Faunistic diversity of Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) in the Antarctic region

• Grant number: 25/06314-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Michela Borges
• Grantee: Thalita Marques Pereira Marcon
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/10313-0 - Build-up of scientific collections of marine invertebrates: strategies for biodiversity conservation, AP.BTA.TEM

Abstract

The Antarctic continent harbors macrobenthic fauna with high endemism due to its distinct physical and chemical conditions shaped by geological history, which promoted geographic isolation and restricted marine organism dispersal. Among macrobenthic taxa, echinoderms stand out for their abundance and ecological role in structuring marine communities. Ophiuroids (brittle stars) are the most abundant class in the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula, representing ~33% of total epifaunal abundance. As key benthic organisms, they exhibit generalist diets, broad bathymetric distribution, and inhabit diverse substrates. This study aims to describe the biodiversity of Ophiuroidea from King George Island through morphological analyses of diagnostic structures (external and internal) using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and morphometric approaches. Specimens were collected during the XVI Antarctic Operation (December 1997 to January 1998). The findings will expand knowledge of Antarctic ophiuroid biodiversity and enable comparative studies between Antarctica and the Atlantic Ocean.