Yearly variation of bacterial production in the Arraial do Cabo protection area (Cabo Frio upwelling region): an evidence of anthropogenic pressure

Arraial do Cabo is where upwelling occurs more intensively on the Brazilian coast. Although it is a protection area it suffers anthropogenic pressure such as harbor activities and sporadic sewage emissions. Short-time studies showed a high variability of bacterial production (BP) in this region but none of them evaluated BP during long periods in a large spatial scale including stations under different natural (upwelling and cold fronts) and anthropogenic pressures. During 2006, we sampled surface waters 10 times (5 in upwelling and 5 in subsidence periods) in 8 stations and we measured BP, temperature as well as the concentrations of inorganic nutrients, pigments and particulate organic matter (POM). BP was up to 400 times higher when sewage emissions were observed visually and it had a positive correlation with ammonia concentrations. Therefore, in 2007, we did two samples (each during upwelling and subsidence periods) during sewage emissions in five stations under different anthropogenic pressure and we also measured particles abundance by flow cytometry. The 12 samples in the most impacted area confirmed that BP was highest when ammonia was higher than 2 μM, also reporting the highest concentrations of chlorophyll a and suspended particles. However, considering all measured variables, upwelling was the main disturbing factor but the pressure of fronts should not be neglected since it had consequences in the auto-heterotrophic coupling, increasing the concentrations of non fluorescent particles and POM. Stations clustered in function of natural and anthropogenic pressures degrees and both determined the temporal-spatial variability.

Fisheries monitoring in Babel: fish ethnotaxonomy in a hotspot of common names

The lack of a long term, comprehensive and reliable fisheries statistics system is a major impediment to fisheries management in Brazil. Fishing is one of the main activities throughout the country's coast, with predominance of small-scale, artisanal, multigear, and multispecies captures that are landed in a pulverized network of coastal villages. Brazil is also a hotspot of common names, another feature that challenges artisanal fisheries' monitoring. We combined taxonomic and ethnobiological information to support the implementation of an artisanal fisheries' monitoring program under the co-management framework of a Marine Extractive Reserve in Bahia State, Northeastern Brazil. We surveyed 141 fishing landings, recording 86 fish species (43 families) and 52 correspondences 1:1 between local and scientific names. Broad folk categories had an average of 5.1 specific names, with "cação" (shark) being the category with more specific names (24 names to six biological species). With the exception of species that make up the bycatch captured by shrimp trawling, fisherfolks are able to identify commercially important species from both fresh specimens and photos. Common names can be reliably used in fisheries monitoring programs, and their usage facilitates the participation of fisherfolks in surveys based on voluntary or compulsory declarations of captures.

A falta de um sistema compreensivo e confiável de estatísticas pesqueiras em longo prazo é um dos maiores dificultadores da gestão pesqueira no Brasil. A pesca é uma das principais atividades ao longo da costa do país, com predominância de capturas artesanais de pequena escala, envolvendo múltiplas artes e espécies, além de desembarques realizados em uma rede pulverizada de localidades costeiras. O Brasil também possui grande riqueza de nomes comuns, outra característica que complica o monitoramento da pesca artesanal. No presente trabalho, combinamos informações taxonômicas e etnobiológicas para apoiar a implementação de um programa de monitoramento da pesca artesanal recifal e costeira sob o arcabouço de cogestão de uma Reserva Extrativista Marinha no estado da Bahia, Nordeste do Brasil. Foram amostrados 141 desembarques e registradas 86 espécies de peixes (43 famílias), com 52 correspondências 1:1 entre nomes locais e científicos. Categorias de nomes comuns genéricos tiveram uma média de 5,1 nomes específicos locais, com "cação" sendo aquela com mais nomes específicos (24 nomes para seis espécies biológicas). Excetuando-se as espécies capturadas como fauna acompanhante do arrasto-de-camarão, observamos que os pescadores são capazes de identificar as espécies comercialmente importantes tanto a partir de espécimes quanto de fotografias. Os nomes comuns podem ser usados com segurança em programas de monitoramento de pescarias de pequena escala, sendo que seu uso facilita a participação dos pescadores em levantamentos baseados em declarações de captura, sejam elas voluntárias ou compulsórias.