Desenvolvendo um protocolo de cultivo ex situ de corais brasileiros: um estudo piloto

Abstract

Biological reefs are among the most important and, yet, threatened ecosystems nowadays, having corals as major structurer organisms. The Brazilian coral fauna, specifically, faces the impacts of global climate changes, showing bleaching events each time more severe and frequent. Although species conservation in situ must be the priority of legal and institutional efforts, natural ecosystem reduction has compromised the efficiency of those strategies. Due to the lack of protocols aiming at the management and maintenance of Brazilian hydrocorals, the present study was dedicated to the formulation of methodologies aiming the husbandry of national organisms on ex situ systems, that pottentialy would reduce the nonsuccess, due to independence of ambiental factors causes of the increase in mortality. The study started with a bibliographic survey, reviewing the available pertinent literature, which, mostly, is aimed at organisms from known oligotrophic ambients of the Indo-Pacific ocean. Aimed at the husbandry of ornamental marine organisms. From that, it was tested an adaptation of protocols to simulate ambient conditions from coastal Brazilian reefs (mesotrophic). Then, it was collected samples of coral Millepora alcicornis, common in northeast Brazilian reefs, candidates to model organisms for ecological studies on closed systems. The selected organisms were manually obtained by free diving in the localities of Porto de Galinhas (Ipojuuca - PE). After collection, the organisms were conditioned, transported, and acclimated to the Laboratório de Invertebrados Marinhos of Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco. Concurrently, the essays were aimed to the test of nutritional protocol, then the health and response to the food stimulus were monitored; as well as measured abiotic factors, essential to a good working system. In the study, the animals had a positive development and adaptation, shown in the polyp expansion and growth during the experimentation. The obtained results indicate that system and protocol, yet in the initial development phase, have met the nutritional and metabolic demands of Millepora alcicornis, and could result in an alternative to studies and strategies of conservation in closed systems.