Ryan Andrades

Debris ingestion by juvenile marine turtles: An underestimated problem

Marine turtles are an iconic group of endangered animals threatened by debris ingestion. However, key aspects related to debris ingestion are still poorly known, including its effects on mortality and the original use of the ingested debris. Therefore, we analysed the impact of debris ingestion in 265 green turtles (Chelonia mydas) over a large geographical area and different habitats along the Brazilian coast. We determined the death rate due to debris ingestion and quantified the amount of debris that is sufficient to cause the death of juvenile green turtles. Additionally, we investigated the original use of the ingested debris. We found that a surprisingly small amount of debris was sufficient to block the digestive tract and cause death. We suggested that debris ingestion has a high death potential that may be masked by other causes of death. An expressive part of the ingested debris come from disposable and short-lived products.

Mangrove clearing impacts on macrofaunal assemblages and benthic food webs in a tropical estuary

Despite over 21,000ha of mangrove forests being removed per year in Brazil, ecological changes following mangrove deforestation have been overlooked. Here we evaluated changes in benthic macrofaunal assemblages and food-webs at a mangrove removal and natural sites in a tropical estuary in Eastern Brazil. The impacted site had coarser sediment particle sizes suggesting significant changes in sedimentation processes after forest clearing. Spatial differences in macrofaunal abundance, biomass and diversity were not directly associated with the removal of mangrove forests, supporting recolonization of impacted areas by estuarine fauna. However, benthic assemblage composition, infaunal δ13C signatures and food-web diversity markedly differed at the impacted site being strongly related to sedimentary changes. The loss of infaunal trophic diversity that followed mangrove removal suggests that large-scale forest clearing may impact estuarine food webs, with potential consequences to nearby coastal ecosystems given the high clearing rate of mangrove forests in Brazil.

Origin of marine debris is related to disposable packs of ultra-processed food.

Marine debris is currently distributed worldwide, and the discard and contamination pose hazards to human and wildlife health. One of the gaps in debris science is tracking the source of debris to better evaluate and avoid the pathway of debris from the source to marine environment. For this, we evaluated three beaches of different urbanization levels and environmental influences; a low urbanized beach, a highly urbanized beach and a non-urbanized estuary-associated beach, in order to determine the sources and original use of debris. Plastic was the major material found on beaches, and the urbanized beach recorded the highest debris densities. Marine debris was primarily from land-based sources, and the debris recorded in all beaches was mainly assigned as food-related items. Our results highlight the major presence of disposable and short-lived products comprising the majority of debris that enters the ocean and draw attention to the unsustainable lifestyle of current society.

A new record of whale shark Rhincodon typus in Brazilian waters: a report of association with Caranx crysos

In May 2011, a Rhincodon typus was sighted on the continental shelf of the central Brazilian coast, in the vicinity of a gas platform. During the video record, an interspecific following association was observed between a Caranx crysos school and the R. typus.

Fringe on the brink: Intertidal reefs at risk

The rocky areas between low and high tide, known as intertidal reef habitats, are one of the most at-risk marine ecosystems ([ 1 ][1], [ 2 ][2]) as a result of coastal urbanization, sewage, and fisheries ([ 2 ][2]). Although they provide essential ecological services to society, such as shoreline

Marine debris in Trindade Island, a remote island of the South Atlantic

Marine debris is widespread in oceans worldwide, including the most remote locations. Here, for the first time, we report macro-debris accumulation on beaches of Trindade Island, a remote island 1160 km from mainland Brazil. High debris density was recorded on windward, east-coast beaches, which are exposed to wind-driven currents. Small-sized plastic fragments were the most abundant debris. Polyethylene (67%), polypropylene (30%) and polyamide (3%) were the most prevalent polymeric materials identified by ATR-FTIR. Identified debris show that interaction with Trindade fauna, mainly with seabirds and endangered terrestrial crabs, exists and already has some impact. This study provides baseline information on Trindade macro-debris demonstrating that the island, located on the edge of the South Atlantic Gyre, acts as a sink for gyre debris, exposing the island fauna to the threats related to plastic contamination.