Simulated larvae dispersion of the invasive sun-coral (Tubastrea spp.) along Rio de Janeiro's coast: The role of submesoscale filaments on offshore transport and connectivity.

ABSTRACT: The spread of invasive species in marine ecosystems is a growing global concern, particularly in regions with high economic and ecological importance. Sun corals (Tubastraea spp.) are native scleractinians from the Pacific Ocean that have spread along most of the Brazilian coast. This invasive species initially established populations in Rio de Janeiro state, SE Brazil, reaching high levels of abundance. Although the ecological aspects and impacts caused by this organism have been studied in detail, the natural mechanisms that drive its dispersal have attracted little attention. In this research, we focus on the coastal dispersion of sun coral larvae between Cabo de São Tomé and Ilha Grande Bay, and the offshore transport of sun coral larvae, investigating how submesoscale oceanographic fe

SUBMITTER: Calado L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12140225 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature