Benthic reef assemblages of the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, tropical South-west Atlantic: Effects of depth, wave exposure and cross-shelf positioning

Researchers identified five distinct benthic reef assemblages in the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and no-take marine protected area (MPA) with significant human influence. The study found that distance to the insular slope, depth, and wave exposure were the primary drivers of assemblage differentiation, highlighting the unique vulnerability of these oceanic islands to local and global stressors despite their protection status. Using multivariate regression trees and boosted regression trees, the team analyzed 128 benthic taxa from 12 sites across shallow and mesophotic zones, providing a critical baseline for monitoring future changes in this ecologically sensitive region.

Matheus, Z., Francini-Filho, R. B., Pereira-Filho, G. H., Moraes, F. C., Moura, R. L. d., Brasileiro, P. S., & Amado-Filho, G. M. (2019). Benthic reef assemblages of the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, tropical South-west Atlantic: Effects of depth, wave exposure and cross-shelf positioning. Plos One, 14(1), e0210664. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210664