Research

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Polychaetes Taxonomy The laboratory is commited mainly with alpha-taxonomy of polychaetous annelids from several different families in diverse environments. Nowadays we are focusing mainly in polychaetes from deep-sea, reefs and soft-bottom nearshore environments. Faunistic surveys are being performed in tropical areas (eastern and northeastern Brazilian coasts) were knowledge of the polychaete fauna is still restricted. PROJECTS
Marine Benthic Ecology Lab interests also cover community benthic ecology and ecology of polychaetes taxocoenosis. The focus are in near-shore environments from the southern coastal of Brazil (Ubatuba-São Paulo, Guanabara Bay-Rio de Janeiro) and Antarctic region. Despite main interest in soft-bottoms, rocky shores and coral-reefs environments had been studied by the lab in recent years. Main interests in benthic ecology are: sampling desing, trophic structure and spatial and temporal distribution. PROJECTS
Polychaetes Molecular Systematics and Phylogeography As a part of taxonomic studies, we are now developing projects using molecular markers to solve taxonomic problems regarding cyiptic or so-called cosmopolitan species. Studies on phylogeography of wide-distributed species are also being developed. Main focus of such studies is the relation between evolutionary patterns and historical process that resulted in nowadays geographical distribution of tropical polychaetes. PROJECTS