Maryse Nogueira Paranaguá

Fluxes of zooplankton biomass between a tidal estuary and the sea in Northeastern Brazil

B S T R A C T The objective of this study was to quantify the zooplankton biomass transport between the Santa Cruz Channel (SCC) at Catuama north inlet and the adjacent shelf located in Itamaraca estuarine ecosystem, Pernambuco State, Northeastern Brazil. Sampling was carried out in August 2001 at spring and neap tides at three stations every 3-hour interval. Collections were made in three depths with a plankton pump coupled to a 300 µm mesh size net. Current data were obtained with an ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler). In laboratory, samples were filtered for wet weigh determination. High biomass variation was recorded, with highest values at nocturnal flood and ebb during spring tide. The average instantaneous biomass transport was 139.48 ± 72.58 mg.m

O estado da arte da biodiversidade de rotíferos planctônicos de ecossistemas límnicos de Pernambuco

Melo Junior, M., Almeida, V.L.S., Neumann-Leitao, S., Paranagua, M.N. & Moura, A.N. State of the art in planktonic rotifers biodiversity from freshwater environments in the state of Pernambuco (Brazil). Biota Neotrop. Sep/Dez 2007 vol. 7, no. 3 http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v7n3/pt/abstract?article+bn01707032007. ISSN 1676-0603. The state of the art in planktonic rotifers biodiversity from some freshwater ecosystems was elaborated for the state of Pernambuco (Brazil). A bibliographic survey was done and most studies focused seasonal aspects and trophic state of the ecosystems. At least 19 continental aquatic environments related to rotifer researches have been studied. The Sertao area was the most studied. The present survey registered 64 species of planktonic rotifers, distributed in 18 families and 29 genera. The most frequent species were Keratella tropica and Brachionus falcatus, showing that most studies were done in the limnetic zone. The results showed the need for more research on the biodiversity of this group in ecosystems located in Zona da Mata and Agreste areas, as well as in lotic systems and in the littoral zones, in view of the lack of information.

The disappearing fish: an understanding of sustainability among estuarine fishermen communities of Bragança, Pa

Abstract A better understanding of the actual demands of local people with respect to the use of natural resources is one of the best practices to improve management and conservation action. As part of a broader long-term study, this paper is aimed at understanding the rationale underlying the relationship between estuarine communities and their adjacent environment. The conceptual framework addresses key aspects of the Amazonian and the estuarine reality which are: (i) the degree of interdependence between local activities and natural resources; (ii) the way local people understand the territorial and biological limitations of the natural environment; and (iii) their ability to deal with conservation issues.

Abundance and instantaneous transport of Petrolisthes armatus (Gibbes, 1850) planktonic larvae in the Catuama inlet, Northeast Brazil

The influence of tidal and diel changes on the exchange of Petrolisthes armatus planktonic larvae was studied at the Catuama inlet, which represents an intermediate system of marine and estuarine environments in the Northeast Brazil. To characterize the larval abundance and vertical distribution, samplings were carried out in August 2001 at neap tide and 3 stations, with 3 hours interval over 24 hours. Samples were taken at three or two depths at each station, with a plankton pump coupled to a 300 µm mesh size net. Petrolisthes armatus zoea I and II showed a mean of 26.3 ± 83.6 and 12 ± 38.8 ind m-3, respectively. During flood tides, the larvae were more concentrated in the midwater and surface, which avoided the transport to internal regions. In contrast, during ebb tides when the larvae were distributed in the three layers, the higher concentrations were found in the bottom, which avoided a major exportation. The diel dynamic of the larval fluxes was characterized by vertical migration behavior associated to the tidal regime, which suggested that the development of this decapod apparently occurs in the inner shelf (instead of the outer shelf) off this peculiar ecosystem.