Ballast water transport of alien phytoplankton species to the brazilian amazon coast.

The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of alien phytoplankton species transported through ballast water of ships that docked on the Amazon coast. Phytoplankton samples were collected from 25 ships between 2012 and 2014, revealing 215 identified species, mostly comprising oceanic planktonic marine species. However, several coastal and freshwater species not yet documented on the Maranhão coast were also observed. The identification of several coastal and freshwater species not yet recorded for Amazonian environments in the ballast water of the Ponta da Madeira Maritime Terminal (TMPM), as well as toxic microalgae genera such as the dinoflagellates Alexandrium and Gymnodinium and of some diatom species from the genus Pseudo-nitzchia, raises concerns regarding the possibility of introducing species. This indicates that ballast water can be responsible for the introduction of alien species in Amazonian aquatic environments, thereby highlighting the TMPM as a critical hotspot in the Amazonian region.

Understanding allochthonous marine litter in a Protected Area in the Amazon Coast.

Studies on international waste on the Amazon coast are lacking, leaving a substantial knowledge gap concerning the socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental repercussion of this issue. In this context, the objective of this study is to comprehensively characterize and trace the origins of allochthonous litter discovered on a beach situated within a Protected Area. Given this, the hypothesis of this study is that the international litters comes from vessels operating in the region. A total of 384 containers were collected, originating from 36 countries, with those located in Asia and Africa showing the highest prevalence. Among the bottles with identified expiration dates, 76 % are newly arrived, confirming our hypothesis. The presence of older waste may result from a combination of the absence of beach cleaning public services and local dynamic processes. While international engagement is necessary, local communities, along with the scientific community, have taken proactive measures to address the problem.

Beachgoer perceptions on health regulations of COVID-19 in two popular beaches on the Brazilian Amazon.

The sandy beaches of the Brazilian Amazon coast have enormous touristic potential and attract thousands of visitors each year, principally in July, at the beginning of the summer vacation period. In 2020, beach going was affected worldwide by the Covid-19 pandemic, but how did the pandemic affect recreational beach use on the Amazon coast in the Brazilian state of Pará? Given this, the objective of this work is to identify public perception in compliance with health safety established by authorities due to COVID-19 pandemic in two popular beaches on the Brazilian Amazon. Recreational patterns on the beaches of this region were analyzed from the user's perspective in July, through semi-structured interviews and direct observations. Recreational activities were prohibited on the beaches located within protected areas. At other locations, however, including Ajuruteua and Atalaia, the beaches were reopened on July 1 st, and both sites received thousands of visitors in July, despite the fact that interviewees believed the pandemic to be dangerous, and considered the situation in Pará state to be at least as bad or worse than in previous months. Agglomerations were verified on both study beaches and social distancing and other protective measures were limited. The increase in the new cases recorded in August was due to the relaxation of restrictions on social, recreational, and economic activities by the local authorities in July 2020, including the reopening of public access to beaches. As Pará state has been hard-hit by the pandemic, prohibitions on recreational beach use should clearly not have been lifted during this period. A number of management measures were presented in this study. These measures should contribute to the prevention of the spread of the virus during the upcoming public holidays, as long as the pandemic continues.

Use and occupation of Olinda littoral (NE, Brazil): guidelines for an integrated coastal management.

Located on the northeast Brazilian coast, Olinda is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, which is economically dependent on tourism, commerce, industry, and the informal economy. Despite its environmental and socioeconomic importance, the city of Olinda (understanding the coast as part of it) has suffered several environmental and human disturbances over the last decades. This work describes the environmental and social status of Olinda's beaches and makes recommendations concerning the development of an Integrated Coastal Management Plan for this coastal zone of the Brazilian littoral. The methodology adopted in this study is based on field campaigns (social, physical, chemical, and biological data collection), local observations, and the collection of sea contention building project data from city hall. The results showed that along the seven studied beaches, the main problems were related to the: (i) building of coastal protections, (ii) inefficient sewage disposal systems, (iii) inefficient urban management, and (iv) natural events (equinoctial spring tides and precipitation/evaporation rates). Casa Caiada beach showed the best hydrologic conditions as a consequence of its morphology and it presents facilities that attract housing and recreation investments (by private and public sectors) valuing and improving local use conditions. The obtained data showed that the studied beaches need an urgent action plan to minimize the environmental degradation of Olinda's littoral and to promote sustainable development of the local coastal environments.

Effect of coastline properties and wastewater on plankton composition and distribution in a stressed environment on the north coast of Olinda-PE (Brazil)

Foi realizado um estudo sobre a estrutura das comunidades planctônicas ao longo das praias de Casa Caiada e Rio Doce (Pernanbuco, Brasil). A área de estudo sofre grande influência antrópica onde as condições ambientais são controladas pela presença de estruturas costeiras, reduzindo a intensidade da circulação neste ambiente; e pelos efluentes clandestinos de esgoto que aportam águas poluídas para dentro do sistema protegido. Os resultados obtidos indicam que nas zonas protegidas as águas apresentam alta turbidez, temperaturas elevadas, salinidades reduzidas e altas concentrações de nutrientes e oxigênio. Estas condições são responsáveis pela redução da diversidade do plâncton e pelo aumento da biomassa das espécies mais resistentes. As diferenças registradas com respeito a áreas similares, porém não impactadas, parecem indicar que a estrutura planctônica pode ser usada como um indicador da qualidade ambiental, sugerindo uma baixa qualidade das praias em estudo.

Feeding adult of Artemia salina (Crustacea-Branchiopoda) on the dinoflagellate Gyrodinium corsicum (Gymnodiniales) and the Chryptophyta Rhodomonas baltica

Experimentos foram desenvolvidos para estudar as taxas de alimentação e de sobrevivência de Artemia salina alimentada com cepas não tóxicas do dinoflagelado Gyrodinium corsicum e da Chryptophyta Rhodomonas baltica. As taxas de filtração sobre R. baltica e G. corsicum variaram entre 3,35 e 7,14 ml.artemia-1.h-1 e 2,97 e 15,86 ml.artemia-1.h-, respectivamente. As taxas de ingestão observadas para A. salina não indicaram disfunção digestiva ou prejuízo fisiológico nos organismos alimentados com G. corsicum, sendo a resposta funcional destes organismos similar a observada em copépodos alimentados com diferentes concentrações de alimento. As taxas de mortalidade de A. salina oscilaram entre 2,5 e 100% quando alimentada com R. baltica e G. corsicum, respectivamente. As maiores taxas de mortalidade observadas para os organismos alimentados com G. corsicum indicam que este dinoflagelado apresenta algum efeito nocivo sobre A. salina, embora não tenha sido possível corfirmar se sua origem está relacionada com a produção de toxinas ou com a inadequação nutritiva deste dinoflagelado para alimentação de organismos desta espécie.