A novel Amazonian reef biome was discovered, encompassing large rhodolith and sponge beds under l... more A novel Amazonian reef biome was discovered, encompassing large rhodolith and sponge beds under low light, low oxygen, and high POC.
Figure 1. The marbled grouper Dermatolepis inermis in lower mesophotic reefs of the Fernando de N... more Figure 1. The marbled grouper Dermatolepis inermis in lower mesophotic reefs of the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (A), and the aggregation site with six fish in the field of view (B), including individuals with the tuxedo colour pattern (C), and yellow fin margins and white belly (D). Photo by L. A. Rocha (A) and frames from videos recorded by J. B. Teixeira (B – D).
Despite a strong increase in research on seamounts and oceanic islands ecology and bio-geography,... more Despite a strong increase in research on seamounts and oceanic islands ecology and bio-geography, many basic aspects of their biodiversity are still unknown. In the southwestern Atlantic, the Vitória-Trindade Seamount Chain (VTC) extends ca. 1,200 km offshore the Brazilian continental shelf, from the Vitória seamount to the oceanic islands of Trindade and
Oceanic islands and seamounts play an important role on the origin and maintenance of biodiversit... more Oceanic islands and seamounts play an important role on the origin and maintenance of biodiversity, however, these environments are still poorly understood. Here we report 15 new records of reef fish species for the Davis Seamount, Trindade Island and Martin Vaz Archipelago, in the Vitoria-Trindade Chain (VTC). Such isolated sites are among the last frontier for shallow reef exploration in the South Atlantic, and more scientific effort is needed to better understand their biogeography and to help in conservation efforts.
This paper applied a GIS platform (ArcGis software) as a tool to measure the conflicting use betw... more This paper applied a GIS platform (ArcGis software) as a tool to measure the conflicting use between priority areas for conservation and potential mineral and oil and gas exploitation sites. The study has as goal to analyze and quantify the distribution of each process stage, to determine the current and future multiple uses of the study area in order to understand the impact that such activities may have on the preservation areas. It’s a tool that contributes to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically number 14, about Conservation and sustainably use of the oceans, seas and marine resources. The study area encompasses the territorial sea of Espirito Santo State. The software was used to produce maps and to analyze the overlap between the different uses. Large numbers of authorization and research requirements were found in Priority Areas for Conservation (PAC) in order to extract substances such as salts of potassium and limestone in larger quantities in the PAC. The ...
Dozens of marine fih species are known to form spawning aggregations, a behaviour that often incr... more Dozens of marine fih species are known to form spawning aggregations, a behaviour that often increases the species vulnerability to fiheries. Therefore, it is widely recommended for aggregation sites to be considered a conservation priority, and implementation of management measures on those sites is essential. Here, we report for the fist time the reproductive behaviour of the marbled grouper Dermatolepis inermis, observed at a lower mesophotic coral ecosystem of Fernando de Noronha, an oceanic tropical archipelago in the southwestern Atlantic. The event was characterised by an aggregation of six adult fih, displaying courtship behaviour and reproductive colouration. We also recorded an aggregation of about 20 dog snappers Lutjanus jocu at the same site, but no reproductive behaviour was observed. Finally, another aggregation was observed in the island’s upper mesophotic reefs, with 25 terminal phase individuals of the Brazilian endemic parrotfih Sparisoma amplum. Our report reinforces the biological importance of mesophotic coral ecosystems, and highlights the urgent need of governmental policies for studying, monitoring, and protecting those reefs.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs; or drones) are an emerging tool to provide a safer, cheaper, and ... more Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs; or drones) are an emerging tool to provide a safer, cheaper, and quieter alternative to traditional methods of studying marine megafauna in a natural environment. The UFES Nectology Laboratory team developed a drone-monitoring to assess the impacts on megafauna related to the Fundão dam mining tailings disaster in the Southeast Brazilian coast. We have developed a systematic pattern to optimize the available resources by covering the largest possible area. The fauna observer can monitor the environment from a privileged angle with virtual reality and subsequently analyzes each video captured in 4k, allowing to deepening behavioral ecology knowledge. Applying the drone-monitoring method, we have observed an increasing detectability by adjusting the camera angle, height, orientation, and speed of the UAV; which saved time and resources for monitoring turtles, sea birds, large fish, and especially small cetaceans efficiently and comparably.
Although several studies on the ichthyofauna of the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago have been car... more Although several studies on the ichthyofauna of the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago have been carried out, its mesophotic fish diversity has never been surveyed before. Here we used SCUBA and technical rebreather diving, baited remote underwater videos and remotely operated vehicle to record shallow (≤ 30 m depth) and mesophotic (31 to 150 m depth) fishes. Nineteen fish species belonging to 14 families are reported here as new records, representing an increase of 8.2% in marine fish richness for the region, which now has a total of 250 species and 77 families. These new records include four potential new species and highlight the importance of surveying mesophotic ecosystems, even in well studied sites. Our results also emphasize the need for protection and attention to the unique ichthyofauna found at mesophotic depths.
Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology, Jan 24, 2017
While marine protected areas (MPAs) can simultaneously contribute to biodiversity conservation an... more While marine protected areas (MPAs) can simultaneously contribute to biodiversity conservation and fisheries management, the global network is biased towards particular ecosystem types, as it was largely established in an ad hoc fashion. The optimization of trade-offs between biodiversity benefits and socio-economic values increases implementation success and minimizes enforcement costs in the long run, but is often neglected in marine spatial planning (MSP). Although the acquisition of spatially explicit socioeconomic data is often perceived as a costly/secondary step in MSP, it is critical to account for lost opportunities by people whose activities will be restricted, especially fishers. Here we present an easily-reproducible habitat-based approach to estimate the spatial distribution of opportunity cost to fishers in data poor regions, assuming that the most accessible areas have higher values and their designation as no-take zones represents increased loss of fishing opportunit...
A novel Amazonian reef biome was discovered, encompassing large rhodolith and sponge beds under l... more A novel Amazonian reef biome was discovered, encompassing large rhodolith and sponge beds under low light, low oxygen, and high POC.
Figure 1. The marbled grouper Dermatolepis inermis in lower mesophotic reefs of the Fernando de N... more Figure 1. The marbled grouper Dermatolepis inermis in lower mesophotic reefs of the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (A), and the aggregation site with six fish in the field of view (B), including individuals with the tuxedo colour pattern (C), and yellow fin margins and white belly (D). Photo by L. A. Rocha (A) and frames from videos recorded by J. B. Teixeira (B – D).
Despite a strong increase in research on seamounts and oceanic islands ecology and bio-geography,... more Despite a strong increase in research on seamounts and oceanic islands ecology and bio-geography, many basic aspects of their biodiversity are still unknown. In the southwestern Atlantic, the Vitória-Trindade Seamount Chain (VTC) extends ca. 1,200 km offshore the Brazilian continental shelf, from the Vitória seamount to the oceanic islands of Trindade and
Oceanic islands and seamounts play an important role on the origin and maintenance of biodiversit... more Oceanic islands and seamounts play an important role on the origin and maintenance of biodiversity, however, these environments are still poorly understood. Here we report 15 new records of reef fish species for the Davis Seamount, Trindade Island and Martin Vaz Archipelago, in the Vitoria-Trindade Chain (VTC). Such isolated sites are among the last frontier for shallow reef exploration in the South Atlantic, and more scientific effort is needed to better understand their biogeography and to help in conservation efforts.
This paper applied a GIS platform (ArcGis software) as a tool to measure the conflicting use betw... more This paper applied a GIS platform (ArcGis software) as a tool to measure the conflicting use between priority areas for conservation and potential mineral and oil and gas exploitation sites. The study has as goal to analyze and quantify the distribution of each process stage, to determine the current and future multiple uses of the study area in order to understand the impact that such activities may have on the preservation areas. It’s a tool that contributes to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically number 14, about Conservation and sustainably use of the oceans, seas and marine resources. The study area encompasses the territorial sea of Espirito Santo State. The software was used to produce maps and to analyze the overlap between the different uses. Large numbers of authorization and research requirements were found in Priority Areas for Conservation (PAC) in order to extract substances such as salts of potassium and limestone in larger quantities in the PAC. The ...
Dozens of marine fih species are known to form spawning aggregations, a behaviour that often incr... more Dozens of marine fih species are known to form spawning aggregations, a behaviour that often increases the species vulnerability to fiheries. Therefore, it is widely recommended for aggregation sites to be considered a conservation priority, and implementation of management measures on those sites is essential. Here, we report for the fist time the reproductive behaviour of the marbled grouper Dermatolepis inermis, observed at a lower mesophotic coral ecosystem of Fernando de Noronha, an oceanic tropical archipelago in the southwestern Atlantic. The event was characterised by an aggregation of six adult fih, displaying courtship behaviour and reproductive colouration. We also recorded an aggregation of about 20 dog snappers Lutjanus jocu at the same site, but no reproductive behaviour was observed. Finally, another aggregation was observed in the island’s upper mesophotic reefs, with 25 terminal phase individuals of the Brazilian endemic parrotfih Sparisoma amplum. Our report reinforces the biological importance of mesophotic coral ecosystems, and highlights the urgent need of governmental policies for studying, monitoring, and protecting those reefs.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs; or drones) are an emerging tool to provide a safer, cheaper, and ... more Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs; or drones) are an emerging tool to provide a safer, cheaper, and quieter alternative to traditional methods of studying marine megafauna in a natural environment. The UFES Nectology Laboratory team developed a drone-monitoring to assess the impacts on megafauna related to the Fundão dam mining tailings disaster in the Southeast Brazilian coast. We have developed a systematic pattern to optimize the available resources by covering the largest possible area. The fauna observer can monitor the environment from a privileged angle with virtual reality and subsequently analyzes each video captured in 4k, allowing to deepening behavioral ecology knowledge. Applying the drone-monitoring method, we have observed an increasing detectability by adjusting the camera angle, height, orientation, and speed of the UAV; which saved time and resources for monitoring turtles, sea birds, large fish, and especially small cetaceans efficiently and comparably.
Although several studies on the ichthyofauna of the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago have been car... more Although several studies on the ichthyofauna of the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago have been carried out, its mesophotic fish diversity has never been surveyed before. Here we used SCUBA and technical rebreather diving, baited remote underwater videos and remotely operated vehicle to record shallow (≤ 30 m depth) and mesophotic (31 to 150 m depth) fishes. Nineteen fish species belonging to 14 families are reported here as new records, representing an increase of 8.2% in marine fish richness for the region, which now has a total of 250 species and 77 families. These new records include four potential new species and highlight the importance of surveying mesophotic ecosystems, even in well studied sites. Our results also emphasize the need for protection and attention to the unique ichthyofauna found at mesophotic depths.
Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology, Jan 24, 2017
While marine protected areas (MPAs) can simultaneously contribute to biodiversity conservation an... more While marine protected areas (MPAs) can simultaneously contribute to biodiversity conservation and fisheries management, the global network is biased towards particular ecosystem types, as it was largely established in an ad hoc fashion. The optimization of trade-offs between biodiversity benefits and socio-economic values increases implementation success and minimizes enforcement costs in the long run, but is often neglected in marine spatial planning (MSP). Although the acquisition of spatially explicit socioeconomic data is often perceived as a costly/secondary step in MSP, it is critical to account for lost opportunities by people whose activities will be restricted, especially fishers. Here we present an easily-reproducible habitat-based approach to estimate the spatial distribution of opportunity cost to fishers in data poor regions, assuming that the most accessible areas have higher values and their designation as no-take zones represents increased loss of fishing opportunit...
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