Taiara Aguiar Caires

Occurrence of the genus Tolypiocladia F. Schmitz (Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta) in the Atlantic Ocean

Abstract A survey of Rhodophyta on the coast of Bahia state, northeast Brazil, revealed new records for the occurrence of a red alga. The specimens were identified as Tolypiocladia glomerulata. We describe the morphological characters of this species and compare them with literature reports of other species belonging to the genus. This is the first record of the genus Tolypiocladia from the Atlantic Ocean.

Evaluation of the stocks of Hypnea musciformis (rhodophyta: gigartinales) on two beaches in Bahia, Brazil

Hypnea musciformis occurs widely in the northeast coast of Brazil, and it is one of the most important natural sources of k-carrageenan, which is used in food and cosmetic industries. Despite its potential for exploitation little is known about its ecology. The aim of this study was to investigate the biology and ecology of H. musciformis in Brazil through analyses of biomass stock and accompanying flora. Two populations of H. musciformis were analyzed: those on the beaches of Stella Maris and Itacimirim (Bahia, Brazil). Eight samplings were conducted between 2007 and 2009 during the dry and rainy seasons. The algae were sampled along transects (20 m) using quadrats (0.04 m2) in three different hydrodynamic regions of the reefs (TP, PRR and FRR). The t-Test, Dunns Test and parametric and nonparametric ANOVA were used for statistical analyses. 17 host species and 41 associated species were identified. The highest biomass stock was observed during the dry season. On Stella Maris, the region with the highest biomass stock was FRR; on Itacimirim, TP had the highest biomass value. This study permits the assumption that seasonality, microhabitat, hydrodynamic and micro scale factors contribute to variation in biomass stock in H. musciformis populations.

A new species of marine benthic cyanobacteria from the infralittoral of Brazil: Symploca infralitoralis sp. nov.

A new species of cyanobacteria is described in detail, showing peculiar ecological and morphological characteristics that distinguish it from other taxa cited for the genus Symploca. This species typically presents thalli forming a mat, filaments curved at their apices, structures similar to “vacuoles” frequently present, and occurrence in the infralittoral habitat. Symploca infralitoralis sp. nov. is the first new marine species described for the infralittoral of Brazil.

Neolyngbya gen. nov. (Cyanobacteria, Oscillatoriaceae): A new filamentous benthic marine taxon widely distributed along the Brazilian coast

Brazil has an extensive and environmentally diverse coastline, which favors the occurrence of numerous cyanobacterial morpho- and ecotypes. Nevertheless, this coastline is still poorly studied and its diversity is underestimated. Considering the family Oscillatoriaceae, Lyngbya deserves special attention. It includes many clades which are phylogenetically non-related but morphologically similar. Such clades occur in marine and freshwater environments and are traditionally treated as a single genus. In the current study, we sampled both mediolittoral and estuarine zones along the Brazilian coast. Based on a polyphasic characterization, we described a new genus of marine filamentous cyanobacteria: Neolyngbya. It includes six new species sampled in Brazil, which are described in this study (N. maris-brasilis, N. granulosa, N. irregularis, N. nodulosa, N. arenicola and N. tenuis). Additionally, the characterization included a Neolyngbya sp. from Japan in the clade, but only based on molecular data. All species presented irregular arrangement of thylakoids as described for Oscillatoriaceae. The new genus shares morphological characteristics with species in different clades of the Lyngbya complex. The ultrastructural analyses of Neolyngbya, however, showed numerous gas vesicles, especially in the interthylakoid space; such feature is not observed in benthic Lyngbya species. Neolyngbya formed a well-supported clade (16S rRNA phylogeny), however distantly related to L. aestuarii and L. confervoides, both marine species clusters. The Limnoraphis clade is in a sister relationship to the Neolyngbya clade, however the former occurs in freshwater plankton. Secondary structures of 16S-23S rRNA ITS sequences were congruent with the phylogeny. The polyphasic characterization was helpful to clarify the diversity and ecological aspects of benthic filamentous cyanobacteria and the evolutionary history of the group. This favors a better understanding of inter and infrageneric taxa. The number of novel taxa described in this study emphasizes the importance of conducting additional floristic surveys, mainly in underexplored marine environments, to reveal the real cyanobacterial biodiversity in these areas.

Floración de Trichodesmium erythraeum en la región costera tropical de Brasil

A bloom of Trichodesmium erythraeum with average densities of 3.5 x 10(6) trichomes L-1 was recorded in February 2014, in an extensive range of beaches on the northern coast of Bahia, Brazil. High water temperatures and rainfall, associated with wind frequency and intensity may have triggered the bloom, which lead to a strong odor and change in the color of the water, it obliged the authorities to shut down the affected beaches. These blooms negatively affected tourism and fishing, the main economic activities in the region, highlighting the importance of monitoring these events in the area.