Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: JULIANA APARECIDA MOUREIRA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : JULIANA APARECIDA MOUREIRA
DATE: 29/08/2025
TIME: 16:00
LOCAL: Google Meet (https://meet.google.co m/wbt-dfjg-msy)
TITLE:

South Atlantic Corals and Climate Change: The Effect of Shading on Reducing Coral Bleaching

KEY WORDS:

Bleaching; corals; shading; thermal stress; Reef environments; Coral health

PAGES: 28
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Ecologia
SUMMARY:

In the face of rising global temperatures and the intensification of marine heatwaves, coral bleaching has become increasingly frequent. Field observations indicate that corals in shaded areas are less susceptible to this phenomenon. Based on this, the present study investigated how shading mitigates the effects of thermal stress on different coral species from the Southwestern Atlantic, through field surveys and laboratory experiments. Visual censuses were conducted in three marine protected areas — Coral Reefs Environmental Protection Area (APARC) in Rio Grande do Norte, Costa dos Corais Environmental Protection Area in Pernambuco and Alagoas, and Recife de Fora Municipal Marine Natural Park in Bahia — revealing that colonies in shaded areas showed better health conditions compared to those exposed to direct solar radiation. In laboratory experiments, artificial shading was tested during simulated heatwaves, showing that shading significantly reduced bleaching and resulted in better color scores, especially for Millepora alcicornis, Mussismilia harttii, Mussismilia hispida, and Siderastrea stellata. Montastraea cavernosa exhibited greater overall resistance to thermal stress. Although the recovery period was relatively short, improvements were observed in shaded colonies. The results suggest that shading can be a complementary strategy for reef conservation, helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change on sensitive coral species.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - ***.178.178-** - EDSON APARECIDO VIEIRA FILHO - UESC-BA
Externa à Instituição - JESSICA BLEUEL - UFC
Externo à Instituição - MIGUEL MIES - USP