PROJECT BIOTA/FAPESP-ARAÇÁ

ISBN 978-85-6928-601-1 LIFE in Araçá Bay

9 788569 286011 DIVERSITY AND IMPORTANCE Antônia Cecília Zacagnini Amaral, Alexander Turra, Aurea Maria Ciotti, Carmen Lúcia Del Bianco Rossi Wongtschowski and Yara Schaeffer-Novelli LIFE in Araçá Bay DIVERSITY AND IMPORTANCE

3rd EDITION

SÃO PAULO

2016 Araçá Bay hosts one of the most environmentally diverse areas along the Brazilian coast, which gives it a significant ecological importance

Photo: Gabriel Monteiro Contents Copyright © 2016 by Antônia Cecília Zacagnini Amaral

Organizers Antônia Cecília Zacagnini Amaral, Alexander Turra, Aurea Maria Ciotti, Carmen Lúcia Del Bianco Rossi Wongtschowski and Yara Schaeffer-Novelli

Publishers Alice Giraldi and Gabriel Monteiro / Ciência Pública Comunicação

Acknowledgements ...... 6 Editorial Project, development of content

Alice Giraldi and Gabriel Monteiro / Ciência Pública Comunicação Authors ...... 8

Ilustrations Preface ...... 9 Joana Dias Ho and Tatiana Menchini Steiner

Presentation of the Biota/Fapesp Program ...... 11 Cover photo Gabriel Monteiro Presentation of the Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá ...... 12

English translation Biota/Fapesp-Araçá Project ...... 16 Yasmina Shah Esmaeili and Guilherme Nascimento Corte

Chapter I - The History of Araçá Bay ...... 16 Graphic design, desktop publishing Adesign Chapter II - Biodiversity ...... 26

Life on the water surface ...... 28

Life in the water column ...... 36 Catalogação na Publicação (CIP) elaborada por Mara Janaina de Oliveira - CRB 8/6972 Life in the seafloor ...... 44

Life in the mangroves ...... 58

L626 Life in Araçá Bay : diversity and importance / Antônia Cecília The interaction of life ...... 70 Zacagnini Amaral... [et al.]. – 3. ed. – São Paulo, SP : Lume, 2016.

Conteúdo digital. Chapter III - Resource management ...... 74 ISBN: 978-85-69286-01-1 Fishing activity: supporting life at sea and the fishermen ...... 76

1. Biological Science. 2. Biodiversity. 3. Enviromental Management. Integrated management: the future of life in the bay ...... 86 I. Amaral, Antonia Cecília Zacagnini, 1948-. II. Título.

CDD - 570

Legal deposit fulfilled.

5 Acknowledgements

To the institutions, researchers and students, whose financial support, knowledge, To the Marine Protected Area of the Northern Coast of São Paulo State (APA work and dedication have enabled the development of the Project Biota/Fapesp- Marinha do Litoral Norte - APAMLN) and its Management Committee for their Araçá and made the publication of this book possible. partnership in the development of an integrated management program.

To the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) for the grant and scholarships To the local communities that motivate and collaborate with the work developed awarded within the Biota/Fapesp (Proc. 2011 / 50317-5). by Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá.

To the Coordination of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and National Council To the team that helped in sampling, sorting and laboratory activities related to for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), who provided scholarships. the ictiofauna: Carolina C. Siliprandi, Marina R. Shaggy, Rafael A. Lamas, Marcella B. Giaretta, Cesar Santificetur, Valeria Conversani and Alexandre Arackawa. To the Center for Marine Biology of the University of São Paulo (USP-CEBIMar) for the logistical support provided to participants of the Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá. To the team that worked on the sampling, sorting and laboratory activities related to the non-consolidated substrate fauna: Angélica Godoy, Camila Silva, Nathalia To the Institute of Biology of the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) and to Padovanni, Rachel Daoli, Rafael Murayama, Decio Gomes, Fabrizio Machado, the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo (USP), which provided Renato Luchetti, Renata Alito, Tatiana Steiner, Thalita Forroni and Fabrini Menezes. the physical infrastructure and human resources to the coordination of the project. Also to the team that worked on consolidated substrate: Fabiane Gallucci, Marcelo Fukuda, André Luiz Souza, Karina Santos, Heloisa Filgueiras, Felipe Dutra and Felipe To the Technical-Scientific Committee (COTEC) for the authorization granted to Oricchio; and meiofauna: Fabiane Gallucci, Danilo Vieira and Leandro Silva. the Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá. To Jussara Shirazawa de Freitas and Diego Igawa Martinez for their help in the To the Marine and Estuarine Fisheries Monitoring Program (PMAP) of the Fisheries fieldwork in the mangrove forests. Institute for their support and sharing data and fishing information. To the field agents and monitors Marcos dos Santos Wood and Diogo Marie Albert Van To the taxonomists who, along with his students, have identified species of Sebroeck Dória. different groups of local biota.

To the Department of Cultural Heritage of the São Sebastião Tourism Agency for To the researchers of the different modules of the Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá, for providing historical images. their support and work during the sampling and analysis of the collected material.

6 Life in Araçá Bay 7 Authors Preface

Chapter I – The History of Araçá Bay Alexander Turra, Caiuá Mani Peres and Cláudia Regina dos Santos

Chapter II - Biodiversity Life on the sea surface Aurea Maria Ciotti, Alvaro Estevez Migotto, Francielli Vilela Peres and Rubens Mendes Lopes. If it was not for the dedication of some scientists, the Araçá Bay – this Life in the water column peculiar place inseparable from the landscape of the São Sebastião Channel Carmen Lúcia Del Bianco Rossi Wongtschowski, Ríguel Feltrin Contente, – would have gone missing for decades, taking with it endless life forms and Lucy Satiko Hashimoto Soares, Patrícia Luciano Mancini, André Martins unique knowledge opportunities. Vaz-dos-Santos and Marcos César de Oliveira Santos Over the past 30 years, the academic community – represented by teachers Life in the seafloor and students from different universities – rolled up their sleeves to protect Antônia Cecília Zacagnini Amaral, Guilherme Nascimento Corte, Hélio Hermínio the bay against a faith considered inevitable by many: a landfill that would Checon, Gustavo Muniz Dias, Ronaldo Christofoletti, Gustavo Fonseca and eliminate the landscape or disqualify it completely. The announced death Maikon Di Domenico was avoided more than once, although its current fatal shadow has returned Life in the mangroves to hover over the bay. Yara Schaeffer-Novelli, Armando Soares dos Reis Neto and Guilherme Moraes de Oliveira Abuchahla Defending Araçá is not an easy task. At first glance, this place does not The interaction of life impress by its beauty. Its dark sands and waters contrast with the beautiful Lucy Satiko Hashimoto Soares, Lídia Paes Leme Arantes, Marinella Coutinho Jacinto nearby beaches. In fact, Araçá Bay belongs to one of the most beautiful Pucci, Fernanda Albernaz de Lima and Carmen Lúcia Del Bianco Rossi Wongtschowski coastlines in the world, the Northern Coast of São Paulo, where the slopes of the lush Serra do Mar plunge almost directly into the ocean and define a Chapter III - Resource management shore with beaches of various types and sizes.

Fishing activity: supporting life at sea and the fishermen Thus, it is not only for its esthetic attributes that weapons are raised up in Antônio Olinto Ávila-da-Silva, Marcus Henrique Carneiro and Marcos de Souza Sakamoto its defense. Its beauty and vigor lurk in the shallow, calm waters and among Integrated management: the future of life in the bay the fine sand of its bottom. The high biological diversity of the site was Alexander Turra, Cláudia Regina dos Santos, Deborah Campos Shinoda, Natalia Grilli, already detected by the first naturalists who visited the Northern Coast of Luciana Yokoyama Xavier, Fernanda Terra Stori, Caiuá Mani Peres, Paulo Antonio de São Paulo. Therefore, it was essentially the knowledge of the biota of Araçá Almeida Sinisgalli, Cauê Carrilho, Pedro Roberto Jacobi and Cristiana Simão Seixas Bay that was used as heated argument for its preservation.

8 Life in Araçá Bay 9 Presentation of the Biota/Fapesp Program

With the knowledge accumulating over decades, we know today that the bay is Created in March 1999, the Program of Characterization, Conservation, Restoration and a hotspot of biodiversity and an important nursery of life. It is fundamental to Sustainable Use of Biodiversity, Biota/Fapesp, or Virtual Institute of Biodiversity (www.biota. sustain local residents (caiçaras) engaged in fishing and for the maintenance org.br), has a strong component, which aims to apply scientific knowledge in the creation of their cultural identity. As knowledge generates knowledge, such peculiarities and improvement of public policies in the environmental area. In recent years, Biota has motivate new research, which not only confirms what we know, but, above all, also stimulated the release of the results of their projects beyond the walls of academia. brings new and strong arguments in favor of the bay’s preservation. The coordination of the program supports a number of initiatives in order to bring the scientific community and society in general together, both in formal education activities To this end the Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá was designed. Nothing similar and in scientific dissemination of the work. has been ever seen in Brazil, and studies of this kind are rare in the world. Integrating data of physio-chemical, biological and socioeconomic processes This book is one of the results of the thematic project Biodiversity and functioning of a enable us to understand the dynamics of the bay fully. The project will subtropical coastal ecosystem: support for integrated management (FAPESP 11 / 50317-5). therefore result in the quantitative characterization of the environmental It presents the biodiversity of Araçá Bay in the context of its geographical, historical and services provided by a model environment. socioeconomic characteristics. This project, and particularly this book, demonstrates how the advancement of scientific knowledge on biodiversity and its socio-economic relevance A sample of these results is published here. In plain language, the work – a are essential to improve the legal instruments whose objectives are to reduce the impact of collective effort of more than 170 researchers –, compiles a considerable human actions, and simultaneously contribute to the preservation of these resources. amount of unprecedented scientific knowledge, and also plays a role in disseminating science, educating and forming an opinion. It should not only The book focuses not only on the scientific community but also on the public beyond the reach those who make decisions, but also the citizens and everyone who academic world, such as communities and local leaders, members of non-governmental yearns to know more about this fascinating part of our coastal region. organizations (neighborhood associations and environmental organizations), representatives of the State and Federal Public Ministry, specialized media, as well as representatives of public and private organizations interested in local socioeconomic development (Port of São Sebastião , Alvaro Esteves Migotto São Sebastião City Hall, Sabesp, Petrobras). Therefore, the book aims to spread the generated Center of Marine Biology, University of São Paulo knowledge as much as possible, combining scientific objectivity and rigor to simplicity as a way to reach the local population, enabling it to participate effectively in decisions that affect the biodiversity, ecosystem services and the socio-economic and cultural aspects of the region.

Due to the harmony between the objectives and actions of this project and structural premises of the Biota/Fapesp, it was a privilege to have had an early access to the detailed results in this book and an honor to write this presentation.

Carlos Alfredo Joly Coordinator Biota/Fapesp Program

10 Life in Araçá Bay 11 Presentation of the Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá

The Araçá Bay (Figure 1) is located in the Southern part of the São Sebastião Channel, on the Northern Besides the presence of one of the last remaining mangroves in the northern coast of São Paulo State, Coast of São Paulo State. This bay is part of the Marine Protected Area of the Northern Coast São Paulo and a huge biological diversity, the Araçá Bay represents an important artisanal fisheries’ stronghold, State (Área de Proteção Ambiental Marinha do Litoral Norte do Estado de São Paulo - APAMLN) and the where traditional local fishermen, named caiçaras, still use canoes for fishing and transportation. Environmental Protected Area of the Alcatrazes Municipality (Área de Proteção Ambiental Municipal de Therefore, the bay is of great relevance locally and regionally, providing many goods, services, and Alcatrazes). The Araçá Bay is rather sheltered, and its water exchange with the São Sebastião Channel is benefiting society. mainly due to tidal currents, and also to waves and local winds.. Due to its proximity to the urban area, this system has been for a long time exposed to human actions, The Araçá Bay encompasses three beaches (Pernambuco, Germano and Topo), two islands (Pernambuco such as irregular occupation, sewage discharge, and the establishment of two major ports (Port of São and Pedroso), mangrove stands, rocky shores, and an extensive flat intertidal area. The latter comprises a Sebastião and Oil Terminal Almirante Barroso – one of the most important oil terminals in Brazil) circa vast intertidal flat up to 300 meters wide, and a shallow subtidal zone; both of muddy and silty bottoms, 1940-1960. The Araçá Bay in its current state is the result of conflicts of interests and their impacts, with some gravel contribution. At its outermost area, by the São Sebastião Channel, the bay reaches which affect coastlines all over the world. Although of extreme importance to all societies, coastal up to 25 meters in depth. The bay receives water from a minor stream called Mãe Isabel. This high environments have been continuously losing quality and health through time. environmental diversity propitiates countless interactions of physical, biological, geological, and human elements, which makes this bay an ideal study location for human-environment interactions. Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá emerged from this context. The thematic project “Biodiversity and functioning of a subtropical coastal ecosystem: subsidies for integrated management” (Biodiversidade e funcionamento de um ecossistema costeiro subtropical: subsídios para gestão integrada) was approved Mãe Isabel Stream in the beginning of 2012, by the São Paulo Research Foundation (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do SÃO SEBASTIÃO

Topo Beach Steiner Tatiana Estado de São Paulo – Fapesp). The goal of this project is to understand how the coastal zone behaves as Port of São Germano Beach Sebastião a complex system, considering the integration between physical, biological and social processes within

Pernambuco Beach the bay, such as sediment circulation and transport, food webs, energy and matter fluxes, and fishing Pedroso Island

INTERTIDAL ZONE production and activity. Furthermore, the Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá aims to characterize environmental Pernambuco Island 5 services, either tangible or intangible, highlighting those derived from marine biodiversity, and so

10 INNER reinforcing their socioeconomic relevance. Finally, the project seeks the comprehension of regional SUBLITTORAL societal processes, and the formulation of a local plan for the sustainable development of the Araçá Bay. 20

30 This plan is to be written together with the local community. OUTER

SUBLITTORAL Araçá Point Currently, the Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá assembles 170 participants, among which researchers, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students, and technicians, from 35 Brazilian and foreign N São Sebastião Channel educational and research institutions. The integration of researchers and institutions of diverse areas of science has a strategic background of knowledge, capacity building and human resources evolution. That is an initiative that promotes the know-how in the fields of biodiversity, conservation and marine Figure 1 – Araçá Bay and location of the diferente study areas: intertidal, inner sublittoral and outer sublittoral. governance within the São Paulo State and in the country as a whole. The dashed line represents the offshore sewage outfal installed in the early 1990s.

12 Life in Araçá Bay 13 Table 1 – Organisms identified in Araçá Bay From 1950 to 2010 (several studies) and from 2012 to 2015 (Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá)

In the initial three years, the project has already generated more information about the Araçá Bay than Taxon 1950-20101 Biota/Fapesp-Araçá the sum of all studies between 1950 and 20101. Invaluable unpublished results about local biodiversity (group of animals) Total New Endangered Total New Endangered Polychaeta 207 17 2 165 2 genera + 2 species 3 and the environment’s dynamics are being developed and generated every day. Such results reveal great Mollusca 179 1 155 species diversity. More than 1,300 taxa (types of organisms) have been found in the area, from which Crustacea 112 9 108 Rhodophyta 46 8 140 are first observations, and more than 50 are completely new to science (Table 1). We believe that Bryozoa (Ectoprocta) 40 22 1 family + 1 genus + 9 species these numbers will continue to grow as the project continues. Cnidaria 32 18 Chlorophyta 23 5 Echinodermata 18 25 5 Alongside all cited results, the discussions for the integration of biological and physical variables and Ascidiacea 18 1 5 26 Phaeophyta 13 the ecosystem services have already generated subsidies for the debates over the bay’s integrated Porifera 12 1 16 management. This will feed a strategic framework to be adapted to and applied in other areas. Sipuncula 10 * Ciliophora 6 Magnoliophyta 41 3 The results of the Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá have been and will continue to show the Araçá Bay’s Kamptozoa (Entoprocta) 42 ecological, social, economic and political importance, and so allowing the perception of this area as a Enteropneusta 41 2 * 2 Echiura 31 * whole. This knowledge will build capacity for scientists, civil society and stakeholders to better develop Nemertea 1 * 5 species public policies towards the area’s conservation and sustainable use. Pycnogonida 1 * Nematoda 255 More than 10 species Fish 122 4 Bacillariophyta 104 Ochrophyta 97 Aves 60 1 Antônia Cecília Z. Amaral Dinoflagellata 52 Myzozoa 50 Alexander Turra Acoelomorpha 26 2 species Aurea Maria Ciotti Plathyhelminthes 15 1 genus + 5 species Kynorhyncha 10 1 genus + 9 species Carmem Wongtschowski Cyanobacteria 4 Yara Schaeffer-Novelli Haptophyta 4 Chromophyta 3 Euglenozoa 3 Gastrotricha 2 1 species Gnathostomulida 2 2 species Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá Tardigrada 2 1 species Coordination Reptilia 11 Heterokontophyta 1 Priapulida * Oligochaeta * More than 10 species Total 733 34 9 1364 1 family + 5 genera + 56 species 16

Results from 1950 to 2010 Results obtained in the three years of development of the Project Biota / Fapesp-Araçá 1 AMARAL, A.C.Z.; MIGOTTO, A.E.; TURRA, A. & SCHAEFFER-NOVELLY, Y. 2010. Araçá: biodiversidade, impactos e ameaças. Biota Neotrópica, vol. 10, pp. 219-264.

1AMARAL, A.C.Z.; MIGOTTO, A.E.; TURRA, A. & SCHAEFFER-NOVELLY, Y. 2010. Araçá: biodiversidade, impactos e ameaças. Biota Neotropica, vol. 10, pp. 219-264. * Animals not yet quantified.

14 Life in Araçá Bay 15 Araçá Bay – 1950 Photo: Cultural Heritage Department Collection Located at the calm waters of the São Sebastião Channel (SP), Araçá Bay includes ascenery that has been subjected to human interference and environmental changes for decades

The economic potential of Araçá Bay has attracted human attention since the mid- sixteenth century, when the Portuguese Martim Afonso de Sousa, while sailing along the Brazilian coast, “discovered” and named the São Sebastião Island.

Over the following centuries, the skimpy port of São Sebastião Village, located at the São Sebastião Channel beside Araçá Bay, helped to spread the production of sugar, coffee, sugarcane brandy, tobacco and tableware clay coming from the inner state of São Paulo.

Later, in the mid-1930s, the construction of a large and structured port was initiated. The port was opened in 1955. About 10 years later, the neighboring region of the bay and the port also began to house the Maritime Terminal Almirante Barroso (TEBAR), Petrobras/Transpetro.

The privileged location of Araçá Bay, situated in one of the most beautiful and valued areas of the Northern Coast of São Paulo, also made the bay suffer from the consequences of the economic growth that happened there from the 1970s, when the paving of the Northern section of the Rio-Santos highway began to attract a growing number of tourists, migrants and new businesses to the region.

This significant development of São Paulo Northern Coast in the past five decades not only spurred the local economy, but also gave rise to major social and environmental I. The Araçá changes that have deeply affected the region. In the Araçá Bay area, besides two land reclamation procedures that altered the coastline shape, changes also included the construction and expansion of a submarine outfall and a series of environmental Bay history disasters caused by oil spills at sea. This coastal environment also became a stage for scientific projects and actions aiming its protection around 1950s, when the Center for Marine Biology of University of São Paulo (CEBIMar-USP), located only a few kilometers from Araçá Bay, started its activities. More recently, the establishment of marine protected areas, which included the bay, in the 1990s and 2000 helped to enhance the ecological relevance of this region.

16 17 The history of the city of São Sebastião, in Environmental and economic impacts fact, has always been linked to port activities. From the 1950s, with the arrival of Petrobras In the nineteenth century, as a result of the (the Brazilian Oil company) to São Sebastião, natural features of São Sebastião Channel new events occurred in Araçá Bay and its (deep and sheltered areas due the presence of surroundings, giving rise to other changes in São Sebastião island), the importance of the the local landscape. region for this purpose was already noted as highlighted in the text of the French geographer The construction of the Maritime Terminal Saint-Adolphe, dated 1845: “Its port, which Almirante Barroso (TEBAR), the largest storage serves as warehouse for agricultural products and flow terminal of oil products in Brazil, was from neighboring districts, is on the Toque- done by Petrobras / Transpetro in the 1970s and Toque strait, and gives good harbor to vessels 1980s. This enterprise has boosted the region’s due to its bottom features, which allow boats to leave all the time, both through the northern Photo: Cultural Heritage Department Collection of São Sebastião and southern entrance.” Figure 1 – Araçá Bay in the 1960s. Figure 2 - Landing pier used in the early twentieth century, with the central area of São Sebastião and Nevertheless, since the first interventions, the “Serra do Mar” in the background (1919). the striking power of this type of activity was Between 1936 Over the past 80 years, Araçá Bay has undergone profound perceived. The construction of the São Sebastião and 1955, the changes. In the 1940s, the site was characterized by an indented Port, carried out between 1936 and 1955, construction of coastline starting in the Araçá point and shallow and calm separated the beaches “Areião” and “da Frente”. waters (Figure 1). The past “Areião” and “da Frente” beaches, the Araçá Bay, then, began to have a shape closer to the Port of São last one located in front of the historical centre of São Sebastião, its current form (Figure 4). This was undoubtedly Sebastão separated stretched almost continuously without any major obstacles the first major change in the area. the “Areião” and separating them. By this time, the bay was a biodiverse marine “da Frente” beaches, environment and used by local people for various recreational changing the and economic activities, such as fishing and clam harvesting and loading and unloading of goods. structure of Araçá Bay and resulting in At that time, the regional dominant economic activity was its current form farming, mainly sugarcane, which was transported through the natural port at São Sebastião1. The vessels, mainly canoes and sailboats, used a pier (Figures 2 and 3) for the landing of people and products2. Photos: Cultural Heritage Department Collection of São Sebastião

1 RESSURREIÇÃO, R.D. 2002. São Sebastião: transformações de um povo caiçara. São Paulo: Editora Humanitas, 256p. 2 FRANCISCO, J. & CARVALHO, P. F. 2003. Desconstrução do lugar: o aterro da praia da frente do centro histórico de São Sebastião (SP). In: GERARDI, L. H. O. Figure 3 - Landing pier used in the early twentieth century; on the left side of the image, Ambientes: estudos de Geografia. Rio Claro: Programa de pós-graduação em Geografia – UNESP, pp. 105-120. the beginning of Areião Beach, which at that time used to reach Araçá Bay.

18 Life in Araçá Bay The History of Araçá Bay 19 economy, but its activities have been causing impacts that Over the same period, throughout the 1980s, the These changes attracted migrants from other affected Araçá Bay, such as several environmental accidents Highway SP-055, popularly known as “Rio-Santos”, regions of the country. Because of the high prices caused by oil spills at sea. was paved. Since then, the road became the main of rentals, many of these people settled in illegal route between the cities and the beaches of the areas of the city and demanded public services, The São Sebastião Port expansion was carried out in two Northern Coast of São Paulo State. It also facilitated especially sewage treatment system. Nevertheless, stages. The first began in 1972 and the second in 1987, the access to the region and enabled a rapid urban the city was not able to provide such services leading, respectively, to the supression of the beaches and touristic growth. Thus the summer flow of and the disclosure between demand and offer “Areião” and “da Frente”. Consequently, changes in the tourists was intensified in the Northern Coast, compromised the water quality of beaches and coastline were intensified and the area of Araçá Bay was which gave rise to a boom of the housing market, affected tourism in the region. The construction Figure 4 – Aerial image of Araçá significantly reduced. and also to real estate speculations. The touristic of the sewage outfall in Araçá, in the early 1990s, Bay, the Port of São Sebastião and the city of São Sebastião potential of the region became highlighted. aimed to tackle this problem. During construction, in the late 1950s. however, a dredging (removal of the seabed sediments) in the form of a wide “trench” crossing the entire central part of the bay was done. According to reports of the local community, the dredged material was disposed next to the dredging area, causing drastic changes in the sedimentary patterns of the bay.

The implementation of public policies related to the creation of protected areas (1970) and coastal management (1990) were parallel to these pressures, intensifying the discussion about the protection of the region. Among the protected areas, the Environmental Protected Area of the Alcatrazes Municipality, established in 1992, and the Marine Protected Area of the Northern Coast of São Paulo State (Figure 5), 2008, include the Araçá Bay within their territory, emphasizing the bay´s environmental importance.

With the establishment of protected areas, the landscape of the Northern Coast has been maintained and its inspiring environment, defined by the integration of the sea with the Serra do Mar and the Atlantic Forest, has been preserved. Its natural vocation to an environmental and cultural conservation oriented tourism has now a prominent position, in contrast to the radical interventions proposed to the region. Photo: Cultural Heritage Department Collection of São Sebastião

20 Life in Araçá Bay The History of Araçá Bay 21 Timeline Expansion of sewage Outfall of Araçá Bay (2014). Caiuá Peres Major interventions in the Araçá Bay Presentation of the Environmental Impact Study and Environmental Impact Report of the project of the new pier of TEBAR (2013). Cultural Heritage Department Collection of São Sebastião Duplication of the plateau section of Tamoios Highway (SP-099) (2013). Petrobras begins oil and oil products transshipment Start of the Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá (2012). operations in the São Sebastião Channel (1957). Continuing construction Creation of Alcatrazes Presentation of the current plan of of the pier and the Municipal Protected expansion of the São Sebastião Port - Early Foundation of the Marine areas of storage and Area (1992). Integrated Plan Port-City (2011). colonization of Biological Laboratory (1955), tanking of TEBAR. the region by future Center for Marine Publication of the paper “Araçá the captaincies Biology of USP (CEBIMar-USP). Construction of the first Construction and biodiversity, impacts and threats” by system and stage of the landfill area start of operation of Amaral et al. (2010), which reviewed more sesmarias. Start of construction of Port of Opening of the Port of over the Araçá Bay and the the submarine outfall than 300 scientific studies conducted São Sebastião (1936). São Sebastião (1955). old “da Frente” Beach (1972). of Araçá (1990). over the Araçá Bay since the 1950s.

th stt 16thh and 17th 18thh and 19th 20 Century 21 Century Century Century 30’s 40’s 50’s 60’s 70’s 80’s 90’s 00’s 10’s

The coast of São Authorization from the Federal Paving of the Rio-Santos Discovery of natural gas reserves Sebastião was used as Araçá Bay’s landscape (1940). Government to Petrobras for road (SP-055) on the in Mexilhão field (2003). a natural harbor, from the construction of Terminal Northern coast (1979-1985), which they disposed Marítimo Almirante Barroso - which drove the tourism Discovery of oil and gas reserves products such as gold, TEBAR (1961). development in the region. in the Pre-Salt Layer (2007). sugar, rum, tobacco, Incorporation of CEBIMar by the The second stage of the fruit and coffee. Creation of the Marine University of São Paulo (1962). construction of the landfill Protected Area of the Northern on the Araçá Bay and the old São Paulo State (2008). “Da Frente” Beach (1987). Cultural Heritage Department Collection of São Sebastião CEBIMar Collection Cultural Heritage Department Collection of São Sebastião

22 Life in Araçá Bay The History of Araçá Bay 23 port; and (iii) the expansion of terminals for liquid features of the bay and also by the structure of Marine Protected Area of Northern Coast of São Paulo State (APAMLN) bulk (oil and oil products) associated with the CEBIMar. The role of the academic staff of CEBIMar, exploitation of oil and gas-natural fields, including especially the leadership and performance of its the pre-salt region. directors, was crucial to protect Araçá Bay from several expansion attempts of São Sebastião Port Ubatuba Despite these changes and threats, the bay over different decades. remains as an important place for the local SÃO PAULO community (caiçaras), who still fishes and Between 1950 and 2010, studies conducted collects marine organisms there. Furthermore, in the bay resulted in 127 articles published due to its peculiar biological and oceanographic in national and international journals, 150 features, the site is a stage for field lessons for conference papers (including complete articles Caraguatatuba students of all ages, and also for numerous published in extended proceedings and São Sebastião scientific researches. abstracts), one book, four book chapters and 77 PhD theses, dissertations and monographies Ilhabela Araçá Bay played a key role in the development (besides several texts in magazines and of research and studies in marine biology and journals)3. With the development of Project N oceanography in Brazil, as highlighted in the Biota/Fapesp-Araçá, which started in 2012, and description of the biologist Carlos Nobre Rosa the consequent increase in research on the local in an article published by the newspaper “O biodiversity and functioning, the understanding Figure5 – The dashed line indicates the areas included in the APAMLN, covering the municipalities Bandeirante” (p. 6), on October 22, 1961: “... of this system is generating amazing results. of Ubatuba, Caraguatatuba, Ilhabela e São Sebastião. in this region, the coast offers a wide range of environments with its own characteristics, Over time, Araçá Bay has shown to be resistent allowing not only the study of a large numbers against the frequent human interventions. of marine animals and plants but also the Nowadays, however, the bay has reached a The transformations of Araçá Bay limited it is ineffective in establishing mechanisms awareness of the diverse environmental critical situation in such a way that future its use and activities, affecting the life of of evaluation, monitoring and mitigation features where these organisms live.” impacts, if they are implemented, will lead to its the local community. These changes went of environmental impacts that could total and irreversible downfall, omen of what from deforestation of native areas (Atlantic compensate the huge damage that has been The Marine Biology Laboratory, created on may happen to the Northern Coast of São Paulo forest, salt marsh and mangrove), to land caused to the bay. February 14, 1955, was incorporated into the as a whole. Through society action and relying reclamation of beaches and occupation of University of São Paulo in 1962 and, in 1980, was on current and future scientific information, irregular areas for housing. The impact of this Port expansion and new works renamed to Center for Marine Biology (CEBIMar- it will be possible to develop a sustainable human intervention reduced the amount of Over the past two decades, debates on major USP). The existence of CEBIMar enabled the vision of the Araçá Bay’s future as well as of fish and increased pollution from solid waste, projects planned for the region have been development of several researches conducted by the whole region, preserving social benefits and sewage and chemical compounds.These intensified. Among them, the expansion of Brazilian universities. Araçá Bay, located only a reconciling interests without compromising changes are evidences of the implementation the São Sebastião Port presents a number few kilometers from the laboratory, always played environmental quality. Therefore, the timeline of a development model based on poor land of interventions that will affect Araçá Bay a key role in this story as a constant subject of will provide proof of a new paradigm in the use planning, that did not properly consider and its surroundings irreversibly, such as (i) the studies, which were attracted by the unique relationship between society and the sea. a balance between environmental, social the elimination of a large portion of the bay, and economic aspects, neither included local (ii) the regional expansion of access roads

population claims and participation. Besides, to facilitate the flow of goods through the 3 AMARAL, A.C.Z.; MIGOTTO, A.E.; TURRA, A. & SCHAEFFER-NOVELLY, Y. 2010. Araçá: biodiversidade, impactos e ameaças. Biota Neotropica, vol. 10, pp. 219-264.

24 Life in Araçá Bay The History of Araçá Bay 25 The surprising presence of a wide variety of organisms Crab on a reveals the richness of life in the Araçá Bay, a complex rocky shore during low tide universe where participate different species, from the Photo: Gabriel Monteiro human population to microscopic beings

Although impacted by constant interventions, the Araçá Bay houses a huge biodiversity. Besides the human population, more than 1,300 species of organisms use the bay searching for a safe place to reproduce, II.Biodiversity grow and feed. In seawater, the richness of nutrients ensures an abundant presence of microscopic life. There, a single drop of water is able to house thousands of organisms known as plankton, whose characteristics are similar to terrestrial plants and animals.

In the water column, between the surface and the seabed, there are no less than 122 species of fishes and one species of sea turtle, which find numerous habitats there and a wide variety of food to grow and feed. Also, about 60 species of birds are found in the bay, one of them classified as “vulnerable” on the Brazilian National List of Endangered Faunal Species.

A wide variety of benthic species, a large group of organisms that live next to the sea, also finds shelter in the bay. Its rocky shores, mangroves and soft-bottoms are inhabited by organisms essential to the functioning of marine ecosystems and of utmost importance for human-life, like corals, worms, starfish, seaweed, mussels, crabs, starfish, sea urchins and sea-sponges.

The presence of one of the only remaining mangrove fragment of the Northern Coast of São Paulo State is another important life record in the bay. There, young plants of white mangrove show the vitality and dynamics of local forests.

These features reveal the resistance of Araçá Bay against impacts suffered over the past decades

26 27 Research equipment

Photo: Gabriel Monteiro at entrance Life at the of the bay sea surface Planktonic system

A surprising presence of microscopic Araçá Bay. In a small drop of water life is found in the bay. A small drop of of the bay thousands of organisms water contains thousands of organisms with characteristics similar to those of terrestrial plants and animals that are essential to marine life are found. These organisms are known as plankton. The Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá revealed little-known aspects of Araçá Bay. One Many species of fish and invertebrates is the presence, in that environment, that live in the sea depend on the of nutrients that feed the life on the plankton to feed and grow. This sea surface. universe of small organisms is thus an essential element for the maintenance Before the development of the project, of marine life. Micro-organisms and it was believed that the bay was a plankton are associated with an meso-oligotrophic environment, which intricate network of exchanges formed means it consists of low concentrations by chemical compounds that include of nutrients and phytoplankton carbon, the raw material of all life throughout the year, with only one forms on the planet. The sun’s energy peak during the summer - a time when is absorbed by pigments present the ocean waters, rich in nutrients, in some of the plankton (Figure 1), come to São Sebastião Channel and called phytoplankton, producing enter the Araçá Bay with the tides. organic molecules during the process The studies, however, showed a very known as photosynthesis. These different situation: at any time of the microscopic plants are then used as year, the waters of the bay have higher food by other tiny animals that live concentrations of phytoplankton and in the sea surface, called zooplankton nutrients than the waters of the São (Figure 2). Although most species of Sebastião Channel. phytoplankton and zooplankton are microscopic, macroscopic forms visible This result reveals a surprising presence to the naked eye such as jellyfish, also of life and microscopic biodiversity in live at the sea surface.

28 Life in Araçá Bay Biodiversity 29 Food and protection to grow 5 mg/m³

Bianca Tocci The Araçá Bay is a coastal, shallow Tatiana Steiner Tatiana Alvaro Migotto and protected environment, which 4 mg/m³ receives nutrients from the conti- nent. These features make the bay a prime location for the growth 3 mg/m³ and permanence of phytoplankton.

2 mg/m³ The creation of organic matter from phytoplankton during photo- synthesis depends on solar energy 1 mg/m³ and the local supply of nutrients,

which are the fuel for photosyn- 0 Figure 1 – Pigments inside diatoms, plankton microalgae, viewed from above and from the side. thesis. Thus, similarly to what is Figure 3 – The Araçá Bay waters showing higher levels of chlorophyll-a observed on land, plants grow than the São Sebastião Channel. better when there is a continuous supply of nutrients. The word “plankton” means “that which derives”. In the oceans, “derive” Mean nitrate concentration means to be transported by marine currents. Thus, the study of planktonic In general, the process of growth 1,400 organisms involves understanding how the currents which exchange the and accumulation of phytoplank- 1,200 waters present in a particular area influence the permanence of these ton in a coastal environment 1,000

0,800 organisms in the same region. generates green water – or even μM reddish – when very high levels of 0,600 certain microalgae occur, such as 0,400 cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates. 0,200

0,000 One of the ways scientists evaluate Sep/2013 Oct/2013 Dec/2013 Jan/2014 Feb/2014 Apr/2014 May/2014 Jun/2014 Aug/2014 Inácio Silva Neto Inácio Silva Neto the amount of phytoplankton con- Araçá Bay São Sebastião Channel Standard Deviation tained in a body of water is to quan- tify, through chemical methods and Mean chlorophyll-a concentration special instruments, the concentra- 6,000 tion of chlorophyll-a, which is the 5,000 main cellular component respon- 4,000 sible for photosynthesis (Figure 3). mg/m³ 3,000 Results of the Project Biota/Fapesp- 2,000 Araçá showed high concentrations 1,000 0,000 of nutrients (nitrate) and cellular Sep/2013 Oct/2013 Dec/2013 Jan/2014 Feb/2014 Apr/2014 May/2014 Jun/2014 Aug/2014

elements responsible for photo- Araçá Bay São Sebastião Channel Standard Deviation Figure 2 – Examples of the zooplankton group known as ciliates. Each of these organisms has various microalgae synthesis (chlorophyll-a) in Araçá Figure 4 – Nutrient concentration (nitrate) and cellular pigments that have been ingested. In the latter case, this can be observed as the presence of reddish lines, which are in fact Bay and São Sebastião Channel responsible for photosynthesis (chlorophyll-a) in the various chains of cyanobacteria, a group of photosynthetic microalgae that are important producer of the oxygen present samplings of Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá. in our atmosphere. (Figure 4).

30 Life in Araçá Bay Biodiversity 31 Tiny and diverse The group of organisms that makes up the phytoplankton is quite diverse. Despite their microscopic size, they show a wide Alvaro Migotto range of sizes and shapes which, besides their beauty, also have different ecological functions. Some of these organisms are individual cells, called “isolated” (Figure 5); others form chains of cells and reach larger sizes (Figure 6). To form chains, have thorns or rely on external projections in the shells are strategies that help such bodies to float, allowing its permanence at the surface of the sea, where the sunlight can penetrate.

Several groups of organisms are often found in the plankton,

such as diatoms, cyanobacteria, coccolithophorids, flagellates, Inácio Silva Neto Inácio Silva Neto Alvaro Migotto dinoflagellates and silicoflagellates (Figure 7).

Bianca Tocci Bianca Tocci Bianca Tocci

Figure 7 – Other phytoplankton groups. From the bottom left, clockwise, two groups of dinoflagellates, cyanobacteria colonies filamentous and silicoflagellates.

Interconnected lives At the end of their short life cycle, which can vary between a few hours to a few days, phytoplankton loses the ability to make new cells. So, it sinks in the water Figure 5 – Diatoms, plankton microalgae (isolated). As the walls of the cells of these organisms are composed of silica, such column and becomes part of the so-called detritus. This, in turn, is a food source for microalgae are likely to be found in high abundance in coastal environments where there is good supply of that mineral. many animals that inhabit the seabed, such as mussels and fishes. Occasionally, the accumulation of debris can remove oxygen from the water of some environments Inácio Silva Neto Bianca Tocci Bianca Tocci making them anoxic. This condition promotes the death of animals that need oxygen dissolved in the water to live.

The organic material resulting from plants or dead animals is decomposed by bacteria, even smaller planktonic organisms, which can measure millionths of a meter.

Besides bacteria, also the cyanobacteria, microalgae which, although minute, also do photosynthesis, and the archaea are included in this varied population of microscopic organisms. The latter are capable of living in extreme conditions because they use only Figure 6 – Chain of diatoms. organic components to get energy and do not need sunlight.

32 Life in Araçá Bay Biodiversity 33 Bringing together favorable conditions for the Environmental indicator growth of larvae of fish and invertebrates, Because its short life cycle, plankton quickly respond to changes the bay is a true nursery for these animals occurring in the environment. These responses can be identified by alterations in species composition and in the number of individuals of a given species. The planktonic microorganisms can thus be good indicators of pollution from domestic sewage, Larvae of industrial waste and port activities. Because of that, microbiology marine animals studies developed in marine coastal environments are important Alvaro Migotto Alvaro Migotto In addition to true planktonic for understanding the life cycle of planktonic microorganisms, animals (Figure 8), the besides possible impacts and imbalances that affect them. extremely diverse zooplankton of Araçá Bay also has larvae Investigations of phytoplankton and zooplankton organisms also of several other marine help to identify environmental changes that can affect the rest animals (Figure 9), such as of the local food chain, interfering with artisanal and commercial oysters, barnacles, crabs and fishing activities.

Alvaro Migotto corals. These larvae spend part of their lives in the water column, and, as they depend Araçá Bay – planktonic organisms on the availability of food (phytoplankton and micro- organisms), they are sensitive Figure 8 – Zooplankton present in Araçá Bay and São Sebastião Channel.

Above, small crustaceans; below a tunicate. to changes in ocean currents. Rubens Lopes

Results of the Project Biota/ Fapesp-Araçá showed that most of the biomass (amount Alvaro Migotto Alvaro Migotto of organic matter) of phyto- plankton organisms collect- ed in that area is of a small size, and that a considerable portion of the zooplankton is composed of larvae. The Alvaro Migotto Alvaro Migotto growth of larvae of fishes and invertebrates, due to the great availability of phytoplankton, turns Araçá Bay into a nursery Figure 10 – Planktonic organisms collected in the Araçá Bay, with individual sizes ranging from 0.1 to 1 mm. Note the presence of both phytoplankton (microalgae) and zooplankton (crustaceans). The images were generated by a new equipment of these animals. that operates in situ (on site), developed by the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo, with the support of Project Biota/Fapesp-Araçá. The instrument is taken to the sea and the system pumps sea water to its interior. The water Fi