RCAAP Repository

Some aspects of the procedures to measure dissolved organic matter (DOM) released by phytoplankton account for important sources of errors. These aspects include: cell damage upon filtration of samples, residual inorganic 14C in the filtrates, NaH14CO3 ampoule contaminations and the low radiation activity proper to the released samples. Some experiments on these procedural problems were carried out and their effects on the released DOM were evaluated. A procedure to use control samples to avoid errors in the technique of DOM analysis by the liquid cintillation counter is described. Experiments on the validity of stocking preserved filtrates of natural plankton populations and algal cultures were also carried out for long periods prior to the radioactivity measurements.

A series of experiments with natural phytoplccnkton populations was made to study the photosynthetic Pmax and a indices, under different phases of the diel cycles. By "in situ" and simulated experiments the exogenous and endogenous influences on the photosynthesis and total chlorophyll-a were studied. The results obtained indicate the diel variation can introduce a great deal of error in the determination of the primary production. The use of constant values for a and Pmax in the equation for the determination of primary production without carrying for the aspect above as well as for the seasonal variation may give results for the diurnal values, with a very lend accuracy and without ecological significance. It was also observed that the measurements of chlorophyll-a varied within the relatively short period of time, required to perform a determination of photosynthesis. It is suggested that the Pmax, a and Ik values used in primary productivity methodology should be revised, as the indices considered are based in chlorophyll concentration.

El estúdio inicial de la fauna y distribución de cefalópodos de Brasil se convirtio en una revisión de la zoogeografía de la región Tropical-Subtropical del sur del Brasil. Observaciones iniciales sobre zoogeografía marina brasileña tuvieron lugar en la primera parte del siglo XIX por naturalistas franceses, principalmente d'Orbigny, trabajando en cefalópodos. Posteriormente, el primer patrón global de provincias zoologicas, definidas por James Dana en 1853 y basadas en zonas de temperaturas oceanicas, colocan el extremo meridional de la fauna tropical del Atlántico Occidental en una latitud de 30ºS, incluyendo una zona de transición (São Paulo) entre Rio de Janeiro y Porto Alegre. El análisis detallado de numerosos estúdios subsecuentes en esta región lleva a la confirmación de la validez conceptual de los puntos de vista de d'Orbigny, Dana, Forbes, Woodward y algunos mas durante el siglo pasado. En su tratado zoogeográfico de 1953, Ekman no tuvo a su disposición información adecuada sobre Brasil y señaló vagamente a Rio de Janeiro como el extremo sur de la fauna tropical, basado en la aparente ausencia de manglares y de arrecifes de coral. Este punto de vista ha sido fuente de confusión y debate, especialmente en el siglo XX. Toda la información oceanógrafica, geológica, sedimentaria y faunística acumulada y estudiada hasta el presente señala a la región entre Rio Grande do Sul y Rio de la Plata, como la barrera ecológica fundamental (principalmente debido a cambios de temperatura), en la distribución sur de organismos tropicales. Entre Espirito Santo y Rio Grande do Sul existe una zona de transición faunística caracterizada por complejas variaciones medioambientales estacionales, bajo la influencia alterna y combina de las Corrientes del Brasil y Falkland, en la margen occindetal de la Convergencia Subtropical/Subantartica. Esta zona de transición constituye una provincia biogeografica, designada "Paulista", que contiene una proporcion significativa de elementos endemicos y algunos miembros de las faunas adjacentes, Caribe y Patagónica, ademas de organismos circuntropicales. Los límites de la provincia Paulista se hallan, en el norte en la isoterma de los 23ºC, y en el sur, en la isocrima (temperaturas mas frías durante 30 días consecutivos, definidas por Dana, 1853) de los 23ºC.

The southern boundaries of Tozeuma serratum A. Milne Edwards, Salmoneus ortmanni (Rankin) and Processa profunda Manning & Chace, previously known only from the northwestern Atlantic, have been extended to São Paulo, Paraná and Uruguay, respectively. Latreutes parvulus (Stimpson), previously not known beyond São Paulo has been found to as far south as the Province of Buenos Aires. A systematic account of these four species is furnished, based mainly on material collected by the R/V "Prof. W. Besnard". The 16 species of Alpheoidea whose southern boundaries occur in warm-temperate shelf waters of eastern South America belong to two distinct faunal assemblages: (1) Tropical species - Alpheus floridanus Kingsley, A. intrinsecus Bate, A. normanni Kingsley, Salmoneus ortmanni (Rankin) Synalpheus longicarpus (Herrick), Ogyrides alphaerostris (Kingsley) (= O. occidentalis(Ortmann)), Exhippolysmata oplophoroides (Holthuis), Latreutes parvalus (Stimpson), Processa bermudensis (Rankin) and P. hemphilli Manning & Chace - which are largely restricted to coastal and inshore shelf waters less than 50 m deep; and (2) Subtropical species - Alpheus pouang Chris toffersen, A. puapeba Christoffersen, Merhippolyte americana Holthuis, Tozeuma serratum A. Milne Edwards, Processa guyanae. Holthuis and P. profunda Manning & Chace - which are largely restricted to the outer portion of the continental shelf within the studied area. Considering the temperature and distributional data available for each species, it is suggested that the poleward boundaries of O. alphaerostris are set by maximum summer temperatures of about 20ºC required for the reproduction of the species, while the poleward boundaries of most of the tropical and subtropical species are set by minimum winter temperatures critical for their survival: about 15ºC for A. floridanus, about 11ºC for E. oplophoroides, about 9ºC for A. pouang, L. parvulus, P. guyanae., P. guyanae and P. hemphilli, and P. profunda and about 8ºC for A. puapeba and M. americana. It is further suggested that the shoreward boundaries of some of the subtropical species are set by maximum summer temperatures critical for their survival: about 20-22ºC for A. puapzba and about 17-18ºC for A. pouang and M. americana.

Uma melhor compreensão da dinâmica do processo reprodutivo de Sardinella brasiliensis e obtida através da associação de aspectos micro e macroscópicos das gonadas durante o ciclo sexual. O presente trabalho apresenta uma descrição das fases de desenvolvimento ovocitarias e dos estadios de maturidade dos ovarios de 119 fêmeas de S. brasiliensis, coletados na costa brasileira entre 22ºS e 28ºS. São descritas seis fases ovocitarias e duas estruturas derivadas, analisando-se as características citologicas das células germinativas durante o processo de maturação. Foram estabelecidos sete estadios: A (virgem), Bi (em início de maturação), Bf (em maturação avançada), Cf (maduro inicial), Cf (maduro desovado), D (es vaziado) e R (em repouso), sendo discutida sua correspondência com outras es calas aplicadas as espécies.

The LC50 of Neritina virginica (gastropod) to hexaolorocyclohexane (C6H6Cl6) was determined. A series of experiments was prepared during a period of 96 hours using different hexaclorocyclohexane concentrations. The LC50 to Neritina virginica was 1,482 mg hexaclorocyclohexane/l.

Results of bio-assays using Artemia salina larvae in γBHC-HgCl2 mixture are presented. The results obtained are compared with those obtained using the two chemicals separately. The LC50 for γBHC was almost double that for HgCl2. The effect due to the primary dose of HgCl2 was observed for approximately 16% of the population (LC2.3) while for γBHC the population percentage was 2.3 (LC2.3). As a consequence, subsequent doses were more effective for HgCl2 than for γBHC. The effective dose 50% (ED50) is about the same for γBHC and for γBHC + HgCl2 mixture, though in higher doses BHC would be more effective, while in smaller doses the mixture would predominate.

É estudada a distribuição geográfica e a variação de caracteres morfológicos de três espécies de ofiuroides (OpiLacantha antartica, Astrotoma agassizzi e Gorgonecephalus chilensis) das regiões Antártica e Subantãrtica. São também apresentadas observações sobre biologia reprodutiva.

A revision is presented on the variability of the ornamentation and other extermal morphological aspects of Gorgonocephalus chilensis. The samples were obtained along the period of 1962 to 1972 by the R/V "Hero" and "Eltanin" (USARP) and by the R/V "Almirante Saldanha" from the Brazilian Navy.

The monthly analysis of maturity stage frequency of adult females caught monthly at the Ubatvíba region, SP, from February 1979 to January 1980, suggests that M. funieri spaws three times ayear: Autumn (April-June) , Winter (August-Sept ember) and Spring-Summer (November-February). Condition factor fluctuations estimated with andwithout gonads K and K') during a reproductive cycle reinforces hypothesis0 K and K' maximum values relate precisely with higher frequency periods of a females at advanced stages of maturity (C). On the other hand, K and K' minimum values are concomitant with higher frequency periods of spent females (D). Although K and K' have a similar evolution, there are some periods in which ΔK (K-K') appears higher: May, August-September and November. These periods are also related to the maximum frequency of females in stage C. As AX estimes the "gonad condition", establishing the periods when the gonad attains the maximum weight in relation to body weight, and so the more advances of maturity stages, it can be used as a maturity and breeding season index.

The extreme mobility of submerged sand bars at the mouth of the Cananeia outlet has made safe access difficult to the lagoonal region of Cananeia, on the southern coast of the State of São Paulo. This problem is serious enough to have been treated by various authors over the past thirty years. Erosional and depositional processes in the area are the result of the combined very often conflicting action of tidal currents, waves, and longshore currents that are active in the dispersal of the sand sediments. Thus, at the time that processes of accelerated sedimentation occur at the mouth of the outlet intensive erosional phenomena act upon neighboring salient features of the coastline, such as Ponta do Perigo on Ilha do Cardoso and Ponta da Trincheira on Ilha Comprida. Comparative analysis of aerial photographs taken in 1962 and 1973 and of some bathymetric profiles allowed us to evaluate the evolution of the erosional process on the eastern side of Ilha do Cardoso during this period interval and to determine the growth tendency of the sand bars in the Cananeia outlet.

A dinâmica de sedimentação e erosão do "spit-bar" do rio Maçaguaçu (Caragua tatuba, São Paulo) foi preliminarmente avaliada através da integração de es tudos climáticos, hidrodinámicos e sedimentologicos, considerando-se as interrelaçoes das forças antagónicas entre os processos continental e marinho. A feição construtiva do "spit-bar" parece estar conectada com a dinámica dos processos marinhos. Suas características erosionáis parecem ser o resultado dos processos fluviais, intimamente relacionados aos períodos de intensa pluviosidade nas escarpas da Serra do Mar, quando da passagem de frentes atmosféricas.

The phytoplankton Ks anã Vmax as a function of ammonium and nitrate concentrations were determined. The growth rate was estimated from measurements on synthesized chlorophyll-α and the cell number in the. culture media. The uptake rate was determined as to the consumption of ammonium and nitrate after the nutrients depletion from culture media.

The effect of high nitrate concentration and light intensity on chlorophyll-a synthesis, cell number and nitrate assimilation on P. tJt¿coh,nuutum culture, was determined. Growth and uptake rates were determined as a function of nitrate concentration ranging from 0.40 to 35.40 µg/l. The Ks showed high values, when compared with those obtained with lower nitrate concentration. The percentual variation of Ks was greater than that of Vmax.

No summary/description provided

A pre-concenvration method for extracting organochlorines from seawater was employed to analyse ΣDDTs and PCBs. The sampling device and the conditions for optimal adsortion performance are described. Recovery tests with spiked solutions were made before applying the method on real samples. Working up of the samples prior to gas chromatographic analysis, precautions and advantages of the procedure are also discussed. The application of the method for seawater, containing very low levels of organochlorines, is shown by data from equatorial surface waters. The average level for ΣDDT and PCBs was 0.21 ng/l and 0.37 ng/l. The overall precision of the method is about ± 15% with a lower limit of detection of 0.1 ng/l-1 for PCBs and 0.05 ng/l-1 for ZDDT.

The Cananéia-Iguape lagoonal complex is characterized by a continuous siltation, which is shown by sedimentary islands and sand spits frequently found within the lagoonal area. Two sets of arrial photos, onde of 1962 and another of 1973, and a nautical chart of the Brazilian Navy have been used to evaluate the morphological changes of those sedimentary features through the time. A close relationship between their orientation and local hydrodynamic processes has been observed in the "mas de Cubatão" and "mar Pequeno" areas.

Data were obtained from 1891 specimens of Cynoscion jamaicebis collected during four trips aboard R/V "Prof. W. Besnard'', from Cabo de São Tome (22º04'S) to Torres (29º21'S). This species occurs along the continental shelf, preferably on the region of coastal water influence with temperatures between 27ºC and 18ºC. There are young and adults along the coast, in all depths, although it was observed young in February-March at 22ºS and 27ºS and, during other months, at 23º20'S and 27º30'S, while the adults are distributed at 26ºS and 27º30'S in February-March and May and at 23ºS and 29º30'S in September-November. Spawning takes place between latitudes 24º30'S and 26º30'S in winter-spring (September-November), According to reproductive cycle, the condition factor (K) showed variations, being the lowest value in September (spawning season). The pick of recruitment was in May, occurring individuals with total length between 70-90 mm coming from the preceeding spawning period and that did not reach their first year of life. First sexual maturity is reached around 154 mm and at 200 mm all individuals are potentially mature. The weight/length relationship values were different for males α - 3.25) and females (α -3.10).

The chromosomes of Micropogonias furnieri was studied. The diploid number is 48 acrocentric chromosomes and the haploid number is 24. The diploid DNA content of blood cell nucleus was measured. C and G banding techniques were tried.

A two-year program of biological sampling was carried out on the area comprised by the islands of Anchieta, Vitória and Couves on the northern coast of São Paulo State, Brazil. Most of the samples were collected by otter-trawl since the demersal fish were the main interest of the study. In spite of the small size of the nets used - only 30 feet on the mouth - the results obtained as to the number and diversity of the fish found in the area seemed to be significant enough to justify the present communication. As many as 97 species of bony and cartilaginous fish were obtained from 28 controlled catches, along the years 1978-1979. The best represented family, as could be expeoted were the Sciaenidae but Rajidae, Bothidae and Cynoglossidae were also abundant. Lophius gastrophysus and Merluccius hubbsii. occurred only in depths above 30 m, in agreement with their known distribution in the far southern coast of Brazil. A systematic list of the species and their common names, when available, is given.