Fish assemblage structure, functional diversity, climate vulnerability and protection in subtropical mesophotic reefs of the southern hemisphere

• Grant number: 24/22009-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: July 20, 2025
• End date: July 19, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography - Biological Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Tito Monteiro da Cruz Lotufo
• Grantee: Fernanda Andreoli Rolim
• Supervisor: Tim Langlois
• Host Institution: Instituto Oceanográfico (IO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Western Australia (UWA), Australia
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/08812-6 - Fish assemblage structure, functional diversity, climate vulnerability and protection in subtropical mesophotic reefs of the Southern Hemisphere, BP.PD

Abstract

Mesophotic ecosystems are diverse environments that provide important ecosystem services to millions of people, shelter a rich biodiversity, and form a landscape mosaic. These systems are located adjacent to shallow reefs that have been impacted by both local and global factors. Hence, the deep refuge hypothesis has been tested worldwide, and some authors suggest that this environment could replenish shallow areas. However, the biological community structure and vulnerability of the habitats in the subtropical regions have yet to be better understood. This project aims to evaluate fish assemblage structure, functional diversity and climatic vulnerability of subtropical mesophotic reefs in the southern hemisphere. Specifically, the objectives are: 1. to describe and compare the reefs cross-shelf and longitudinally, 2. to evaluate the vulnerability of the fish assemblage in future climatic scenarios, and 3. to evaluate the coverage of marine reserves. Online databases will be used to obtain data from fish assemblages. Environmental variables will be tested to determine their impact on fish biological metrics and the functional diversity will be compared across depths and regions. Species vulnerability to climate change will be analyzed based on biological information available in the literature and, finally, the coverage of marine protected areas in southern mesophotic subtropical reefs will be analyzed. This project will generate data on the biodiversity of these underexplored systems in this region and will provide information on the climate vulnerability and distribution of mesophotic communities of reef fish.