The objective of the present study is to characterize the physical and chemical environmental parameters of Ubatuba Bay (SP), as a subsidy for studies of the composition and distribution of benthic crustaceans which live on the non-consolidated sublittoral bottom of this area. Depth, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, organic content and granulometric composition of the sediments were measured monthly from September/95 to August/96 in eight subareas of the bay. The bay presents an average depth of 9.3 m and is characterized by the following annual mean values for the hydrologic factors: temperature 23.8 ºC, salinity 33.2‰ and dissolved oxygen 5.11 mg/l. The annual mean for the organic matter content of the bay bottom sediments was 11.8% and most subareas presented a grain size composition dominated by pelitic sediments. These peculiar abiotic characteristics are very important for the reproduction and development principally of brachyuran and anomuran crabs, and shrimps which have a close relationship with those substrates.
Crustacea; environmental factors; sediment; organic content; Ubatuba; Brazil