BIBLIOS

Document type
Book chapters


Title
“Marambaias' como elementos de gestão e conservação (Zona costeira do Ceará - Brasil)

Participants in the publication
Cancela da Fonseca, Luís (Author)
CTA - Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias da Água, Universidade do Algarve
MARE
Morais, Suzana (Author)
FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS E TECNOLOGIA DA UNIVERSIDADE DO ALGARVE
Erzini, Karim (Author)
FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS E TECNOLOGIA DA UNIVERSIDADE DO ALGARVE
centro de ciências do mar do algarve

Summary
The Almofala zone, like many others in the Brazilian Ceará coast, is affected by sand build up and silting, causing the destruction of natural reefs that reduces the number of available habitats and is negative for fisheries profitability. To oppose this tendency, fishermen of this community are deploying artificial reefs, named “marambaias”, with different shapes and built with different materials, depending on the target species they want to catch. Unintentionally, "marambaias” are promoting capture of sea turtles, since this coastal area is likely to be one of the most important feeding habitats for these reptiles in Brazil. Their presence was monitored in 6 “marambaias” with different characteristics, in order to assess relationships between these structures and the presence/absence of turtles. Invertebrates’ taxa, fish species and macrophytes (seagrass and macroalgae) have also been inventoried. Species associated with the diet of sea turtles were found, which means that, as well as being shelter areas, they are also potential feeding grounds for these reptiles. This work was carried out in cooperation with TAMAR/IBAMA project. The results suggest that these artificial reefs are relevant alternative habitats in areas where natural reefs have become scarce, and at least for green turtles, they could be favourable to their management and conservation. They also emphasise that it is possible to build “marambaias” directed to catch species of high economic value such as lobsters, which are simultaneously not attractive structures for sea turtles, avoiding bycatch and promoting their conservation. \nHowever, mismanagement and thoughtless overfishing may lead other species in addition to marine turtles’ to be \nplaced under threat. Key-species such as lobsters and some fish species are suffering severe impacts and are beginning to be decimated. Artificial reefs can be an important tool for the management and conservation of various species, as they provide them with alternative habitat that is being lost by the silting of coastal reefs. Its selectivity for different species may constitute, if well managed, an approach for the recovery of threatened species.

Editor(s)
Silvia Dias Pereira; Maria Antonieta C. Rodrigues; Sergio Bergamaschi; Joana Gaspar Freitas


Where published
O Homem e as Zonas Costeiras / Tomo IV da Rede BrasPor

Publication Identifiers
ISBN - 9788588769984

Address
Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Publisher
FAPERJ



Document Identifiers
DOI - https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.3728.4562

Keywords
Artificial reefs Sea turtles Coastal fishing Management Conservation