RCAAP Repository

This paper deals with the results of drift bottles released in front of the State of Espfrito Santo, off the east coast of Brazil (18º30'S to 20º00'S and 38º40'W to the coast) during the "Rio Doce Project", in July, 1972. Twenty six bottles (10,8%) were recovered out of 240; 52% of those bottles drifted to the south, 40% to the north and 8% directly to the coast. These recoveries may suggest the existence of two branches of the Brazil Current. The coastal one was traced from São Mateus to Ponta de Guriri, with a relatively high velocity of 1 knot. The other branch with a much lower velocity of 1/4 knot is indicated by the observed recoveries up to 27º50'S -48º34'W, 800 nm of their release stations south of the Abrolhos Islands. Hydrodynamic instabilities such as eddies and meanders seem responsible for the retardation of the velocity of the current at the southern part (area of Cabo São Tomé - Cabo Frio). Prevailing south and southeast winds cause the complex pattern of surface circulation in front of São Mateus and Rio Doce.

This paper deals with a study on Brazilian south coast continental shelf demersal fish fauna distribution and Sciaenidae ecology, comprising the latitudes between Torres (29º21'S -49º44'W) and Chuí (33º41'S - 53º27'W). The data on oceanographic as well as on ichthyological variables were obtained from six cruises planned to cover all seasons during the period from April 1968 to March 1969. The variation of the physical conditions of the bottom water layer is studied covering temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and type of bottom. The demersal fish families distribution is presented according to its frequencies of occurrence and its particular abundance. As Sciaenidae family shows to be the most important predominant group each species is studied in detail with reference to its distribution and relative abundance, as well as its spatial and temporal variations according to the abiotic environment. Relationship between Sciaenidae species is also discussed concerning feeding habits and the Cole coefficient of inter-specific association is estimated for pairs of species.

O presente estudo constitui-se numa análise preliminar do hábito alimentar do peixe Blennius cristatus Linnaeus, comum nas poças da zona entre-marés do litoral de São Paulo. As coletas foram realizadas na Praia do Poço, Itanhaém (24º12'S -48º47'W), litoral sul do Estado de São Paulo. A poça é rasa e mede 5,0-6,0 m de diâmetro, aproximadamente. O peixe foi capturado com anzol, usando-se, como isca, pedaços de camarão. Os resultados mostraram que B. cristatus utilizou sete ítens alimentares: Alga, Decapoda-Reptantia, Mollusca, Amphipoda, Isopoda, Polychaeta e Bryozoa. Além desses ítens, foram encontrados ainda nos estômagos examinados, areia, muco e fragmentos calcários. B. cristatus mostrou ser uma espécie omnívora, especializada em consumir Hyale media, apesar de, no local de coleta, ocorrerem muitas outras espécies de Gammaridea.

Based on data from two ichthyoplankton surveys carried out off the eastern Brazilian coast in June and November-December 1978, the larval distribution of skipjack is discussed. Skipjack larvae were more abundant in the November-December cruise (southern hemisphere spring). They occurred mainly at stations near the margin of the continental shelf or over seamounts. Out of 240 specimens of scombrid larvae collected in this area, skipjack larvae comprised only 10.4% (25 specimens), whereas the most abundant larvae were Thunnus spp. with 68.8% (165 specimens).

The collection of a specimen of cownose ray in the Colombian Caribbean is reported. Based on the presence of 9 rows of teeth in both jaws, it was identified as Rhinoptera Müller & Renie. The range of the species is extended 7,300 km, from Rio de Janeiro to Isla de Salamanca. Some comments on the size at birth and habits of the species are made.

Foram determinadas as velocidades de crescimento e de assimilaçao da diatomácea Phaeodactylum tricornutum, em função da concentração de nitrato e amônia. A fluorescência "in vivo" da cultura foi comparada com o número de células nas culturas crescendo em diferentes concentrações de nitrato e amônia. A velocidade de crescimento foi determinada como clorofila-a sintetizada, número de células no meio de cultura e assimilação de carbono durante a fotossíntese. A velocidade de assimilação de nutrientes foi determinada como nitrato e amônia consumidos. Foi observada inibição na velocidade de assimilação do carbono inorgânico, com a adição de nitrato ao meio de cultura.

Seasonal changes in phytoplankton populations in the chlorophyll-a concentration and on some environmental factors were studied monthly from June 1974 to September 1975 at Ubatuba, northern coast of São Paulo. Water temperatures ranged from 20ºC in August to 29.5ºC in March and salinities from 33.06 º/.. in March to 35.80 º/.. in January. The maximum salinity value observed in January near the bottom, associated with the thermal stratification found only during this month, seems to indicate an oceanic contribution to the enrichment of the local water mass. Pluviometric values ranged from 37.2 mm in August to 468.5 mm in January. Phytoplankton cell counts fluctuated from 64,000 to 1,028,000 cells/l and chlorophyll-a values varied from 0.52 to 6.86 µg/l. Maximum standing-stock was observed during summer, particularly in March, and it is probably associated with land drainage due to precipitation. A second bloom was observed in September 1975, and it is associated probably with the discontinuous impact of the wind. The phytoplankton populations were dominated by unidentified phytoflagellates, followed by diatoms and dinoflagellates. Nitzchia closterium and Thalassionema nitzschioides, along with Navicula sp., were the most representative species of diatoms. Among the dinoflagellates, Gymnodinium sp. was the most important. Blue-green algae and silicoflagellates were poorly represented. The diatoms Chaetoceros simplex, Chaetoceros spp, Nitzchia longissima, Nitzchia spp, Rhizosolenia delicatula and Rhizosolenia stolterfothi were found with high densities, only during bloom periods. The chlorophyll-a fractionation experiments demonstrated that organisms in size classe smaller than 20 µm represented, for all depths, between 54.93 and 98.15 º/.. of the total phytoplankton population.

The present work deals with twelve species of Sphaeromatidae from several substrata in the intertidal and shallow infralittoral zone in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro States, Brazil. Sand, stones, empty tests of barnacles, empty tubes of polychaete, byssus of mussels, oyster beds, macroscopic algae and sea grass (Spartina alterniflora) were collected and analysed. The following nomenclatural changes have been made: Pseudosphaeroma jakobii and Exosphaeroma platense are synonymyzed with Cassidinidea tuberculata; Pseudosphaeroma rhombofrontalis is placed in the genus Tholozodium; Paradynoides brasiliensis antonii with D. tropica. A key to species, the geographical distribution and notes on the habitat of the species are also furnished.

A total of 4751 pairs of otoliths of Sardinella brasiliensis was colected between 22ºlat S and 28º lat S along and offshore the Brazilian coast. These pairs were studied to ascertain whether otoliths can be used as a reliable character for the assessment of individual age and population characteristics. The morphology of the otoliths is discussed in detail. Both periodic and non periodic rings (Tr and TPN) are shown to occur. TR and TPN are related to events during the larval and juvenile stages. Well defined growth rings are also present and may be used as age indicators. Morphologic and morphometric characters, specially length of rostrum, lenght of anti-rostrum and weight are correlated with total length; the results confirm earlier studies by different methods that suggest that the species, in the region studied, is broken down into different groups imperfectly isolated from one another. In conclusion, the study of details of the otoliths of this species is an useful addition to others as a mean to separate the various groups. Spatial and temporal distribution of specimens with different types of otoliths suggeets a certain degree of mixture among groups through migration of individuals and partial overlapping in space.

Otoliths can be used as a reliable character for the assessment of individual age of S. brasiliensis from Brazilian coast (22ºS - 28ºS). Well defined growth rings are present and may be used as age indicators. The otolith growth parameters would seem to indicate that there are four distinct patterns along the areay suggesting that the species, in the region studied, is divided into distinct groups.

Phytoplankton primary production and the maximum photo synthetic index (Pb m) from the region of Bay of Santos were measured every two months during 1976 by simulated incubations using 14C method and incandescent lamps (737 µE.m-2 .s-1;40 klux) . The results obtained for production rates (maximum of 204.6 mgC.m-3.hr-1 in winter and 488.3 mgC m-3.hr-1 in summer) are among the highest recorded for tropical marine environments. A high capability of light adaptation under high temperatures was also verified. The photo synthetic indexes obtained were also very high and seems to be due to the high nutrient level of the region. The eutrophic state is supported by the high nutrient and chlorophyll-a concentrations and by the phytoplankton cells number.

The highest level of detergents was obtained in the interior of the Santos Channely in front of Channel 6 and also in the vicinity of the Santos ocean outfall diffusor. There are thus three principal soucers of detergents in this region: a. the Cubatão industrial complex, and the Billings reservoir; b. the city of Santos (unauthorized sewage connections); c. the ocean outfall. Detergent levels obtained vary between 0.11 and 0.97 ppm ABS.

It is shown how to get rid of iterative process to compute wavelengths and haw the celerities and their derivatives can be computed in terms of wavelengths for any depth, without using hyperbolic functions.

The seasonal and spacial distributions of dissolved oxygen, temperature and salinity of surface and bottom waters over the continental shelf south of Torres, southern Brazil, were investigated from April 1968 to March 1969. The maxima and minima values of oxygen concentration in the upper layers were observed during the winter and summer along the coast (10-35 nm), respectively. Near the bottom this characteristics changes reflecting the northward advection of low oxygen water along the coast. For the sections along the continental shelf covering distances up to 100 nautical miles, the association of high oxygen concentration with low temperatures and low oxygen concentration with higher temperatures was also observed for distances no longer than 60 ran. Further east and below the surface layer, this tendency is modified by the advection of oceanic water from tropical and subantarctic origin. Near the coast, the oxygen maxima (5.0 ml/l) is associated with salinity values ranging from 30 to 33‰ (temperature values between 12 and 15ºC), indicating that (its occurrence) is probably due to the fresh water run-off from La Plata River. Some results of the changes in the nutrient concentrations during 1972 are also described.

Seasonal differences in sigma-t (1.8)3 temperature (4.0ºC) and salinity (0.9‰) were observed during February/June 1976 in the vicinity of Ilha Grande off the coast of Brazil Estimates of static and dynamic stability were made through the calculation of Brunt-Vaisala frequencies and Richardson numbers, respectively. Both static and dynamic stability values were larger in February than in June for the same location and suggest a greater column stability in February than in June. Stations located in the northern and western channels of Ilha Grande, however, contained greater density reversals than to the east of the Island. Small scale dispersion studies were made using Rhomamine B dye to determine horizontal diffusion coefficients (K) east of the Island and in an embayment of the Island. The estimate for K was 9X10³ cm² s-1 east of the Island, about 2.6 times greater than the value estimated for the protected embayment.

Measurements of excreted dissolved organic matter (DOM) were carried out twice (in simmer and winter) using natural phytoplankton populations from "Enseada do Flamengo" (Lot. 23° 30'S-Long. 045°069'W) and enriched artificially with nutrients. The bioassays were carried out inoculating samples of an integral sea water in ten liters flasks, incubated "in situ". Measures were taken in populations growing in: integral " f " media, "f" - N, "f" - P, "f" - (H + P), "f" - (Vit. + Metal traces), and in a control without enrichment. The absolute amount of excreted DOM generally followed the quantity of total carbon assimilated. In the meantime, with the populations with nitrogen deficiency occurred an increase of relatives rates of excretion, not only due to the total carbon assimilation diminution, but effectively also to the absolute increase of the quantity of excreted DOM.

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.