THE HIDDEN WORLD OF CERIANTHARIA: ECOLOGY, BIOGEOGRAPHY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION

• Grant number: 23/15736-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2024
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography - Biological Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Sérgio Nascimento Stampar
• Grantee: Marcela Aparecida de Barros
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/00957-0 - Understanding the Biogeography of New Zealand's Indigenous Sea Anemones through Ecological Niche Modeling and Range Size Metrics, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

The Ceriantharia subclass consists of anthozoans commonly known as tube anemones or ceriantharians. Despite their wide distribution, this subclass still exhibits taxonomic inaccuracies and gaps in knowledge regarding the ecology, geographical distribution, and life cycle of these animals. The lack of information about ceriantharians can limit the ability to develop conservation strategies, predisposing the subclass to the risk of extinction. In light of this scenario, this study is divided into three chapters: the first pertains to a systematic review of available literature on the ecology, conservation, biogeography, and distribution of the Ceriantharia subclass; the second chapter involves the application of Ecological Niche Modeling techniques, specifically Environmental Suitability Modeling, implemented for all species within the subclass, complemented by the ensemble technique for undersampled species, using information from the systematic review to inform model assumptions. Finally, the third chapter is dedicated to a case study of the genus Ceriantheomorphe, overlaying environmental suitability models with the morphological characteristics of species to investigate potential biodiversity patterns. Thus, this study aims to explore the biogeographic and ecological aspects of ceriantharians to expand the biological knowledge of these organisms and provide insights for their use in conservation strategies.