Author(s)

C. da S. Fiori & A. Soares-Gomes

Abstract

Taxonomic sufficiency for a monitoring program in a tropical continental shelf, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. C. da S. Fiori & A. Soares-Gomes Universidade Federal Fluminense, Departamento de Biologia Marinha, Brazil Abstract This work aims to determine the taxonomic identification level needed to detect petroleum hydrocarbon environmental impact. The investigation was carried out at the Pargo oil production platform, located on the Campos Basin oil field, Southeast Brazil. Species, genus, family, and class abundance data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate techniques. The analysis at the species, genus and family levels showed similar results. The observed pattern did not agree with the putative pollution gradient, and stations were clustered according to the cardinal points, rather than to distance from the platform. Diversity, richness, and evenness values were lower at northern stations, compared to southern ones. The analysis at the class level did not show any apparent structure around the platform. These results are in accordance with the literature about taxonomic sufficiency that has demonstrated that faunal patterns at different taxonomic levels tend to become similar in polluted habitats. This suggests that even in species-rich tropical communities it is possible to adopt a higher taxonomic level monitoring program.

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