ReefSYN | Standardized datasets of Brazilian reef diversity in space and time - Dataset XIV: Benthic communities from the Brazilian province

Study Extent

This dataset, used by Aued et al. (2018)—data also published on DRYAD (https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.f5s90), includes plot-level cover information of ~100 benthic taxa from 3,855 photoquadrats deployed at 40 localities from 15 different locations, spanning 0° to 27°S. The sampling localities indicated here are the same from Morais et al. (2017). Aued AW, Smith F, Quimbayo JP, Cândido DV, Longo GO, Ferreira CEL, et al. (2018) Large-scale patterns of benthic marine communities in the Brazilian Province. PLoS ONE 13(6): e0198452. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0198452 Morais, R.A., Ferreira, C.E.L. & Floeter, S.R. 2017. Spatial patterns of fish standing biomass across Brazilian reefs, Southwestern Atlantic. Journal of Fish Biology, 91: 1642–1667

Sampling

We sampled 40 sites within 15 localities from 0 ̊ to 27 ̊S latitude along the tropical and sub- tropical reefs of the Brazilian Province during the austral summer from 2011 to 2014. Seven localities were located on biogenic reefs, and eight were rocky reefs. At each locality, between one and five sites were assessed (but most had at least three sampled sites). At each site, surveys were conducted at two depth strata: 1–7 meters (shallow) and 8–15 meters (deep), unless only one-depth strata was found. We haphazardly selected six to twenty 2m2 horizontal surfaces of reef area on each depth strata and characterized the benthic community using a set of five 25x25 cm photoquadrats. The 2m2 areas were at least 2 meters apart from each other, and were treated as independent samples in the analysis. We used the 2m2 areas method to sample comparable horizontal surfaces on reefs. Some sites were composed by big boulders where transects would be hard to use and we would have to include vertical surfaces in the sampling. This type of bias associated with the 2m2 method is very similar to those observed in traditional transect methods. Between 8 to 30 reef areas were assessed at each site, resulting in a minimum of 40 and maximum of 150 photoquadrats per site representing a total of 3,855 photoquadrats sampled in the entire study.

Quality Control

The name of all taxa was checked against the WoRMS database (World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS, 2022)), using the R package “worrms” (Chamberlain 2020). Thus, valid scientific names were called “scientificNameAccepted” following the DCS standard. The last checking was done on 23 October 2023, using the version 0.4.2 of ‘worrms’ R package.

Method steps

1. Image processing was done using the Coral Point Count with Excel extensions software (CPCe v. 4.1) (Kohler and Gill, 2006) or the photoQuad software (Trygonis & Sini, 2012).

Benthic organisms were identified at the lowest possible taxonomic level (i.e., morphotype, species, order) according to constraints related to image identification. Bare substrate, sediment, lost information (shade, quadrat, tape) and turf were not included in the data because they do not represent taxonomic entities in which DCS standards are based.

1. Agaricia
   rank: genus
2. Agaricia fragilis
   rank: species
3. Agaricia humilis
   rank: species
4. Alcyonacea
   rank: family
5. Anthozoa
   rank: class
6. Asteroidea
   rank: family
7. Botrylloides nigrum
   rank: species
8. Bryopsis pennata
   rank: species
9. Bunodosoma caissarum
   rank: species
10. Carijoa riisei
11. Caulerpa
    rank: genus
12. Caulerpa racemosa
    rank: species
13. Caulerpa verticillata
    rank: species
14. Chaetomorpha
    rank: genus
15. Champia parvula
    rank: species
16. Codium
    rank: genus
17. Codium intertextum
    rank: species
18. Colpomenia sinuosa
    rank: species
19. Corallinaceae
    rank: family
20. Corallinales
    rank: order
21. Cyanobacteria
    rank: phylum
22. Demospongiae
    rank: family
23. Dictyopteris
    rank: genus
24. Dictyopteris plagiogramma
25. Dictyota
    rank: genus
26. Dictyotaceae
    rank: family
27. Didemnum
    rank: genus
28. Didemnum perlucidum
    rank: species
29. Digenea simplex
30. Echinaster
    rank: genus
31. Echinometra lucunter
    rank: species
32. Eucidaris tribuloides
    rank: species
33. Favia gravida
    rank: species
34. Favia leptophylla
    rank: species
35. Galaxaura
    rank: genus
36. Gelidiella acerosa
37. Gelidiopsis
    rank: genus
38. Gelidium floridanum
    rank: species
39. Gigartinacea
    rank: family
40. Halimeda
    rank: genus
41. Heterogorgia
42. Hexanauplia
    rank: class
43. Hydrozoa
    rank: class
44. Hypnea musciformis
    rank: species
45. Idiellana pristis
    rank: species
46. Laurencia
    rank: genus
47. Leptogorgia
    rank: genus
48. Lobophora variegata
    rank: species
49. Macrorhynchia philippina
    rank: species
50. Madracis decactis
    rank: species
51. Malacostraca
    rank: class
52. Meandrina brasiliensis
    rank: species
53. Millepora
    rank: genus
54. Millepora
    rank: genus
55. Millepora alcicornis
    rank: species
56. Millepora nitida
    rank: species
57. Montastraea cavernosa
    rank: species
58. Muricea flamma
    rank: species
59. Muriceopsis sulphurea
    rank: species
60. Mussismilia
    rank: genus
61. Mussismilia braziliensis
    rank: species
62. Mussismilia harttii
    rank: species
63. Mussismilia hispida
    rank: species
64. Ochtodes secundiramea
    rank: species
65. Ophiothela mirabilis
    rank: species
66. Padina
    rank: genus
67. Palythoa caribaeorum
68. Palythoa variabilis
    rank: species
69. Parazoanthus axinellae
    rank: species
70. Peyssonnelia
    rank: genus
71. Phallusia nigra
    rank: species
72. Phlebobranchia
    rank: order
73. Phyllogorgia dilatata
    rank: species
74. Plexaurella grandiflora
    rank: species
75. Plexaurella regia
    rank: species
76. Polychaeta
    rank: class
77. Porites
    rank: genus
78. Porites astreoides
    rank: species
79. Porites branneri
    rank: species
80. Protopalythoa
    rank: genus
81. Rhizangiidae
    rank: family
82. Sargassum
    rank: genus
83. Schizoporella
    rank: genus
84. Siderastrea
    rank: genus
85. Stypopodium
    rank: genus
86. Tricleocarpa cylindrica
    rank: species
87. Trididemnum
    rank: genus
88. Tropiometra
    rank: genus
89. Udotea
    rank: genus
90. Ulvophyceae
    rank: family
91. Ventricaria ventricosa
    rank: species
92. Wrangelia
    rank: genus
93. Zoanthus sociatus
    rank: species

The Brazilian Province has an extensive coastline and exhibits a wide range of environments. Even though reefs of the Brazilian Province represent only 5% of Atlantic reefs, rates of endemism are high: ~34% for reef-building corals, 11% for macroalgae, and 35% for sponges [22, 33]. The northeastern and central portions of the Province contain carbonatic and sandstone outcrops (mostly biogenic reefs), while the southeastern-southern part is dominated by siliciclastic bottoms on the shelf and sand beaches interrupted by crystalline rocky shores [34]. The Brazilian coast is influenced by the warmer Brazil Current flowing southwards (ocean temperature above 20°C) and the colder Brazilian Northern Current flowing northwards (temperature below 16°C) [35–37]. The southeastern coast is also influenced by upwelling events, especially in Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina states, bringing colder and nutrient-rich waters into shallow water environments. This Province is also characterized by high terrestrial runoff from rivers [38], strong wind and variable shelf width [25]. Four oceanic islands belong to the Brazilian Province, three of which were included in the present study: Rocas Atoll (3°87’S; 33°80’W), Fernando de Noronha (3°86’S; 32°43’W), and Trindade Island (20°51’S; 29°33’W).