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

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

As 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 praias são amplamente impactadas por alterações humanas, turismo, poluição química e orgânica e mudanças climáticas globais. Esses fatores tornam urgente a melhor percepção e compreensão das mudanças ambientais nas praias brasileiras, assim como de suas consequências na biota. Com o objetivo de promover estudos integrados que possam detectar variações nas características das praias e de outros habitats bentônicos do litoral do Brasil, foi estabelecida a Rede de Monitoramento de Habitats Bentônicos Costeiros (ReBentos). Para fornecer subsídios para o planejamento amostral da ReBentos, realizamos um intenso levantamento sobre os estudos conduzidos nas praias brasileiras e sintetizamos o atual conhecimento relativo a esse ambiente. Os resultados do levantamento são apresentados no presente trabalho e demonstram as principais características físicas, biológicas e socioeconômicas dessas praias. A partir das informações, assim como de nossa experiência e de pesquisas realizadas em diversos países, apontamos estudos e medidas que devem ser considerados prioritários para a avaliação dos efeitos das mudanças regionais e globais sobre as praias brasileiras. Esperamos que esse trabalho possa fornecer subsídios para futuros estudos e que constitua um importante passo em direção à conservação das praias do Brasil e de sua biodiversidade.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

Temporal dynamics of deep infralittoral macrobenthic fauna in 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

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

Cenários de distribuição do mexilhão dourado limnoperna fortunei (mollusca – bivalvia) sob distintas condições de salinidade no complexo lagunar Patos Mirim, RS – Brasil

Foi analisada a distribuição de Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker 1857) na porção sul da Lagoa dos Patos e na Lagoa Mirim entre 2001 e 2006, e descritos os cenários de distribuição da espécie em relação aos regimes de salinidade. O predomínio de baixas salinidades na região estuarina da Lagoa dos Patos entre 2001 e 2003 resultou em colonizações maciças de L. fortunei no setor norte da região estuarina, e ocorrências isoladas de exemplares no setor sul, próximo da desembocadura da laguna. Em contraste, entre 2004 e 2006, ocorreu um aumento de salinidade, coincidindo com severos períodos de seca no RS. Este aumento de salinidade provocou a mortalidade das populações na região estuarina abaixo dos 31º 20´ e no setor norte do canal São Gonçalo, que liga a Lagoa dos Patos à Lagoa Mirim. Os registros de baixa salinidade ocorreram durante um período de formação do fenômeno “El Niño”, enquanto que o de alta salinidade, em 2004, foi ocasionado pela menor intensidade de chuvas trazendo como conseqüência baixos níveis da coluna d’água no sul da laguna, fato relacionado ao fenômeno “La Niña”. A identificação dos cenários que regulam a distribuição e persistência de espécies oportunistas como L. fortunei na Lagoa dos Patos, e as condições ambientais a eles associados, fornecem subsídios para futuros acompanhamentos da distribuição desta espécie, auxiliando em ações de prevenção de seus efeitos nocivos à região estuarino/lagunar.The distribution of Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker 1857) in the southern region of Lagoa dos Patos and Lagoa Mirim were analysed (2001-2006), and the species distribution were described. The predominant low salinities on the Lagoa dos Patos region between 2001-2003 resulted in massive colonization of L. fortunei in the northern portion of the estuarine region, and an isolated occurrence in the southern, close to the lagoon mouth. In contrast, between 2004 and 2006, a salinity increase occurred, due to severe periods of drought in the RS state. This increase in salinity caused the mortality of the populations in the estuarine region below 31º 20' and in the northern sector of the São Gonçalo channel, which binds the Lagoa dos Patos to Lagoa Mirim. The registers of low salinity occurred during a period of formation of the phenomenon "El Niño", while that of high salinity, in 2004, in the southern portion of the lagoon has been caused by a period of low precipitation, leading to a decrease in the lagoon water level, fact that has been related to the phenomenon "La Niña". The identification of the sceneries that regulate the distribution and persistence of opportunistic species like as L. fortunei in the Patos Lagoon, and its associated conditions supplies subsidies for future accompaniment of this species distribution, assisting in action of prevention of its harmful effect to the estuarine/lagunar region

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