title: Expansion of an invasive coral species over Abrolhos Bank, Southwestern Atlantic.
abstract: Invasive coral species of the genus Tubastraea have been increasingly recorded in Southwestern Atlantic waters since the 1980s. Their invasion and infestation are mainly related to port and oil exploration activities. For the first time the presence of Tubastraea tagusensis colonies is reported in Espírito Santo State, colonizing a port shore area, and incrusting oil/gas platform structures situated in the southern Abrolhos Bank, which is part of the most important coral reef system of the South Atlantic Ocean. Tubastraea colonies exhibit fast growth and high recruitment rates, and colonized 40% of the analyzed structures in just four years. The projection of port and oil/gas industry growth for the Espírito Santo State (more than 300%) highlights an alert to the dispersal of this alien species to natural areas.
authors: Associação Ambiental Voz da Natureza, Av. Cel. Schwab Filho 104/501, Vitória, Espírito Santo 29050-780, Brazil. Electronic address: thiagojfc@hotmail.com.
authors: Thiago J F
authors: TJ
authors: Costa
authors: Associação Ambiental Voz da Natureza, Av. Cel. Schwab Filho 104/501, Vitória, Espírito Santo 29050-780, Brazil; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA; California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.
authors: Hudson T
authors: HT
authors: Pinheiro
authors: Associação Ambiental Voz da Natureza, Av. Cel. Schwab Filho 104/501, Vitória, Espírito Santo 29050-780, Brazil; Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia 45662-900, Brazil.
authors: João Batista
authors: JB
authors: Teixeira
authors: Associação Ambiental Voz da Natureza, Av. Cel. Schwab Filho 104/501, Vitória, Espírito Santo 29050-780, Brazil; Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo 29090-600, Brazil.
authors: Eric F
authors: EF
authors: Mazzei
authors: Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo 29090-600, Brazil.
authors: Leonardo
authors: L
authors: Bueno
authors: Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo 29090-600, Brazil.
authors: Mike S C
authors: MS
authors: Hora
authors: Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo 29090-600, Brazil.
authors: Jean-Christophe
authors: JC
authors: Joyeux
authors: Fish Bizz Ltda., São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Alfredo
authors: A
authors: Carvalho-Filho
authors: Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22460-030, Brazil.
authors: Gilberto
authors: G
authors: Amado-Filho
authors: Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Unidade de Ensino Penedo, Penedo, Alagoas 57200-000, Brazil.
authors: Claudio L S
authors: CL
authors: Sampaio
authors: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA; California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.
authors: Luiz A
authors: LA
authors: Rocha
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000187:drug effects*; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D001938:Brazil; D057894:Coral Reefs; D004777:Environment; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005843:Geography; D058865:Introduced Species; D000066388:Oil and Gas Industry
keywords: Bioinvasion; Coral reef; Infestation; Southwestern Atlantic; Tubastraea