Bryozoans are a mostly marine invertebrate phylum, generally colonial, comprising approximately 5.500 recent species worldwide, of which only 346 species are recorded for the Brazilian coast. Motivated by the lack of knowledge about the biodiversity of marine invertebrates on the northeastern Brazil, the goal of this study is to provide information about the systematics and distribution of marine bryozoans in shallow waters along the cost of Maceió, Alagoas state. The specimens were collected in 9 stations along the coast of Maceió, during spring tides and in different times of the year, and studied according to their morphological variation, distribution, and substratum occupied by the colonies. Colonies were collected in different substrata: rocks, algae, hydroids, ascidians, corals, sponges, mollusk shells, tube of worms, barnacles and anthropogenic surfaces. The identification of specimens was carried out using the literature available and through comparison with other samples from other localities in the Atlantic. The specimens were morphologically and morphometrically analyzed utilizing macro- and microscopic characters employing optical and scanning electron microscopy. Sixty five species were found, belonging to 44 genera and 36 families, of which two were only identified to a taxonomic rank at family level or higher (Schizoporellidae and Lepraliomorpha). Two species were considered incertae sedis (Bowerbankia ?maxima e Bowerbankia aff. gracilis), and other 20 species (32,5%) were determined only at genus level:Jellyella (1), Biflustra (1), Nellia (1), Bugula (2), Beania (1), Scrupocellaria (2), Puellina (1), Hippothoa (1), Trypostega (1), Reptadeonella (1), Celleporaria (1), Parasmittina (1), Hippoporina (1), Stylopoma (2), Cosciniopsis (1), Fenestrulina (1) and Trematooecia (1). Two species were recorded for first time on the Brazilian coast: Synnotum pembaense Waters, 1913 and Chlidonia pyriformis (Bertoloni, 1810). A new species was described (VIEIRA et al., 2007), being the first record for the genus Vasignyella Gordon, 1898 in Atlantic waters. Among the taxa found, 1/3 was restricted in distribution to the Atlantic, and another ~1/3 was not yet recorded for this ocean. About 50% of species were found only on one type of substratum, being algae and rocks the main substrata for the colonies studied.