ReefSYN | Standardized datasets of Brazilian reef diversity in space and time - Dataset XII: Benthic communities’ monitoring in Abrolhos Bank

Ronaldo Francini-Filho

doi:10.25607/jjm2eh

ReefSYN | Standardized datasets of Brazilian reef diversity in space and time - Dataset XII: Benthic communities’ monitoring in Abrolhos Bank

Citation

Francini-Filho R, Luza A L (2024). ReefSYN | Standardized datasets of Brazilian reef diversity in space and time - Dataset XII: Benthic communities’ monitoring in Abrolhos Bank. Version 2.2. Tropical and Subtropical Western South Atlantic OBIS. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.25607/jjm2eh accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-06-18.

Description

This dataset is part of a broader compilation named 'Standardized datasets of Brazilian reef diversity in space and time' created from a research network of reef scientists within several projects and collaborations and finally gathered and published by the ReefSYN group. Data from the Abrolhos Bank was collected by several collaborators under the coordination of Ronaldo Francini-Filho from 2001 to 2014. The data was obtained with support from Conservation International (CI) and FAPESP between 2001 and 2005, and exclusively by CI from 2006 to 2009, within the Marine Management Areas Science Program. Between 2010-2014, RBFF continued to coordinate the Abrolhos monitoring program within the Abrolhos-SISBIOTA project (under general coordination of Dr. Alex Bastos) (see Francini-Filho & Moura 2008, Francini-Filho et al. 2013, 2019, Roos et al. 2020). This dataset includes samples of five locations and 28 localities nested within locations, but not evenly distributed in space. Depth of sampling varied among localities and ranged between 2 and 15 m.

Sampling Description

Study Extent

This dataset includes samples of five locations and 28 localities nested within locations, but not evenly distributed in space.

Sampling

Benthic communities assessments were performed at the same locations, localities and depths as fish stationary censuses (Dataset II), using either point-intersect technique (four 10- m -transects in each depth and locality, with organisms identified in situ) or photoquadrats (~10 quadrats, 0.49 m²; the sample size (effort) varies across locations and years, see Francini-Filho et al. 2013) (Table 2). For the photoquadrat method, a mosaic of 15 high-resolution digital images totaling 0.3 m² constituted each sample (Francini-Filho et al. 2013). Quadrats were haphazardly set between 2001-2007 along a 20–50 m axis on the tops and walls of reef pinnacles and permanently delimited by fixed metal pins from 2008-2014.

Method steps

Relative coral cover was estimated through the identification of organisms below 300 randomly distributed points per quadrat (i.e., 20 points per photograph) using the Coral Point Count with Excel extensions software (CPCe v.4.1) (Kohler and Gill, 2006). The counts of benthic organisms (i.e. random points) were converted to percentages.

Taxonomic Coverages

Agaricia agaricites
rank: species
Agaricia fragilis
rank: species
Ascidiacea
rank: family
Bryozoa
rank: phylum
Carijoa riisei
Cyanobacteria
Echinoidea
rank: class
Favia gravida
rank: species
Halimeda
rank: genus
Madracis decactis
rank: species
Meandrina braziliensis
rank: species
Millepora
rank: genus
Millepora alcicornis
Montastraea cavernosa
Muricea flamma
rank: species
Mussismilia braziliensis
rank: species
Mussismilia harttii
rank: species
Mussismilia hispida
rank: species
Mussismilia leptophylla
rank: species
Neospongodes atlantica
rank: species
Octocorallia
rank: subclass
Palythoa
rank: genus
Phyllogorgia dilatata
rank: species
Plexaurella grandiflora
rank: species
Plexaurella regia
rank: species
Porifera
rank: phylum
Porites astreoides
rank: species
Porites branneri
rank: species
Scleractinia
rank: class
Siderastrea
rank: genus
Spirorbinae
rank: subfamily
Zoantharia
rank: order
Zoanthus
rank: genus

Geographic Coverages

All data was sampled within the Abrolhos bank region.

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Ronaldo Francini-Filho
originator
position: Professor
Universidade de São Paulo
email: francinifilho@usp.br

Ronaldo Francini-Filho
metadata author
position: Professor
Universidade de São Paulo

André L. Luza
metadata author
position: Post-doctoral fellow
Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

Ronaldo Francini
author
position: Professor
Universidade de São Paulo
BR
email: francinifilho@usp.br
userId: http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ZKaYQO4AAAAJ&hl=pt-BR

Cesar A. M. M. Cordeiro
administrative point of contact
position: Professor
Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense
BR
email: cesarcordeiro@uenf.br
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4960-4502

Ronaldo Francini-Filho
administrative point of contact
position: Professor
Universidade de São Paulo