In shallow reef ecosystems, biological diversity is driven by the presence of ecologically diverse habitats. As the physical structure of these habitats becomes more complex, there is a greater supply of different types of refuge, foraging opportunities, and resources linked to high species diversity and abundance. Thus, habitat heterogeneity on the reef is crucial for promoting biodiversity. However, frequent and intense global and local threats are causing rapid changes in the coverage of these ecosystems, leading to habitat loss and the decline of species that directly contribute to ecosystem functioning and ecological services. One alternative to assess the contribution of reef habitats and associated communities is the use of functional diversity of groups that play significant roles in the ecosystem. Free-living Nematoda have a diversity that can serve as a link to investigate complex interactions between biological diversity and the functional balance of ecosystems, mainly due to their different and important ecological roles. Responses to the influence of different shallow reef habitats on the taxonomic and functional structure of Nematoda were evidenced in this dissertation over two chapters. In the first chapter, the results indicated that the reef flat presents a unique assembly, more taxonomically and functionally diverse, with differences compared to adjacent pool assemblages. These differences are dominated by replacement processes. Dominant Functional Entities (FEs) exhibited combinations of characteristics related to environments disturbed by humans, suggesting that the studied coral reef systems are undergoing degradation and that the functional attributes of Nematoda may be a sensitive tool to investigate disturbances in coral reef ecosystems. In the second chapter, Nematoda showed taxonomic and functional differences among the habitats studied, resulting in 4 groups among the 7 habitats, and the differences were also dominated by replacement processes, with high specificity and fidelity of genera and EFs to habitats. Assemblages showed low functional redundancy and high vulnerability, with most FEs composed of a single genus. These results point to the importance of maintaining habitat heterogeneity in preserving the taxonomic and functional diversity of coral reefs and, consequently, the functions and services associated with this ecosystem.

Climate change is threatening biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems. They are especially worrying in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, such as the Caatinga, as they have caused a reduction in precipitation and an increase in temperature in these areas, which already face a large water deficit. The Caatinga is an exclusively Brazilian biome and the largest and most biodiverse Seasonal Dry Tropical Forest in the world. However, this dry forest has numerous knowledge gaps, and it is the biome with the least information on mammals. Therefore, this thesis began by compiling a dataset of records of small non-flying mammals for the biome, prioritising species with vouchers held in scientific collections, and seeking to guarantee the accuracy of the geographical coordinates. The dataset gathered a total of 3133 records from 816 localities, resulting in a richness of 47 native species (12 marsupials and 35 rodents), as well as three exotic rodents (Rattus rattus, Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus). Three new species are also reported for the biome and its transition areas: the rodents Calomys mattevii, Holochilus oxe and Nectomys squamipes. In addition to richness and composition, the dataset contains biometric data for many records. Having surveyed the species and their points of occurrence in the biome, we sought to identify climatically suitable areas for each of them in the Caatinga and where these areas would be considering two climate change scenarios (SSP 245 and 585) and for the years 2050 and 2070. Ecological Niche Modelling was used to obtain projections for 24 species of rodents and marsupials. By quantifying how much climatically suitable area would be lost or gained in each of the scenarios and years, it was found that among the arid adapted species, only four rodents should gain climatically suitable area, while the other species would lose. As for the no-arid adapted species, i.e. those that are more common in areas influenced by the Atlantic Forest, would be more vulnerable to climate change, with a large reduction in their climatically suitable areas in the Caatinga. Once these variations in climate suitability for species had been identified, spatial prioritisations were then carried out in order to identify priority areas for preserving small mammal species in the Caatinga in the present time and in the future of climate change, using Zonation software. The prioritisations presented here take into account the future of climate change and present a low risk of implementation, and can be considered as a "no regrets" conservation action. By verifying that these priority areas are poorly supported by the current National System of Conservation Units, cost-effective strategies were defined for expanding protected areas in the Caatinga, especially by transforming certain Sustainable Use areas into Integral Protection. The results presented here, especially the reduction in climatically suitable areas for the majority of small mammal species in the Caatinga, reinforce the need to ensure that conservation strategies are in place to deal with the unavoidable climate change consequences in this unique biome.

Effective conservation efforts and predictions of future impacts on biodiversity depend heavily on publicly available information about species distributions. However, data on species distributions is often patchy, especially in many countries of the Global South where resources for biological surveys have been historically limited. In this study, we use ignorance scores to quantify and visualize gaps and biases in biodiversity data for Namibia, with a focus on five terrestrial taxa at a spatial scale of 10 x 10 km. We model the relationship between ignorance scores and socio-geographical variables using generalized additive models for location, scale and shape (GAMLSS). Our findings demonstrate that despite a high volume of occurrence records available on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), publicly available knowledge of Namibia's terrestrial biodiversity remains limited, with large areas contributing few or no records for key taxa. The exception is birds, which may be due to the influx of data from citizen science platforms. Our study also highlights the importance of citizen science initiatives for biodiversity knowledge and reinforces the usefulness of ignorance scores as an indicator of the relative availability and distribution of species occurrence records. However, further research, biological surveys, and renewed efforts to mobilize existing data are necessary to enhance biodiversity data coverage in countries with patchy data.

Wild woody food plants have high potential for food and nutritional security but may be under pressure from wood use. Therefore, it is important for us to understand whether in a context of interaction of uses, the importance of food use can act to protect woody plants from destructive uses. This thesis is divided into two chapters, which converge on the conservation of woody plants through the interaction between different uses, with one of these uses having a protective effect. In the first chapter, through a systematic review, we sought to identify priority species for biocultural conservation that are also strategic for maintaining food and nutritional security (in terms of micro and macronutrient composition) and potentially threatened by their multiple wood uses. We identified 42 species with applications in all categories of wood use analyzed in this study, considered versatile. Comparison of ethnobiological and nutritional data revealed nine versatile species for which nutritional composition information was available, among which three stood out in terms of macronutrient content, namely Anacardium occidentale L., Bauhinia cheilantha (Bong.) Steud., and Eugenia pyriformis Cambess. We found that many versatile species classified as threatened or declining have not been the focus of nutritional studies, signaling the need for greater nutritional research efforts. We also highlight the need to investigate whether the food importance exerts any protective effect on these species, reducing the pressure of wood use (protection hypothesis). In the second chapter, we conducted a field study in a rural community within the Restinga vegetation, in northeastern Brazil. In this chapter, we sought to fill a gap in the literature on how the domestic and commercial importance of woody food plants can protect them from wood exploitation. To this end, we examined the protection hypothesis from two different perspectives (generalized protection and protection targeted at key species). Our findings suggest that there is no protective effect proportional to the food use of the species. However, the domestic use of key food species exhibited a strong protective effect. Perceived availability and quality emerged as important predictors for wood exploitation. Thus, we discuss biocultural conservation strategies that increase the food importance of plants to ensure their protection, along with measures for non-edible woody species under greater pressure of use. Through this thesis, we discovered that food species with nutritional potential may be under pressure from use due to their wood employment. However, species with high importance have reduced wood use, controlling for perceived wood quality and availability. Therefore, ecological study of these species and adoption of conservation measures that include the valorization and sustainable use of plant resources are necessary.

The increasing human population in coastal areas has intensified several threats to marine biodiversity, from unregulated fishing activities to the degradation of coastal ecosystems. In Brazil, marine protected areas have been essential for regulating the use of public coastal areas and mitigating impacts on a range of socially and economically important species. Here, we sought to understand the spatial distribution of green turtles and threats within the most extensive Brazilian federal marine protected area. We also investigate which threats are related with green turtles’ density and mortality rate. For this, we used aerial images taken by survey drones to identify green turtles and their location. We also used a database of stranded turtles with information on fibropapillomathosis presence/absence and severity, quantity of plastic ingested, and quantity of plant species ingested. All data were divided into sampling units along the protection area and statistically analyzed, seeking to understand their relationship. Our results indicated that green turtles are distributed along the entire coast and successfully identified the central and southern regions of the Costa dos Corais Protection Area (APACC) as the locations with higher density of individuals. Also, we observed that urbanization is associated with an impoverished diet, incidence of fibropapillomatosis and litter ingestion. Unexpectedly, fishing pressure was not related with mortality rates. Finally, our heat map of threats points to the city of Japaratinga as a priority area for the intensification of conservation actions within the APACC since it has multiple threats and a high density of turtles.

The river-estuarine continuum comprises several highly productive environments related to constant fluctuations in environmental conditions due to the mixing of freshwater and saltwater, creating stratified environments that filter the occurrence of species along its length. The diverse habitats of these transitional aquatic ecosystems have been subjected to intense impacts resulting from the damming of rivers and the introduction of non-native species. In the present dissertation, we approach two questions, having as a model the river-estuarine continuum of the lower São Francisco River, historically impacted by hydroelectric construction and species introduction. For the first question, the response of the taxonomic structure of the fish community to physiographic and seasonal factors related to biological productivity was studied. For the second question, the impact of non-native species on the functional diversity of the community based on high-resolution trophic traits was verified. The continuum was spatially divided into three regions according to the geomorphology of the lower São Francisco: Depression (upper), Tableland (middle) and Lowland (lower). Bimonthly data on composition and abundance by fish species and quantitative diet data were collected between 2019 and 2021 with various fishing gear.

Simultaneously, abiotic data were recorded (salinity, depth, temperature, chlorophyll a, turbidity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen). The results indicate that seasonality, modeled by rainfall variation, does not influence the taxonomic structure of the fish community in the river-estuarine continuum of the São Francisco River. However, spatial differentiation in the composition and use of habitat is defined mainly by salinity. In this sense, the impact of the loss of the seasonal effect in dammed environments was discussed. Regarding the impact of non-native species on the native community of the lower São Francisco River, simulation scenarios of components of functional diversity were used, evaluating the impact on the trophic structure by removing non-native species by physiographic region. Based on the concept of trophic niche partition, high-resolution continuous trophic functional traits were estimated by analyzing the diet of native and non-native species. Non-native species were removed from simulation scenarios based on the trophic level. Ten non-native species were identified with trophic levels ranging from detritivores to carnivores, with occurrence and abundance related to the region along the continuum. The results of the simulations, according to the removal of non-native species from the lowest to the highest trophic level and later recalculating the functional indices, indicate an impact on the functional structure of the native community. From the first removal of the introduced species, there is an expansion in the functional space in the tableland region, making it possible to infer that non-native species compact the trophic niche of the species in this region. In the depression region, functional homogenization occurs. The lowland has an environmental filtering process, with non-native species being barred due to higher salinity. However, despite all the non-native species found being from freshwater, there was a low abundance of Bryconops melanurus, Cichla kelberi, Metynnis lippincottianus, Oreochromis niloticus, Pellona castelnaeana and Trachelyopterus galeatus.

Global changes have caused several changes in coastal systems through pollution, over-exploitation of resources, increased temperatures in the atmosphere and oceans, in addition to extreme weather events. These changes affect different regions of the planet, causing profound impacts on socioecological systems, especially on human fishing communities that depend heavily on marine resources. In this research, we evaluated the impact of environmental changes on two coastal fishing communities in Northeast Brazil, located in the Costa dos Corais Environmental Protection Area (APACC), the largest coastal marine protected area in Brazil. Based on semi-structured interviews, we investigated the perception of fishermen and women regarding changes in fishing activity, identifying the most impacted species and the causes of the impact. The results indicate that local residents perceive impacts of global changes on fisheries resources in a broad and multidirectional way in different systems and subsystems, in addition to identifying species of high importance for local subsistence and economics and which, according to local perception, are with their populations in sharp decline or even locally extinct, as is the case of the massunim (Tivela mactroides), cockle (Anomalocardia brasiliana), ubarana (Albula vulpes), jack (Canranx hippos) grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) and crab (Mycteroperca bonaci ), for example. Our study reinforces the importance of local ecological knowledge in structuring public conservation policies, due to its high potential to elucidate complex patterns in tropical social and ecological systems, which most often lack standardized long-term monitoring programs.

There is a growing number of studies that point to the effects of anthropogenic activities on the environment, especially in aquatic ecosystems. The consumption demands of the world's population have negatively affected water resources, due to the reception of personal hygiene products, agricultural products, domestic and industrial effluents in bodies of water. In this study, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) model system was used to evaluate the environmental quality of a watershed in the metropolitan region of Maceió, in northeastern Brazil. Water samples were collected according to specific protocols in three different locations (P1, P2 and P3), between the source and the mouth of the Pratagy River, with different degrees of anthropization and in two periods, in March and June 2022. The samples were destined for the determination of the physical-chemical parameters of the water and of different classes of contaminants, as well as for the embryo-larval toxicity test with zebrafish (ZELT), during 144 hours, with the analysis of lethal and non-lethal biomarkers , cardiotoxicity and neurotoxicity. Contaminants of different classes were detected in the analyzed samples, some of them above the established limit, others prohibited for use in a large part of the globe, including Brazil, such as Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (4.4 DDT), banned for decades. Regarding the mortality rate, only a significant increase was observed in the P3 of the first collection. The evaluation of the number of spontaneous movements, a biomarker of neurotoxicity, showed a difference between P3 and the negative control in the first collection and P2 and control in the second sampling. The data set evaluated corroborate the negative influence of anthropic activities practiced around the Pratagy river basin and that these can affect the survival and physiology of aquatic organisms, thus impacting this aquatic ecosystem.

Many ecologically and economically important fish species for fisheries use diverse habitats in their developmental stages, depending vitally on the connectivity between different ecosystems. In this context, knowledge about the relationships between habitat characteristics and fish assemblage composition is essential for the efficient conservation of coastal marine biodiversity. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of different marine estuarine habitats on the composition of fish assemblages and, consequently, on the connectivity between environments, and to identify priority habitats for conservation. Collections were carried out between November (2021) and April (2022) in the Reserva Extrativista Marinha Lagoa do Jequiá (RESEX de Jequiá), Alagoas (Brazil). To obtain data on richness and abundance of the ichthyofauna of mangrove estuarine habitats and with sandy, rocky, artificial and coral substrate, Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) were used. In all, 36 samples distributed among the habitats of RESEX de Jequiá were used, and 27 fish taxa from 16 families and 687 individuals were recorded. The coastal reefs stood out significantly, showing higher richness (means: S= 5.7; Nmax=51.8). The other estuarine habitats obtained similar values for richness and abundance. Regarding the occurrence of species, the reef environments had the highest frequency, with 31% (n=31), followed by the mangrove with 24% (n=24). The mangrove had the highest prominence and presence of important species for fishing. The species Anchoa sp. Lutjanus jocu and Caranx latus were the most abundant, being habitat generalists, representing good indicators of ecological connectivity between the estuarine-marine environment. Juveniles of endangered species such as Lutjanus cyanopterus (for estuaries), Sparisoma axillare and S. frondosum (for reefs) were also recorded. The ecological connectivity between the environments was evidenced due to the use of habitats by migrating taxa, revealing the importance of this ecological aspect in the maintenance of local populations. The results achieved are important to encourage management initiatives for estuarine and marine ichthyofauna of RESEX de Jequiá, especially focused on priority habitats for conservation, such as coastal reefs and mangroves, and for endangered species economically important for fishing.

Meiofauna, an ecological group formed by organisms of diverse invertebrate taxa with intermediate size between micro- and macrofauna, is an effective tool in the assessment of environmental impacts in aquatic environments due to several factors, many of which are related to their benthic way of life. Based on this information, this dissertation was developed in two chapters: chapter 1 brings a scientometric review on the application of meiofauna as an environmental indicator in cases of sewage pollution and chapter 2 is an application of meiofauna as an indicator of the condition of sandy beaches that receive clandestine sewage dumping. For the development of chapter 1, the Scopus and Web of Science journal databases were consulted, and for the analysis of the data obtained, the R bibliometrix package and its graphic support tool biblioshiny were used. As a result, 63 articles published between 1930 and 2021 were thoroughly evaluated. Most of these articles were developed on sandy beaches receiving domestic sewage, and Nematoda was the dominant group in these researches. It was shown that there are few articles published in the area and that the largest groups of researchers are geographically restricted, with a poor collaboration network. Chapter 2, in turn, was developed in dissipative and reflective beaches of the city of Maceió, Alagoas, where there are washouts, dumping of rainwater effluents polluted by clandestine sewage. The study aimed to assess the effects of beach morphodynamics on meiofauna in direct contact with the fouled tongues, combined also with the effect of the spatial distance of the effluent and the verticality of the communities in the sediments. For this purpose, biological samples were collected from two dirty tongues of each beach type in a dry period in 2021, as well as material and data samples, such as sediment and salinity, for correlation analyzes. As a result, 17 taxonomic groups were found, the most abundant on all beaches being Nematoda. The types of beaches showed significant differences, including with respect to distances from the dirty tongue and strata. The factors that most influenced the dissimilarity of the groups were the number of total coliforms and E. coli, the asymmetry and degree of grain sorting, and salinity. The reflective beach was the one that showed the most negative response to the impacts promoted by sewage, including the decrease in meiofauna density in the upper layers of the sediment. It was proven that the beaches analyzed suffer from the impact of sewage pollution

The Atlantic Forest north of the São Francisco River, known as the Pernambuco Endemism Center, is the most critical area of the biome, mainly due to the devastation caused by sugarcane. In the process of producing alcohol and sugar, one of the stages is burning to harvest sugarcane, during which countless natural predators are eliminated, requiring the great use of pesticides, such as herbicides, in addition to other mineral fertilizers. Present in these compounds are non-essential metals with great potential for environmental pollution, causing major impacts on ecosystems. Among organisms that can suffer from this contamination are birds, which have specific eating habits, the ability to carry out large displacements and great sensitivity and low levels of detoxifying enzymes. The study was carried out in three fragments of Atlantic Forest protected by the Pernambuco Endemism Center (PEC) in Alagoas. For analysis, 10 feathers were collected from the chest of understory forest birds. Our study found only the presence of aluminum in the samples. On dry periods, birds of the species Schiffornis turdina from ESEC-Murici showed much higher aluminum concentrations than birds of the same species from Mata do Cedro. Furthermore, aluminum concentrations were much higher in September in the avifauna of RPPN Mata do Matão. The results showed the need for attention in the study areas that showed levels of aluminum contamination, proving to be a threat to the local fauna and flora, requiring attention in relation to the large use of mineral fertilizers.

Marine elasmobranchs stand out for their high risk of extinction and a portion of the species still do not have appropriate data to be evaluated, such as growth parameters, reproduction and fishing data. Therefore, the study proposes to discriminate biological and ecological attributes that are simple to obtain that can be used as effective predictors to predict levels of threat of extinction. For this, we carried out a survey of valid species and extraction of more general attributes of these species (eg, maximum length, habitat, reproductive mode, trophic level, conservation status, among others), in the Shark-References, IUCN and FishBase databases. . To extract these data, we used the rfishbase package of the R software. A correlation matrix was performed to identify which attributes were highly correlated, which were excluded. To determine which bioecological attributes are best predictors of threat status, we used generalized linear models (GLMs), modeling IUCN threat status (not including NE and DD categories) as a function of attributes. Subsequently, we evaluated the assertive rate of the models, and sequentially applied the models to the species categorized as NE and DD. Data from 1,173 species of marine elasmobranchs were compiled, of which 537 are sharks and 636 are rays. The GLM model pointed out that species with histotrophic viviparity and long body length were the most threatened. On the other hand, pelagic-oceanic and shallower species were estimated to be less threatened. The assertiveness rate of the models shows that the most general scale (which determines whether the species is or is not at risk of extinction) was greater than 70%. When applying these models to species classified as NE and DD, we identified that 63% of stingray species are at some degree of extinction risk and 58% for sharks. Therefore, these bioecological attributes can indicate species with greater risk of extinction, thus being able to subsidize their prioritization in population assessments.

Regiões secas (drylands) são áreas com índices de aridez ≤0,65. Nesse tipo de ambiente as chuvas são escassas e ocorrem em pulsos (eventos raros de super-disponibilidade de recursos). Durante a seca, a demanda nutricional e metabólica é diminuída. Desta maneira, quanto maior o tempo de seca, maior o reservatório nutricional acumulado no ambiente. O tamanho do reservatório influencia a intensidade da resposta ao pulso de água. Ou seja, existe uma ‘memória’ ambiental do evento de chuva anterior. Outro exemplar de ecossistema com frequente déficit de água é a filosfera (parte aérea das plantas). Esse ambiente intermedia a relação da planta com ambiente e é uma fonte megadiversa de microrganismos. A filosfera de bromélias, plantas tipicamente neotropicais, abrigam diversos grupos microbianos, incluindo leveduras. Entretanto, o conhecimento sobre leveduras em bromélias é disperso e ainda incipiente. Neste estudo nossos objetivos foram: 1) Compilar, sintetizar e compreender a extensão do conhecimento sobre leveduras da filosfera de bromélias em escala global. 2) Verificar o efeito da chuva e da memória ambiental sobre a diversidade e estrutura taxonômica, filogenética e funcional das leveduras da filosfera de bromélias na Caatinga. 3) Caracterizar a possível nova espécie Carlosrosaea caatingensis sp. nov.. Para tanto, a literatura sobre leveduras em bromélias foi sistematicamente revisada. Ademais, leveduras foram isoladas regularmente durante dois anos a partir de bromélias na Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural (RPPN) Tocaia, no município de Santana do Ipanema, Sertão alagoano. Na produção acadêmica das últimas três décadas foram encontrados registros de mais de 180 espécies de leveduras na filosfera de bromélias, distribuídos em quatro compartimentos: flores, frutos, folhas e tanques. Cerca de 70% das espécies ocorreram exclusivamente em um único compartimento e apenas 2% foram comuns a todos. Mais de 20 novas espécies de leveduras foram descritas em bromélias nesse período e ao menos 50 espécies mostraram algum potencial biotecnológico. Quanto ao efeito das chuvas, a diversidade-alfa não diferiu significativamente entre períodos sazonais. Entretanto, a composição taxonômica divergiu em mais de 70%, embora tenha se mostrado funcionalmente estável. A chuva, seca e a memória ambiental tiveram pouca influência nas métricas de diversidade. No entanto, mostraram relação com a estrutura da comunidade. A análise das regiões ITS e D1/D2 do gene 26S rRNA de isolados da Caatinga indicou uma possível nova espécie com afinidade ao gênero Carlosrosaea. Diante disso, caracterizamos e propomos a espécie C. caatingensis sp. nov.. Nossos resultados trazem informações sobre a diversidade e dinâmica das leveduras da filosfera de bromélias e como ela se relaciona com os pulsos de chuva, seca, sazonalidade e efeito de memória. Compreendendo o efeito da chuva e da seca na microbiota da filosfera, principalmente em regiões secas, podemos estimar como a comunidade microbiana das folhas será afetada pelas mudanças climáticas que alteram os ciclos seco-úmido e, consequentemente, como isso se relaciona com o hospedeiro.

Global changes have an impact on marine ecosystems, affecting corals and
their microbiota. The Brazilian coastal zone, spanning approximately 8,000 km,
is home to a variety of ecosystems and is often referred to as the blue Amazon.
Fungi, which represent about 1% (~1900) of the species described in this
group, are part of the microorganisms that constitute the microbiota of corals
and sponges. These marine fungi produce a range of natural products (NPs)
through unique biosynthetic pathways, exhibiting potential biological activities
and playing a role in host defense. The NPs of marine fungi have been
highlighted in the discovery of new antimicrobials against emerging pathogens.
This study aimed to bioprospect and characterize secondary metabolites with
biological activities from filamentous fungi originating from sponges and corals
in the blue Amazon. Traditional culture media and techniques based on the
activation of biosynthetic pathways were used to enhance the richness of
secondary metabolites (MSs) of fungi, which belong to the Microbial Diversity
and Biotechnology Laboratory (LDBM) - UFAL. Chemical analysis techniques
were employed to annotate the synthesized MSs and assess their
biotechnological potential in controlling emerging human pathogens. Seven
species were selected from the LDBM-UFAL mycotheque, including Aspergillus
ruber FMPV 02; Epicocum chloridis FMPV 05; Aspergillus sydowii FMPV 10;
Aspergillus flavus FMPV 11; Curvularia sp. FMPV 12; Penicillium pedernalense
FMS 066; Pyrenochaetopsis sp. FMS 104. Extracts obtained from the mycelium
and culture supernatant were evaluated. Two strains, E. chloridis FMPV 05 and
A. sydowii FMPV 10, exhibited antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans,
Cryptococcus neoformans, and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The extracts
and fractions of these two fungi contained several compounds, with
diketopiperazines Leu-Pro cycle (12.62%) and its isomer (21.15%), Phe-Val
cycle (6.22%) and Pro cycle -Phe (4.50%) standing out as potentially
responsible for the antimicrobial activity and control of pathogen virulence
factors. Using the one-strain-of-many-compounds (OSMAC) strategy, the
fungus A. sydowii FMPV 10 exhibited antimicrobial activity against C. albicans
and C. neoformans. A 95% difference was observed in the compounds
synthesized in the different media used, demonstrating that different cultivation
strategies enhance the production of MSs with varying chemical and biological
profiles. Marine filamentous fungi from the blue Amazon are a promising source
for obtaining natural products with biotechnological potential. The strains E.
chloridis FMPV 05 and A. sydowii FMPV 10 produced molecules with
antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi pathogenic to human health.
However, to understand the role of these microorganisms in marine
ecosystems, further studies are needed that include strategies and techniques
aimed at linking chemodiversity and functional roles in the marine environment.

After facing the impact of the major oil spill registered in Brazil, coastal fishing communities became even more harmed, due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we assess the resilience of 19 fishing communities on the northeast coast facing the subsequent impacts of the oil spill of 2019 and the pandemic. We conducted online and presential semi-structured interviews with 156 fishers and shellfish gatherers of three coastal states to understand how resilience varies on different socioeconomic and fishing characteristics. We also obtained information about the coping mechanisms adopted by the fishers after the impacts. The majority of them couldn’t find other activities as coping mechanisms during the periods when fishing wasn’t allowed or profitable. Fishers with higher income and from Bahia state had higher resilience scores, while those who weren’t inside protected areas, lower. These communities yet experience a hard scenario, that strongly affected their social reproduction. It’s clear that should have efforts to compensate and also mitigate these impacts, but we also argue that anticipating new impacts that could affect coastal communities in the future can give fishermen greater chances of being resilient.

The continental shelf of South America was exposed in different ways to eustatic and isostatic changes during the Quaternary, modifying its physiography, forming paleodrains that culminated in connectivity between rivers and/or isolation in the past, consequently affecting the distribution of aquatic organisms. To assess these historical Pleistocene effects, widely distributed species that inhabit marine and estuarine environments are excellent predictors, especially when evaluating their levels of genetic diversity. In the present work, we analysed the genetic and phylogenetic diversity of L. grossidens, a plastic species widely distributed in South America. For this, we used two genes, one mitochondrial (COI) and one nuclear (Rhodopsin). Our analyses were congruent, detecting the presence of three lineages that diversified during the Pleistocene glacial and interglacial ages. Being a distributed from the extreme south that diverged about 400 thousand years; a coastal lineage widely distributed from northern to southeastern Brazil; and another lineage that diverged more recently 77,000 years ago, more restricted, occurring in the lower São Francisco River region in northeastern Brazil (RSF), but which is in sympatry with the widely distributed coastal population. All these processes highlight the evolutionary routes that L. grossidens experienced during its diversification,  provided by geomorphological and thermal processes during the Pleistocene, culminating in deep genetic signatures with enigmatic lineages throughout its distribution.

The oil spill that occurred in 2019 on the Coast of Brazil affected several Marine Protected Areas, including the Costa dos Corais Environmental Protection Area (APACC), in the State of Alagoas.One of the components of the oil are Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH's), which can cause several deleterious effects on aquatic organisms, such as redox imbalance and neurotoxicity.Biomonitoring studies using biomarkers are an important tool to clarify the different contaminants and their effects on the biota, and also to support environmental conservation policies. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the potential ecotoxicological effects on the bivalve Tivela mactroides (maçunim) from areas affected by the oil. Specimen sampling were carried out in the intermediate (September/2020), dry (December/2020) and rainy (April/2021) periods in three APACC locations, which represented a decreasing gradient in relation to the volume of oil removed: 1) Maragogi; 2) Japaratinga and 3) Paripueira. The quantification of PAH's present in the soft body of bivalves, the evaluation of biomarkers of redox balance and neurotoxicity in the gills and digestive gland, as well as the calculation of the Integrated Index of Biomarkers (IBR) were performed. Among the 16 PAH's evaluated, 13 types were detected, being Pyrene, Benzo (a) anthracene, Chrysene, Benzo (b) fluoranthene, Benzo (k) fluoranthene, Benzo (a) pyrene and Idene (1,2,3-cd) responsible for ~43% of the total PAH's concentration. An antioxidant response was observed in all locations for both organs investigated, but these were not sufficient to prevent oxidative damage to the digestive gland of bivalves from Maragogi in the dry season and from Paripueira in the rainy season. The highest values of IBR were observed for Japaratinga and Maragogi, however there was no correlation with the levels of PAHs in these locations. In general, T. mactroides proved to be sensitive to environmental variations, however it presented antioxidant responses that make it resilient to different environmental stressors. Together, these data denote the importance of including ecotoxicological studies within the APACC, aiming to monitor the long-term effects after the oil spill episode, as well as other pollutants arising from anthropic activity.

Os manguezais são ecossistemas costeiros de transição, situados entre os biomas terrestres e marinhos, em regiões tropicais e subtropicais. Abrangem aproximadamente 25.000 km2 do território brasileiro, o equivalente a 12% dos manguezais existentes no mundo. Suas principais características são substrato lamoso, variações diárias dos fatores do ambiente, como regime de marés e temperatura, e possuem espécies vegetais adaptadas às inundações de marés. Entre as espécies vegetais presentes nos manguezais estão Avicennia germinans, Avicennia schauerian, Laguncularia racemosa, Rhizophora harrisonii, Rhizophora mangle e Rhizophora racemosa. Essas espécies fixam-se ao substrato lamoso dos manguezais, criando zonas de elevadas atividades biológicas que abrigam grande diversidade de micro-organismos. Entre eles estão as leveduras que são micro- organismos unicelulares presentes em ambientes atmosféricos, aquáticos, terrestres e ecótonos como os manguezais. Neste ambiente, as leveduras estão sujeitas às variações dos fatores ambientais como a salinidade, temperatura e pH. Entretanto, apesar das flutuações diárias desses fatores, as leveduras desempenham alguns papéis essenciais nesse ecossistema como a ciclagem de nutrientes e são possíveis bioindicadores de qualidade ambiental. O conhecimento sobre a composição e a diversidade da comunidade de leveduras em manguezais ainda é incipiente, principalmente no nordeste do Brasil. Diante do exposto, nosso objetivo foi verificar a diversidade e composição da comunidade de leveduras associadas a sedimento rizosférico da espécie L. racemosa ao longo do manguezal da Barra de Santo Antônio, Alagoas. Para tanto, foram aferidos os parâmetros físico-quimicos e coletadas amostras de sedimento em três pontos no manguezal do rio Santo Antônio. As amostras foram diluídas e semeadas em Ágar YM modificado, seguidas de incubação a 25-28 oC por 5-7 dias. Para realizar a identificação molecular, a região D1/D2 LSU rDNA dos isolados foi amplificada e sequenciada. Os parâmetros físico-químicos do ambiente não presentaram variação estatísticamente significativa entre os pontos. Foi obtido um total de 132 isolados de leveduras, pertencentes a 32 espécies distribuídas em 18 gêneros. A maioria das espécies teve ocorrência única nas amostras. Foi possível isolar uma possível espécie nova pertencente ao gênero Barnettozyma. Além disso, verificamos que a comunidade de leveduras dos pontos amostrados é composicionalmente estável, mas as diversidades taxonômicas e filogenéticas entre os pontos amostrados tiveram diferenças significativas, aumentado à medida que os locais de amostragens estavam mais distantes do mar. Estes resultados indicam que, apesar das flutuações diárias dos fatores do ambiente, há uma estabilidade na composição da comunidade de leveduras que vivem em associação com a espécie L. racemosa. A curva de extrapolação não atingiu a assíntota, indicando que ainda existem espécies de leveduras em associação com a espécie L. racemosa que não conseguimos amostrar. Através da análise dos dados obtidos, concluiu-se que os parâmetros físico-químicos aferidos não influenciaram a diversidade de leveduras amostradas. A diversidade taxonômica de leveduras na mesma espécie vegetal pode variar ao longo do manguezal, provavelmente devido ao regime de marés haverá um ciclo de entrada e saída de espécies. Portanto, novas coletas devem ser feitas para melhor elucidar a dinâmica das espécies de leveduras presentes em manguezal.

Artisanal fishing is the main economic and cultural activity developed for subsistence on the Brazilian coast. This activity is capable of generating benefits that contribute to the well-being of local populations, such as food security, income generation, social learning, reduction of social vulnerability, among others. However, access to benefits depends on the local governance context and the availability of resources. In the case of marine protected areas, whose objectives include the conservation of biodiversity and support to local communities, it is expected that there will be a greater contribution of the activities developed in these areas to the human well-being of local populations, as is the case of artisanal fishing . This work aimed to survey the cultural, economic, governance, health and social contributions of artisanal fishing for the well-being of artisanal fishermen and fisherwomen; and how perceptions vary between marine protected areas and outside protected areas (UC). We carried out a total of 230 structured interviews with fishermen and artisanal fishers from seven fishing communities, located between the Costa dos Corais Environmental Protection Area, the Lagoa de Jequiá Marine Extractive Reserve and an area outside the UC, in Maceió, Alagoas (Brazil ). Overall, our results show a greater variation in the perception of fishermen and fisherwomen regarding the governance category, followed by the social and cultural category. We found significant differences in the perception of fishermen and fisherwomen about all categories of benefits considering the different locations. In contrast to other works that largely discuss only the economic benefits of fishing, our research encompasses other categories of benefits that build the universe of artisanal fishing. The theoretical contributions of this study have the potential to provide subsidies to think and discuss strategies and assist in political decisions that strengthen artisanal fishing and guarantee the generation of benefits for fishing communities and the conservation of fish resources.

Although the freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium acanthurus is abundant and an important fishing resource throughout its area of occurrence, its populations have been suffering a constant reduction, either due to fishing pressure or environmental degradation. Thus, the analysis of behavioral patterns and intraspecific relationships of this crustacean, are important tools to understand its biology and ecology, providing subsidies for future conservation plans for this species. In a controlled environment, during a 24-hour cycle, the animals were monitored through recordings for 5 consecutive days in the light phase and 5 days in the dark phase. 32 different behaviors were identified and described, divided into general and agonistic behaviors. M. acanthurus presents greater activity at twilight / night time, and the morphological characters of the animals, mainly chelipod size and color, they are the main elements for the formation of hierarchy within the group, so that aggressive interactions are not the only tools used for social organization. The results also show that artificial lighting did not interfere with the animals' behavior, as they moved freely during the experiments, demonstrating that crustaceans respond well to laboratory experiments.

The Neotropical region is home to around 258 species of endemic and endangered wild birds, and with each assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) the list has grown. The IUCN indicates the knowledge that is needed to improve the conservation status of species. However, scientific research in the tropical region is limited by several factors. Thus, we seek to evaluate the relationship between the knowledge produced and the knowledge necessary for the conservation of these species. For this, we have extracted the information from the databases of BirdLife International and IUCN RedList. Scientific production between 1870 and 2019, in the form of published documents, was identified using the SCOPUS bibliometric database. Data were analyzed using dynamic spreadsheets in Excel^@ and the software R. We identified 657 types of documents without repetition. Scientific production until 1995 was less than two publications per year, increasing in subsequent years. Only 31 species were responsible for more than 50% of the indexed studies and, in contrast, 65 species were not associated with any indexed document. Using the keywords pointed out in the documents, the topics most frequently studied were: Evolution (n = 82), Genetics (n = 80), Behavior (n = 78), Taxonomy (n = 74), Conservation (n = 64) , Reproduction (n = 64), Distribution (n = 57), Management (n = 55), Morphology (n = 53) and Population (n = 48). In the actions proposed by IUCN, population studies (16.42%), studies to clarify the distribution (14.34%), actions aimed at protecting areas, monitoring and inspection (13.11%), expansion or creation of new Conservation Units (10.66%), research on ecological requirements (9.06%) and environmental education (4.62%). The threats most cited by the IUCN were habitat loss and degradation (54.34%), hunting (7.99%), illegal trade (5.02%), invasive alien species (5.02%), climate change (4 , 57%), disturbances caused by cattle (4.57%), impacts of pesticide use (4.11%) and the impact of parasites (3.20%). We conclude that the relationship between the knowledge produced and the knowledge indicated by IUCN are coherent in some topics, but still focused on a few species. Most lack basic knowledge about their ecology and the current situation of the populations. Therefore, it is urgent to direct resources and scientific attention to study topics that support a more efficient conservation process.

Climate change represents one of the greatest current challenges to our civilization. Since the 1950s
remarkable environmental changes have been observed in the Amazon, including the increase in the mean
annual temperature and changes in river dynamics, particularly an increase of the incidence of large river
floods and large river droughts. These changes can lead to substantial impacts on socio-ecological systems
and on local livelihoods, affecting directly and indirectly multiple elements of the biological systems and
different activities that are essential for local livelihoods, including fishing, agriculture, extractivism,
hunting and carpentry. A promising way to understand the effects of climate change, and particularly the
increase of extreme weather events, on local livelihoods is through Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK).
LEK comprises the knowledge, practice and beliefs of indigenous peoples and local communities developed
through their long-term interaction with the environment, and its potential to identify and understand climate
change impacts has been increasingly recognized. Here, we investigated the perceived effects of climate
change on the use of natural resources of riverside communities in western Amazonia. We performed semi-
structured interviews with local residents from 24 rural communities spread across a ~ 600 km stretch of the
Juruá River, a major white-water tributary of the Amazon River. We show that local residents from rural
communities in Juruá perceive a vast set of effects of climate changes observed in different systems,
including climatic, physical, human and biological. Local residents associate many of the perceived climate-
related changes to impacts in their livelihood activities, listing the activities of Homegardens / agroforestry
systems, Manioc crop and Andiroba harvesting as those most impacted by climate change. Also, although
some of these impacts are positive, most of them are negative, calling the attention to the vulnerability of
these communities to ongoing and future climate change, as their livelihoods are essentially based on natural
resource management. These impacts should be addressed mitigated through public policies focusing on
economic diversification and training to increase local adaptation capacity and resilience.

Herbivory is an essential process for the health and resilience of reef environments, where primary producers have their growth limited by the intense grazing of several herbivores. In this context, the knowledge of herbivory is restricted to studies with fish and sea urchins, with a gap in the understanding of the role of megaherbivores, such as the green turtle, in this process. The green turtle is the only species of sea turtle that along its ontogeny adopts a mostly herbivorous diet. In this study, the ecological role of the green turtle in reef environments was investigated, evaluating the feeding ecology of juveniles recruited and sub-adult juveniles. This assessment included analysis of the diet (n = 36), food preference and niche length and overlap. We used the analysis of stable ¹³C and ¹⁵N isotopes to broaden the understanding of the inter and intraspecific trophic interactions of the green turtle with the other reef herbivores, as well as the assimilation of energy through the selected food resources. In the analysis of the diet the food content, obtained from dead carcasses found along the APA Costa dos Corais during the Beach Monitoring Project, was screened and the items identified had their relative weight and frequency of occurrence calculated. For food preference, analyzed using the Manly index in the ‘adehabitatHS’ package, the diet data were cross-checked with the food availability data that were obtained through the assessment of benthic reef coverage using long transect photoquadrats. The niche width was analyzed by the Levins method, while the overlap was treated based on Moristia, both made with the “spaa” package in software R. The red algae had the greatest relative contribution to the diet in both groups, juveniles and sub-adults, with emphasis on the Gelidiales family, which was the most preferred and had low coverage. The  niche overlap was high, but the sub-adult turtles had a greater niche range, with significant contributions from green and brown algae. The preference for red algae indicates a higher foraging pressure on this group, in addition to suggesting that the APA Costa dos Corais is an important feeding area for juvenile green turtles. These results, when added to those of stable isotopes, will help to understand how green turtles use the available resources, and how they contribute to the process of herbivorous reefs.

Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão is a tree species native to the seasonally dry tropical forest. It is important in the recovery plans of degraded areas and a key species for the maintenance of the biodiversity of this biome. However, M. urundeuva is on the red list of species from the Brazilian flora threatened with extinction and it is classified as a high priority for conservation. In semiarid regions, the water regime is pointed out as the variable with the greatest influence on the distribution of plant species. However, some studies suggest that the type of soil can affect the tolerance of plants to water stress. Since M. urundeuva occurs in different types of soil, the different physicochemical properties of these soils may, to some degree, influence the physiological changes triggered by water deficit, as it has been detected in other plant species. Due to the risk of changes in the distribution pattern of M. urundeuva as a result of climate change, studies that investigate the influence of other factors, such as soil, that are associated with water deficit on the physiology of M. urundeuva are extremely relevant. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse in a completely randomized design and in a 2x2 factorial scheme. A variance analysis was used to assess the effects of two types of soil: sandy clay loam and sandy, and two water regimes: irrigated and water deficit (imposed by the suspension of irrigation until photosynthetic rates were close to zero, with subsequent rehydration until recovery) on gas exchange, maximum and effective quantum efficiency of PSII (F_v/F_m and ΦPSII), water status (Ψw_leaf), relative chlorophyll content and concentration of organic compounds (proteins, amino acids, proline and sugars). The type of soil influenced the physiological changes, triggered by the water deficit, in the instantaneous water use efficiency, predawn Ψw_leaf and amino acid content. In sandy soil, M. urundeuva took longer to reach photosynthetic rates close to zero after the suspension of irrigation, and needed less time to recover after rehydration. Plants in clay loam soil, in turn, were able to increase water use efficiency (WUE) under moderate water deficit (a common situation on the seasonally dry tropical forest) and presented a better water status under severe water stress. Plants in sandy clay loam soils were also able to increase leaf amino acid content under water stress. Despite the severe water stress, none of the plants had reduced F_v/F_m. However, plants in sandy clay loam soil had lower F_v/F_m (at midday) and ΦPSII. On the other hand, these plants were able to increase F_v/F_m (at midday), ΦPSII and WUE after rehydration. In conclusion, M. urundeuva cultivated in sandy soil tolerates water deficit for longer and needs less time to recover, showing the ability to maintain its PSII quantum efficiency even under severe stress. However, plants in clay loam soil had better stomatal control, which reflected in the increase in WUE, ensuring a better water conservation during severe water stress, as well as the ability to increase quantum efficiency of the PSII and the WUE during the recovery.

The Genome Size (GS) is known to vary widely among eukaryotes. However, the evolutionary drivers that shape this variation are largely unknown. Information about GS has been made available for several taxa of Actinopterygii, as is the case with representatives of the Pomacentridae family, which has diversified mainly in reef environments. In the present work, we evaluated by means of comparative phylogenetic methods which ecological traits shape the variation of the genome of these species. Our phylogenetic analyses, in a temporal context, show that the GS expanded and retracted several times quickly and independently of its kinship relations. However, we found a strong relationship between GS with temperature and salinity range, that is, larger genomes tend to have a greater niche range. In addition, when analysing the two highly supported clades called I and II, we see distinct evolutionary trajectories, mainly involving clade I which showed a strong association with trophic level, medium latitude and depth. Our data reveal the adaptive power of the genome size to shape the life history of Pomacentridae species regardless of their phylogenetic relationships.

A new proposal in Ethnobotany is to investigate the existence of regional patterns in the use of plants by human populations around the world. To this end, tools for systematic review and meta-analysis have been appropriated by ethnobotanical studies. In ethnobotany, there are many studies that show the tendency that some popular uses are proportionally more present in some taxonomic groups in particular, mainly in the use of medicinal plants, however the way of investigating this pattern by individual locations generates some discrepancies between sets of taxonomic groups highlighted in each study. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether there are taxonomic patterns in medicinal plants sold in local markets and it was developed in two parts: (1) to evaluate the sample quality and to identify the factors that interfere in the sample quality of the ethnobotanical studies carried out in local markets and (2) to identify over- and under-represented plant families in local markets from a systematic review of global reach. Search strategies were used according to the PRISMA protocol, including results from Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science search engines. Articles classified as having a high risk of bias were excluded from the analysis. The Imprecise Dirichlet Model (IDM) was used to identify over-represented and under-represented families. The main reason for the sampling problem was the lack of information about the sample and the universe. Among the factors that were related to the presence of sample problems, are the absence of hypotheses and ethnobotanical indexes. Of the families, 36 families were considered overrepresented, among which the main ones were Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae, Rutaceae, Solanaceae and Zingiberaceae. 15 families were considered underrepresented, including: Orchidaceae, Bromeliaceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae and Asteraceae. Studies carried out in order to relate the taxonomic influence with the local attribution of therapeutic vocation of plants by practitioners of phytotherapy can bring important clues to the bioprospecting of bioactive chemical compounds. Our study corroborated with the recurrence of a set of families already identified as promising for bioprospecting, however it also presented some families that had not yet been highlighted.

Artisanal shrimp fishing is of socio-economic and cultural importance,
especially in developing countries. To enable the sustainable exploitation of
resources, maintain social well-being and respect culture and tradition in the activity, it
is necessary that this fishery has a management compatible with its profile, which in
the region is artisanal in medium and small scale. To support knowledge and make
management politically viable, local ecological knowledge (LEK) of fishermen is a
relevant instrument, but rarely used. The present study aims to investigate which
profiles of fishermen are best connected through LEK, and whether these fishermen
form groups with LEK themes. For this evaluation, interviews were carried out by
accidental sampling with artisanal shrimp fishers, using semi-structured forms as
instruments in three coastal regions in north-eastern Brazil. Linear regression and the
Gephi program were used to assess the fisher’s connectivity on LEK. The results
show that LEK on reproduction and migration are predominant for fishers and that
there is a refinement of the LEK as experience increases. Groups of fishermen
connected through LEK themes were also registered. The reproductive aspects and
migration of the three main species of shrimp are the most declared to be known by
fishers. It is concluded that the LEK is not homogeneous among the fishers, being
essential to consider these differences in order to improve the process of decision
making and management of artisanal fisheries. A communication channel among
stakeholders may be developed taking LEK as a path, mainly through the themes of
reproduction and migration, helping the effectiveness of fisheries management of
marine shrimps for their productive and sustainable use. The dialogue would improve
fishers well-being and achieving the objectives of the interested groups.

Muitas pessoas dependem das plantas medicinais, pois elas utilizam como estratégia de cuidado da saúde, na cura de doenças, especialmente em países em desenvolvimento. Essas plantas vêm sofrendo diversas pressões ou desafios em sua conservação, mas não necessariamente devido ao uso medicinal, de modo que podem ser usadas para outros fins. Mas, quando as suas populações diminuem por conta destes usos, pode haver comprometimentos no próprio emprego medicinal. No entanto, muitos trabalhos estudam a conservação das plantas medicinais sem levar em consideração outros usos. Este estudo se propôs entender quais usos causam maior impacto nas populações vegetais, utilizando a percepção local como proxy para o declínio. Foram registados os usos medicinais e usos adicionais das plantas nativas e lenhosas por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas e oficinas participativas, respectivamente. As oficinas também permitiram ordenar as plantas segundo o grau de declínio percebido pelos participantes. uma matriz de correlação de Spearman foi adotada para apontar as correlações das categorias de uso entre si e com a percepção de declínio. Os resultados mostraram que as categorias combustível e construção estão relacionadas entre si e estão ligadas ao maior declínio de espécies. Não houve associação entre valor de uso medicinal e percepção de declínio. A versatilidade, medida pelo número de alvos terapêuticos, também não se correlacionou com o declínio percebido. Apesar de usos em combo apresentarem maiores impactos na vegetação, o uso medicinal isolado não apresentou conexão com a percepção de declínio, o que mostra que usos medicinais isolados não são um problema maior para a vegetação. Portanto, as estratégias de conservação de plantas medicinais não podem negligenciar seus usos associados, especialmente os usos madeireiros.