The population dynamics and reproductive strategy of the polychaete Scolelepis goodbodyi (Jones, 1962), were investigated between June 2009 and May 2010 at Manguinhos beach, southeastern, Brazil. A total of 9,242 individuals were collected. The density did not differ significantly from one month to another. The estimated values of the growth, recruitment, and mortality rates were studied using the width of the third setiger and the growth curves for the populations were adjusted by the Bhattacharya method (L'= 1.23, K = 1.2, mortality = 0.73). Two annual cohorts were identified in the period. Significant differences between males and females were observed in the population (x² = 71.6, p < 0.01) and between sexually defined and sexually indeterminate individuals (x² = 158.4, p < 0.01). Five stages of gonadal development were identified. The coexistence of recruits and mature individuals throughout the study period suggests that this population presented continuous reproduction.

A Baía de Guanabara é um ambiente marinho-estuarino de grande relevância ecológica e sócio-econômica, e sujeita a uma ampla gama de impactos ambientais. O sedimento é o principal destino para a maioria das substâncias introduzidas nos corpos d'água, podendo fornecer uma medida integrada da qualidade ambiental, a qual pode ser avaliada por várias abordagens. Neste projeto, a qualidade de sedimentos da Baía de Guanabara foi por uma abordagem ecotoxicológica, por meio de testes de toxicidade aguda de sedimento integral, utilizando Tiburonella viscana, e testes de toxicidade crônica de água intersticial, elutriato e interface sedimento-água, utilizando embriões de Lytechinus variegatus. Os sedimentos foram coletados em 14 estações de amostragem. Nos testes crônicos houve efeitos significativos na maioria das amostras, enquanto os sedimentos coletados nas estações 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12 e 15 apresentaram também toxicidade aguda. Houve grande concordância entre os resultados dos diferentes testes, e sua integração mostrou que os sedimentos analisados encontram-se inadequados à vida aquática, indicando degradação ambiental na baía da Guanabara. Nesse contexto, o controle das fontes poluidoras e o gerenciamento dos múltiplos usos da baía devem ser implementados, no sentido da melhora da qualidade ambiental.

Guanabara Bay is a marine-estuarine environment of high ecological and socio-economic importance, subject to a variety of environmental impacts. Sediment is the eventual repository for most substances introduced into water bodies and may, therefore, provide an integrated measure of the environmental quality, which can be assessed by many different approaches. In this project, the quality of sediments from Guanabara Bay was evaluated by the ecotoxicological approach: whole-sediment toxicity tests, using Tiburonella viscana, and porewater, elutriate and sediment-water interface chronic toxicity tests, using embryos of Lytechinus variegatus, were applied. Sediments were collected at 14 sampling stations, distributed across the bay. Chronic tests showed significant toxicity in most of the sediment samples. Sediments from stations 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12 and 15 showed acute toxicity as well. The results of the different tests were well correlated, and their integration showed that the sediments analyzed were considered unsuitable for aquatic life, resulting in the environmental degradation of Guanabara Bay. In this context, the control of pollution sources and multi-purpose management are required to improve the environmental quality.

Biogeographic distributional patterns of gastropods are proposed based on the species' geo-graphic and bathymetric distribution. Samples were collected along the Brazilian continental margin between 18° S and 23° S, at 37 stations with depths from 20 m to 1,330 m. The analysis of the biogeographic distribution patterns confirmed the existence of a transitional zone from tropical to subtropical waters in the area of both the continental shelf and slope, suggesting a relationship with water mass circulation. We observed a high species turnover rate between the shelf and slope. The analysis of gastropod species distribution revealed a similar pattern on the shelf and slope and a large difference between shallow and deep-water faunas.

Los patrones de distribución biogeográfica de gastrópodos fueron propuestos basados en la distribución geográfica y batimétrica de las especies. Los muestreos fueron realizados en el margen continental brasileño entre 18°S y 23°S, en 37 estaciones de 20 m a 1.330 m de profundidad. El análisis de los patrones de distribución biogeográfica confirmó la existencia de una zona de transición de aguas tropicales a aguas subtropicales, que se encuentra en la zona de la plataforma continental y también en la zona del talud continental, esto puede sugerir una relación con la circulación de las masas de agua. Se observó una elevada tasa de turnover de las especies entre la plataforma y el talud continental. El análisis de las especies de gastrópodos reveló un patrón similar tanto en la plataforma como en el talud y una gran diferencia entre las faunas de las aguas someras y profundas.

The diversity and richness patterns of bivalve molluscs were studied on the continental shelf of Ubatuba (23º38'S, 45º14'W and 23º25'S, 44º51'W) between 15-120 metres depth. The samples were taken with a rectangular dredge and a beam trawl. The results showed higher values of richness, diversity and evenness for inner shelf (from coast to nearly 50 m depth) and greater values of abundance for outer shelf (from 50 to around 120 m depth). This pattern might be due to the higher instability of the inner shelf, which is influenced by the seasonal intrusion of the South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) and the occurrence of cold fronts. Sanders' rarefation curves, distribution and abundance curves and DIMO model were used and the results compared. The Qinghong's model proved to be a good tool for summarizes the results of diversity in a such plural account.