Brazilian sandy beaches: characteristics, ecosystem services, impacts, knowledge and priorities

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Sandy beaches constitute a key ecosystem and provide socioeconomic goods and services, thereby playing an important role in the maintenance of human populations and in biodiversity conservation. Despite the ecological and social importance of these ecosytems, Brazilian sandy beaches are significantly impacted by human interference, chemical and organic pollution and tourism, as well as global climate change. These factors drive the need to better understand the environmental change and its consequences for biota. To promote the implementation of integrated studies to detect the effects of regional and global environmental change on beaches and on other benthic habitats of the Brazilian coast, Brazilian marine researchers have established The Coastal Benthic Habitats Monitoring Network (ReBentos). In order to provide input for sample planning by ReBentos, we have conducted an intensive review of the studies conducted on Brazilian beaches and summarized the current knowledge about this environment. In this paper, we present the results of this review and describe the physical, biological and socioeconomics features of Brazilian beaches. We have used these results, our personal experience and worldwide literature to identify research projects that should be prioritized in the assessment of regional and global change on Brazilian sandy beaches. We trust that this paper will provide insights for future studies and represent a significant step towards the conservation of Brazilian beaches and their biodiversity.Sandy beaches constitute a key ecosystem and provide socioeconomic goods and services, thereby playing an important role in the maintenance of human populations and in biodiversity conservation. Despite the ecological and social importance of these ecosyt642516CNQP - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)563367/2010-5SEM INFORMAÇÃO2010/52323-0As praias brasileiras fornecem bens e serviços ecossistêmicos fundamentais, desempenhando papel importante para a manutenção de populações humanas e para a conservação da biodiversidade. Entretanto, apesar da sua importância ecológica e social, essas praiWe would like to thank Thalita Forroni, who contributed to the bibliographic study, and Ana Tereza Lyra Lopes and Emanuelle Fontenele Rabelo, who provided valuable information. Special thanks are due to Dr. Alexander Turra for his support and valuable su

Temporal dynamics of deep inflalittoral macrobenthic fauna inside a subtropical estuarine environment

Seasonal and inter-annual patterns of hydrological variation determine different salinity regimes inside the Patos Lagoon estuarine region, southern Brazil. Throughout two environmentally distinct years (2000 and 2006), macrobenthic samples were taken seasonally from a 14 m deep main channel region, at nine monitoring sites, using a van Veen grab (0.078 m2). In order to keep the Patos Lagoon main access channel at constant navigable depths, the Rio Grande Harbour Superintendence periodically executes maintenance dredging operations on this infralittoral area, but our multivariate analyses evidenced no significant difference between dredged and non-dredged sites regardless the year. Among the abiotic parameters analyzed here(temperature, percentage of fine sediments and salinity), the later was evidenced to be highly correlated to the biological data. Reductions in density and/or changes in the species composition could both be attributed to a natural macrobenthic response related to environmental variations. Along the year 2000 high salinity values decreased constantly through seasons to almost limnetic condition in spring, reducing diversity and abundance of marine species and densities of the dominant gastropod species Heleobia australis. On the other hand, salinity values along the year 2006 revealed the maintenance of brackish waters throughout seasons, favoring the input and survival of marine species from coastal adjacent areas inside the estuary, raising its macrobenthic diversity mainly by mollusks and polychaete worms

Epitokal metamorphosis on Neanthes Succinea in the estuarine region of Patos Lagoon, RS, Brasil

Submitted by Thainã Moraes ([email protected]) on 2012-12-15T23:31:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Epitoquia de Neanthes succinea na região estuarina da Lagoa dos Patos.PDF: 116701 bytes, checksum: fe103cabdf4bbb149b5cd5812bf93a71 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Michele Fernanda([email protected]) on 2012-12-18T11:56:31Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Epitoquia de Neanthes succinea na região estuarina da Lagoa dos Patos.PDF: 116701 bytes, checksum: fe103cabdf4bbb149b5cd5812bf93a71 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2012-12-18T11:56:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Epitoquia de Neanthes succinea na região estuarina da Lagoa dos Patos.PDF: 116701 bytes, checksum: fe103cabdf4bbb149b5cd5812bf93a71 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007O poliqueta Neanthes succinea é um nereidídeo cosmopolita, comum em estuários e regiões marinhas costeiras da América do Sul. Um evento de epitoquia de grandes proporções, ainda não observado para a região estuarina da Lagoa dos Patos, ocorreu no inverno de 2006. Este evento ocorreu associado aos valores de temperatura (> 16oC) e salinidade (médias quinzenais > 8) de inverno mais elevados para a estação dos últimos dez anos. Registros anteriores de eventos reprodutivos da espécie nesta região estuarina ocorreram em períodos de verão.The polychaeta Neanthes succinea is a cosmopolite nereid usually found in estuaries and coastal marine regions of South América. A strong epitokal metamorphosis event, never registered in the estuarine region of Patos Lagoon, occurred in the winter of 2006. This event occurred associated to the highest temperature (> 16oC) and salinity (forthnightly mean > 8) values of the last ten years for this season. Reproductive events previously recorded for this species on this estuarine region have happened during summer time

Epitoquia de Neanthes Succinea na região estuarina da Lagoa dos Patos, RS, Brasil

O poliqueta Neanthes succinea é um nereidídeo cosmopolita, comum em estuários e regiões marinhas costeiras da América do Sul. Um evento de epitoquia de grandes proporções, ainda não observado para a região estuarina da Lagoa dos Patos, ocorreu no inverno de 2006. Este evento ocorreu associado aos valores de temperatura (> 16oC) e salinidade (médias quinzenais > 8) de inverno mais elevados para a estação dos últimos dez anos. Registros anteriores de eventos reprodutivos da espécie nesta região estuarina ocorreram em períodos de verão.The polychaeta Neanthes succinea is a cosmopolite nereid usually found in estuaries and coastal marine regions of South América. A strong epitokal metamorphosis event, never registered in the estuarine region of Patos Lagoon, occurred in the winter of 2006. This event occurred associated to the highest temperature (> 16oC) and salinity (forthnightly mean > 8) values of the last ten years for this season. Reproductive events previously recorded for this species on this estuarine region have happened during summer time

Daily Variation of Macrobenthic Fauna on an Exposed Sandy Beach of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

This work aims to verify the daily zonation of benthic macrofauna in Harmonia beach, north coast of Rio Grande do Sul state, for five consecutive days. Biological data was collected with a PVC core (20 cm diameter) along three transects distant 50 m each other, with four levels and three samples in each level. First level was always 8 m above the superior limit of swash zone and the last one was 1 m depth. There were also daily data collection of beach topographical profiles, which indicated a pronounced erosion process in the fifth day. Benthic macrofauna organisms showed a regular pattern of zonation along all days, with intertidal zone marked by the presence of the isopod and the polychaeta . Swash zone was represented by a high abundance of the hippid crab s, the pelecypod and the polychaeta . Surf zone and breaker zone didn't show differences in species composition, being dominated by juvenile of , the amphipode and the polychaeta . Results indicated that benthic macrofauna zonation pattern was regular, although some changes in species position along the transect was observed, mainly due to swash zone variatio