Abrolhos: challenges for the conservation and sustainable development of the area that encompasses the largest marine biodiversity in the southern Atlantic

A Região dos Abrolhos, que se estende entre o sul do estado da Bahia e norte do Espírito Santo, abriga a maior biodiversidade marinha conhecida em todo o Atlântico Sul. As duas principais atividades econômicas da região são a pesca e o turismo, ambas claramente dependentes do meio ambiente. Nesse contexto, os aspectos ambientais, sociais e econômicos são indissociáveis e devem ser a base de políticas de desenvolvimento sustentável para a região. O presente artigo resgata algumas experiências que buscam aliar a conservação e o desenvolvimento sustentável em Abrolhos. Destacam-se a criação de áreas protegidas, principalmente o Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos, em 1983, e as Reservas Extrativistas Marinhas Corumbau e Canavieiras, em 2000 e 2006, respectivamente; a experiência bem sucedida de uso sustentado dos recursos pesqueiros na RESEX do Corumbau, através inclusive da implementação de áreas de exclusão de pesca; e as conquistas sociais para a população da RESEX Canavieiras, fomentadas pelo estabelecimento de uma rede de organizações comunitárias. Mas a Região dos Abrolhos ainda enfrenta grandes ameaças, das quais a principal é a sobrepesca. Por isso, para fortalecer as ações de conservação na região, as iniciativas futuras de trabalho incluem, entre outras, uma grande ampliação na rede de áreas marinhas protegidas e a criação de um Fundo de Conservação Marinha para dar continuidade às ações em curso.The Abrolhos Region, located between the south of Bahia state and the north of Espírito Santo state, harbours the largest known marine biodiversity in the entire South Atlantic. The two main economic activities in the region are fishing and tourism, both clearly dependent on the environment.  In this context, social, economic, and environmental aspects are non dissociable and together should be the basis for sustainable development policies in the region. This article presents the most important experiences linking conservation and sustainable development in Abrolhos since the 1990’s. Among those, we highlight the creation of protected areas, notably the Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos (Abrolhos Marine National Park), created in 1983, and the Corumbau and Canavieiras Marine Extractive Reserves, created in 2000 and 2006 respectively; the successful experience of sustainable use of fishing resources - through implementation of no take zones, among other management actions - in the Corumbau Extractive Reserve; and the social achievements for local communities in the Canavieiras Extractive Reserve, stimulated by the establishment of a network of community organizations. Despite of these positive experiences, the Abrolhos Region still faces great threats, overfishing probably being the most visible. In order to strengthen the conservation actions in the region, the planned initiatives for the future include, among others, a large expansion of the marine protected areas network of the region and the creation of a Marine Conservation Fund to assure the continuity of the main conservation and sustainable development actions in the region.La région des Abrolhos, située entre le sud de l’état de Bahia et le nord de l’état d’Espírito Santo, abrite la plus grande biodiversité marine connue de l’Atlantique Sud. Les deux principales activités économiques de la région sont la pêche et le tourisme, toutes deux intimement liées à l’environnement. Dans ce contexte, les aspects sociaux, économiques et environnementaux sont indissociables et doivent être à la base des politiques de développement durable de la région. Cet article présente les actions les plus notables menées dans les Abrolhos depuis les années 1990 en termes de préservation et de développement durable. Il décrit notamment la création de zones protégées, comme le Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos (Parc national marin des Abrolhos) créé en 1983, et les Réserves extractives marines de Corumbau et Canavieiras, créées respectivement en 2000 et 2006 ; l’expérience réussie de l’utilisation durable des ressources halieutiques – via la mise en œuvre d’actions de gestion comme les réserves intégrales (« no take zones ») – dans la Réserve extractive de Corumbau ; et les avancées sociales pour les communautés locales dans la Réserve extractive de Canavieiras, stimulées par la création d’un réseau d’organisations communautaires. En dépit de ces initiatives positives, la région des Abrolhos reste confrontée à des menaces importantes, la plus visible étant probablement la surpêche. De futures actions sont par conséquent prévues pour renforcer la préservation dans la région, par exemple un élargissement du réseau de zones marines protégées et la création d’un Fonds de préservation des zones marines afin d’assurer la continuité des principales actions de préservation et de développement durable dans la région.La Región de Abrolhos, ubicada entre el sur del estado de Bahía y el norte del estado de Espírito Santo, cuenta con la mayor biodiversidad marina conocida de todo el Atlántico sur. Las dos principales actividades económicas de la región son la pesca y el turismo, ambas claramente dependientes del medioambiente. En este contexto, los aspectos sociales, económicos y medioambientales no pueden disociarse y juntos deben servir de base para las políticas de desarrollo sostenible en la región. Este artículo presenta las experiencias más importantes que vinculan la conservación y el desarrollo sostenible en Abrolhos desde los años 90. Entre ellas, resaltamos la creación de áreas protegidas, en particular el Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos (Parque Nacional Marino de Abrolhos), creado en 1983, y las Reservas Extractivas Marinas de Corumbau y Canavieiras, creadas en 2000 y 2006 respectivamente; la exitosa experiencia de utilización sostenible de recursos pesqueros –a través de la implementación de zonas de cero pesca, entre otras acciones de gestión– en la Reserva Extractiva de Corumbau; y los avances sociales para las comunidades locales en la Reserva Extractiva de Canavieiras, estimulados por el establecimiento de una red de organizaciones comunitarias. A pesar de estas experiencias positivas, la Región de Abrolhos aún enfrenta amenazas considerables, la sobrepesca siendo probablemente la más visible de ellas. Para reforzar las acciones de conservación en la región, las iniciativas planificadas para el futuro incluyen, entre otras medidas, una gran expansión de la red de áreas marinas protegidas de la región y la creación de un Fondo de Conservación Marino para asegurar la continuidad de las principales acciones de conservación y desarrollo sostenible en la región

Abrolhos: challenges for the conservation and sustainable development of the area that encompasses the largest marine biodiversity in the southern Atlantic

A Região dos Abrolhos, que se estende entre o sul do estado da Bahia e norte do Espírito Santo, abriga a maior biodiversidade marinha conhecida em todo o Atlântico Sul. As duas principais atividades econômicas da região são a pesca e o turismo, ambas claramente dependentes do meio ambiente. Nesse contexto, os aspectos ambientais, sociais e econômicos são indissociáveis e devem ser a base de políticas de desenvolvimento sustentável para a região. O presente artigo resgata algumas experiências que buscam aliar a conservação e o desenvolvimento sustentável em Abrolhos. Destacam-se a criação de áreas protegidas, principalmente o Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos, em 1983, e as Reservas Extrativistas Marinhas Corumbau e Canavieiras, em 2000 e 2006, respectivamente; a experiência bem sucedida de uso sustentado dos recursos pesqueiros na RESEX do Corumbau, através inclusive da implementação de áreas de exclusão de pesca; e as conquistas sociais para a população da RESEX Canavieiras, fomentadas pelo estabelecimento de uma rede de organizações comunitárias. Mas a Região dos Abrolhos ainda enfrenta grandes ameaças, das quais a principal é a sobrepesca. Por isso, para fortalecer as ações de conservação na região, as iniciativas futuras de trabalho incluem, entre outras, uma grande ampliação na rede de áreas marinhas protegidas e a criação de um Fundo de Conservação Marinha para dar continuidade às ações em curso.The Abrolhos Region, located between the south of Bahia state and the north of Espírito Santo state, harbours the largest known marine biodiversity in the entire South Atlantic. The two main economic activities in the region are fishing and tourism, both clearly dependent on the environment.  In this context, social, economic, and environmental aspects are non dissociable and together should be the basis for sustainable development policies in the region. This article presents the most important experiences linking conservation and sustainable development in Abrolhos since the 1990’s. Among those, we highlight the creation of protected areas, notably the Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos (Abrolhos Marine National Park), created in 1983, and the Corumbau and Canavieiras Marine Extractive Reserves, created in 2000 and 2006 respectively; the successful experience of sustainable use of fishing resources - through implementation of no take zones, among other management actions - in the Corumbau Extractive Reserve; and the social achievements for local communities in the Canavieiras Extractive Reserve, stimulated by the establishment of a network of community organizations. Despite of these positive experiences, the Abrolhos Region still faces great threats, overfishing probably being the most visible. In order to strengthen the conservation actions in the region, the planned initiatives for the future include, among others, a large expansion of the marine protected areas network of the region and the creation of a Marine Conservation Fund to assure the continuity of the main conservation and sustainable development actions in the region.La région des Abrolhos, située entre le sud de l’état de Bahia et le nord de l’état d’Espírito Santo, abrite la plus grande biodiversité marine connue de l’Atlantique Sud. Les deux principales activités économiques de la région sont la pêche et le tourisme, toutes deux intimement liées à l’environnement. Dans ce contexte, les aspects sociaux, économiques et environnementaux sont indissociables et doivent être à la base des politiques de développement durable de la région. Cet article présente les actions les plus notables menées dans les Abrolhos depuis les années 1990 en termes de préservation et de développement durable. Il décrit notamment la création de zones protégées, comme le Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos (Parc national marin des Abrolhos) créé en 1983, et les Réserves extractives marines de Corumbau et Canavieiras, créées respectivement en 2000 et 2006 ; l’expérience réussie de l’utilisation durable des ressources halieutiques – via la mise en œuvre d’actions de gestion comme les réserves intégrales (« no take zones ») – dans la Réserve extractive de Corumbau ; et les avancées sociales pour les communautés locales dans la Réserve extractive de Canavieiras, stimulées par la création d’un réseau d’organisations communautaires. En dépit de ces initiatives positives, la région des Abrolhos reste confrontée à des menaces importantes, la plus visible étant probablement la surpêche. De futures actions sont par conséquent prévues pour renforcer la préservation dans la région, par exemple un élargissement du réseau de zones marines protégées et la création d’un Fonds de préservation des zones marines afin d’assurer la continuité des principales actions de préservation et de développement durable dans la région.La Región de Abrolhos, ubicada entre el sur del estado de Bahía y el norte del estado de Espírito Santo, cuenta con la mayor biodiversidad marina conocida de todo el Atlántico sur. Las dos principales actividades económicas de la región son la pesca y el turismo, ambas claramente dependientes del medioambiente. En este contexto, los aspectos sociales, económicos y medioambientales no pueden disociarse y juntos deben servir de base para las políticas de desarrollo sostenible en la región. Este artículo presenta las experiencias más importantes que vinculan la conservación y el desarrollo sostenible en Abrolhos desde los años 90. Entre ellas, resaltamos la creación de áreas protegidas, en particular el Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos (Parque Nacional Marino de Abrolhos), creado en 1983, y las Reservas Extractivas Marinas de Corumbau y Canavieiras, creadas en 2000 y 2006 respectivamente; la exitosa experiencia de utilización sostenible de recursos pesqueros –a través de la implementación de zonas de cero pesca, entre otras acciones de gestión– en la Reserva Extractiva de Corumbau; y los avances sociales para las comunidades locales en la Reserva Extractiva de Canavieiras, estimulados por el establecimiento de una red de organizaciones comunitarias. A pesar de estas experiencias positivas, la Región de Abrolhos aún enfrenta amenazas considerables, la sobrepesca siendo probablemente la más visible de ellas. Para reforzar las acciones de conservación en la región, las iniciativas planificadas para el futuro incluyen, entre otras medidas, una gran expansión de la red de áreas marinas protegidas de la región y la creación de un Fondo de Conservación Marino para asegurar la continuidad de las principales acciones de conservación y desarrollo sostenible en la región

Abrolhos: desafios para a conservação e o desenvolvimento sustentável na área com a maior biodiversidade marinha do Atlântico Sul

A Região dos Abrolhos, que se estende entre o sul do estado da Bahia e norte do Espírito Santo, abriga a maior biodiversidade marinha conhecida em todo o Atlântico Sul. As duas principais atividades econômicas da região são a pesca e o turismo, ambas claramente dependentes do meio ambiente. Nesse contexto, os aspectos ambientais, sociais e econômicos são indissociáveis e devem ser a base de políticas de desenvolvimento sustentável para a região. O presente artigo resgata algumas experiências que buscam aliar a conservação e o desenvolvimento sustentável em Abrolhos. Destacam-se a criação de áreas protegidas, principalmente o Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos, em 1983, e as Reservas Extrativistas Marinhas Corumbau e Canavieiras, em 2000 e 2006, respectivamente; a experiência bem sucedida de uso sustentado dos recursos pesqueiros na RESEX do Corumbau, através inclusive da implementação de áreas de exclusão de pesca; e as conquistas sociais para a população da RESEX Canavieiras, fomentadas pelo estabelecimento de uma rede de organizações comunitárias. Mas a Região dos Abrolhos ainda enfrenta grandes ameaças, das quais a principal é a sobrepesca. Por isso, para fortalecer as ações de conservação na região, as iniciativas futuras de trabalho incluem, entre outras, uma grande ampliação na rede de áreas marinhas protegidas e a criação de um Fundo de Conservação Marinha para dar continuidade às ações em curso.The Abrolhos Region, located between the south of Bahia state and the north of Espírito Santo state, harbours the largest known marine biodiversity in the entire South Atlantic. The two main economic activities in the region are fishing and tourism, both clearly dependent on the environment.  In this context, social, economic, and environmental aspects are non dissociable and together should be the basis for sustainable development policies in the region. This article presents the most important experiences linking conservation and sustainable development in Abrolhos since the 1990’s. Among those, we highlight the creation of protected areas, notably the Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos (Abrolhos Marine National Park), created in 1983, and the Corumbau and Canavieiras Marine Extractive Reserves, created in 2000 and 2006 respectively; the successful experience of sustainable use of fishing resources - through implementation of no take zones, among other management actions - in the Corumbau Extractive Reserve; and the social achievements for local communities in the Canavieiras Extractive Reserve, stimulated by the establishment of a network of community organizations. Despite of these positive experiences, the Abrolhos Region still faces great threats, overfishing probably being the most visible. In order to strengthen the conservation actions in the region, the planned initiatives for the future include, among others, a large expansion of the marine protected areas network of the region and the creation of a Marine Conservation Fund to assure the continuity of the main conservation and sustainable development actions in the region.La région des Abrolhos, située entre le sud de l’état de Bahia et le nord de l’état d’Espírito Santo, abrite la plus grande biodiversité marine connue de l’Atlantique Sud. Les deux principales activités économiques de la région sont la pêche et le tourisme, toutes deux intimement liées à l’environnement. Dans ce contexte, les aspects sociaux, économiques et environnementaux sont indissociables et doivent être à la base des politiques de développement durable de la région. Cet article présente les actions les plus notables menées dans les Abrolhos depuis les années 1990 en termes de préservation et de développement durable. Il décrit notamment la création de zones protégées, comme le Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos (Parc national marin des Abrolhos) créé en 1983, et les Réserves extractives marines de Corumbau et Canavieiras, créées respectivement en 2000 et 2006 ; l’expérience réussie de l’utilisation durable des ressources halieutiques – via la mise en œuvre d’actions de gestion comme les réserves intégrales (« no take zones ») – dans la Réserve extractive de Corumbau ; et les avancées sociales pour les communautés locales dans la Réserve extractive de Canavieiras, stimulées par la création d’un réseau d’organisations communautaires. En dépit de ces initiatives positives, la région des Abrolhos reste confrontée à des menaces importantes, la plus visible étant probablement la surpêche. De futures actions sont par conséquent prévues pour renforcer la préservation dans la région, par exemple un élargissement du réseau de zones marines protégées et la création d’un Fonds de préservation des zones marines afin d’assurer la continuité des principales actions de préservation et de développement durable dans la région.La Región de Abrolhos, ubicada entre el sur del estado de Bahía y el norte del estado de Espírito Santo, cuenta con la mayor biodiversidad marina conocida de todo el Atlántico sur. Las dos principales actividades económicas de la región son la pesca y el turismo, ambas claramente dependientes del medioambiente. En este contexto, los aspectos sociales, económicos y medioambientales no pueden disociarse y juntos deben servir de base para las políticas de desarrollo sostenible en la región. Este artículo presenta las experiencias más importantes que vinculan la conservación y el desarrollo sostenible en Abrolhos desde los años 90. Entre ellas, resaltamos la creación de áreas protegidas, en particular el Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos (Parque Nacional Marino de Abrolhos), creado en 1983, y las Reservas Extractivas Marinas de Corumbau y Canavieiras, creadas en 2000 y 2006 respectivamente; la exitosa experiencia de utilización sostenible de recursos pesqueros –a través de la implementación de zonas de cero pesca, entre otras acciones de gestión– en la Reserva Extractiva de Corumbau; y los avances sociales para las comunidades locales en la Reserva Extractiva de Canavieiras, estimulados por el establecimiento de una red de organizaciones comunitarias. A pesar de estas experiencias positivas, la Región de Abrolhos aún enfrenta amenazas considerables, la sobrepesca siendo probablemente la más visible de ellas. Para reforzar las acciones de conservación en la región, las iniciativas planificadas para el futuro incluyen, entre otras medidas, una gran expansión de la red de áreas marinas protegidas de la región y la creación de un Fondo de Conservación Marino para asegurar la continuidad de las principales acciones de conservación y desarrollo sostenible en la región

Abrolhos: desafios para a conservação e o desenvolvimento sustentável na área com a maior biodiversidade marinha do Atlântico Sul

The Abrolhos Region, located between the south of Bahia state and the north of Espírito Santo state, harbours the largest known marine biodiversity in the entire South Atlantic. The two main economic activities in the region are fishing and tourism, both clearly dependent on the environment.  In this context, social, economic, and environmental aspects are non dissociable and together should be the basis for sustainable development policies in the region. This article presents the most important experiences linking conservation and sustainable development in Abrolhos since the 1990’s. Among those, we highlight the creation of protected areas, notably the Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos (Abrolhos Marine National Park), created in 1983, and the Corumbau and Canavieiras Marine Extractive Reserves, created in 2000 and 2006 respectively; the successful experience of sustainable use of fishing resources - through implementation of no take zones, among other management actions - in the Corumbau Extractive Reserve; and the social achievements for local communities in the Canavieiras Extractive Reserve, stimulated by the establishment of a network of community organizations. Despite of these positive experiences, the Abrolhos Region still faces great threats, overfishing probably being the most visible. In order to strengthen the conservation actions in the region, the planned initiatives for the future include, among others, a large expansion of the marine protected areas network of the region and the creation of a Marine Conservation Fund to assure the continuity of the main conservation and sustainable development actions in the region

Abrolhos: challenges for the conservation and sustainable development of the area that encompasses the largest marine biodiversity in the southern Atlantic

The Abrolhos Region, located between the south of Bahia state and the north of Espírito Santo state, harbours the largest known marine biodiversity in the entire South Atlantic. The two main economic activities in the region are fishing and tourism, both clearly dependent on the environment.  In this context, social, economic, and environmental aspects are non dissociable and together should be the basis for sustainable development policies in the region. This article presents the most important experiences linking conservation and sustainable development in Abrolhos since the 1990’s. Among those, we highlight the creation of protected areas, notably the Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos (Abrolhos Marine National Park), created in 1983, and the Corumbau and Canavieiras Marine Extractive Reserves, created in 2000 and 2006 respectively; the successful experience of sustainable use of fishing resources - through implementation of no take zones, among other management actions - in the Corumbau Extractive Reserve; and the social achievements for local communities in the Canavieiras Extractive Reserve, stimulated by the establishment of a network of community organizations. Despite of these positive experiences, the Abrolhos Region still faces great threats, overfishing probably being the most visible. In order to strengthen the conservation actions in the region, the planned initiatives for the future include, among others, a large expansion of the marine protected areas network of the region and the creation of a Marine Conservation Fund to assure the continuity of the main conservation and sustainable development actions in the region

Spatial patterns of benthic megahabitats and conservation planning in the Abrolhos Bank

Application of sidescan sonar at the regional scale of the Abrolhos Bank, with ground-truthing by remotely operated vehicles and mixed-gas diving operations, revealed a much more complex habitat mosaic than previously recognized. The regional benthic habitat map indicates 8844 km2 of reefs (earlier estimates from remote sensing were around 500 km2) and 20,904 km² of rhodolith habitat—the world's largest continuous bed. Integration of the regional megahabitat map with spatially explicit data on the distribution of marine protected areas (<0.2% of each benthic megahabitat area) and economic activities with the highest potential of environmental impact (fishing, mining, oil and gas exploitation and dredging) reveals the need of a regional scale spatial planning process engaging conflicting sectors

Floristic survey of vascular plants of a poorly known area in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Flona do Rio Preto, Espírito Santo)

The Atlantic Forest is one of the most threatened biomes in the world. Despite that, this biome still includes many areas that are poorly known floristically, including several protected areas, such as the "Floresta Nacional do Rio Preto" ("Flona do Rio Preto"), located in the Brazilian State of Espírito Santo. This study used a published vascular plant species list for this protected area from the "Catálogo de Plantas das Unidades de Conservação do Brasil" as the basis to synthesise the species richness, endemism, conservation and new species occurrences found in the "Flona do Rio Preto".The published list of vascular plants was based on field expeditions conducted between 2018 and 2020 and data obtained from herbarium collections available in online databases. Overall, 722 species were documented for the "Flona do Rio Preto", 711 of which are native to Brazil and 349 are endemic to the Atlantic Forest. In addition, 60 species are geographically disjunct between the Atlantic and the Amazon Forests. Most of the documented species are woody and more than 50% of these are trees. Twenty-three species are threatened (CR, EN and VU), while five are Data Deficient (DD). Thirty-two species are new records for the State of Espírito Santo. Our results expand the knowledge of the flora of the Atlantic Forest and provide support for the development of new conservation policies for this protected area

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora