Occurrence of opportunistic species in the range of calcareous algae: an integrated study to Monitoring Network of Coastal Benthic Habitats (ReBentos) Bruno Welson Vasconcelos, André Luís Faccini, Natália Pirani Ghilardi-Lopes

Abstract

Several studies of taxonomic surveys of flora of benthic maroalgae have been conducted on integrated programs, such as the Biota (FAPESP) for the São Paulo State; however, there is almost nothing recorded for the flora of the Santo Amaro Island. The ReBentos project is a network designed in order to monitor changes caused by regional and global environmental interference in benthic communities along the Brazilian coast. A sampling point of the ReBentos project was established in Guarujá, SP, and the identification of opportunistic species in a dominant band of calcareous algae is necessary and constitutes the objective of this undergraduate final work. The methodology used in this work is limited to the collection of samples of the species that have emerged as opportunistic within fixed and predetermined quadrants according to the methodology of the ReBentos project and later taxonomic identification in the laboratory. Eight species of macroalgae involving two Chlorophyta, two Phaephyceae and four Rhodophyta were identified. However, analyzes of older images of these collection points reveal the ocurrence of species not collected in this study. Thus, longer monitoring is needed in order to identify these possible events. Changes in floristic composition within the range of studied organisms have happened in a short period of time.