Marine benthic Cyanobacteria have always been neglected by taxonomic surveys of the Brazilian coast, exception made for some works focusing the shore of the São Paulo State. For island habitats there is only one study carried out for the Cardoso Island. Therefore, the aim of this study is to improve the knowledge about the richness of cyanobacterial species in marine benthic communities from coastal islands of the São Paulo State. The results show the occurrence of 24 species of Cyanobacteria: Oscillatoriales are represented by 12 species (50%), Nostocales by 6 species (25%) and Chroococcales by 6 species (25%). Among the identified species, four represent new references for the South Atlantic: Cyanodermatium gonzaliensis H. Leon-Tejera et al., Xenococcus pallidus (Hansg.) Komárek & Anagn., Microchaete aeruginea Batters and Hydrocoryne spongiosa Bornet & Flahault, and one is a new occurrence for the coast of Brazil: Rivularia atra Roth. Some nomenclatural updatings were adopted according to the Komárek & Agnostidis more recent system of classification.
benthic Cyanobacteria; coastal islands; São Paulo; taxonomy
