Banca de DEFESA: ANDRESSA LIMA DA SILVA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : ANDRESSA LIMA DA SILVA
DATE: 11/02/2026
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Google Meet (meet.google.com/pyy-frck-ung)
TITLE:

INFLUENCE OF STRUCTURAL COMPLEXITY ON REEF FISH AND SESSILE BENTHIC ORGANISMS IN BRAZILIAN REEFS

KEY WORDS:

Brazilian reefs; habitat structural complexity; reef fishes; benthic organisms; marine conservation.

PAGES: 40
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Ecologia
SUMMARY:

Reef environments are highly diverse ecosystems that harbor about 25% of all marine species. The structural complexity of reefs is directly linked to the high diversity of organisms and to the ecosystem services provided by these habitats. In the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific regions, reefs are predominantly composed of branching corals, which confer greater three-dimensional structure to the environment and consequently support higher biodiversity. In contrast, Brazilian reefs are largely dominated by massive coral species, which are less abundant and less tridimensional, although they play a crucial role in sustaining these ecosystems, considered the largest and richest in the South Atlantic. Local and global threats, such as habitat destruction and ocean warming, are driving structural simplification of reef habitats. Our objective was to assess the effects of structural complexity on the diversity of organisms associated with reef environments in Brazil. We conducted surveys in environments with different reef formations and levels of diversity in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo, as well as within the Atol das Rocas Biological Reserve. We collected data on rugosity, the number of refuges, the number of galleries, and variation in height, as well as on the diversity of sessile benthic organisms and fishes along transects established at each reef. We analyzed the data by correlating structural complexity with biological variables. The results showed that the relationship between structural complexity and the richness of sessile benthic organisms was not significant. The opposite was found for fish richness, with clearer positive patterns in certain locations, such as Porto Seguro and Abrolhos. Overall, the relationship between complexity and both fish abundance and biomass was also not significant, but again showed consistent positive patterns for Porto Seguro and Abrolhos. Given the intense and recurrent threats to reef environments, investigating the relationship between the structural complexity of Brazilian reefs and their biodiversity is crucial for understanding how habitat destruction, both through direct and indirect effects, may impact the functioning of reef ecosystems.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Interno - ***.178.178-** - EDSON APARECIDO VIEIRA FILHO - UESC-BA
Presidente - 2319234 - GUILHERME ORTIGARA LONGO
Externa ao Programa - 3499682 - KELLY YUMI INAGAKI - nullExterna à Instituição - NATÁLIA CARVALHO ROOS - UFF