SANTANA, Jordana Kaline da Silva.; SASSI, Francisca da Costa.
Abstract:
The coral Siderastrea stellata was monitored during September 2008 to May of 2009 in the reefs of
Picãozinho, João Pessoa, PB, aiming to characterize the annual cycle of the zooxanthellae, as well as
regarding the bleaching phenomenon and diseases. Four healthy and four bleached fragments of S.
stellata were collected during low tides and processed in the laboratory using a Fuchs-Rozenthal
counting chamber and an optical microscope. The studied zooxanthellae showed distinct patterns of
seasonal variation in population density, mitotic index and cell diameter. The bleaching and diseases
observed in S. stellata are recurrent in the Picãozinho reefs, and these phenomenons have
destabilized the association between the zoantídeo and their hosts.
