Abstract
Losses in coral cover have been widely reported for the Caribbean. In contrast, much less is known about the health state of the Brazilian reef fauna, which was declared as a priority for Atlantic biodiversity conservation due to its high degree of endemism. In the present study, we assessed the general health state of Phyllogorgia dilatata assemblages at the subtropical reefs of Arraial do Cabo (southeastern Brazil), where observations suggest that the abundance of this endemic gorgonian species has declined. We found that about 49% of the sampled colonies were dead, and 73% of the living colonies were affected by tissue loss. Tissue loss initially manifested as multifocal holes in the planar colonial coenenchyme and peripheral tissue retraction leaving denuded skeletal axes. In combination with other recent studies, our results raise the awareness for an increasingly threatened Southwestern Atlantic reef coral fauna.
References
Dec 7, 2000·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·D J Ayre, T P Hughes
Jul 28, 2001·Science·J B JacksonR R Warner
Aug 16, 2003·Science·T P HughesJ Roughgarden
Jun 25, 2004·Nature·D R BellwoodM Nyström
Nov 6, 2004·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·James M CervinoGarriet W Smith
May 26, 2005·Marine Pollution Bulletin·Zelinda M A N Leão, Ruy K P Kikuchi
Jun 27, 2006·Ecology Letters·Jennifer E SmithForest L Rohwer
Aug 1, 2006·Diseases of Aquatic Organisms·Thierry M Work, Greta S Aeby
May 10, 2007·PLoS Biology·John F BrunoAmy M Melendy
Aug 8, 1980·Science·C M Wahle
Mar 20, 2008·Marine Pollution Bulletin·Ronaldo B Francini-FilhoZelinda M A N Leão
Jun 12, 2009·Marine Pollution Bulletin·Pasinee ReopanichkulSuchai Worachananant
Jun 4, 2010·PloS One·William F PrechtLes Kaufman
Jul 29, 2010·Diseases of Aquatic Organisms·K C ReedR van Woesik
Feb 1, 2010·Environmental Microbiology Reports·Nelson AlvesFabiano L Thompson
Nov 16, 2013·Marine Pollution Bulletin·Miguel LoiolaRuy K P Kikuchi
Apr 2, 2014·Brazilian Journal of Microbiology : [publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology]·Sérgio A Coelho-SouzaJean R D Guimarães
Oct 22, 2014·PloS One·Mariana G BenderCarlos E L Ferreira