PELD - TAMS | Monitoring the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of zooplankton, considering the connectivity between the estuaries, bay and coastal reefs of Tamandaré Bay

Study Extent

Location and Characteristics of Tamandaré Bay: Tamandaré Bay is located on the south coast of the State of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil, being part of the ILTER (International Long-Term Ecological Research) network at site 18 (Peld-TAMS). The area has a hot and humid tropical climate, with average annual temperatures varying between 25 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius. There are two well-defined seasons: a rainy season, from April to August, and a dry season, from September to March. The bay is influenced by the estuaries of the Ilhetas and Mamucabas rivers, in addition to the seasonal estuary of the Una river. The region is home to a complex ecosystem that includes reefs, estuaries and mangroves, and is part of the Conservation Unit called Environmental Protection Area (APA) Costa dos Corais, in addition to other local APAs. The bay has rich biodiversity, with fish species of economic value, supporting artisanal fishing as the main source of local income. Reef Characteristics: The reefs in Tamandaré Bay are dominated by macroalgae and zoanthids, differentiating them from other global reefs, also notable for their endemism and unique characteristics.

Sampling

Zooplankton Monitoring: Since September 2017, the PELD TAMS project, through the Laboratório de Ecologia do Plâncton (LEPLANC/UFRPE), Laboratório de Zooplâncton (LabZoo/UFPE) and the Laboratório de Fitoplâncton (LabFito/UFPE), has been continuously monitoring zooplankton in the estuarine plume area and in the regions adjacent areas, including Tamandaré Bay itself and nearby reefs. The samples are being obtained by trawling a plankton net with a mesh size of 64 micrometer and 30 centimeters in diameter, for 3 minutes in the surface layer.

Method steps

1. For the qualitative and quantitative analysis of zooplankton, samples were fixed in formaldehyde and subsequently examined using an optical microscope. Three 2 milliliters subsamples were taken from a diluted sample of previously known volume. The sub-samples were analyzed in a Sedgewick-Rafter chamber, allowing detailed counting and identification of the organisms. The taxonomic identification of the specimens was based on specialized literature, specifically Boltovskoy (1999) and Boxshall and Halsey (2004), and was conducted up to the highest levels of taxonomic classification, such as phyla, classes and orders. However, for members of the Copepoda group, identification was carried out in more detail down to family level, covering both juvenile and adult forms (copepodites) and larvae (nauplii). To ensure the statistical representativeness and robustness of the data, each subsample contained a minimum of 100 individuals, totaling an analysis of at least 300 individuals per total sample. This detailed methodology ensures a rigorous and precise approach to investigating the composition and distribution of zooplankton in the study area.

N/A

1. Paracalanidae
   rank: family
2. Chordata
   rank: phylum
3. Mollusca
   rank: phylum
4. Appendicularia
   rank: class
5. Arthropoda
   rank: phylum
6. Corycaeidae
   rank: family
7. Copelata
   rank: order
8. Temoridae
   rank: family
9. Amphipoda
   rank: order
10. Calanoida
    rank: order
11. Tegastidae
    rank: family
12. Oligotrichea
    rank: class
13. Chromista
    rank: kingdom
14. Copepoda
    rank: class
15. Sapphirinidae
    rank: family
16. Fritillariidae
    rank: family
17. Oithonidae
    rank: family
18. Harpacticoida
    rank: order
19. Thecostraca
    rank: class
20. Animalia
    rank: kingdom
21. Tintinnidae
    rank: family
22. Ectinosomatidae
    rank: family
23. Pseudodiaptomidae
    rank: family
24. Chaetognatha
    rank: phylum
25. Foraminifera
    rank: phylum
26. Canuelloida
    rank: order
27. Clausocalanidae
    rank: family
28. Pontellidae
    rank: family
29. Oncaeidae
    rank: family
30. Annelida
    rank: phylum
31. Tachidiidae
    rank: family
32. Polychaeta
    rank: class
33. Cyclopoida
    rank: order
34. Longipediidae
    rank: family
35. Malacostraca
    rank: class
36. Harpacticidae
    rank: family
37. Gastropoda
    rank: class
38. Ciliophora
    rank: phylum
39. Miraciidae
    rank: family
40. Acartiidae
    rank: family
41. Teleostei
    rank: class
42. Choreotrichida
    rank: order

Tamandaré Bay