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Marine Benthic Biodiversity in the State of Sao Paulo - BIOTA/FAPESP Program (OBIS South America, BRAZIL)

Entry ID: OBIS.SinBiota_Project191_January2006

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Summary

Abstract: The Biota/FAPESP Program, the Virtual Institute of Biodiversity, officially began in 1999. The major aim of the program is to inventory and characterize the biodiversity of the state of Sao Paulo, BR, and define the mechanisms for its conservation and sustainable use. The main objectives of the only project in the Biota-FAPESP Program focusing on the marine fauna - Marine Benthic Biodiversity in ... The State of Sao Paulo - are presented as an example of a large scale Brazilian biodiversity initiative. The main project is composed of four integrated subprojects: 1) rocky shore and associated algae, 2) sandy beaches macrofauna, 3) non-consolidated sublittoral macrofauna, and 4) meiofauna.

Total number of animals examined up to 365,000 with 1709 taxa (valid genera and species) including the following phyla and/or subphyla (species numbers): Porifera (28), Cnidaria (72), Platyhelmintes (45), Gastrotrincha (48), Kinorhyncha (1), Nematoda (76), Sipuncula (14), Annelida (448), Crustacea (383), Cheliceriformes (51), Mollusca (316), Ectoprocta (Bryozoa) (133), Echinodermata (52), Urochordata (39) and Cephalochordata (3).

Last update in 2008 finishes building the data set simultaneously with SinBiota/FAPESP.

In accordance with the objectives of the Special Research Program Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Biodiversity of the State of São Paulo Biota/SP (Addendum 1), this research proposal aims basically an integrated survey of the biota of one of the less studied regions of the São Paulo State: the northern coast. In this segment, the Serra do Mar is very close to the ocean, and the narrow coastal plain is interrupted by seaward extensions of the mountains, leaving lunate stretches of sandy beaches between rocky headlands. In some protected places mangrove forests develop. Most of this spatial diverse and complex environment is still well preserved, in great extent due to the presence of two protected areas. Although the marine research in the State of São Paulo is one of the most developed in the country, most of its littoral environments are still poorly known, and there is not a comprehensive survey of its biota. Even considering the need for a qualitative evaluation of the study area, this project is not limited to the systematic and distribution aspects, but also to provide a better understanding of the relationships among the organisms and the environment. Special effort will be directed to collecting standardization and to improvement of reference collections. An aim of the project will be the production of field guides and databases with accessible information regarding the biological taxa and its main results.

The reduction of biodiversity at global scale is one of the great problems faced by humankind in the end of the millenium. To reverse the trend of extinction of species and environmental degradation it is necessary urgent, collective actions at local, regional and international levels, from the individual to the world's governments, involving political and economic decisions. One fundamental step toward the maintenance of the integrity of the biosphere is the inventory of the global species diversity (Systematics Agenda 2000, 1994). Although the oceans cover most of the Earth's surface and are fundamental sources of food, minerals and many other products for humans, their biota are very poorly known. At the same time all ocean systems are suffering a series of unprecedented stresses, which can alter drastically fish stocks, extinguish important species for biomedical products, impair water quality and the recreational and aesthetic value of marine environments (National Research Council, 1995).

The inadequate knowledge of the species present in marine communities most of the marine species remain undescribed, and ecologically important groups of benthic and planktonic organisms are not considered in traditional estimates of biodiversity, limits the understanding of ecosystem and how its function will be affected by human activities (National Research Council, 1995). The bottom biota, also known as benthos, is a highly diverse and complex group of organisms involved in the cycle of materials in the sea. Therefore, they play an important role on the energy flow from lower to upper levels in the trophic chains in marine and estuarine environments. The publications available deal exclusively with some specific taxa, in some environments only. If the intertidal and shallow zones of the rocky and sandy shores of some regions of the State are relatively known concerning the macrofauna, there is almost a complete void of knowledge in relation to the biota living below 5-10 m deep. Although the sandy beaches constitute one of the most extensive littoral environments of the Brazilian coast, few studies were made on its communities.

The same can be said about the meiofauna, on which there is a remarkable absence of studies in Brazil. Also, there is not a single species record of several phyla, like Mesozoa, Placozoa, and Loricifera, and many important ones, such as Nematoda and Copepoda, are almost completely neglected. There are therefore many taxa to be described or redescribed. This lack of information makes the evaluation of the biodiversity of the animal communities along the Brazilian coast very limited or even impossible, as well as the evaluation of environmental impacts of natural or anthropogenic origin.Even considering the basic nature of the present proposal, and the need for a qualitative evaluation of the study area, this project is not limited just to the systematic and distribution aspects. Rather than that, it makes way for the elaboration of several others on areas such as the morphology, cytogenetics, physiology, and ecology of marine invertebrates.

One aim to provide a better understanding of the relationships among the organisms and the environment. Besides, aspects of the reproductive biology can indicate periods of maturity for the different species living in the study area, including, for instance, those of commercial value. One has to consider, also, that the coast of the State of São Paulo is suffering a great amount of anthropogenic stresses, and studies on the biodiversity aspects could show how much that human action is interfering on the composition of this ecosystem's biota. Taking into account the extension of the Brazilian coast and the scarcity of knowledge regarding the ecology and biology of the marine species it is undeniable the need to prepare qualified researchers to work with several animal groups and the several branches of biological sciences.

Related URL

Link: GET DATA

Geographic Coverage

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Spatial coordinates

	N: -23.37	S: -23.87	E: -44.0	W: -45.0

Min Depth: 0 M Max Depth: 45 M

Data Set Citation

Dataset Originator/Creator: Fabio Lang da Silveira

Dataset Title: Marine Benthic Biodiversity in the State of Sao Paulo

Dataset Series Name: Marine Invertebrates from the North Coast of Sao Paulo State - BIOTA/FAPESP Program - Proc. no.98/07090-3

Dataset Release Date: 2006-01-18

Dataset Release Place: Sao Paulo City

Dataset Publisher: Editora da Universidade de Sao Paulo

Version: 1.0

Temporal Coverage

Start Date: 2000-07-01

Stop Date: 2002-07-01

Location Keywords

OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN

OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

CONTINENT > SOUTH AMERICA > BRAZIL

Data Resolution

Latitude Resolution: 10 m
Longitude Resolution: 10 m
Horizontal Resolution Range: 1 meter - < 30 meters

Science Keywords

OCEANS > AQUATIC SCIENCES

BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES

ISO Topic Category

BIOTA

OCEANS

Instrument

SEDIMENT CORERS

Project

OBIS > OCEAN BIOGEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM

COML > CENSUS OF MARINE LIFE

Quality Mainly specimens. Reference collection of animals available at Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo (MZUSP) (http://www.mz.usp.br).

Access Constraints None.

Use Constraints Acknowledge the use of specific records from contributing databases in the form appearing in the 'Citation' field thereof (if any); and acknowledge the use of the OBIS facility.

For information purposes, email to obissupport@marine.rutgers.edu the full citation of any publication made (printed or electronic) that cites OBIS or any constituent part.

Recognize the limitations of data in OBIS.

Ancillary Keywords

Habitat coverage: Marine, intertidal and sublittora

Zoobenthos

Data Set Progress

IN WORK

Originating Center

The Biota/FAPESP Program, the Virtual Institute of Biodiversity

Data Center

International Ocean Biogeographic Information System

Data Center URL: http://www.iobis.org/

Data Center Personnel
Name: EDWARD VANDEN BERGHE Phone: (732) 932-6555 x 565 Fax: (732) 932-8578 Email: evberghe at marine.rutgers.edu, evberghe at iobis.org Contact Address: Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences Rutgers University 71 Dudley Road City: New Brunswick Province or State: NJ Postal Code: 08901-8521 Country: USA