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228Z. M. A. N. LEAO ET ALLITable I. Occurrence of coral and hydrocoral species in reefs from Eastern Brazil.NorthCoastTodosSantos BayTinhare/BoipebaCabráliaItacolomis AbrolhoscoastalAbrolhosislandsAbrolhosoffshoreAgaricia agaricites X X X X X X X XAgaricia fragilis X X X X X XAstrangia braziliensis X XFavia gravida X X X X X X X XFavia leptophylla X X X X X XMadracis decactis X X X X X X XMeandrina X X X X X XMontastrea cavernosa X X X X X X X XMussismilia X X X X X X X XMussismilia harttii X X X X X X X XMussismilia hispida X X X X X X X XPhyllangia americana X X XPorites astreoides X X X X X X X XPorites branneri X X X X X X X XScolymia wellsi X X X X X X XScolymia cubensisXSiderastrea stellata X X X X X X X XSiderastrea radians XStephanocoeniaXMillepora alcicornis X X X X X X X XMillepora nitida X X X X X XMillepora braziliensis X X XStylaster roseus X X# Species 14 14 16 16 15 17 17 22In the Abrolhos area, average values forthe reefs from the coastal area were as follows:living coral cover ranged from 5.6 to 11%, thedensity of large corals varied from 11 to 144colonies per reef site (60 m 2 ), the number of coralrecruits per square meter was 13.6 to 35, andvalues for macroalgae abundance varied from 0.6 to11.9%. In the fringing reefs bordering the Abrolhosislands, coral cover values ranged from 6.8 to17.3%, the density of larger corals varied between57.7 and 155.3 colonies per reef site, coral recruitsranged from 13.6 to 35 m 2 , and the abundanceof macroalgae ranged from 0 to 22.5%. In thechapeirões of the Parcel dos Abrolhos, the valuesof the reef indicators were: 14.9% for living coralcover, 107.5 for number of large coral coloniesper reef site; 32.1 m 2 for density of coral recruits and6.3% for macroalgae abundance (Kikuchi et al.2010). Comparing these data averaged for theinshore and offshore reefs, which were acquiredalong belt transects that covered an area of 60 m 2in each reef site (Tab. III), one sees that thevalues of the measured coral parameters (livingcover, density of larger colonies and of recruits) forthe inshore reefs (North Coast, Tinharé / Boipebaand Cabrália) are much lower than those forthe offshore reefs (Itacolomis and Abrolhos), whichare opposite the average values of the abundance ofmacroalgae.In Todos os Santos Bay the data about coraldiversity originated from the survey performed in2003 by Dutra and collaborators (2006) comparedwith the information given in Laborel’s descriptionfrom the 1960’s (Laborel 1969, 1970), show that themajor differences between these two surveys are theidentified coral species present in the reefs from theinterior of the bay. Some species cited in Laborel’sdescription were not found in the 2003 survey, suchPan-American Journal of Aquatic Sciences (2010), 5(2): 224-235