Strengthening the scientific collaboration between the Institute of Marine Science of the University of Quebec at Rimouski, Canada, and the Center for Marine Biology of the University of São Paulo

• Grant number: 14/07242-2
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: January 02, 2015
• End date: July 01, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Augusto Alberto Valero Flores
• Grantee: Augusto Alberto Valero Flores
• Visiting researcher: Rejean Tremblay
• Visiting researcher institution: Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), Canada
• Host Institution: Centro de Biologia Marinha (CEBIMAR). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Sebastião , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Undertake further initiatives to strengthen future collaboration for the development of ecophysiological models of settlement and recruitment processes in marine invertebrates. This will include the elaboration of a long-term research program for a comparative study between tropical and temperature systems with the use of two biological models, in each region, differing in their environmental requirements for settlement and metamorphosis. Last larval stages of common intertidal barnacles, called cypris, are non-feeding and rely on previous resource allocation for active habitat selection and metamorphosis. We will use the species Chthamalus bisinuatus in Brazil and Pseudobalanus balanoides in Canada, as models for this development mode. In other invertebrates, last stages do feed, and they can regain settlement competency in adequate pelagic trophic conditions. In order to represent these groups of intertidal invertebrates, we will focus on pedivelliger larvae of key mussel species, namely Perna perna in Brazil and Mytilus edulis in Canada (AU)