Branqueamento de Palythoa caribaeorum (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) em locais com diferentes impactos antrópicos na APAMLN e na ESEC Tupinambás (Ubatuba - SP, Brasil)

• Autor(a) principal: Bueno, Amanda Escarabichi
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Tipo de documento: Trabalho de conclusão de curso
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/11449/216449
• topic: Zoantídeos; Recifes rochosos; Múltiplos estressores

Multiple natural and human stressors can affect the health of zoanthids, inducing several adverse effects such as bleaching. The zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum is an important structurer of the benthic community and occurs on a large scale at rocky reefs across the Southeastern Brazil. There is no previous information on the health of zoanthids on the rocky reefs of marine protected areas in Ubatuba (SP, Brazil), despite the importance of such information for decision-making on marine conservation. This study aimed to monitor the percentage and degree of P. caribaeorum bleaching in places with different degrees and types of anthropic impacts in Ubatuba: Praia do Lázaro, Praia do Flamengo, Ilha das Couves, and Ilha das Palmas (control). The coverage of zoanthids was sampled in the summer, winter, and spring of 2021, along 25m transects, in which photos were taken considering the area determined by a sample square. Water samples were collected in each site for physicochemical analysis. Temperature data and degree heating weeks (DHW) values were obtained by satellite data. Human activities capable of affecting the colony's health were identified, and the relative environmental pressure index (REPI) was calculated. The polyp's colors were analyzed based on the Coral Health Chart. Ilha das Couves was the worst scenario in the summer, with the highest value of REPI (27.75). There was a decrease in bleaching of Ilha das Couves and the transect 2 of Praia do Flamengo throughout the seasons. Ilha das Palmas did not present significant differences from the other sites and had high bleaching percentages. With exception of Ilha das Palmas, a probable combination of anthropic effects and accumulation of thermal anomalies was the cause of bleaching. These same factors have been previously associated with bleaching events in the region. The results indicate the need for monitoring and studies in the rocky reefs of Ubatuba.