Expeditions: Rocas Atoll Marine Biological Reserve 2018

During the last May and June, three researchers of PELD-ILOC (Long-Term Ecological Research Program)
conducted extensive data collection on Rocas Atoll, one of the Brazilian oceanic islands monitored by the initiative.
The team was formed by Dr. Vinicius Giglio (UFF), Dr. Katia Capel (URFJ), MSc candidate Vitor Picolloto (UFSC),
and the reserve assistance was provided by Jarian Dantas (ICMBio).

The main objective of this expedition was to perform the annual monitoring of reef components, and the activities
included underwater visual censuses to assess reef fish assemblages, photoquadrats for the benthic community
and sampling of the crab Grapsus grapsus.

Researchers observed relatively high abundances of reef fish, mainly mesopredators such as the dog snapper
Lutjanus jocu, lemon shark Negaprion brevirostris and the nurse shark Gynglimostoma cyrratum. These are clear
indications of marine protected area effectiveness.

Check bellow some photos of our expedition.

Written by: Vinicius J. Giglio 07/2018

Team expedition Rocas Atoll 2018

Researcher conducting benthic photoquadrats

Washing dishes on the beach

The crab Grapsus grapsus

Grapsus grapsus walking on the beach

The spotfin butterflyfish, Chaetodon ocellatus

Ophioblennius trinitatus