**Acknowledgements**

 The authors would like to thank the collaboration of the Biology Department of Aveiro University, as well as Prof. Fernando Rocha of Aveiro University and Prof. Maria Antonieta Rodrigues, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro—UERJ for the support. The research conducted at the SSC was funded by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo 09/51031-8 (WD), 02/02611-2 (WD), and CETESB. We are also grateful to PETROBRAS for providing sediment samples and financial support under "Environmental Heterogeneity of the Campos Basin" and "Campos Basin Deep-sea Environmental Program" project especially to Ana Falcão and Helena Lavrado. The parameters for the organic carbon and total nitrogen were kindly provided by Dr. Carlos E., Rezende (Universidade Estadual Norte Fluminense), the particulate organic matter vertical flux by MScs. Thaisa Vicente (Fundação para Desenvolvimento Tecnológico da Engenharia), the lipids biomarkers by Dr. Renato Carreira (Pontíficia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro), the bacterial biomass by Dr. Rodolfo Paranhos (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro), and the parameters for the water column by Dr. Ilson Silveira (Oceanographic Institute, São Paulo University). The authors are indebted to MScs. Nancy Taniguchi, Dr. Sueli Godoi (Oceanographic Institute, São Paulo University), Carlos E. L. Elmadjian (Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, University of São Paulo), MScs. Naira Yamamoto, Dr. Raquel Fernanda Passos, Dr. Renata Hanae Nagai (Center for Marine Studies, Federal University of Paraná), Carla Ito, Dr. Leticia Burone (Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la

### *Monitoring of Marine Pollution*

República), Dr. Marina Fukumoto, MScs. Rodrigo Aluizio (Federal University of Paraná), Dr. Michel Michaelovitch de Mahiques (Oceanographic Institute, São Paulo University), and Dr. Aurea Ciotti (Biology Marine Center, University of São Paulo) who are gratefully acknowledged for the technical support provided. The authors are indebted Andreia Cristiane Teodoro (BTX Geologia e Meio Ambiente), Silas Gubitoso (BTX Geologia e Meio Ambiente), Silvio Miranda Prada (UNIFEO), José Eduardo Bevilacqua (CETESB).
