Search Results (96)

The pepper weevil Anthonomus eugenii is a devastating pest native to Central America that can cause severe damage to over 35 pepper varieties. Global trade in peppers has significantly increased the risk of its spread and expansion. Moreover, future climate change may add more uncertainty to its distribution, resulting in considerable ecological and economic damage globally. Therefore, we employed an ensemble model combining Random Forests and CLIMEX to predict the potential global distribution of A. eugenii in historical and future climate scenarios. The results indicated that the maximum temperature of the warmest month is an important variable affecting global A. eugenii distribution. Under the historical climate scenario, the potential global distribution of A. eugenii is concentrated in the Midwestern and Southern United States, Central America, the La Plata Plain, parts of the Brazilian Plateau, the Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts, sub-Saharan Africa, Northern and Southern China, Southern India, Indochina Peninsula, and coastal area in Eastern Australia. Under future climate scenarios, suitable areas in the Northern Hemisphere, including North America, Europe, and China, are projected to expand toward higher latitudes. In China, the number of highly suitable areas is expected to increase significantly, mainly in the south and north. Contrastingly, suitable areas in Central America, northern South America, the Brazilian Plateau, India, and the Indochina Peninsula will become less suitable. The total land area suitable for A. eugenii under historical and future low- and high-emission climate scenarios accounted for 73.12, 66.82, and 75.97% of the global land area (except for Antarctica), respectively. The high-suitability areas identified by both models decreased by 19.05 and 35.02% under low- and high-emission scenarios, respectively. Building on these findings, we inferred the future expansion trends of A. eugenii globally. Furthermore, we provide early warning of A. eugenii invasion and a scientific basis for its spread and outbreak, facilitating the development of effective quarantine and control measures. Full article

Seabirds of the families Fregatidae, Phalacrocoracidae and Sulidae, common on the southeastern coast of Brazil, form colonies and play a bioindicator role in coastal ecosystems due to their ecological habits. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of parasitic helminths in Suliformes birds, of the species Fregata magnificens Mathews, 1914, Sula leucogaster Boddaert, 1783 and Nannopterum um Gmelin, 1789, from the Instituto de Pesquisas Cananeia (IPeC) on the southern coast of the State of São Paulo, and to record the diversity and parasitic indices, since reports of helminth prevalence in pelagic birds are scarce in Brazil. From 2018 to 2020, a total of 270 nematode specimens and 271 acanthocephalan parasites were collected from 51 Suliformes birds (20 F. magnificens, 10 N. brasilianum and 21 S. leucogaster). The host species F. magnificens was parasitized by Contracaecum plagiaticium and Contracaecum pelagicum. The host S. leucogaster was parasitized by C. plagiaticium. In the host N. brasilianum, specimens of Contracaecum australe, Contracaecum rudolphii, Contracaecum multipapillatum, Syncuaria squamata and Andracantha tandemtesticulata were found. This is the first report of C. plagiaticium and C. pelagicum in F. magnificens in Brazilian territory, and of A. tandemtesticulata in N. brasilianum in the southeast region of Brazil. Full article

Erosion represents a significant global threat to coastal zones, especially beaches, which are among the most valuable coastal landforms. This study evaluates the vulnerability to coastal erosion along the Brazilian Amazon coast, focusing on eight recreational beaches. The research is based on an assessment of geological, physical, ecological, and anthropogenic indicators. Some of these indicators were proposed in this study to enhance the evaluation of vulnerability in Amazonian beaches. The analysis reveals that most of the beaches studied are highly vulnerable to erosion due to a combination of natural factors and human activities. The barrier–beach ridge, composed of unconsolidated sediments, exhibits the highest vulnerability, while low cliffs present a moderate level of risk. The study highlights that semi-urban beaches with significant infrastructure development are particularly susceptible to erosion, a problem exacerbated by unplanned land use. Conversely, rural beaches, especially those located in protected areas, show lower vulnerability due to reduced human impact and better conservation of natural ecosystems. Furthermore, the study underscores the effects of extreme climatic events, such as prolonged rainfall and high-energy waves, which can intensify erosion risks. The findings suggest that anthropogenic changes, combined with extreme climate events, significantly influence the dynamics of coastal erosion. This research emphasizes the importance of targeted management strategies that address both natural and human-induced vulnerabilities, aiming to enhance coastal resilience and sustainability for Amazonian beaches. Full article

The superfamily Alpheoidea comprises eight families: Alpheidae, Barbouriidae, Bythocarididae, Hippolytidae, Lysmatidae, Merguiidae, Ogyrididae and Thoridae. Alpheoids are characterized by possessing two pairs of chelate pereopods, a multiarticulate carpus on pereopod 2, and a narrow strip as the last article on maxilliped 2. However, during the inspection of the reproductive system (RS) of several alpheoids, we consistently observed the presence of ejaculatory bulbs (EBs) in vasa deferentia (VDs) of these shrimps. To investigate whether the presence of EBs in the RS is a conserved trait among Alpheoidea representatives, we analyzed as many species as possible along the Brazilian coast: Alpheidae—5 genera, 19 spp., Hippolytidae—2 genera, 2 spp., Lysmatidae—2 genera, 10 spp., Merguiidae—1 genus, 1 sp., Ogyrididae—1 genus, 2 spp., and Thoridae—1 genus, 1 sp. In addition, we examined representatives of the superfamilies Atyoidea (1 family, 2 genera, 2 spp.), Nematocarcinoidea (1 family, 1 genus, 2 spp.), Palaemonoidea (2 families, 4 genera, 4 spp.) and Processoidea (1 family, 2 genera, 2 spp.) to determine whether EB are present in these groups. Among the groups analyzed, except for the family Alpheidae, most species of alpheoids exhibit an expansion on the ventral portion of the VD in continuity with the lumen of the vas deferens, i.e., the EB. This structure increases the surface area of the VD, consequently increasing the quantity of the seminal material to be ejaculated onto the female. We did not observe the presence of EB in any other of the analyzed superfamilies, suggesting that this structure is exclusive in Alpheoidea. In conclusion, the presence of EB in VD appears to be an exclusive trait in Alpheoidea, being considered a well-preserved synapomorphic trait in this group, except in the family Alpheidae that do not harbor EB, representing a plesiomorphic condition within this superfamily. Full article

New surveys on the Brazilian tropical coast revealed new occurrences of five species in Styelidae (Stolonia sabulosa, Amphicarpa paucigonas, Polyandrocarpa anguinea Polycarpa insulsa, Styela plicata) and one in Molgulidae (Molgula davidi). The species here described represent either the expansion of their geographic distribution in the country or new records for the country. Some of these species have disjunct or wide geographical distributions, and the possibility of their introduction as exotic fauna is discussed. We also present the first field pictures of Stolonia sabulosa and Amphicarpa paucigonas and a detailed description and figures for all species. Full article

This study evaluated the antibacterial activity of aqueous and organic extracts from 78 marine organisms, including seaweeds and sponges, collected along the coast of Ceará, Brazil. Extracts were obtained by maceration using distilled water and 50% acetonitrile and tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis (Gram-positive), and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) using the disk diffusion method, and inhibition zone diameters were measured. Antibacterial activity was observed in 30.7% of the extracts, with organic extracts showing higher efficacy. Several sponge species, particularly those from the genus Aplysina, as well as Amphimedon compressa, Amphimedon viridis, Mycale sp., and Pseudosuberites sp., demonstrated notable inhibitory effects. While seaweed aqueous extracts showed no activity, some organic extracts—especially from Amansia multifida—were effective against Gram-positive strains. In general, Gram-positive bacteria were more susceptible than Gram-negative bacteria. These findings underscore the biotechnological potential of marine organisms from the Brazilian coast as promising sources of antibacterial compounds and support future efforts focused on the isolation, characterization, and toxicological evaluation of active metabolites for pharmaceutical and industrial applications. Full article

Some stretches of the Brazilian coast are regularly subject to a natural process of macroalgae deposition. In urban beach areas, public institutions responsible for cleaning collect this biomass and dispose of it in landfills. When this biomass is exposed to the sun for a long time in the littoral area, a decomposition process begins and causes greenhouse gas emission into the atmosphere. Macroalgae biomass is a natural resource that could be used for renewable energy, contributing to meeting the growing demand for low environmental impacts of energy, indicating the possibility of participating in sustainable development. The objective of this research was to evaluate the energetic potential of macroalgae biomass deposited on the Maceió coast; specifically, the combustion capacity of aggregate biomass and pellet biofuel produced with macroalgae. The research, which analysed 13 species, proceeded using a calorimetric pump methodology to determine the power heating value and a mass spectrophotometer to determine the available energetic chemical elements. The result of 8.82 MJ/Kg was similar to the main biomass used in Brazil, the sugarcane bagasse, evaluated at 8.91 MJ/Kg. Aggregated macroalgae biomass in condensed pellets with energetic composites obtained a value of 4823 Kcal/Kg, 1.2% more than the average of terrestrial biomass pellets. Therefore, these results show possibilities to produce biofuel using thermal energy from marine macroalgae biomass. Full article

Corals can be considered holobiont organisms, since they have an important symbiotic relationship with microbial communities such as zooxanthellae, bacteria, Archaea, fungi and viruses. It is important to understand how those microbial communities influence the health of the corals and how environmental conditions could affect them. The present study aimed to describe the bacterial communities associated with three Brazilian coral species, Millepora alcicornis, Mussismilia harttii and Phyllogorgia dilatata, by a culture-independent method, using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The corals were collected from two distinct coral reefs: Recife de Fora, in Bahia (BA) and Búzios, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ). The phylum Proteobacteria showed the highest relative abundance in most corals and sites. The bacterial compositions of these three corals from the two sample sites were very distinct from each other, not presenting similarities in coral species or related to sampling site. In M. alcicornes/RJ, the most abundant class was Gammaproteobacteria, order Piscirickettsiales, while the same species collected in BA showed unassigned Gammaproteobacteria, and Vibrionaceae was the second most abundant family. M. harttii/BA presented the most distinct bacterial phylum composition with 16 phyla (26% Proteobacteria, 16% Chloroflexi, 12% Acidobacteriota). Full article

Urophycis cirrata is an important demersal fish species targeted by Brazilian industrial fisheries. With high exploitation rates, its stock(s) is(are) currently deemed fully exploited or overexploited. While basic ecological information, such as length at first maturity, exists, knowledge of its population structure is limited. A sub-sample of 90 sagittal otoliths of U. cirrata juveniles (300–411 mm total length) collected during the Program for Assessment of the Sustainable Potential of Living Resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone (REVIZEE) in 2001/2002 was analyzed. Samples came from the outer continental shelf and upper slope of the southeast-south Brazilian coast, divided into three regions: northern (Cabo São Tomé to São Sebastião), central (São Sebastião to Cabo Santa Marta Grande), and southern (Cabo Santa Marta Grande to Chuí). Otolith shape (elliptic Fourier descriptors) and elemental (element:Ca) signatures were examined using univariate (ANOVA, Tukey) and multivariate (MANOVA, LDFA) statistical methods. An overall reclassification success rate of 86% was achieved using both signatures. However, individuals from the three regions were not fully separable, indicating a single, albeit not homogeneous, population unit for fisheries management. As fish stocks are dynamic, contemporary studies should be conducted to verify whether this population structure persists. Full article

Rock shrimps (Sicyonia dorsalis and Sicyonia typica) are commonly caught as bycatch during shrimp trawling along the Brazilian coast, but are not commercially exploited due to their small size and hard carapace. This study evaluated their spatio-temporal distribution, size classes, and sex ratio near the Almada River Estuary, Ilhéus, Bahia, Northeastern Brazil, and tested correlations between environmental factors and species abundance. Samples were collected monthly using double-rig trawl nets in the estuary and along transects at depths of 5–35 m. Bottom water and sediment samples were obtained for analyses of environmental factors. In total, 5336 individuals of S. dorsalis and 303 individuals of S. typica were collected. No individuals were recorded in the estuary. Both species were significantly more abundant between 25 and 35 m, where fine sediment with high levels of organic matter occurred. Considering the temporal variation, their abundance decreased during the rainy season, coinciding with increased river flow. Organic matter content, salinity, and water transparency were the primary environmental factors influencing abundance. Females were generally larger and predominant compared to males, likely due to life cycle dynamics. Despite being congeneric and sympatric, the species exhibited distinct population patterns, possibly to avoid niche overlap and competition. Full article

Southern Brazil is home to a large biodiversity of elasmobranchs from the Brazilian coast. Several genera and species of small sharks of the Triakidae family live in this marine environment. Studies on these shark species are scarce, with few genetic data and little information on animal population structures. The present study aimed to sequence the complete mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) of the endangered species Mustelus schmitti (narrownose smooth-hound shark) and to perform a phylogenetic analysis of the Triakidae family. The mtDNA sequenced here was 16,764 bp long and possessed the usual 13 mitochondrial protein coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs (12S and 16S) and a large D-loop DNA sequence, presenting an overall organization similar to other species from the genus Mustelus. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using a dataset containing this new mtDNA and 59 other mitochondrial genomes of the Carcharhiniformes species (including 14 from the Triakidae family), using the Maximum Likelihood (ML) method. All the species of the Triakidae family were clustered into a monophyletic topology group. In addition, polyphyly was observed in Galeorhinus galeus, Hemiatrakis japanica, Triakis megalopterus and Triakis semifasciata. In conclusion, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the genetic diversity of sharks and represents an important step towards the conservation of these endangered animals. Full article

The state of Espírito Santo has one of the greatest diversities of macroalgae along the Brazilian coast. Beach-cast seaweeds are a frequent phenomenon and exhibit great diversity. This study assessed stranded macroalgae’s composition and reproductive status to evaluate their potential for sustainable use by the local community. Monthly collections were carried out from March to November 2022, covering the rainy and dry seasons, on five beaches in Espírito Santo: three in the north and two in the south. At each beach, two 50 m transects were set up parallel to the coastline over the stranded algae patches, one near the wave-breaking zone during low tide and another around high tide, and three 1 × 1 m quadrants were randomly selected in each transect. All material within each quadrant was collected, resulting in six samples per beach. We identified 81 taxa, including 54 Rhodophyta, 16 Ulvophyceae and 11 Phaeophyceae. The taxon composition was relatively consistent across the studied regions, with the rainy season exhibiting the greatest species richness. Seventeen of the identified taxa had reproductive structures, although only four consistently presented these structures. Our results suggest that removing stranded macroalgae does not significantly impact their role as propagule sources. Full article

This study presents the first record of T. lindbergi from the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, based on specimens collected from the smalleye croaker Nebris microps Cuvier (Sciaenidae), off the coast of Maranhão Island, State of Maranhão, Brazil. Our approach included a morphological analysis complemented by DNA sequencing (28S, ITS2 rDNA, and cox1 mtDNA). Our phylogenetic analysis revealed the affinity of T. lindbergi to its congener T. laticaudi Parukhin, 1969, a digenean parasite commonly found in hydrophiine snakes inhabiting the Pacific Ocean. The interspecific divergence between T. lindbergi and T. laticaudi measures 3.80% for 28S, 7.49–7.64% for ITS2, and 16.29–16.70% for cox1. Our findings expand the documented geographic range of T. lindbergi into the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, report a novel host record, and increase the number of hemiurids known from Brazil to 30 species. Additionally, this study represents the initial documentation of a marine digenean fish within the North Brazil Shelf. Full article

Axiidea housed in the collection of the Museu de Oceanografia Prof. Petrônio Alves Coelho, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (MOUFPE) were studied. This collection contains 66% of the total diversity of axiideans recorded from the continental shelf of the Brazilian coast. The species are listed by family and genus as follows: Axiidea: Axiidae (Axiopsis, Axiorygma, Calaxius, Coralaxius, Manaxius, Paraxiopsis), Callianassidae (Cheramoides), Callichiridae (Callichirus, Corallianassa, Lepidophthalmus, Neocallichirus), Ctenochelidae (Ctenocheles, Ctenocheloides, Dawsonius, Gourretia), Micheleidae (Marcusiaxius, Meticonaxius). Details on the biology and taxonomy of some of these species are given. In addition, certain poorly documented species are now better understood. Full article

This study assesses the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model using a high-resolution spatial grid (1 km) with various combinations of physical parameterization packages to simulate a severe event in August 2021 in the southeastern Brazilian coast. After determining the optimal set of physical parameterizations for representing wind patterns during this event, a year-long evaluation was conducted, covering forecast horizons of 24, 48, and 72 h. The simulation results were compared with observational wind data from four weather stations. The findings highlight variations in the efficacy of different physical parameterization sets, with certain sets encountering challenges in accurately depicting the peak of the severe event. The most favorable results were achieved using a combination of Tiedtke (cumulus), Thompson (microphysics), TKE (boundary layer), Monin-Obukhov (surface layer), Unified-NOAH (land surface), and RRTMG (shortwave and longwave radiation). Over the one-year forecasting period, the WRF model effectively represented the overall wind pattern, including forecasts up to three days in advance (72-h forecast horizon). Generally, the statistical metrics indicate robust model performance, even for the 72-h forecast horizon, with correlation coefficients consistently exceeding 0.60 at all analyzed points. While the model proficiently captured wind distribution, it tended to overestimate northeast wind speed and gust intensities. Notably, forecast accuracy decreased as stations approached the ocean, exemplified by the ATPM station. Full article