9.6 Concluding Remarks
Although research on echinoderms from Brazilian waters is still scarce, current
advances in several fields of knowledge are remarkable. The principal bottlenecks
seem to be the current low number of researchers dedicated to the phylum and the
lack of integrative actions to promote information exchange and collaborative
studies. However, there has been a relevant increase in the number of researchers
working in different subject areas during the last two decades.
In fact, an optimistic feeling is corroborated by some evidences. For instance,
although there are few taxonomists in Brazil, the zoological collections were
improved during the last ten years due to some governmental programs of biodiversity inventory and protective laws that obligate petroleum companies to
provide environmental analyses before any exploitation. These facts have induced
the needs for more qualified people, which stimulated the academic institutions to
have more students working on projects of biodiversity, ecotoxicology and
physiology in their Post-graduate Programs. This interest has also generated
increasing studies on immunology, biochemistry, ecology, reproduction and
development of echinoderms.
In addition, the Brazilian Symposium of Echinoderms has convened twice in
the past five years (the first in 2008 and the second in 2012). The second Latin
American meeting on echinoderms (II Congreso Latinoamericano de Equinodermos, CLE) will take place in Brazil in 2013. These are important initiatives to
enhance exchange of knowledge and to stimulate collaborative studies.
In summary, it is well-known that much time and effort are necessary to train
new researchers and to produce knowledge, but some robust steps have taken place
as described earlier in this chapter. Echinoderm studies in Brazil have to be
stimulated more and integrative research has to be encouraged. The state of
echinoderm knowledge seems to have an exciting and successful future in Brazil,
like in the whole Latin America.
Acknowledgments We are grateful to the editors of this volume (Juan José Alvarado and
Francisco Solís Marín) for the invitation to take part in this volume. We are also indebted to John
M Lawrence and the editors for their critical comments and suggestions that improved this
chapter.
References
Abessa DMS, Pereira CDS, Zaroni LP, Gasparro MR, Sousa ECPM (2003) Sensibilidade de
Lytechinus variegatus: comparação entre três populações do Estado de São Paulo. Resumos II
Congresso Brasileiro de Pesquisas Ambientais. Santos, CD-Rom 49-51
ABNT (Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas) (2006) Ecotoxicologia aquática – Toxicidade
crônica de curta duração – Método de ensaio com Lytechinus variegatus (Echinodermata:
Echinoidea). Norma NBR15350:2006. Rio de Janeiro
9 Echinoderm from Brazil
327
Although research on echinoderms from Brazilian waters is still scarce, current
advances in several fields of knowledge are remarkable. The principal bottlenecks
seem to be the current low number of researchers dedicated to the phylum and the
lack of integrative actions to promote information exchange and collaborative
studies. However, there has been a relevant increase in the number of researchers
working in different subject areas during the last two decades.
In fact, an optimistic feeling is corroborated by some evidences. For instance,
although there are few taxonomists in Brazil, the zoological collections were
improved during the last ten years due to some governmental programs of biodiversity inventory and protective laws that obligate petroleum companies to
provide environmental analyses before any exploitation. These facts have induced
the needs for more qualified people, which stimulated the academic institutions to
have more students working on projects of biodiversity, ecotoxicology and
physiology in their Post-graduate Programs. This interest has also generated
increasing studies on immunology, biochemistry, ecology, reproduction and
development of echinoderms.
In addition, the Brazilian Symposium of Echinoderms has convened twice in
the past five years (the first in 2008 and the second in 2012). The second Latin
American meeting on echinoderms (II Congreso Latinoamericano de Equinodermos, CLE) will take place in Brazil in 2013. These are important initiatives to
enhance exchange of knowledge and to stimulate collaborative studies.
In summary, it is well-known that much time and effort are necessary to train
new researchers and to produce knowledge, but some robust steps have taken place
as described earlier in this chapter. Echinoderm studies in Brazil have to be
stimulated more and integrative research has to be encouraged. The state of
echinoderm knowledge seems to have an exciting and successful future in Brazil,
like in the whole Latin America.
Acknowledgments We are grateful to the editors of this volume (Juan José Alvarado and
Francisco Solís Marín) for the invitation to take part in this volume. We are also indebted to John
M Lawrence and the editors for their critical comments and suggestions that improved this
chapter.
References
Abessa DMS, Pereira CDS, Zaroni LP, Gasparro MR, Sousa ECPM (2003) Sensibilidade de
Lytechinus variegatus: comparação entre três populações do Estado de São Paulo. Resumos II
Congresso Brasileiro de Pesquisas Ambientais. Santos, CD-Rom 49-51
ABNT (Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas) (2006) Ecotoxicologia aquática – Toxicidade
crônica de curta duração – Método de ensaio com Lytechinus variegatus (Echinodermata:
Echinoidea). Norma NBR15350:2006. Rio de Janeiro
9 Echinoderm from Brazil
327