SANTOS, L. M.; http://lattes.cnpq.br/1578990673470824; SANTOS, Luan Medeiros.
Resumo:
Corals are invertebrate, celenterate and typica lly marine organisms, which exhibit colonial
habits living in symbiosis with calcium carbonate-secreting algae. These organisms integrate
a rich fauna and assume a certain degree of relevance insofar as they are fundamental for the
maintenance of the balance in the marine ecosystem. The scientific community recommends
monitoring the health of reef environments around the world, given that changes in
environmental parameters have culminated in the development of coral diseases (such as
bleaching), which can lead to death. Based on this premise and observing that the white cape
beach has a live cliff on the beach which inserts a large amount of clay sediment in the sea
water, it was necessary to monitor the conditions of the reefs of the place in question. The
objective of this work is to monitor the coral cover of this environment by analyzing abiotic
variables (sea surface temperature, oxygen, salinity, suspended sediments in sea water), and
biotic variables, such as raising the presence of stony corals quantities of colonies, taxonomy
of species, recruits and incidence of bleaching). The data collection comprised an annual
cycle, which began in August 2016 and ended in July 2017. This work follows the
recommendations of international research protocols, through widely used study techniques.
The environmental variables were measured in the field and processed at the Marine
Invertebrate Research Laboratory (LAPEIMAR) CES-UFCG, where the construction of
databases was carried out. The results show that the abiotic variables were revealed within
standards reported by other studies carried out in the same study area, and there were no
significant discrepancies between the values obtained and others already registered.
Regarding the biotic variables, 283 colonies of Siderastrea Stellata Verrill, 1868, endemic
species of the Brazilian coast and normally abundant in the northeastern reefs were recorded.
However, 33% of the registered colonies showed signs of bleaching. There were also the
location of 28 recruits of corals, which indicates that this reef environment is somehow
reproductively active.