Assessment of species diversity and ecological functions in coral reefs in the paleochannels of the Royal Charlotte Bank

• Grant number: 23/09380-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2023
• End date: November 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography - Biological Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Miguel Mies
• Grantee: Anna Beatriz Dias Oliveira Berrettini
• Host Institution: Instituto Oceanográfico (IO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Royal Charlotte Bank (RCB) is located approximately 100 km of the north of the Abrolhos Archipelago and is the second largest bank in the tropical Southwest Atlantic region, covering approximately 7,000 km2. Until 2021, the area had not been explored by the researchers. However, there are still gaps about how diverse and functional the region is. For this reason, a second expedition to the RCB was carried out using more effective methods for surveying biodiversity, such as photoquadrat and video-transects. From the analysis of the data obtained, this work intends to (i) identify and evaluate the biodiversity observed in the RCB, and (ii) assess whether the site has high functional diversity and low functional redundancy, through the production of a functional model. The results obtained will allow for a better understanding of the RCB diversity composition, as well as provide input for the future investigations and formulation of public policies for the region.