Carla I. Elliff

Evaluation of recreational quality, carrying capacity and ecosystem services supplied by sandy beaches of the municipality of Camaçari, northern coast of Bahia, Brazil

ABSTRACT Souza Filho, J. R., Santos, R. C, Silva, I R., Elliff, C.I., 2014. Evaluation of recreational quality, carrying capacity and ecosystem services supplied by sandy beaches of the municipality of Camaçari, northern coast of Bahia, Brazil. In: Green, A.N. and Cooper, J.A.G. (eds.), Proceedings 13th International Coastal Symposium (Durban, South Africa), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 70, pp. 527–532, ISSN 0749-0208. The coastal municipality of Camaçari is currently under great real estate pressure. It is located within one of the main urban growth vectors of the State of Bahia, Brazil. In this context, the main goal of this research was to assess the recreational quality and the carrying capacity, and qualitatively evaluate the ecosystem services supplied by the beaches of the municipality of Camaçari and its adjacent coastal area. In order to evaluate the recreational quality, the beaches of Busca Vida, Jauá, Interlagos, Arembepe, Barra de Jacuipe, Guarejuba and Itacimirim were classified according to twenty-three geoenvironmental quality indicators and eleven infrastructure indicators. Aiming to evaluate the similarity of geoenvironmental and recreational infrastructure characteristics among the studied beaches, a multivariate cluster analysis was used. The ecosystem services were assessed and gathered according to Regulation/Support Services, Provision Services and Information and Culture Services classes. Some beaches experienced a usage level above their carrying capacity, contributing to low geoenvironmental quality and compromising the supplied ecosystem services, mainly the ones concerning regulation and support. In beaches with low urbanization levels and predominance of natural or poorly human impacted environments, a greater diversification and quality of ecosystem services was identified, both of regulation and support services as well as of provision, information, culture and leisure services.

Coral reefs as the first line of defense: Shoreline protection in face of climate change

Coral reefs are responsible for a wide array of ecosystem services including shoreline protection. However, the processes involved in delivering this particular service have not been fully understood. The objective of the present review was to compile the main results in the literature regarding the study of shoreline protection delivered by coral reefs, identifying the main threats climate change imposes to the service, and discuss mitigation and recovery strategies that can and have been applied to these ecosystems. While different zones of a reef have been associated with different levels of wave energy and wave height attenuation, more information is still needed regarding the capacity of different reef morphologies to deliver shoreline protection. Moreover, the synergy between the main threats imposed by climate change to coral reefs has also not been thoroughly investigated. Recovery strategies are being tested and while there are numerous mitigation options, the challenge remains as to how to implement them and monitor their efficacy.

Ecosystem-based management of coastal zones in face of climate change impacts: Challenges and inequalities

Climate change effects have the potential of affecting both ocean and atmospheric processes. These changes pose serious threats to the millions of people that live by the coast. Thus, the objective of the present review is to discuss how climate change is altering (and will continue to alter) atmospheric and oceanic processes, what are the main implications of these alterations along the coastline, and which are the ecosystem-based management (EBM) strategies that have been proposed and applied to address these issues. While ocean warming, ocean acidification and increasing sea level have been more extensively studied, investigations on the effects of climate change to wind and wave climates are less frequent. Coastal ecosystems and their respective natural resources will respond differently according to location, environmental drivers and coastal processes. EBM strategies have mostly concentrated on improving ecosystem services, which can be used to assist in mitigating climate change effects. The main challenge for developing nations regards gaps in information and scarcity of resources. Thus, for effective management and adaptive EBM strategies to be developed worldwide, information at a local level is greatly needed.

Considerations on the effects of tidal regimes in the movement of floating litter in an estuarine environment: Case study of the estuarine system of Santos-São Vicente, Brazil.

Floating litter in the estuarine system of Santos-São Vicente is common and is part of day-to-day activities of various users of the area. The objective of the present study was to carry out a quali-quantitative evaluation of the occurrence of floating litter, to infer their sources, and to identify environmental factors that are likely to control occurrence and distribution, with particular emphasis on the effects of tidal regimes. Six sampling stations were selected along the aforementioned estuary and visited monthly between July 2010 and January 2012. Floating litter was counted from a fixed sampling station. Plastics prevailed (89.64%) and their main source was domestic activities (55.41%). More litter was found during ebb spring tides, with higher concentrations obeying confluence patterns of the estuarys channels. Results indicated that occurrence can be attributed to the deficiency in basic sewage system in the area and the deliberate disposal into the estuary by the local population.