“…Our study reinforces the value of historical newspapers in providing insightful information on long-term species composition, perceived abundance and the drivers of change in marine biodiversity in Brazil. However, contrary to other records such as official landing statistics, species composition in newspapers reflect distinct socio-ecological contexts, spanning from production to consumption systems, as well as considerations on the cultural and ecological values of some species, which are subject to evolving political, ideological and economic agendas, notably in social contexts with high levels of illiteracy as was the case in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Brazil [ 52 , 88 , 89 ]. Moreover, we acknowledge that information from newspapers is often fragmented, with substantial temporal and spatial gaps.…”