Andrea Quirino Steiner

Corals and calcified hydroids of the Manuel Luiz Marine State Park (State of Maranhão, Northeast Brazil)

Amaral, F.D., Hudson, M.M., Steiner, A.Q. & Ramos, C.A.C. Corals and calcified hydroids of the Manuel Luiz Marine State Park (State of Maranhao, Northeast Brazil). Biota Neotrop. Sep/Dez 2007 vol. 7, no. 3 http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v7n3/en/abstract?article+bn00907032007. ISSN 1676-0603. This study aimed to collect information on the diversity of corals and calcified hydroids of the Manuel Luiz Marine State Park (state of Maranhao, Northeast Brazil) to aid in the development of a management plan for the park. A total of 21 cnidarian species were identified, of which 16 were corals and calcified hydroids. The bathymetric and geographic distribution of each of these species was extended. This area has a rich coral fauna in relation to other parts of Brazil and is comparable in diversity to the Abrolhos Islands (Bahia State) - an unexpected result considering the regions proximity to the Amazon River Basin. Most of the specimens of corals and calcified hydroids observed were bleached.

Levantamento de registros dos acidentes com cnidários em algumas praias do litoral de Pernambuco (Brasil)

Cnidarians are among the most venomous organisms known to man. They are characterized by stinging cells called cnidocytes, and several species, such as the Portuguese-man-of-war and the jellyfish, can cause harm to human beings. Despite not attracting () much attention on the Brazilian coast, the studies that have been carried out to date show that the occurrence of this kind of accident is significant. The aim of this study was to survey cnidarian related accidents with beach goers on some beaches of the state of Pernambuco, as well as to investigate the knowledge of relevant professions on this theme. () Archives of hospitals and life guard posts were visited for the survey, and 17 professionals were interviewed. During the visits, records were obtained for a total of 35 accidents at Boa Viagem Beach (Recife) over a two-year period, as well as informal records of an average of four to five cases a week at Piedade Beach and an average of two to three cases a week for Pontas de Pedras Beach. As to the knowledge of the professionals interviewed, most answers agree, in general, with the literature available, despite a certain level of inadequate or insufficient information on the theme.

From Tegucigalpa to Teheran: Brazil's diplomacy as an emerging Western country

This paper reviews Brazils pursuit for international insertion by: discussing its search for new partners; presenting an overview of the historical, cultural, and political features that render it the most Western of the emerging nations; and analyzing its participation in the management of two major international crises, the Honduran constitutional crisis and the Iranian nuclear crisis.

O USO DE ESTUDOS DE CASO EM PESQUISAS SOBRE POLÍTICA AMBIENTAL: VANTAGENS E LIMITAÇÕES

A analise das questoes ambientais em um contexto politico e um tema de estudo crescente na Ciencia Politica, mas que requer consideracoes metodologicas especificas. Um dos metodos utilizados com mais frequencia nas pesquisas ligadas a politica ambiental e o estudo de caso. O objetivo deste artigo e discutir o papel dessa metodologia nessa subdisciplina. Delineia-se questoes conceituais gerais sobre o metodo, suas vantagens e desvantagens; distingue-se o estudo da politica ambiental de outros temas de pesquisa dentro da Ciencia Politica, contextualizando suas necessidades metodologicas especificas; e analisa-se o papel dos estudos de caso nas pesquisas sobre politica ambiental, abordando suas ambiguidades inerentes e as vantagens e limitacoes gerais da metodologia e de cinco formas de analise e extracao de inferencias: analise de covariância, uso de contrafatuais, process tracing causal, teste de congruencia e comparacao entre casos. Dentre essas cinco abordagens, duas destacam-se para as pesquisas politico-ambientais, apesar de ocuparem posicoes quase que opostas em termos de vantagens praticas e aplicabilidade: process tracing causal e uso de contrafatuais. O uso complementar dessas e outras abordagens, seja em um ou mais estudos sobre temas de politica ambiental, e extremamente util para o desenvolvimento empirico e teorico dessa subdisciplina.

Zonação de recifes emersos da Área de Proteção Ambiental Costa dos Corais, Nordeste do Brasil

The zoning reef environments allows us to evaluate possible anthropic impacts and to subsidize future management plans. This study aimed to survey the reef-flats benthic species (with special emphasis on cnidarians) in the first line of reefs of the Costa dos Corais, as well as to calculate and compare their percentage cover. Continuous line transects were carried out in six beaches of the area, in three regions of the reef flat and with four replicates for each region. The results showed greatest cover of algae in all of the beaches except for Tamandare, PE. Among the cnidarians, the zoanthids were predominant, but the scleractinian corals Siderastrea stellata and Favia gravida also occurred. Other organisms found were poriferans, the mollusk Brachidontes exustus and the echinoderm Echinometra lucunter. Bleaching was observed in the two species of corals found (in all of the beaches visited) and in the zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum. Overall, the organisms recorded were characterized by their resistance to the unstable conditions of the reef-flat. Additionally, the cluster analyses showed that factors such as the nearness to bodies of water and human impact have substantial influence in the reef-flats benthic cover composition, even more than the close distance between some areas.

Como saber se as convenções internacionais de meio ambiente realmente funcionam? abordagens teórico-metodológicas sobre a eficácia dos regimes ambientais

The last decades were marked by the large amount of transborder environmental problems and, consequently, the increase in the number of related international regimes. However, the creation of a regime per se does not guarantee that it be implemented nor that its objectives be fully attained, much less that the issue be solved. This fact has been stimulating an interesting debate: are international regimes really effective to deal with environmental issues? This article discusses the main methods of analyzing environmental regime effectiveness. For that purpose it presents general conceptual issues related to regime effectiveness, discusses the main questions and specific methodological needs in the specific case of international environmental policy, analyses its most important findings, and focuses on the factors that contribute to effectiveness.