Autor(es)

Gragnolati, Maisha ; Rolim, Fernanda A. ; Pereira-Filho, Guilherme H. ; Athayde, Ana Clara S. ; Motta, Fabio S.

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH; v. 198, p. 9-pg., 2024-04-30.

Resumo

In the Southwest Atlantic, fisheries and in situ observations suggest that mesophotic reefs occur further south than has been reported in the literature, and a description of these subtropical regions is still lacking. We used Baited Remote Underwater stereo-Videos to explore unrevealed patterns in the vertical structure of fish assemblages on subtropical Atlantic reefs, contrasting shallow and mesophotic habitats. Our data on species turnover and light penetration reveal that in the subtropical Atlantic, the boundaries between shallow and mesophotic habitats occur at depths of 18 m, which is shallower than most previous studies have shown. Generalized additive mixed models identified different environmental and management factors as important predictor variables that explain distribution of fish assemblages' attributes. Besides adding new evidence about mesophotic limits, we described variations in the vertical structure of fish assemblages, providing important information for the description and conservation of mesophotic environments in subtropical regions. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 19/19423-5 - Ciência aplicada à gestão do uso público e fronteiras do conhecimento de Áreas Marinhas Protegidas: da experiência dos visitantes à biodiversidade de recifes mesofóticos subtropicais
• Beneficiário: Fabio dos Santos Motta
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa BIOTA - Regular