A distribuição geográfica da família Limacinidae na costa do Nordeste brasileiro, foi analisada levando em consideração os aspectos ecológicos mais relevantes, objetivando a ampliação do conhecimento sobre a família. O material foi coletado durante a IV Expedição Oceanográfica do Programa REVIZEE (Avaliação do Potencial Sustentável de Recursos Vivos da Zona Econômica Exclusiva), nos meses de setembro a dezembro de 2000. A área estudada está localizada entre 00°46’45”N a 13°53’45”S - 29°15’40”W a 39°49’42”W, onde foram realizados seis cruzeiros, totalizando 123 estações. As amostras foram coletadas em rede tipo bongo (malhas coletoras de 300 e 500 µm, com aros de 60 cm de diâmetro) acopladas com fluxômetro digital, em arrastos oblíquos na profundidade de 0 a 200 m. Foram considerados os organismos retidos na malha de 300 µm. A bordo, as amostras foram acondicionadas em recipientes plásticos, etiquetadas e fixadas em formaldeído a 4%, tamponado com tetraborato de sódio. Em laboratório, as amostras foram analisadas em placa do tipo “Bogorov”, sob estereomicroscópio binocular. Foram examinados 5655 indivíduos da família Limacinidae, assim distribuídos: 03 gêneros e 05 espécies. Os representantes da família Limacinidae ocorreram em altas temperaturas e salinidades, caracterizando-se, assim, como tropicais e euhalinos.Heliconoides inflatus sobressaiu em abundância e frequência. Limacina lesueurii mostrou-se uma espécie rara e pouco frequente. Limacina trochiformis e L. bulimoides foram pouco abundantes e pouco frequentes.Limacina lesueurii e L. bulimoides foram registradas como primeira ocorrência em águas neríticas, sendo este o primeiro registro deL. lesueurii para as águas do Nordeste brasileiro.Limacina trochiformis e L. bulimoidestiveram ampla distribuição, apesar de pouco frequentes e pouco abundantes. A distribuição de Thielea helicoides restringiu-se às águas oceânicas. Foi observada uma correlação entre Limacina bulimoides, Heliconoides inflatus, Thielea helicoides eL. lesueurii por coexistirem no mesmo nicho.

The geographical distribution of the family Limacinidae in the Northeastern coast of Brazil was analyzed by taking into account the most relevant ecological aspects, aiming to increase the knowledge about the Family. The material was collected during the 4th Oceanographic Expedition of the REVIZEE program (Assessment of the Sustainable Potential of Living Resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone - Avaliação do Potencial Sustentável de Recursos Vivos da Zona Econômica Exclusiva), in the months from September to December 2000. The studied area is located between 00°46’45”N and 13°53’45”S and between 29°15’40”W and 39°49’42”W, where six trips were performed, totaling 123 stations. The samples were collected using a bongo net (300- and 500-µm mesh size and net mouths of 60 cm in diameter) coupled with a digital flowmeter in oblique hauls from a depth of 0 to 200 m. For this study, the organisms retained in the 300-µm mesh were considered. On board the ship, the samples were placed in plastic containers, labeled, and fixed in 4% formaldehyde buffered with sodium tetraborate. In the laboratory, the samples were analyzed on a “Bogorov” tray under a binocular stereomicroscope. A total of 5655 individuals of the family Limacinidae were examined and were distributed as follows: 3 genera and 5 species. Representatives of the family Limacinidae were observed at high temperatures and salinities and were thus characterized as tropical and euhaline.Heliconoides inflatus was the species with the greatest abundance and frequency. Limacina lesueurii proved to be a rare, infrequently observed species. Limacina trochiformis andL. bulimoides were not abundant or frequent.Limacina lesueurii and L. bulimoides were recorded in neritic waters for the first time; this was also the first record ofL. lesueurii in the waters of Northeastern Brazil.Limacina trochiformis and L. bulimoidesexhibited wide distributions, although they were neither very frequently observed nor abundant. The distribution of Thielea helicoideswas restricted to oceanic waters. A correlation between Limacina bulimoides, Heliconoides inflatus, Thielea helicoides, and L. lesueurii was observed because they coexisted in the same niche.

Todos os anos milhares de aves limícolas e migratórias invernam ao longo da costa da América do Sul, entre setembro e abril, onde adquirem massa corpórea e realizam mudas para retornar aos sítios de reprodução. Estudos quali-quantitativos foram realizados na Área de Proteção Ambiental de Piaçabuçu, Alagoas, Brasil, através da contagem direta, objetivando o acompanhamento das flutuações sazonais da avifauna migrante. Foram registradas cinco espécies da família Charadriidae: Vanellus chilensis (Wagler, 1827); Pluvialis squatarola (Linnaeus, 1758); Charadrius semipalmatus Bonaparte, 1825; Charadrius collaris Vieillot, 1818 e Charadrius wilsonia (Ord, 1814) e cinco espécies da família Scolopacidae: Arenaria interpres (Linnaeus, 1758); Actitis macularius (Linnaeus, 1766); Catoptrophorus semipalmatus (Gmelin, 1789); Calidris pusilla (Linnaeus, 1766) e Calidris alba (Pallas, 1764). Pluvialis squatarola, Charadrius semipalmatus, Charadrius collaris, Arenaria interpres, Calidris pusilla e Calidris alba foram consideradas constantes (presentes em mais de 50% das observações). Charadrius semipalmatus e Calidris alba apresentaram os maiores índices de freqüência de ocorrência nos meses de novembro e dezembro e, março e setembro, respectivamente. A correlação de Spearman demonstra uma forte dependência na migração destas espécies. A fidelidade dessas aves a APA de Piaçabuçu observada nessa pesquisa indica ser a área um sítio de invernada, reforçando sua importância para a conservação das espécies migratórias que utilizam o local.

Every year, thousands of limicola and migratory birds winter on the South American coast, between September and April, where they acquire body mass and undergo moulting before returning to their reproduction sites. Qualitative and quantitative studies were performed in the Piaçabuçu Protection Area located in the state of Alagoas, Brazil, by direct counting, aiming to follow upon the birds' seasonal migration. Five species of Charadriidae family were recorded: Vanellus chilensis (Wagler, 1827); Pluvialis squatarola (Linnaeus, 1758); Charadrius semipalmatus Bonaparte, 1825; Charadrius collaris Vieillot, 1818 and Charadrius wilsonia (Ord, 1814), and five of the Scolopacidae family: Arenaria interpres (Linnaeus, 1758); Actitis macularius (Linnaeus, 1766); Catoptrophorus semipalmatus (Gmelin, 1789); Calidris pusilla (Linnaeus, 1766) and Calidris alba (Pallas, 1764). Pluvialis squatarola, Charadrius semipalmatus, Charadrius collaris, Arenaria interpres, Calidris pusilla and Calidris alba were considered constant (present in over 50% of observation time). Charadrius semipalmatus and Calidris alba showed highest level of frequency during November and December and March and September, respectively. Spearman correlation shows a strong dependency on migration of this species. The birds' loyalty to the Piaçabuçu area seen in this research show that this is a preferred site for wintering thus reinforcing its importance for the conservation of the migratory species that utilize the site.

Charadrius melodus Ord, 1824 were captured at Diamante Branco saline, at Galinhos municipal district in Rio Grande do Norte, at the Northeast coast of Brazil. Four individuals were captured in October and two in December. All of them were in adult phase, showing the intermediary plumage with moults of the outline feathers. One individual captured in October showed moult for the first primary pinion and other captured also in October showed moult in the second pair of rectrices. The captures of C. melodus in Rio Grande do Norte consist in the first record of the species for Brazil.

The Mollusca Pteropoda from Fernando de Noronha Chain Northeastern Brazil were studied in order to know their taxonomy and distribution. Collections were carried out during the I Oceanographical Expedition of the REVIZEE Program (Live Resources of the Economical Exclusive Zone) from August to September 1995. The studied area is located between 03°04'S-04°23'S and 32°19'W-36°26'W, comprising 35 stations. Sampling was performed through oblique hauls from 50m depth to surface and from 100 m depth to surface, with a Bongo net (300 and 500 µm mesh size, net diameter: 60 cm), that was equipped with a flow meter. Samples in a total of 99 were preserved, immediately, in buffered 4% formaldehyde. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the samples were performed based on total sample. The samples were analysed on a counting plate "Bogorov" type under a stereo microscope. A total of 8,258 organisms were identified belonging to: 8 families, 16 genera and 27 species. Limacina inflata (d´Orbigny, 1836) and Creseis virgula (Rang, 1828) were frequent and very frequent in the area outranking among the studied Pteropoda. The total density varied from 2.5 to 3,012.05 org.m-³. Highest richness was registered at the Continental Shelf and Slope with 1two species. The Pteropoda association showed higher differences between day and night collections. Limacina inflata caused this difference due to its higher density at night collections and it was independent of the depth, mesh size and temperature. Creseis virgula had its occurrence, mainly, during day time.

Monitoring of the shorebirds of the Diamanle Branco saline located at the municipality of Galinhos, in the coast of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, was initiated in 1998, with qualitative surveys, bird traps using mist net, captured and banding and field observations on the diet of some species. Parameters such as constancy were verified, specific diversity was calculated through Pearson correlation, We registered 21 species of shorebirds, as follows: Pluvialis squatarola (Linnaeus, 1758), Charadrius semipulmatus Bonaparte 1825, renaria interpres (Linnaeus, 1758), Tringaflavipes (Gmelin, 1789), T. melanoleuca (Gmelin, 1789) and Actitis macularia (Linnaeus, 1766). It was observed the reproduction of Charadrius collaris Vieillot, 1818, C. wilsonia Ord, 1814 and Himantopus himantopus (Müller, 1776), in the surroundings of the saline evaporation tanks. The observation of Calidris himantopus (Bonaparte, 1826) in the evaporation tanks comprised the first record of the species in Northeastern Brazil. It was verified that A. interpres, T. flavipes, T. melanoleuca and Calidris pusilla (Linnaeus, 1766) feed upon A rtemia franciscana (Kellog, 1996) in the first hours ofthe day in the evaporation tanks. The mean diversity comprised 2 and 3, and the results of equibility showed that the species are well distributed in the samples. A positive association was registered between Haematopus palliatus Temminck, 1820, C. collaris, C. wilsonia, and H. himantopus. These, in turn, associated inversely to A. interpres, A. macularia, C.pusilla and C. minutilla (Vieillot, 1819), which is possibly due to the fact that some species are resident, reproducing in the locality, with movements distinct from that specie wich migrate during the boreal winter. Traps, surveys, re-lraps, and recovers indicate that the Diamante Branco saline comprises na important area for the conservation of the shorebids.

The individuais of Charadriifonnes present plumages of either young, or adults; adults in turn, present plumages of either reproduction, ar intermediate. Aiming to monitor plumages and molts, and associating them to migrations, specimens were collected on the coast of Pernambuco State, in the Coroa do Avião, Santa Cruz channel (7º40'S e 34º 50'W). Plumages of young, non-breeding adults, intermediate adults, and breeding adults were recorded amongst the specimens captured. The molt cicle of primary remiges indicates that individuals initiating molts in June and July will not return to their areas of reproduction, and that the ones who start from August to October, ending till February, will migrate in the same year to their breeding grounds. Retrix molts showed variations. Regarding adults of Calidris pusilla (Linnaeus, 1766) the cicle ended till March.