Abstract Dimensions of particulate matter found in the water column of marine and freshwater environments (the pelagic realm) range from nanometers to tens of meters. Included in this enormous size range are miniature bacteria, phytoplankton (photosynthetic microalgae), mixoplankton (mixotrophic microorganisms), micro- to meter sized drifting animals (zooplankton), plastic particles, detrital aggregates and fecal pellets, fish, whales and many others. These particles and organisms are involved in many different processes and perform a multitude of services, such as in oceanic biogeochemistry (carbon fixation, oxygen production, carbon export and others) or human nourishment (fisheries). Digital optical tools used in pelagic imaging approaches now allow to bridge this enormous size span and to image micro- to meter-sized objects in situ or on discrete samples. Monitoring plankton, nekton, and particle dynamics at spatial and temporal scales that enable effective management of marine and freshwater environments poses a collective challenge for society. We here argue that a global, distributed and operational network for pelagic imaging is needed and within reach, and we provide recommendations how it can be attained via the voluntary activities of the pelagic imaging community and strategic support from funding agencies and other stakeholders. realm meters bacteria photosynthetic microalgae, microalgae , microalgae) mixotrophic microorganisms, microorganisms microorganisms) micro zooplankton, zooplankton (zooplankton) pellets fish others services fixation production fisheries. fisheries . (fisheries) metersized samples plankton nekton society global reach stakeholders (zooplankton (fisheries

Abstract Understanding the dynamics of microbial plankton communities, their metabolic processes and taxonomic composition in oligotrophic ocean basins has been one of the central tasks of contemporary marine microbial ecology and one of the main challenges in a changing global ocean. However, despite its ecological importance, the South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre (SASG) remains poorly understood in relation to marine microbes, which comprise the major drivers of biogeochemical cycles and the largest carbon sink to the deep ocean. This review presents the state of the art of microbial ecology in the SASG, including the adjacent oligotrophic region, the Southwest Atlantic Ocean (SWAO). We have also addressed the theoretical and methodological trends in this field since 1970s, focusing on the main milestones that led to the more-detailed current knowledge of the role of oligotrophic gyres in the global carbon cycle. Finally, we discussed the general patterns of microbial community composition in the SASG, focusing on their potential responses to environmental factors. In spite of increasing efforts to investigate this region, SASG is among the least known oceanic provinces, which has hampered the debate over whether the oligotrophic ocean acts as a sink or source of CO2 into the atmosphere.

ResumenOstreopsis cf. ovata es un dinoflagelado tóxico epifítico de amplia distribución en aguas cálidas, que a menudo coincide con especies de los géneros Coolia, Fukuyoa, Gambierdiscus y Prorocentrum. Investigamos una cepa aislada en la costa de Ubatuba, Brasil (Atlántico sudoccidental) mediante microscopía óptica y de epifluorescencia. Obtuvimos una secuencia de una región de unos 1 900 pares de bases del cistrón del gen del ARN ribosómico. Las células tenían 35-65 µm de diámetro dorso-ventral y 20-40 µm de ancho. En la filogenia del marcador LSU rADN, las secuencias con los nombres O. ovata and O. cf. ovata se sitúan en tres grupos. El marcador ITS mostraba un mayor poder resolutivo y las secuencias de O. ovata/O. cf. ovata se separan en cinco grupos. Nuestra secuencia ITS se sitúa en un grupo con secuencias de cepas procedentes del Mar Mediterráneo, costas europeas Atlánticas, Atlántico subtropical nororiental, otras secuencias procedentes de Río de Janeiro en Brasil, y algunas secuencias de Japón. Las dimensiones celulares y la disposición de las placas tecales se sitúan en el rango de variabilidad descrito en otras regiones oceánicas. Nuestras observaciones confirman a O. cf. ovata como la especie más comúnmente registrada de Ostreopsis en el Atlántico sudoccidental. Ostreopsis cf. ovata coindice con Coolia malayensis en Brasil y Asia. Ostreopsis cf. ovata ha sido comúnmente encontrada en el Mar Mediterráneo, donde C. malayensis aún no ha sido registrada. Coolia malayensis has sido registrada en el Mar Caribe, donde O. ovata aún no ha sido encontrada. Es difícil comprender los factores que determinan la biogeografía de los dinoflagelados epífitos tropicales, a partir del conocimiento actual.

AbstractOstreopsis cf. ovata is a toxic epiphytic dinoflagellate widely distributed in warm waters that often co-occur with species of the genera Coolia, Fukuyoa, Gambierdiscus and Prorocentrum. We investigated a strain isolated from the coast of Ubatuba, Brazil (Southwest Atlantic Ocean) by light and epifluorescence microscopies; we also report molecular data based on the LSU rDNA and ITS markers. Cells were 35-65 µm in the dorso-ventral diameter and 20-40 µm wide. We obtained the sequence of a ~1 900 base pair region of the rRNA gene cistron. In the LSU rDNA phylogeny, the sequences under the names O. ovata and O. cf. ovata branched into three clades. The ITS marker showed greater resolving power and the sequences of O. ovata/O. cf. ovata split into five clades. Our ITS sequence branched in a clade with sequences of strains from the Mediterranean Sea, European Atlantic coasts, subtropical NE Atlantic, other sequences from Brazil at Rio de Janeiro, and a few sequences from Japan. The cell dimensions and thecal plate arrangement were under the variability range reported in other ocean regions. Our observations confirm O. cf. ovata as the most commonly recorded species of Ostreopsis in the SW Atlantic Ocean. Ostreopsis cf. ovata co-occurred with Coolia malayensis in Brazil and Asia, but it has been commonly reported from the Mediterranean Sea, where C. malayensis has not yet been recorded; while Coolia malayensis has been reported from the Caribbean Sea, but not O. ovata. With the current knowledge, it is difficult to understand the factors that determine the biogeography of the tropical epiphytic dinoflagellates. Rev. Biol. Trop. 65 (3): 1022-1032. Epub 2017 September 01.

As pesquisas sobre o zooplâncton marinho no Brasil têm sido primariamente descritivas, com a maioria dos estudos enfocando a análise da estrutura da comunidade e assuntos relacionados. A composição e a distribuição espacial de muitos grupos taxonômicos encontram-se bem estudadas, embora os táxons menos abundantes e de menores dimensões, assimcomo os estágios iniciais do ciclo de vida da maioria das espécies, tenham recebido pouca atenção. Alguns táxons numericamenteimportantes encontram-se pouco estudados, como no caso dos protistas heterotróficos, ctenóforos, turbelários acelos e ostrácodes. Amplos setores da plataforma continental não têm sido suficientemente amostrados, em particular nas áreas influenciadas pela Corrente Norte do Brasil (5ºN-15ºS). As áreas oceânicas têm sido também pouco estudadas e praticamente inexistem dados sobre a distribuição espacial e vertical das espécies meso- e batipelágicas. Levantamentos faunísticos adicionais devem focalizar os táxons e locais menos conhecidos. No entanto, sob o ponto de vista ecológico é necessário darprioridade a estudos de processos voltados ao entendimentodos mecanismos que governam a distribuição, as interações tróficas nas teias alimentares pelágicas e os ciclos de produção do zooplâncton em relação ao ambiente físico. Deve ser feito um esforço para incorporar novas tecnologias de amostragem e métodos analíticos em futuros projetos de pesquisa.

Marine zooplankton research in Brazil has been primarily descriptive, with most studies focusing on community structure analysis and related issues. The composition and spatial distribution of several taxonomic groups are currently well known, although less-abundant and small-sized taxa as well as initial stages of almost all species have received little attention. Some numerically important taxa such as heterotrophic protists, ctenophores, acoel turbellarians and ostracods remain virtually unstudied. Large sectors of the continental shelf have not been sampled in detail, particularly those areas influenced by the North Brazil Current (5ºN-15ºS). Zooplankton abundance and biomass in offshore waters have seldom been quantified, and information on the distribution and vertical migration of meso- and bathypelagic species are lacking. Additional faunistic assessments must target those less-studied taxa and geographical locations. However, priority in ecological studies should be given to process-oriented investigations aimed at understanding the mechanisms controlling zooplankton distribution, trophic interactions within pelagic food webs and production cycles in relation to the physical environment. An effort should be made to incorporate state-of-the-art sampling technology and analytical methods into future research projects.

Um esforço global de modelagem foi proposto pelo Programa LOICZ (Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone) para promover a aquisição de dados comparáveis sobre fluxos continente-oceano em ecossistemas estuarinos e de plataforma em todos os continentes. Como parte do componente sulamericano desta iniciativa, apresentamos neste trabalho estimativas de fluxo de água, sal, fósforo inorgânico dissolvido (DIP), nitrogênio inorgânico dissolvido (DIN) e plâncton para o sistema estuarino da Baía de Paranaguá, obtidas a partir da aplicação de modelos sugeridos pelo programa LOICZ. Este sistema é fortemente influenciado por um ciclo meteorológico sazonal, representado pelos períodos chuvosos de verão e secos de inverno. As marés semidiurnas, com variação de até 2,7 m, são responsáveis pela dinâmica estuarina de curta escala temporal. Nossos resultados indicam uma exportação potencial de água para a área costeira adjacente de até 7 x 10(6) m³ d-1 no período seco e mais de 28 x 10(6) m³ d-1 no período chuvoso. O sistema exibe variações sazonais e espaciais nos fluxos de DIP e DIN. O "DIP atingiu +2.3 x 10(6) mol P ano-1 e o "DIN to -2.7 x 10(6) mol N ano-1, sugerindo que a produção líquida de fosfato e o consumo de nitrogênio inorgânico predominam em todo o sistema. Os fluxos e, portanto, a exportação de DIN e principalmente de DIP são altos no período chuvoso. Estimativas estequiométricas baseadas nas razões C:N:P da matéria orgânica particulada reativa (detritos de origem planctônica e do manguezal) sugerem que o processo de denitrificação predomina em toda a baía, com valores entre -24.3 e -10.6 x 10(6) mol N ano-1. Os fluxos estimados em direção à área costeira adjacente tiveram pouco efeito sobre o destino da biomassa do fito- e zooplâncton nos diferentes setores da baía.

A worldwide modeling effort has been proposed by the LOICZ (Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone) Program to foster the acquisition of intercomparable data on land-ocean fluxes in estuaries and continental shelf ecosystems from all continental margins. As part of the South American component of this initiative, we present flux estimates of water, salt, dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and plankton for the estuarine system of Paranaguá Bay, southern Brazil, based on the LOICZ modeling approach and local data obtained during the 1990's. This system is strongly influenced by a seasonal meteorological cycle, represented by the rainy/summer and dry/winter periods. Semi-diurnal tides of up to the 2.7-m range are responsible for the short time-scale dynamics. The model indicated a potential water export to the adjacent coast of up to 7 x 10(6) m³ d-1 in the dry season, and 28 x 10(6) m³ d-1 during the rainy season. The system exhibits seasonal and spatial variations in DIP and DIN fluxes. "DIP amounted to +2.3 x 10(6) mol P yr-1 and "DIN to -2.7 x 10(6) mol N yr-1, suggesting that net production of phosphate and consumption of inorganic nitrogen predominate throughout in the system. Fluxes and therefore export of DIN and eespecially of DIP are higher in the rainy season. Stoichiometric estimates based on the C:N:P ratios of the reacting particulate organic matter (mangrove and plankton detritus) suggest that net denitrification predominates all over the bay, with values between -24.3 and -10.6 x 10(6) mol N year-1. Estimated seaward outflows had little effect upon the fate of the phyto- and zooplankton biomass in different sectors of the bay. This is exemplified by the low net export of algal production from the upper to the middle sectors of the estuary.

A estrutura das associações zooplanctônicas do complexo estuarino de Paranaguá foi estudada no inverno de 1993 e no verão de 1994. Copépodes dos gêneros Acartia, Paracalanus, Parvocalanus, Temora, Pseudodiaptomus, Oithona e Euterpina foram dominantes, atingindo até cerca de 90% da densidade total. A única espécie que ocorreu preferencialmente em salinidades inferiores a 15 foi o calanóide Pseudodiaptomus richardi, que representa o principal componente do holoplncton nos setores oligohalinos. Acartia tonsa e Oithona oswaldocruzi predominaram nos trechos intermediários, associadas a outras espécies estuarino-marinhas que suportam maiores variações de salinidade, como Acartia lilljeborgi, Pseudodiaptomus acutus e Oithona hebes. Espécies marinho-eurihalinas como Temora turbinata, Paraca/anus quasimodo, Oithona simplex e Euterpina acutifrons ocorreram em salinidades tão baixas quanto 15, mas foram mais abundantes na área externa influenciada pela água costeira. Várias espécies marinho-estenohalinas, associadas principalmente às águas quentes da Corrente do Brasil, foram registradas no setor euhalino. Outros grupos zooplanctônicos numericamente importantes foram os tintinineos, apendiculárias, cladóceros e alguns representantes do meroplncton, como as larvas de poliquetas e decápodes. Os máximos de abundncia do zooplncton (até cerca de 82000 org.m-3) ocorreram nos setores intermediários, em salinidades variando entre 15 e 30, coincidindo aproximadamente com o padrão de distribuição da biomassa fitoplanctônica.

Zooplankton community structure was investigated in the estuarine complex of Paranaguá (Southern Brazil) during July 1993 (winter) and February-March 1994 (summer). Copepods belonging to the genera Acartia, Paracalanus, Parvocalanus, Pseudodiaptomus, Temora, Oithona and Euterpina dominated the zooplankton associations, attaining up to 90% of total densities. Pseudodiaptomus richardi was the dominant estuarine copepod in oligohaline stretches with salinities below 15. Estuarine marine species such as Acartia tonsa, Oithona hebes and Oithona oswaldocruzi reached high densities in salinities ranging from 17 to 25. Other abundant estuarine marine species including Acartia lilljeborgi and Pseudodiaptomus acutus occurred in a broader salinity range. Marine euryhaline copepods were found in salinities as low as 15, but were usually more abundant in areas under the influence of coastal waters. Several marine stenohaline species associated with the warm waters of the Brazil Current were recorded in the euhaline areas. Other important zooplanktonic groups in this estuarine complex were tintinnids, appendicularians, cladocerans and meroplanktonic larvae of polychaetes and decapods. Density maxima (up to 82400 org.m-³) were found in the intermediate stretches - in salinities varying from 15 to 30 - corresponding approximately to the distributional pattern of phytoplankton biomass.