Banca de DEFESA: MAYARA BAÊTA SOARES

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : MAYARA BAÊTA SOARES
DATE: 30/08/2024
TIME: 09:30
LOCAL: on-line
TITLE:

Fragmentation and regeneration of the sponge Heteropia glomerosa (Porifera, Calcarea): Inferences on its invasive potential

KEY WORDS:

Polarity, Resettlement, Reproduction

PAGES: 79
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Zoologia
SUBÁREA: Zoologia Aplicada
SUMMARY:

Heteropia glomerosa was the most recent species of calcareous sponge to be recognized as exotic in
Brazil. It was first observed in Ilha Grande Bay, in the coast of Rio de Janeiro State, in 2005, and
since than, has spread across the Brazilian coast, commonly associated with port areas and artificial
substrates. Characteristics such as rapid reproduction, tolerance to different temperatures, and varied
habitats characterize its opportunistic behavior, and contribute to its rapid and widespread distribution.
Heteropia glomerosa is a multioscular sponge with several tubes connected to a base, achieving
variable sizes. In general, it has a fragile consistency, being susceptible to accidental fragmentation
events due to the movement of the structures to which it is attached or occasional contact with other
objects or organisms. In this study, we investigated the events after tube fragmentation in individuals
of this species, including the morphological processes of regeneration, reconstitution of polarity, and
resettlement capacity, in addition to determining whether there is competition for resources between
regeneration and reproduction. It was observed that H. glomerosa regenerates more quickly regions
whose absence can compromise the internal flow of water, such as the osculum. The oscular region
seems to be responsible for determining the polarity of the tubes, since small fragments of this region
tend to restore the original apical-basal axis of the species, while medium and large fragments present
varied results. In addition, we observed that isolated fragments are able to resettle when the substrate
and environmental conditions are favorable and we infer that regeneration does not interfere with the
reproduction of the species, since fragments in the regeneration process continue to reproduce
normally, presenting reproductive elements. These results show us that the species Heteropia
glomerosa not only survives and regenerates quickly, but also continues to contribute to the
population dynamics even after suffering injuries, being able to colonize new environments through
fragmentation. Therefore, the combination of these characteristics increases the invasive potential of
the species. Identifying and understanding the invasive potential of a species allows us to adopt
protective measures against possible future damage that may be caused to native biodiversity.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externa à Instituição - FERNANDA FERNANDES CAVALCANTI - UFBA
Interna - 1217103 - ANA CLAUDIA DOS SANTOS BRASIL
Interno - 1140377 - ANDRE QUEIROZ DE PADUA
Interno - 2289640 - HELIO RICARDO DA SILVA
Externo à Instituição - VINÍCIUS DA ROCHA MIRANDA - UFRRJ