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Macroalgal composition and community structure of the largest rhodolith beds in the world

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Abstract

The Abrolhos Bank, encompassing a wide portion of the Brazilian continental shelf, harbors the world's largest rhodolith bed, which plays an important role in calcium carbonate production in the South Atlantic Ocean. Little is known about the community structure and species composition of this habitat. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that latitudinal differences exist in the community structure of rhodolith beds and their associated flora along the Abrolhos Bank. We sampled a total of 33 sites of rhodolith beds located in three regions—northern, central, and southern—of the Abrolhos Bank between depths of 20 and 70 m. Rhodolith density (rhod. m−2) within the beds ranged from 990 ± 347.6 to 57 ± 18.7, with mean diameter ranging from 9.4 ± 3.2 to 3.1 ± 1.4 cm. A total of 146 macroalgae species were identified, including 14 rhodolith-forming species of crustose coralline algae. Abrolhos Bank supports the world’s greatest species richness of rhodolith-forming CCA, with regional distinctiveness. Observed differences in bed structure among regions can be related to differences in shelf width, slope and depth. The studied rhodolith beds constitute a unique habitat supporting a distinctive diversity of associated organisms, and thus require special attention. We highlight the importance of local and regional differences for defining appropriate conservation strategies to protect the rhodolith bed diversity of Abrolhos Bank.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Conservation International Brasil for logistical assistance. Financial support was provided by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) to GMAF, RBFF and RLM; by Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) to GMAF; BRASOIL to Rede Abrolhos; and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Espírito Santo (FAPES) to ACB.

RGB, DPA and PSB acknowledge post-graduate fellowships from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and from FAPERJ.

We are grateful to the reviewers for their comments that improved the final version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Pacheco Leão 915, 22460-030, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    P. S. Brasileiro, R. G. Bahia, D. P. Abrantes & G. M. Amado-Filho

  2. Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Av. Alm. Saldanha da Gama 89, 11030-400, Ponta da Praia, Santos, SP, Brazil

    G. H. Pereira-Filho

  3. Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ficologia, Secretaria do Meio Ambiente do Estado de São Paulo, Instituto de Botânica, Caixa-postal: 4005, Av. Miguel Estefano 3687, 04301-902, Água Funda, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    S. M. P. B. Guimarães

  4. Departamento de Biologia Marinha, Instituto de Biologia, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373, Sala A1-050, Bloco A, 21941-902, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    R. L. Moura

  5. Centro de Ciências Aplicadas e Educação, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Rua da Mangueira s/n, 58297-000, Rio Tinto, PB, Brazil

    R. B. Francini-Filho

  6. Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Avenida Fernando Ferrari 544, 29.090-600, Vitória, ES, Brazil

    A. C. Bastos

Authors
  1. P. S. Brasileiro
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  2. G. H. Pereira-Filho
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  3. R. G. Bahia
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  4. D. P. Abrantes
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  5. S. M. P. B. Guimarães
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  6. R. L. Moura
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  7. R. B. Francini-Filho
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  8. A. C. Bastos
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  9. G. M. Amado-Filho
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. M. Amado-Filho.

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Communicated by P. Martinez Arbizu

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Brasileiro, P.S., Pereira-Filho, G.H., Bahia, R.G. et al. Macroalgal composition and community structure of the largest rhodolith beds in the world. Mar Biodiv 46, 407–420 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-015-0378-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-015-0378-9

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