents the results of the activities undertaken in the REVIZEE Program by the South Score/Benthos (Cabo de Sao Tome, RJ - Arroio Chui, RS).The main objectives of this sub-program are the knowledge of biodiversity and the evaluation of the sustainable potential of the faunistic resources of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the southeastern and southern regions of Brazil. The field collections were carried out from December 13, 1997 to April 20, 1998 in the continental shelf and slope (60 - 808 m depth) with the Oceanographic Vessel "Prof. W. Besnard" (10-USP).The fauna was collected using the benthic samplers van Veen and box-corer and the rectangular dredge, for a total of 322 samples. In some cases, data of organisms scrapped from hard substrates were also gathered. The results are presented in two parts: I - Characterization of the environment and benthic macrofauna, where the faunistic (higher taxa) composition, abundance, biomass and distribution (in different depths and localities) and area hydrodynamics, topography and sedimentology are analysed; II - Diversity inventory - where information on specific taxa of the following groups are presented: Porifera, Cnidaria (Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa and Anthozoa), Sipuncula, Mollusca (Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Cephalopoda, Polyplacophora and Solenogastres), Annelida (Polychaeta), Crustacea (Ostracoda, Cirripedia, Decapoda, Stomatopoda and Tanaidacea), Bryozoa, Brachiopoda, Echinodermata (Ophiuroidea, Asteroidea, Crinoidea, Holothuroidea and Echinoidea) and Chordata (Ascidiacea).
A total of 131,369 individuals were recorded and classified into 28 higher taxa. The most abundant and frequent groups were Porifera, Cnidaria, Sipuncula, Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Scaphopoda, Polychaeta, Crustacea, Ophiuroidea, Bryozoa and Brachiopoda. Bryozoa was the most abundant group (30,501 records) followed by Polychaeta (22,412 inds),Ophiuroidea (16,918),Crustacea (14,248), Brachiopoda (12,849) and Bivalvia (11,461). These data reveal the existence of a very rich fauna. Higher abundances of organisms were associated with sandy and muddy substrata, both with low contents of calcium carbonate content (100 - 200 m). The bathymetric distribution of the higher taxa was also demonstrated to be associated with the substrate type.
The higher taxa recorded in this study are being analyzed by experts to enable a more precise evaluation of the biodiversity. A total of 1,039 taxa were identified to date, and significant numbers of new occurrences and new species have been reported. The identified material has been deposited in biological collections of museums or other institutions with curatorial traditions.
South West Atlantic ( =only warm temperate; cold temperate see *SUB)
Ecology
Fauna and Flora, Faunistic inventories, Checklists, Catalogues