Influence of tourist activity on the diversity of seaweed from reefs in Maracajaú, Atlantic Ocean, Northeast Brazil

Abstract

Abstract:The worldwide increase in recreational activities and marine tourism is reason for concern due to its impact on reef environments. In order to assess the effect of tourism on the reef area in Maracajaú (Northeast Brazil), a study was conducted based on the presence of different seaweed species. A region of intense tourist activity was chosen, and another where tourism is prohibited. Result comparison used richness (S), biomass, diversity (H), and dominance (D), as well as an analysis of similarity between samples. Both areas exhibited differences in specifi c composition, biomass, diversity, richness and seaweed dominance. The highest values for biomass, richness and diversity were recorded in the tourism-free region, while the greatest dominance rates were found in the area of intense tourist activity. The latter was characterized by the dominant presence of Caulerpa racemosa (Forsskål) J. Agardh (Chlorophyta) and turf algae. These characteristics are a clear indication that the reef area subject to heavy tourist activity is undergoing degradation.

The Impact of Trampling on Reef Macrobenthos in Northeastern Brazil: How Effective are Current Conservation Strategies?

“…A similar result was obtained in a recent study on the macroalgae that grow on the offshore coral reefs of Maracajaú, northeastern Brazil, that are impacted by activities such as scuba diving and snorkeling (Silva et al 2012). A protected area and an area that was impacted by tourism were compared for subtidal reef strata (mean depth: 2.5 m) in these reefs.…”

“…The macroalga P. perforata is characterized by its robustness to environments that are regularly exposed to desiccation, being omnipresent on reef top environments in northeastern Brazil (Silva and Fujii 2012). The higher cover of these macroalgae in the partially protected sites of Porto de Galinhas than in the closed site of Tamandaré, may be related to the occasional trampling that competitively favors the macroalgae over the more fragile zoanthids that are dominant in the closed area.…”

Avaliação e proposta de monitoramento do estado de conservação de ambiente recifal costeiro do Estado da Paraíba, Brasil: contribuições para gestão ambiental

“…H. spinella foi classificada por Moreira et al (2006) como oportunista e típica de área perturbada. Silva et al (2012) ao avaliarem a atividade turística em outro ambiente recifal do nordeste brasileiro, identificaram H. spinella como componente do grupo de algas corticadas características de áreas impactadas pelo turismo. Canistrocarpus cervicornis é uma espécie oportunista (Littler e Littler, 1980;Steneck e Dethier, 1994) com reconhecida capacidade de responder rapidamente ao enriquecimento de nutrientes do ambiente, aumentando a taxa de crescimento (Fong et al, 2003).…”

Keanekaragaman dan Kerapatan Rumput Laut Alami Perairan Pulau Serangan Denpasar Bali

“…Rumput laut alami mengalami gangguan pertumbuhan, karena adanya beberapa aktivitas yang meliputi aktivitas pariwisata, diving, snorkeling dan budidaya rumput laut (Silva et al, 2012). Perkembangan pariwisata ini juga berpengaruh terhadap kenaikan tingkat pencemaran lingkungan perairannya (Prabhakaran et al, 2013;Li et al, 2016).…”