Biodiversidade Bentônica da região central da Zona Econômica Exclusiva brasileira (Benthic diversity of the central region of the Brazilian Economic Exclusive Zone). Helena Passeri Lavrado & Bárbara Lage Ignácio (eds.). Museu Nacional, Série Livros n.18, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil 389p (in Portuguese), 2006. ISBN 85-7427-014-8

Abstract
The main objectives of the REVIZEE Programme were the species inventory and the evaluation of the sustainable yield of living resources from the Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone. In this context, the benthos has an important role, since it is one of the main components of marine food webs, being food to many pelagic and demersal fishing resources or as a living resource itself. This book presents a characterization of the phyto- and zoobenthos from the continental shelf and slope of the central Brazilian coast, between Salvador, in Bahia (13°S) to São Tomé Cape, in Rio de Janeiro State (22°30’ S). Samples were taken in 222 stations, during 4 oceanographic cruises (1996-2002), between 50 and 2000m depth. Sampling was made using rectangular dredges, van Veen grabs and box-corers. The results has pointed out that the EEZ central  region presents a rich benthic fauna and flora, especially at areas such as Abrolhos reefs, Vitória-Trindade  and Almirante Saldanha seamounts. Macroalgae (228 species)  have been occurred mainly at continental shelf and slope break (70-80m depth), with green algae as the most rich and abundant group, despite the biomass contribution of brown algae in some places. Thirty-one macrobenthic groups  and more than 1400 species were found, with one third occurring in more than 70% of stations. Most organisms belong to epifauna (animals living on the substrate), in part due to the kind of equipment used (basically dredges) and also to the main bottom type found in the region (mainly biogenic substrata, with algae nodules, corals  and calcareous sediment). This substratum type favours the presence of epifauna, composed mainly by sessile animals such as sponges and corals, the most abundant organisms in terms of biomass (ca. 85%). Infauna (animals that live buried in the sediment) was represented by various taxa of polychaetes, sipunculans, echinoderms, small crustaceans and mollusks, the two latter being numerically dominant.. Environmental heterogeneity given by differences in shelf and slope substrata, the presence of a biogenic bottom, estuaries, coral reefs, seamounts and canyons provides a great variety of habitats and it seems to be responsible for high benthic diversity found. Despite the lack of a precise evaluation of the economic potential of benthic living resources, the REVIZEE programme has provided an excellent species inventory, with new species descriptions and records to Brazilian coast, specially from the outer shelf and upper slope. The book is divided into 7 chapters: Characterization of benthic community, Macroalgae, Porifera, Corals,  Nematoda, Mollusca, Polychaeta, Crustacea and Echinodermata. Also, a georeferrenced  species list is given for each taxonomic group.