The contribution of estuarine decapod larvae to marine zooplankton communities in North-East Brazil

Zooplankton (> 300 mu m) was sampled along a large scale sampling grid off the northeast Brazilian coast from Pernambuco to Ceara State, during the dr y season, from February to March, 1995. Additionally, the Itamaraca Estuari ne System (IES) (near Recife, Pernambuco Stare) was chosen for a mesoscale investigation. Export of water masses from the IES was restricted to the re ef line, about 6 km from the coast. In spite of this geomorphological and h ydrographical barrier, estuarine decapod larvae were export ed to about 15 km offshore. On the inshore shelf off Pernambuco State (6 to 15 km offshore ), decapod larvae dominated in abundance and biomass. Here, the dominant de capod groups were Brachyura (late-stage unidentified zoeae of type A, and X anthidae), Caridea, Porcellanidae, Anomura, and Callianassidae. In the IES, the most abundant decapod taxa were: first-stage zoeae of Brachyura (Ucd s pp., Ucides cordatus, Grapsidae, Xanthidae, and unidentified zoeae of type "A"), Lucifer faxoni, Upogebiidae, Caridea, Acetes americanus, and Anomura. At distances of more than 20 km off Pernambuco and at most stations off Ce ara State, the zooplankton was characterized by an oceanic copepod communit y. The present study confirms the importance of estuarine mangrove ecosyste ms as sources of food for marine food webs.