of 50 m (Kikuchi and Leão, 1998). These reefs must have
been initiated earlier in the Holocene at lower sea levels,
and are now veneered with a deeper water community;
and one atoll reef, Rocas, that has dimensions of 3.5 km
by 2.5 km. Despite its small dimensions, a reef front, reef
flat, and lagoon can be clearly distinguished and
subdivided into discrete features. This reef mostly comprises nonarticulate coralline algal growth (Kikuchi and
Leão, 1997; Gherardi and Bosence, 1999).
Summary
Brazil has the most extensive and rich coral reefs in the
Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. The reefs are characterized
by their unusual growth forms, which have mushroomshaped pinnacles that can fuse together on their tops,
forming larger reefs structures that include the following:
(a) shallow small isolated reefs that occur adjacent to
the shoreline and often have elongated forms; (b) bank
reefs off the coast that have widely variable sizes
(<10 to >20 km) and shapes; (c) shallow fringing reefs
which mostly border the coasts of islands; (d) open sea coral
pinnacles, named “chapeirões”, which usually occur in
depths greater than 20 m; and (e) drowned reefs at the middle and outer continental shelves. The coral fauna of the
Brazilian reefs has a very low diversity (21 species) and
a high degree of endemism. The major reef builders are relic
forms, remnant of an ancient coral fauna dating back to the
Tertiary, and lack completely branching growth forms. Brazilian reefs initiated growth after 8 ka BP, a notable period
of coral expansion in the tropical world, but an incipient
forced regression related to a sea level decrease of approximately 2–5 m during the last 6.0–5.0 ka had a significant
influence on the evolution of the reef structures.
Bibliography
Amaral, F. M. D., Steiner, A. Q., Broadhurst, M. K., and Cairns,
S. D., 2008. An overview of the shallow-water calcified hydroids
from Brazil. (Hydrozoa: Cnidaria), including the description of
a new species. Zootaxa, 1930, 56–68.
Bittencourt, A. C. S. P., Dominguez, J. M. L., Martin, L., and Silva,
I. R., 2005. Longshoretransport on the northeastern Brazilian
coast and implications to the location of large scale accumulative
and erosive zones: an overview. Marine Geology, 219, 219–234.
Castro, C. B., 1994. Corals of Southern Bahia. In Hetzel, B., and
Castro, C. B. (eds.), Corals of Southern Bahia. Rio de Janeiro:
Editora Nova Fronteira, pp. 161–176.
Darwin, C. R., 1851. Geological Observations on Coral Reefs, Volcanic Islands, and South America. London: Smith, Elder and
Company.
De Paula, A. F., and Creed, J. C., 2004. Two species of the coral
Tubastrea (Cnidaria, Scleractinia) in Brazil: a case of accidental
introduction. Bulletin of Marine Science, 74(1), 175–183.
Dominguez, J. M. L., 2009. The coastal zone of Brazil. In
Dillenburg, S. R., and Hesp, P. A. (eds.), Geology and Geomorphology of Holocene Coastal Barriers of Brazil (Lecture Notes
in Earth Sciences). New York: Springer, pp. 17–51.
Gherardi, D. F. M., and Bosence, D. W., 1999. Modeling of the ecological succession of encrusting organisms in recent corallinealgal frameworks from Atoll das Rocas, Brazil. Palaios, 14,
145–158.
Hartt, C. F., 1868a. A vacation trip to Brazil. American Naturalist, 1,
642–651.
Hartt, C. F., 1868b. A naturalist in Brazil. American Naturalist, 2,
1–13.
Hartt, C. F., 1869. The cruise of the Abrolhos. American Naturalist,
2, 86–93.
Hartt, C. F., 1870. Geology and Physical Geography of Brazil.
Boston: Fields, Osgood and Co.
Kikuchi, R. K. P., and Leão, Z. M. A. N., 1997. Rocas (southwestern
equatorial Atlantic, Brazil): an atoll built primarily by coralline
algae. In Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef
Symposium. International Society for Reef Studies, Vol. 1,
pp. 731–736.
Kikuchi, R. K. P., and Leão, Z. M. A. N., 1998. The effects of Holocene sea level fluctuation on reef development and coral community structure, Northern Bahia, Brazil. Anais da Academia
Brasileira de Ciências, 70, 159–171.
Laborel, J. L., 1969. Les peuplements de madreporaires des côtes
tropicales du Brésil. Ann. Univ. d’Abidjan, Ser. E, II, Fasc.3,
260 p.
Laborel, J. L., 1970. Madreporaires et hydrocoralliaires recifaux des
côtes brésiliennes. Systematique, ecologie, repartition verticale
et geographie. Annales de l’Institut Oceanographique, Paris,
47, 171–229.
Leão, Z. M. A. N., Kikuchi, R. K. P., and Testa, V., 2003. Corals and
coral reefs of Brazil. In Cortês, J. (ed.), Latin America Coral
Reefs. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Neves, E., Jonhsson, R., Sampaio, C., and Pichon, M., 2006. The
occurrence of Scolymia cubensis in Brazil: revising the problem
of the Caribbean solitary mussids. Zootaxa, 1366, 45–54.
Neves, E. G., Andrade, S. C., Silveira, F. L., and Solferini, V. N.,
2008. Genetic variation and population structuring in two
brooding coral species (Siderastrea stellata and Siderastrea
radians) from Brazil. Genetica, 132, 243–254.
Rathbun, R., 1876. Extinct coral reef at Bahia, Brazil. American
Naturalist, 10, 439–440.
Rathbun, R., 1878. Notes on the coral reefs on the island of
Itaparica, Bahia and of Parahyba do Norte. In Proceedings of
the Boston Society of Natural History, Vol. XX, pp. 34–41.
Cross-references
Climate Change and Coral Reefs
Sea Level Change and Its Effect on Reef Growth
Sediments, Properties
Submerged Reefs
Western Atlantic/Caribbean, Coral Reefs
BRYOZOA
Roger J. Cuffey
Pennsylvania State University, University Park
(State College), PA, USA
Synonyms
Ectoprocta; Ectoprocts
Definitions
Bryozoa: A phylum or superphylum of aquatic (mostly
marine) invertebrate animals, tiny (half-mm-sized)
polyp-like individuals (zooids) with U-shaped digestive
172
BRYOZOA
been initiated earlier in the Holocene at lower sea levels,
and are now veneered with a deeper water community;
and one atoll reef, Rocas, that has dimensions of 3.5 km
by 2.5 km. Despite its small dimensions, a reef front, reef
flat, and lagoon can be clearly distinguished and
subdivided into discrete features. This reef mostly comprises nonarticulate coralline algal growth (Kikuchi and
Leão, 1997; Gherardi and Bosence, 1999).
Summary
Brazil has the most extensive and rich coral reefs in the
Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. The reefs are characterized
by their unusual growth forms, which have mushroomshaped pinnacles that can fuse together on their tops,
forming larger reefs structures that include the following:
(a) shallow small isolated reefs that occur adjacent to
the shoreline and often have elongated forms; (b) bank
reefs off the coast that have widely variable sizes
(<10 to >20 km) and shapes; (c) shallow fringing reefs
which mostly border the coasts of islands; (d) open sea coral
pinnacles, named “chapeirões”, which usually occur in
depths greater than 20 m; and (e) drowned reefs at the middle and outer continental shelves. The coral fauna of the
Brazilian reefs has a very low diversity (21 species) and
a high degree of endemism. The major reef builders are relic
forms, remnant of an ancient coral fauna dating back to the
Tertiary, and lack completely branching growth forms. Brazilian reefs initiated growth after 8 ka BP, a notable period
of coral expansion in the tropical world, but an incipient
forced regression related to a sea level decrease of approximately 2–5 m during the last 6.0–5.0 ka had a significant
influence on the evolution of the reef structures.
Bibliography
Amaral, F. M. D., Steiner, A. Q., Broadhurst, M. K., and Cairns,
S. D., 2008. An overview of the shallow-water calcified hydroids
from Brazil. (Hydrozoa: Cnidaria), including the description of
a new species. Zootaxa, 1930, 56–68.
Bittencourt, A. C. S. P., Dominguez, J. M. L., Martin, L., and Silva,
I. R., 2005. Longshoretransport on the northeastern Brazilian
coast and implications to the location of large scale accumulative
and erosive zones: an overview. Marine Geology, 219, 219–234.
Castro, C. B., 1994. Corals of Southern Bahia. In Hetzel, B., and
Castro, C. B. (eds.), Corals of Southern Bahia. Rio de Janeiro:
Editora Nova Fronteira, pp. 161–176.
Darwin, C. R., 1851. Geological Observations on Coral Reefs, Volcanic Islands, and South America. London: Smith, Elder and
Company.
De Paula, A. F., and Creed, J. C., 2004. Two species of the coral
Tubastrea (Cnidaria, Scleractinia) in Brazil: a case of accidental
introduction. Bulletin of Marine Science, 74(1), 175–183.
Dominguez, J. M. L., 2009. The coastal zone of Brazil. In
Dillenburg, S. R., and Hesp, P. A. (eds.), Geology and Geomorphology of Holocene Coastal Barriers of Brazil (Lecture Notes
in Earth Sciences). New York: Springer, pp. 17–51.
Gherardi, D. F. M., and Bosence, D. W., 1999. Modeling of the ecological succession of encrusting organisms in recent corallinealgal frameworks from Atoll das Rocas, Brazil. Palaios, 14,
145–158.
Hartt, C. F., 1868a. A vacation trip to Brazil. American Naturalist, 1,
642–651.
Hartt, C. F., 1868b. A naturalist in Brazil. American Naturalist, 2,
1–13.
Hartt, C. F., 1869. The cruise of the Abrolhos. American Naturalist,
2, 86–93.
Hartt, C. F., 1870. Geology and Physical Geography of Brazil.
Boston: Fields, Osgood and Co.
Kikuchi, R. K. P., and Leão, Z. M. A. N., 1997. Rocas (southwestern
equatorial Atlantic, Brazil): an atoll built primarily by coralline
algae. In Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef
Symposium. International Society for Reef Studies, Vol. 1,
pp. 731–736.
Kikuchi, R. K. P., and Leão, Z. M. A. N., 1998. The effects of Holocene sea level fluctuation on reef development and coral community structure, Northern Bahia, Brazil. Anais da Academia
Brasileira de Ciências, 70, 159–171.
Laborel, J. L., 1969. Les peuplements de madreporaires des côtes
tropicales du Brésil. Ann. Univ. d’Abidjan, Ser. E, II, Fasc.3,
260 p.
Laborel, J. L., 1970. Madreporaires et hydrocoralliaires recifaux des
côtes brésiliennes. Systematique, ecologie, repartition verticale
et geographie. Annales de l’Institut Oceanographique, Paris,
47, 171–229.
Leão, Z. M. A. N., Kikuchi, R. K. P., and Testa, V., 2003. Corals and
coral reefs of Brazil. In Cortês, J. (ed.), Latin America Coral
Reefs. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Neves, E., Jonhsson, R., Sampaio, C., and Pichon, M., 2006. The
occurrence of Scolymia cubensis in Brazil: revising the problem
of the Caribbean solitary mussids. Zootaxa, 1366, 45–54.
Neves, E. G., Andrade, S. C., Silveira, F. L., and Solferini, V. N.,
2008. Genetic variation and population structuring in two
brooding coral species (Siderastrea stellata and Siderastrea
radians) from Brazil. Genetica, 132, 243–254.
Rathbun, R., 1876. Extinct coral reef at Bahia, Brazil. American
Naturalist, 10, 439–440.
Rathbun, R., 1878. Notes on the coral reefs on the island of
Itaparica, Bahia and of Parahyba do Norte. In Proceedings of
the Boston Society of Natural History, Vol. XX, pp. 34–41.
Cross-references
Climate Change and Coral Reefs
Sea Level Change and Its Effect on Reef Growth
Sediments, Properties
Submerged Reefs
Western Atlantic/Caribbean, Coral Reefs
BRYOZOA
Roger J. Cuffey
Pennsylvania State University, University Park
(State College), PA, USA
Synonyms
Ectoprocta; Ectoprocts
Definitions
Bryozoa: A phylum or superphylum of aquatic (mostly
marine) invertebrate animals, tiny (half-mm-sized)
polyp-like individuals (zooids) with U-shaped digestive
172
BRYOZOA