DEEP-OCEAN: ecological studies in deep-sea fishes

• Grant number: 22/08860-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2022
• End date: July 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography - Biological Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Roberto Souto de Melo
• Grantee: Guilherme Romão de Faria
• Host Institution: Instituto Oceanográfico (IO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/12909-4 - Diversity and evolution of deep-sea fishes: DEEP-OCEAN, AP.BTA.JP

Abstract

Two oceanographic cruises were conducted onboard the N/Oc Alpha Crucis during the DEEP-OCEEAN Project, focusing the Brazilian continental slope off Ilhabela (SP) and Florianópolis (SC), in 2019 and 2022, respectively. The captures were obtained in depths from 250 to 1,500 m and resulted on the collections of about 6,000 fish specimens, including both Chondrichthyans and osteichthyans. The specimens were fixed onboard in formalin 10% and transferred for permanent preservation in ethanol 70% at the Laboratory of Diversity and Evolution of Fishes of the Oceanographic Institute of the USP. On board and prior to fixation, different types of biological samples were removed from the most abundant species with different objectives: Sagitta otoliths, for age and growth analyses; stomach content for feeding habits and identification of microplastic; and gonads for sex and gonad maturation. The objective of the present proposal is organizing such material and to develop ecological studies in collaboration with the PhD student César Santificetur Romero under my guidance. (AU)