Integrative taxonomy applied to the genus Dictyota (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) in Brazil

• Grant number: 25/14016-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Plant Taxonomy
• Principal Investigator: Priscila Barreto de Jesus
• Grantee: Priscila Barreto de Jesus
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: Santo André
• Associated research grant: 22/03234-1 - Evolution and diversification of Phaeophyceae: exploring genomic data to understand the taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of brown algae, AP.PNGP.PI
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/22331-6 - Integrative taxonomy applied to the genun Dictyota (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) in Brazil, BP.IC

Abstract

Dictyota J.V. Lamouroux is one of the most common genera of brown algae, widely distributed throughout the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans (Guiry & Guiry 2025). The genus comprises 97 valid species (Guiry & Guiry 2025), which hold great economic and ecological importance but have received significantly less taxonomic attention compared to other brown algae (Lopes-Filho 2018, Bogaert et al. 2020). In Brazil, seven species of Dictyota are recognized and can be found along the entire coastline (Flora e Funga do Brasil 2025). Despite this, studies dedicated exclusively to the species of this genus remain scarce, with most information coming from regional flora surveys and species listings. Molecular studies in Brazil are virtually nonexistent, with the only molecular sequences of the genus deriving from studies focused on its chemical components (Mesquita et al. 2015, De-Paula 2018) and from a biogeographic global-scale survey that included other genera (Vieira et al. 2021). The absence of molecular data and taxonomic studies specifically focused on the genus along the Brazilian coast limits our understanding of the taxonomic status and evolution of the group. Therefore, considering recent evidence of cryptic diversity in Phaeophyceae (Vieira et al. 2021), the few studies on Dictyota conducted in the Brazilian coastal region, and the fact that knowledge of the group's diversity remains largely unexplored, new taxonomic investigations using integrated data are needed. To this end, the DNA barcoding approach will be applied to Dictyota specimens collected along the Brazilian coast, using the molecular marker cox3, along with morpho-anatomical analyses. The specimens have already been collected, reducing the time required for this step and optimizing the phases necessary for the development of the project. (AU)