Larvae of the South Atlantic coral Favia gravida are tolerant to salinity and nutrient concentrations associated with river discharges.

Rivers release freshwater, nutrients and pollutants into reefs. This type of environmental stress reduces coral larvae settlement and alter its energy metabolism. We investigated the tolerance of Favia gravida (Scleractinia) larvae to river discharges. We exposed larvae to (i) different salinities (25, 30, 35 and 40 PSU); and (ii) dilutions of river water containing nutrients and metals (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% river water) under control salinity of 35 PSU. We then examined settlement and larval enzymatic activity. No differences in settlement were detected among salinities. Settlement was also similar to control for larvae under 100% river water. Enzymatic activity for citrate synthase remained unaltered for all treatments. Lactate dehydrogenase activity was slightly altered under different salinities, suggesting a mild stress response. Findings suggest that F. gravida larvae are tolerant to a wide range of salinity and nutrient conditions and that this is a stress-tolerant species.

Vallissiana universitaria (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae): a new genus and species of leaf-mining moth associated with Erythroxylum (Erythroxylaceae) in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil.

Vallissiana universitaria Pereira Arévalo, a new genus and species of leaf-miner moth (Gracillariidae: Gracillariinae) is described and illustrated with the aid of optical and scanning electron microscopy, including adults, larva, pupa and the mine. Its monophyletic status is confirmed within the subfamily based on a DNA barcode CoI tree. The immature stages are associated with Erythroxylum argentinum O. E. Schulz (Erythroxylaceae) and four larval instars are found, all forming a round blotch mine from the beginning of ontogeny. The first two instars are sap-feeders, using only the epidermal cells, whereas the last two are tissue-feeders, mining the parenchyma cells. Pupation occurs inside the leaf mine within a flimsy, silk-made cocoon. This is the third endemic genus of gracillariid moths described from the Atlantic Forest of Brazil and the first associated with Erythroxylum P. Browne. Characteristics found on the forewing and in the last abdominal segments of the adult were determinant for the proposition of the new genus. The CoI tree indicated that it is closely related to Aspilapteryx, while this genus was recovered as polyphyletic in the analyses. Morphological evidence supports this polyphyly. Consequently, Sabulopteryx Triberti, 1985, stat. nov. is considered a valid genus.

Environmental health in southwestern Atlantic coral reefs: Geochemical, water quality and ecological indicators.

Climate change, pollution and increased runoff are some of the main drivers of coral reefs degradation worldwide. However, the occurrence of runoff and marine pollution, as well as its ecological effects in South Atlantic coral reefs are still poorly understood. The aim of the present work is to characterize the terrigenous influence and contamination impact on the environmental health of five reefs located along a gradient of distance from a river source, using geochemical, water quality, and ecological indicators. Stable isotopes and sterols were used as geochemical indicators of sewage and terrigenous organic matter. Dissolved metal concentrations (Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) were used as indicators of water quality. Population density, bleaching and chlorophyll α content of the symbiont-bearing foraminifer Amphistegina gibbosa, were used as indicators of ecological effects. Sampling was performed four times during the year to assess temporal variability. Sediment and water quality indicators showed that reefs close to the river discharge experience nutrient enrichment and sewage contamination, and metals concentrations above international environmental quality guidelines. Higher levels of contamination were strongly related to the higher frequency of bleaching and lower density in A. gibbosa populations. The integrated evaluation of stable isotopes, sterols and metals provided a consistent diagnostic about sewage influence on the studied reefs. Additionally, the observed bioindicator responses evidenced relevant ecological effects. The water quality, geochemical and ecological indicators employed in the present study were effective as biomonitoring tools to be applied in reefs worldwide.

A new species of Leurocephala Davis & Mc Kay (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) from the Azapa Valley, northern Chilean Atacama Desert, with notes on life-history

ABSTRACT The Neotropical micromoth genus Leurocephala Davis & Mc Kay, 2011 (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) was originally described to include only the type species, L. schinusae Davis & Mc Kay, 2011, whose leaf miner larvae are associated with Anacardiaceae in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. An integrative analysis including morphology, life history and DNA barcode sequences revealed that specimens collected on Schinus molle L. (Anacardiaceae) in the coastal valleys of the Atacama Desert of northern Chile belong to a second species of this formerly monotypic genus. Adults of Leurocephala chilensis Vargas & Moreira sp. nov. are herein described and illustrated in association with the immature stages and life history, and corresponding phylogenetic relationships are assessed based on DNA barcode sequences. This finding provides the first record of Leurocephala from west of the Andes Range, expanding remarkably its geographic range. It is suggested that the extent of diversity within Leurocephala is much greater and that variation in geographic factors and host plant use may have modeled it, an evolutionary hypothesis that should be assessed in further studies.

A novel marine mesocosm facility to study global warming, water quality, and ocean acidification.

We describe a completely randomizable flow-through outdoor mesocosm for climate change and ecotoxicology studies that was built with inexpensive materials. The 16 raceway tanks allow up to 6× water renewal per hour, avoiding changes in natural abiotic seawater conditions. We use an open-source hardware board (Arduino) that was adapted to control heaters and an innovative CO 2 injection system. This system reduced seawater pH up to -0.9 units and increased temperature up to +6°C in three treatments and a control. Treatments can be continuously compared with the control and vary according to diel fluctuations, thus following the diel range observed in the sea. The mesocosm facility also includes an integrated secondary system of 48 aquaria for ecotoxicology studies. We validated the reproducibility and relevance of our experimental system by analyzing the variation of the total DNA of the microbial community extracted from corals in three elevated temperature scenarios during a 40-day experiment. We also present data from temperature, acidification, and copper contamination trials, which allowed continuous, reliable, and consistent treatment manipulations.