Abstract
Benthic diatoms that produce and live inside mucilage tubes are prominent pioneer colonizers of marine substrata. This adaptation is an ecological strategy related to mechanical protection against wave action and desiccation. In this article, we identify Nitzschia martiana based on morphological and ultrastructural analyses from several samples, collected from different localities. We also analysed the potential distribution model of the species to identify potential areas along the Brazilian coast with high environmental suitability for its occurrence. The distribution modelling, associated with our wide sampling, allowed us to present a robust characterization of the distribution of N. martiana along the Brazilian coast. Previous records were restricted to the coast of the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Pernambuco. Our results confirmed the occurrence of the species in 14 new localities, over a temperature range of 18–27°C, always occurring as macroscopic tufts, in regions exposed to direct sunlight during low tide periods, on sand, coral reefs and rocks.
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