Benthic megafauna communities under the influence of the South Atlantic Central Water intrusion onto the Brazilian SE shelf: A comparison between an upwelling and a non-upwelling ecosystem

The structure and dynamics of the benthic invertebrate megafauna of the Southeastern Brazilian shelf were studied over a 2-year period. Two regions presenting different oceanographic conditions, Ubatuba-SP and Cabo Frio-RJ were compared in terms of biomass, density of organisms and species richness. Two to three 30-min tows were undertaken at each of the stations, located at 40 and 100 m isobath, in a normal transect offshore of both regions. Faunal distributional patterns correlated with water mass dynamics, depth and sediment parameters. In the Cabo Frio region, subjected to a Ekman-driven seasonal coastal upwelling, the impact of the South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) on the inner shelf leads to a change in the benthic communities, with a high dominance of top carnivores such as the crab Portunus spinicarpus and the sea-star Astropecten brasiliensis, which accounted for the larger part of the total biomass. Distinct species associations were found in each of the two regions and the total biomass at Cabo Frio inner shelf was almost twice that of Ubatuba during the 2002 summer, when a marked upwelling was verified. The relationship between megabenthic biomass and input of organic matter to the sea floor during upwelling events is discussed.