RESUMO O planeta terra é constituído por uma grande porcentagem de água, sendo apenas 3% doce. Dessa água doce, aproximadamente 0,3% está disponível para ser utilizada pelos habitantes do planeta. Para a avaliação das condições sanitárias da água, utilizam-se bactérias do grupo coliforme, cuja presença no ambiente aquático configura um potencial indicativo de poluição, bem como do risco da presença de organismos patogênicos. O Brasil possui a maior disponibilidade hídrica do planeta, porém, em várias regiões do país, muitos rios encontram-se poluídos. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste estudo foi realizar a análise microbiológica da água do Rio Bacacheri, localizado na cidade de Curitiba (PR) e incluído na seção das águas doces destinadas à preservação do equilíbrio natural das comunidades aquáticas, a fim de determinar o nível de poluição em cinco pontos pré-determinados, acompanhando o crescimento de colônias de coliformes fecais e coliformes totais através da técnica de membrana filtrante. Os resultados permitem verificar que, em todos os pontos de coleta, foi observada a proliferação de coliformes fecais e totais em valores acima do limite proposto pela resolução CONAMA nº 357/2005. Adicionalmente, nota-se que os pontos #P1, #P2 e #P5 são os mais afetados, enquanto #P3 e #P4 parecem ser os menos impactados, provavelmente pela presença de mata ciliar, bem como pela canalização de margens e fundo do rio.

ABSTRACT The planet Earth is made up of a large percentage of water, being only 3% of fresh water. Of this fresh water, approximately 0.3% is available to be used by the planet’s inhabitants. For the evaluation of the health conditions of the water, bacteria of the coliform group are use, being their presence in the aquatic environment a potential indicative of pollution, as well as of the risk for presence of pathogenic organisms. Brazil has the highest availability of water on the planet, but in several parts of the country, many rivers are polluted. The objective of the study was to perform the microbiological analysis of the Bacacheri River water, located in the city of Curitiba, Paraná, which is included in the section of fresh waters, aimed at preserving the natural balance of aquatic communities, in order to determine the level of pollution in five pre-determined points, following the growth of colonies of fecal coliforms and total coliforms, through the membrane filter technique. The results show proliferation of fecal and total coliforms in values above the limit proposed by CONAMA no. 357/2005 Brazilian determination in all harvest points observed. In addition, points # P1, # P2, and # P5 are the most affected ones, whereas points # P3 and # P4 seem to be less affected, probably due to the presence of ciliary forest, as well as the channeling of the banks and the bottom of the river.

The ichthyofauna of a tidal creek in Rasa da Cotinga Island, Paranaguá Bay, Paraná was studied through monthly collections in the quadrature high and low tides, with seine net of 30 m x 1.5 m and 10 mm mesh and "fyke" net of 30 m x 1.5 m with 10 mm mesh in the wings and 8 mm mesh in the bag. Together with the nekton sampling, temperature, salinity and water transparency values were also obtained as well as current speed. A total of 9068 fish belonging to 54 species and 23 families were collected. The ichthyofauna was dominated by Harengula clupeola (Cuvier, 1829), Atherinella brasiliensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825), Sphoeroides greeley (Gilbert, 1900) and Sphoeroides testudineus (Linnaeus, 1758), that contributed to 66.1% of the capture in number and 79.7% in weight. Statistical differences between the collection months and months groups were observed for the number of species, number and weight of fish, species richness and species diversity (weight). The observed temporal biological structure seems to be better explained by the rainfall, rainfall and salinity and combined action of the rainfall, salinity and water transparency.

Apesar da importância, a maioria dos estudos de ictioplâncton na costa sul-sudeste do Brasil, foram realizados sobre a plataforma continental. No que se refere ao ambiente praial, reconhecido como área de criação, pouco se sabe sobre o ictioplâncton. Foram analisadas 288 amostras coletadas com uma rede tipo picaré com 18 x 2 m e malha de 1mm, e rede de plancton cônica, com malha de 300 mim e boca de 60 cm. A espécie E. argenteus totalizou 78 % das larvas e juvenis capturados. A ocorrência dos gerreideos foi fortemente concentrada no verão, enquanto que Menticirrhus littoralis, Menticirrhus americanus e Umbrina coroides estiveram presentes em todas as estações do ano. M. littoralis foi mais abundante na primavera, enquanto que M. americanus e U. coroides dominaram no inverno. Em todas as espécies as maiores capturas ocorreram na baixa-mar. Preferências ambientais foram indicadas na análise de componentes principais, com as larvas e juvenis de E. argenteus e E. gula positivamente correlacionados com menores ondas e menor morfodinamismo, enquanto que M. americanus, U. coroides e M. furnieri parecem preferir períodos com menores temperaturas e maior morfodinamismo.

Despite its importance, most ichthyoplankton studies in the South-Southeastern coast of Brazil, have been accomplished on the continental shelf. Regarding the beach environment, recognized as a nursery, little is known about the ichthyoplankton. We analyzed 288 samples collected with a 18 by 2 m seine net, 1 mm mesh and a conical plankton net, with a mesh of 300 mum and a 60 cm mouth. Eucinostomus argenteus comprised 78 % of the larvae and juveniles caught in the samples. The occurrence of gerreids was strongly concentrated in the summer, while the Menticirrhus littoralis, Menticirrhus americanus and Umbrina coroides were present during all seasons. M.littoralis was most abundant during spring, while M. americanus and U. coroides dominated during winter. For all species, the largest captures occurred during low tide. Environmental preferences are indicated in the principal component analysis, with the larvae and juveniles of E. argenteus and E. gula positively correlated with smaller waves and smaller morphodynamism, whereas M. americanus, U. coroides and M. furnieri seem to prefer periods with lower temperatures and larger morphodynamism.

A total of 6,575 larvae in the preflexion, flexion and post-flexion stages of 15 families, 26 genera and 29 species were captured in the surf zone of Pontal do Sul beach, Paraná, Brazil. Samples of the families Gerreidae and Scianidae predominated and larvae of Eucinostomus argenteus (Baird&Girard, 1854), Micropogonias furnieri (Desmarest, 1823), Eucinostomus gula (Cuvier, 1830), Menticirrhus ameri-canus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Anchoa tricolor (Agassiz, 1829) were the most dominant species. Greater abundance of larvae was observed during the summer, followed by winter and in a less extent during spring and autumn. The number of species was greater in the summer, and there were no significant differences in the rest of the seasons.

Fishes were sampled by beach seine during the day and night at the high and low sygygy tides, on a sandy beach at the southeast coast of Brazil. The quantitative results appear to indicate a larger concentration of fish in the surf zone of this beach, in low tides at the start and end of the day. Only eight from the 17 most abundant taxa, appeared to have been influenced singly or in combination by the factors of the moon, day, night and tide.