Aquatic birds are the natural reservoir for avian influenza viruses (AIV). Habitats in Brazil provide stopover and wintering sites for water birds that migrate between North and South America. The current study was conducted to elucidate the possibility of the transport of influenza A viruses by birds that migrate annually between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In total, 556 orotracheal/cloacal swab samples were collected for influenza A virus screening using real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR). The influenza A virus-positive samples were subjected to viral isolation. Four samples were positive for the influenza A matrix gene by rRT-PCR. From these samples, three viruses were isolated, sequenced and characterized. All positive samples originated from a single bird species, the ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres), that was caught in the Amazon region at Caeté Bay, Northeast Pará, at Ilha de Canelas. To our knowledge, this is the first isolation of H11N9 in the ruddy turnstone in South America.

In South America, Kelp Gulls (Larus dominicanus) breed from Chilean Tierra del Fuego north to Río de Janeiro, Brazil, on the Atlantic coast and to Piura, Peru, on the Pacific coast. This review presents the first synthesis of information on the distribution and size of Kelp Gull colonies at the country level in coastal environments of Uruguay, Chile and Peru; provides an update on the breeding situation of the species in Brazil and Argentina; and allows the first evaluation of the overall coastal breeding population in South America. The breeding population in South America is now estimated to number at least 160,000 pairs. The largest population (at least 106,000 breeding pairs) is found in Argentina. Colonies of more than 1,000 pairs are uncommon. Population trends differed among coastal sectors, and important increases in numbers and formation of new colonies were only observed in Argentina. Available information suggests that predictable and abundant anthropogenic food subsidies, such as fis...

A pesca artesanal do camarão sete-barbas é denominada "pesca de sol a sol" e realizada em grande escala no litoral brasileiro, apresentando uma significativa importância econômica, histórica, social e cultural. Atualmente, a pesca desse camarão é considerada a de maior interesse econômico e o segundo recurso pesqueiro nas regiões Sudeste-Sul do Brasil. Com o objetivo de estudar a biologia e pesca do camarão sete-barbas na Armação do Itapocoroy, Penha (26º40'-26º47'S e 48º36'-48º38'W), durante o período de agosto de 1996 a julho de 2003 foram realizadas coletas mensais com 30 minutos de duração. Foram registrados o número e a biomassa dos exemplares por arrasto, e entre anos de 1996-1997 e 1999-2001, também foram anotados o sexo, o comprimento e peso total, estádio de maturação. Além dessas informações, entre agosto de 1998 a julho de 1999 foi analisado a dieta natural da espécie. X. kroyeri (Heller, 1862) apresentou comprimento total variando entre 3,0 e 16,0 cm e flutuações sazonais na abundância e biomassa, com as maiores taxas de captura ocorreram durante os meses de verão e outono. A relação peso/comprimento indicou um padrão de crescimento tendendo ao isométrico com tamanho de primeira maturação entre 7,3 a 7,9 cm, alcançados em seis meses de idade. A espécie apresentou dois picos de desova ao longo do ano, sendo que a pesca artesanal vem atuando com maior intensidade sobre o estoque adulto. O espectro trófico foi composto por 30 itens, sendo que os Gammaridae, areia, outros Crustacea e matéria orgânica os elementos básicos na dieta da espécie. Em média, 67,82 barcos atuam durante oito meses por ano na pesca do camarão sete-barbas na Armação do Itapocoroy, podendo capturar em torno de 170 toneladas/ano.

Callinectes ornatus (Ordway, 1863) é a espécie mais abundante de Portunidae, capturada como fauna acompanhante na pesca artesanal do camarão sete-barbas. Durante o período de Agosto de 1996 a Julho de 2002, os caranguejos foram monitorados mensalmente na Armação do Itapocoroy. C. ornatus mostrou flutuações sazonais na abundância com as maiores taxas na primavera e no inverno. A variação da população quando a largura da carapaça variou de 2,0 a 10,0 cm, e a presença de juvenis foi comum ao longo do ano. As espécies apresentaram crescimento alométrico positivo, com os machos e as fêmeas chegando à primeira maturação gonadal com 5,8 e 5,2 cm, respectivamente. A pesca artesanal na Armação do Itapocoroy atua com alta intensidade sobre o estoque adulto.

The capture of crabs of the genus Callinectes is one of the oldest extractive activities practised by waterside communities, due to the abundance of brachyurans along the Brazilian coast. The present paper aimed to provide basic information on the population biology of C. sapidus and C. danae during the period of December 2003 to November 2004, in Babitonga Bay, Joinville, Santa Catarina. The size of the first maturation of C. danae was estimated as 7.1 cm in total carapace width for females, and as 8.6 cm for males. Fecundity of the 20 females of C. danae with carapace width from 7.0 to 11.0 cm varied from 618,667 to 811,267 eggs. Fecundity of C. sapidus was higher, with a median of 978,000 eggs per female, but carapace widths in this species were also larger, with the highest frequency of females attaining 19.01 cm on average. In both species, a tendency was observed for the egg mass to increase with size of females. The capture per unit of effort presented the lowest values in summer, while the largest values occurred from March, August and November. A total of 80 males and 117 females of C. sapidus were captured in the four collecting areas, with the largest abundances in Area III (45.18%), followed by Areas II, IV and I. The size of the first maturation of C. sapidus was estimated as 10.2 cm for females and as 9.0 cm for males. Fishing effort was in relative equilibrium for adult stock (males = 58.75% and females = 52.99%) and juveniles (males = 41.25% and females = 47.01%). The largest monthly rates of biomass of C. sapidus occurred from April to November, with a peak of capture in August, without significant differences in the participation of males and females.