Tommaso Giarrizzo

• PhD
• Visiting Professor at Federal University of Ceará

The presence of microplastics (MPs) in three bivalve species used for human consumption was assessed. Bivalves were collected from a mangrove of the most densely populated city in Brazil. The results revealed that 63 % of bivalves were contaminated, with density of 0.85 ± 0.13MPs.ind⁻¹ and 0.80 ± 2.2MPs.g⁻¹ww. Particles were mainly classified as fi...

Blue carbon (C) storage in mangroves soils is linked to the anaerobic organic matter (OM) decomposition under saline conditions. Therefore, studies concerning the decomposition in mangroves are relevant to evaluate factors that could affect C storage, a pivot strategy to climate change adaptation. Thus, OM decomposition was assessed using a standar...

Finding easily accessible indicators to assess the biodiversity conservation is crucial in regions where long-term monitoring data is deficient. This is particularly true for tropical freshwater ecosystems, which house most of the known fish biodiversity and faces multiple natural and anthropogenic threats. Fish sizes serve as a key ecological indi...

How to cite: Trindade PAA, Silva FA Jr, Oliveira MSB, Jeffres CA, Ândrade M, Giarrizzo T. First report of Vandellia sp. parasiting the raspy river stingray Potamotrygon scobina in the Amazon basin. Braz J Vet Parasitol 2025; 34(2): e017624. https://doi. Abstract This study reports the first record of candiru, Vandellia sp. parasitizing the freshwat...

Plastic and other synthetic polymers pose a significant threat to wildlife, particularly aquatic organisms. Numerous reports have documented instances of animals, including fish, cetaceans, birds, and turtles, ingesting plastic. While the Chelonian group has received considerable attention in relation to plastic pollution, most studies have primari...

Invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) are recognized as a major management concern in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) because of their high density and adverse effects on native biodiversity, fisheries, and food web processes. Despite these pressing concerns, there is a lack of research focused on the current and future invasion of lionfish in Southwe...

The sea anemone Bunodosoma cangicum is a potential biomonitor species of microplastic (MP) contamination. However, current MP extraction methods for this species, and most organisms, are lethal to the specimens. This poses the risk of negatively impact on local populations, which are already under considerable anthropogenic pressures. Therefore, th...

On 29 January, 2024, a truck accident spilled concentrated sulfonic acid into a river in Brazil’s State of Santa Catarina. This disaster, which occurred in a protected area, killed various types of fish (e.g., crenuchids, heptapterids, and loricariids) and probably many other less observable animals, such as small invertebrates. The accident, simil...

This study analyzed 19 elements in 50 invasive lionfish Pterois volitans individuals from three different habitats (natural and artificial reefs and unconsolidated bottoms) along the Northeastern Brazilian Coast. The findings were compared with published data from Caribbean regions, exploring habitat differences in elemental concentrations and asse...

This study analyzed 19 elements in 50 invasive lionfish Pterois volitans individuals from three different habitats (natural and artificial reefs and unconsolidated bottoms) along the Northeastern Brazilian Coast. The findings were compared with published data from Caribbean regions, exploring habitat differences in elemental concentrations and asse...

Recycling plays a crucial role in the circular economy by reintroducing materials into the supply chain. However, certain aspects of the recycling chain, such as the role of informal waste pickers remain underappreciated, despite their significant impact on energy savings and CO2 recovery. This study investigates the contribution of informal waste...

Unlike most rivers globally, nearly all lowland Amazonian rivers have unregulated flow, supporting seasonally flooded floodplain forests. Floodplain forests harbor a unique tree species assemblage adapted to flooding and specialized fauna, including fruit-eating fish that migrate seasonally into floodplains, favoring expansive floodplain areas....

Objective: The objective of this study was to study the effect of variations in the hydrological cycle on the feeding of Spectracanthicus zuanoni and Spectracanthicus punctatissimus. Theoretical Framework: Seasonal variations in water resources may result in changes in the food resources of ichthyofauna, determining the trophic profile of aquatic s...

Estuaries are the main pathway for the microplastics (MPs) to enter into the oceans. However, factors that drive river-sea transport of MPs are not yet fully understood. Therefore, our research investigated the influence of the tidal cycle on the abundance and characteristics of MPs in an urban estuary, through high-frequency sampling (every 2–3 h)...

Small-scale fisheries, especially those from developing countries, are vital for millions. Understanding the impact of environmental and human factors on fish stocks and yields and how they might change is crucial to ensure the sustainable use of aquatic resources. We developed an ecosystem model using Ecopath and Ecosim (EwE) to investigate change...

Interactions between birds and plastics cause several damages like death due to entanglement and blockage of the digestive tract. However, the impacts of plastics on both marine and terrestrial bird nests require further investigation. Recently, Lopes et al. (2024) published the first report on the presence of plastic debris in bird nests (Psarocol...

The low-latitude habitats of the South American reef system have a high endemism and represent important stepping-stones due to the connectivity with Amazon and Caribbean reefs. We provide the first seabed mapping, and analyze the benthic cover and fish assemblages of these extreme reefs. Fleshy macroalgae (2—66% of cover), algal turfs (0—47%), and...

Food webs depict the intricate connections between organisms in ecosystems, vital for grasping energy and material transfers. However, creating precise food webs is challenging due to the complexity of ecological systems and the need for extensive data. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), notably in Natural Language Processing (NLP...

Knowledge regarding the early life history of neotropical fish, although incipient, is crucial for the accurate identification of larvae collected from the natural environment. Such details are important for defining spawning, drift, and nursery areas as well as the reproductive periods of species. Herein, the larval development of Cynodon gibbus w...

The increase in the construction of mega dams in tropical basins is considered a threat to freshwater fish diversity. Although difficult to detect in conventional monitoring programs, rheophilic species and those reliant on shallow habitats comprise a large proportion of fish diversity in tropical basins and are among the most sensitive species to...

Anthropogenic litter, such as plastic, is investigated by the global scientific community from various fields employing diverse techniques. The goal is to assess and finally mitigate the pollutants' impacts on the natural environment. Plastic litter can accumulate in different matrices of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, impacting both biota and...

Identifying the origin of plastic pollution is essential for the development of effective preventive and mitigatory strategies and guidelines for companies, governments, and stakeholders. In 2022, a considerable amount of plastic waste stranded on beaches of the northern coast of Brazil. A preliminary analysis of this waste revealed that most of th...

1. The identification of multiple facets of biodiversity (e.g., phylogenetic and functional) can help to understand how evolutionary and ecological mechanisms shape the assembly of biological communities. 2. Here, we employed multiple regressions and variance partitions to investigate the effects of environmental conditions, connectivity and space...

Length-weight relationship (LWR) parameters are necessary to understand the life cycle of fish to describe the biological aspects of species. In this sense, LWRs were determined for 17 estuarine species from the second largest mangrove area in the world, Northern Brazil. The sampling was carried out during the dry and wet seasons of 2015 and 2018 i...

NOTA TÉCNICA: Eventos recorrentes de peixamentos (solturas de peixes) com o uso de espécies não nativas são praticados no Brasil com o suposto objetivo de “recuperação de estoques naturais” ou “respeito/proteção ao meio ambiente”. Entretanto, na maioria das vezes essas ações ignoram preceitos legais (o uso de espécies não nativas é crime ambiental)...

Birds have been impacted by plastic pollution via entanglement, accidental ingestion, and exposure to chemical contaminants. However, plastics were also observed as a nesting material for several species. For the first time, we describe the occurrence and composition of plastics in 36 nests of the crested oropendola (Psarocolius decumanus) in three...

We review the negative impacts of vinasse, a byproduct of alcohol distillation, on Brazil’s freshwater ecosystems. We found a total of 37 pollution events between the years 1935 and 2023, with this number almost certainly an underestimate due to underreporting and/or unassessed events. Pollution by vinasse occurred both through accidents (e.g., tan...

Birds have been impacted by plastic pollution via entanglement, accidental ingestion, and exposure to chemical contaminants. However, plastics were also observed as a nesting material for several species. For the first time, we describe the occurrence and composition of plastics in the nests of the crested oropendola (Psarocolius decumanus) in thre...

In the present study, we applied forensic geochemistry to investigate the origin and fate of spilled oils like tarballs stranded at the beaches of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil, in September 2023, based on their fingerprints. Saturated and aromatic compounds were assessed by gas chromatography, and the oceanic surface circulation patterns were deci...

Nota de repúdio à utilização de peixes exóticosvisando o combate a larvas do mosquito AedesaegyptiO vetor de arboviroses Zika, Chikungunya,febre amarela e dengue, em ecossistemas aquá-ticos brasileiros. (PDF) Nota de repúdio à utilização de peixes exóticos visando o combate a larvas do mosquito Aedes aegypti, vetor das arboviroses Zika, chikungun...

This study provides insights into the intricate dynamics of coastal muddy bottoms within tropical regions spanning from the Amazon to the São Francisco River estuary. Through species analysis, distinct species pools distributed across the Tropical Atlantic have been identified, revealing diverse patterns in fish biodiversity that transcend mere spe...

Microplastics (MPs) have been identified as a major potential threat to the biota and human health. Despite the exponential increase in MP research worldwide, few studies have focused on the extensive Amazon biome. To assess research priorities, the present study reviewed and summarized the available scientific knowledge on MPs in the Amazon, in ad...

Brazil is among the main contributors to global biodiversity, which, in turn, provides extensive ecosystem services. Agriculture is an activity that benefits greatly from these ecosystem services, but at the same time is degrading aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and eroding Brazilian biodiversity. This conflict is growing, as emerging unsustaina...

Deposits of seabird guano on marine shores have drawn the attention of companies and naturalists for centuries. Among notable effects, allochthonous energy/ matter inputs by seabirds are responsible for shifts in ecosystem functioning next to colonies. Here, we used stable isotopes of nitrogen-15 (ratios of 15 N: 14 N, expressed as δ 15 N) to trace...

Azevedo-Santos, V.M., V.S. Daga, L.H. Tonella, R. Ruaro, M.S. Arcifa, P.M. Fearnside & T. Giarrizzo. 2024. Os ecossistemas urbanos do Brasil ameaçados por lei- Amazônia Real,

Reef fisheries are multispecific and employ a variety of fishing gears across marine environments, even in remote areas. This intricate and multifaceted nature of reef fisheries is often overlooked in management strategies, leading to global management failures. In Brazil, information about reef fisheries is often scarce and scattered. This stems f...

Plastic materials have many destinies on the environment, and one of them is its continuous fragmentation, originating microplastics (MP). MP act as an adsorption surface for organic pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Due to its toxic and harmful properties, 16 PAH are defined as priorities in studies. Several works have evalua...

The knowledge held by local and indigenous communities has been recognized as an invaluable yet underused resource for understanding how the environment, local conditions, and fish populations change over time. Empirical information on population sizes, ecology, and threats to fish species and their habitats can be complemented with local knowledge...

Invasive species are continuously introduced in several ecosystems from human activities. Aquaculture activities are noteworthy among the many different species introduction vectors currently in place, generating a pattern of constant, frequent or massive release of propagules into aquatic ecosystems, increasing species establishment success rates....

Pollution by plastics is a worldwide problem on par with climatic change and biological invasions. In coastal sediments, plastic particles tend to accumulate and persist over the long term. We assessed the plastic pollution using a standardized surface sediment sampling protocol on 22 sandy beaches along >4600 km of the Brazilian coast. The abundan...

Intertidal ecology has been considered the cradle of modern marine ecology with insightful investigations on the biological and ecological mechanisms allowing “life between the tides”. Most of the early investigations focused on macrophytes (seagrasses and macroalgae) and benthic invertebrates inhabiting emerged intertidal substrata. However, tidep...

Metacommunity theory seeks to explain how local and regional processes contribute to the organisation of biological communities. Recent conceptual frameworks of this theory indicate that the dynamics of populations and communities are jointly established by dispersal, species responses to environmental conditions and biotic interactions dependent o...

The role of Amazon on the transport and as a source of microplastics (MPs) to the ocean is uncertain. This study is an assessment on the distribution of MPs and microfibers (MFs) in a portion of the Amazon delta. Guajará bay is a potential source for surrounding waters, since a metropolis is located at the right margin. Surface water samples were c...

Microplastic (MP) pollution has been detected in coral reefs, raising concerns regarding its global impact. Although they cover a small portion (<1%) of the total area of the world's oceans, coral reefs are geological and biological structures that trap MPs and disproportionately enhance their accumulation. In this review, we attempted to understan...

Graphical abstract Highlights d Ecological metadata were compiled for 7,694 sites across the Brazilian Amazon d Accessibility and proximity to research facilities influenced research probability d Knowledge gaps are greater in uplands than in wetlands and aquatic habitats d Undersampled areas overlap predicted hotspots of climate change and defores...

In 2020, multiple lionfish (Pterois spp.) records along the equatorial Southwestern (SW) Atlantic revealed a new expansion of these potentially damaging invasive populations, which could impact over 3500 km of Brazilian coastline over the next few years, as well as unique ecosystems and marine protected areas in its path. To assess the taxonomic st...

Aim: Additive diversity partitioning has been used to explain the accumulation of diversity at different spatial scales with relative success. In lotic ecosystems, the spatial extent is extremely relevant in studies of diversity accumulation, because it encompasses environmental variation that causes changes in the observed communities. Despite of...

The introduction of non-native species (NNS) and the resulting biological invasions are conspicuous features of the Anthropocene Epoch. Parallel to these phenomena, some initiatives (political, social and scientific) have sought to value and protect invasive populations, recognizing some benefits that NNS may deliver to people and nature. Given thi...

Falta de critério científico e distorções de informações no texto “Invasoras, Casuais ou Naturalizadas?Buscando uma classificação científica para as tilápias”, publicado na Revista Panorama da AQÜICULTURAem 20/04/2023, por Sergio Zimmermann, Renata M. Barroso Bertolini, Bruno M. Queiroz, Bernardo Baldisserotto e Danilo Streit. https://panoramadaaq...

Anthropogenic marine debris and invasive species are pervasive in the ocean. However, research on the mechanisms and dynamics controlling their distribution in marine systems (e.g.; by floating debris acting as vectors for invasive species) is limited. Applying a numerical modeling approach, we demonstrate that rafting invasive corals (Tubastraea s...

A global survey of coral reefs reveals that overfishing is driving resident shark species toward extinction, causing diversity deficits in reef elasmobranch (shark and ray) assemblages. Our species level analysis revealed global declines of 60 to 73% for five common resident reef shark species and that individual shark species were not detected at...

A global survey of coral reefs reveals that overfishing is driving resident shark species toward extinction, causing diversity deficits in reef elasmobranch (shark and ray) assemblages. Our species-level analysis revealed global declines of 60 to 73% for five common resident reef shark species and that individual shark species were not detected at...

Local Ecological Knowledge and social perceptions of human communities that depend on natural resources can provide important baseline information on local threats and impacts at a fine scale for conservation management. Seahorses play important economic role in Brazilian mangroves, being sought-after for seahorse-watching tours. This touristic act...

Brazil’s federal Law 12,651/2012 (popularly known as the “Forest Code”) requires “Permanent Preservation Areas”, known as “APPs”, which are strips of protected vegetation along the edges of watercourses. The widths of the strips vary, depending on the width of the watercourse, and the law applies to both rural and urban aquatic ecosystems. However,...

Purpose: Introduced or invasive fish are susceptible to new parasites but can simultaneously carry infectious parasites from their native range towards new hosts. Screening these parasites is key to address the health of fish populations and spread of diseases. Methods: In this study, we sequenced a Coccidia parasite, for the first time from the...

After successful invasions in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, lionfish (Pterois spp.) have recently invaded another important biogeographical region —the Brazilian Province. In this article, we discuss this new invasion, focusing on a roadmap for urgent mitigation of the problem, as well as focused research and management strategies. The invasion...

Analysis of small-scale inland fisheries (SSIFs) is often highly dispersed and tends not reflect the true magnitude of their contribution to society. This is partly due to the insufficient attention given to this sector by the relevant authorities, in addition to its highly diverse characteristics, with complex patterns of operation in a wide range...

The drift movement consists of the displacement of the organisms inside the water column which allows its passive locomotion. This movement will result in a variation of the communities of organisms along the river, generating spatial patterns. Based on this, we tested the hypotheses a) the drift of individuals in an upstream- downstream direction...

The abundance and dispersion of plastic particles in aquatic ecosystems has become pervasive resulting in the incorporation of these materials into food webs. Here we describe the first record of plastic ingestion by the freshwater white-blotched river stingray Potamotrygon leopoldi (Potamotrygonidae), an endemic and threatened species in the Xingu...

This paper was one of the most downloaded during its first 12 months of publication in FISHERIES

Aquatic ecosystems are often exposed to a complex mixture of pollutants that can have a negative influence on the health of the resident organisms. In this context, it is crucial to understand the biological responses of the different organisms that inhabit impacted areas to identify biomonitors that are representative of alterations in the local b...

Recent theoretical studies suggest that food webs are size-structured with top predators coupling different energy sources, but evidence for this hypothesis is still scarce, especially in highly diverse tropical rivers. Here, we explored the association between body size, trophic position, and the use of allochthonous and autochthonous basal produc...

Mangroves provide a vital role in mitigating climate change through sequestering large amounts of carbon. Brazil contains the second largest extent of mangroves in the world, with 77% of this adjacent to the Amazon estuary, a largely understudied region, due to its extent and inaccessibility. To address this, this study analysed rates of carbon seq...

Giarrizzo As enchentes relacionadas à mudança climática estão aumentando, assim como os danos causados por elas devido à remoção da vegetação ao longo dos cursos d'água. Recentes retrocessos legislativos diminuindo ou eliminando a proteção da vegetação ripária em áreas urbanas, e a necessidade de revertê-los, foram explicados em uma carta publicada...

Microphilypnus and Leptophilypnion are miniaturized genera within the family Eleotridae. The evolutionary relationships among these taxa are still poorly understood, and molecular analyses are restricted to mitochondrial genes, which have not been conclusive. We compiled both mitochondrial and nuclear genes to study the phylogenetic position of Mic...

Generating accurate estimates of the number of vessels in fishing ports using traditional methods (i.e., ground- and boat-based) can be challenging as observations are distorted by an horizontal perspective. Automated inspection using drones is an emerging research alternative for this type of investigation. However, the drone-based and ground- and...

Plastics are one of the most used materials in the world. Their indiscriminate use and inappropriate disposal have led to inevitable impacts, for instance ingestion, on the environment arousing the attention of the global community. In addition, plastic ingestion studies are often written in scientific jargon or hidden behind paywalls, which makes...

Here we report the use of plastics by Chrysomus ruficapillus (Vieillot, 1819) (Passeriformes: Icteridae), popularly known as “Garibaldi”, in its nesting activities. The phenomenon was registered on October 17, 2020 near Furnas reservoir, upper Paraná River Basin, in Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. We also discuss the possible negative effects —...

Lionfish are Indo-Pacific venomous fish that are present now in American waters of the Atlantic Ocean. This manuscript report the first envenomation caused by a lionfish in Brazilian Atlantic Ocean, in the Northeast region of the country and alert for new cases and the preventive measures to be applied.

Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing nets (i.e., ghost nets) strongly affect biodiversity in marine ecosystems of numerous localities around the world. Based on videos posted by different people in YouTube™, we accessed the negative effects of these gears in the Mediterranean Sea. We identified 86 species, from 12 groups, in 12 countries...

Lionfish (Pterois spp.) evolved in the Indo-Pacific with predators and prey and invaded regions (e.g., the Caribbean Sea and Mediterranean) where no such balance yet exists. In 2020, four lionfish were recorded on mesophotic reefs of the Amazon offshore Coast and Fernando de Noronha Archipelago. However, until now, there were no records of invasive...