Effects of substratum type and orientation on the recruitment of bryozoans in an artificial area of the Western Atlantic.

Bryozoans are commonly associated with various artificial structures in marine environments and have been responsible for several bioinvasion events worldwide. Understanding the interactions between bryozoans and artificial structures is therefore essential to prevent the establishment and spread of potential bioinvaders. This study investigated bryozoan recruitment on four different substrates (PET, nautical ropes, metal, and PVC) placed in three orientations (vertical, horizontal facing down and facing up) in an area of the Western Atlantic.

Influence of depth on bryozoan richness and distribution from the continental shelf of the northern coast of Bahia State, north-eastern Brazil.

Biological and abiotic processes influence ecosystem structure and species distribution. For bryozoan assemblages, depth, substratum and habitat structure are among the main factors influencing their distribution. Ecological studies on bryozoan fauna from Brazil are scarce and factors affecting the distribution and/or diversity of this common group are obscure.