A modelling approach to assess the impact of land mining on marine biodiversity: Assessment in coastal catchments experiencing catastrophic events (SW Brazil)

Magris, Rafael A.; Marta‐Almeida, Martinho; Monteiro, José A. F.; Ban, Natalie C.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.238

Cited by 93 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…The low coverage of rhodoliths might be a consequence of long-term deposition of fine sediments at the seafloor. At this area, carbonate concretions dominated the outer shelf at depth between 65 and 80 m. On the other hand, the region southward of the river mouth, which harbors two Marine Protected Areas, was also impacted by the plume but to a lesser extent [24]. At Costa das Algas Environmental Protected Area, we found the highest percent cover of rhodoliths deeper than 50 m (44.7 ± 3.0; ±SE), at about 20 km away the coast, probably related to the lower terrigenous sedimentation [20] but also to resuspension processes by water motion in this area and its northward transport [53].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…On 21 November 2015, mining wastes reached the coastal marine ecosystem, 17 days after the disaster of Mariana city. About 74 million tons of sediment were discharged into the ocean during the 14 months following the dam collapse (November 2015-December 2016; [24]). Its short-term impacts included rapid sedimentation burying the photosynthetic organisms and surficial benthic assemblages, causing mortality of sessile organisms and altering processes such as bioturbation [25], thus affecting the distributions of RBs [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…About 74 million tons of sediment were discharged into the ocean during the 14 months following the dam collapse (November 2015-December 2016; [24]). Its short-term impacts included rapid sedimentation burying the photosynthetic organisms and surficial benthic assemblages, causing mortality of sessile organisms and altering processes such as bioturbation [25], thus affecting the distributions of RBs [24]. Other factors could also have serious effects on the rhodolith vitality, including the increase of water turbidity and metal contamination in water/sediments [26].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Structure of Rhodolith Beds and Surrounding Habitats at the Doce River Shelf (Brazil)

et al. 2020

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The world's largest rhodolith beds have been reported from the Brazilian continental shelf. Highly biodiverse beds are located in Southeast Brazil, but ecological aspects of these beds remain unknown. Despite their ecological importance, rhodolith beds (RBs) have recently been subjected to a severe threat, when more than 35 million cubic meters of mining residues slid down a mountainside on 5 November 2015, after a collapse of a gigantic dam upstream (the Mariana disaster), causing a huge impact on the Doce River. Our aim is to assess rhodolith beds and adjacent coralline formations on the Doce River Shelf (DRS) after the dam collapse. This paper describes the distribution, abundance, vitality, size and shape, as well as unmapped bryozoan rich sediment formations in this area, serving as baseline knowledge for environmental monitoring. Four distinct biogenic sea bottom habitats (bryozoan bottoms, rhodolith beds, carbonate concretions, and reefs) were recognized at different depth ranges with distribution indicated to be mostly related to the local sedimentary regime. Mud sediments dominated the seafloor up to 35 m depth. On the mid shelf, bryozoan bottoms were recorded from 35 to 45 m depth. Crustose coralline algae (CCA) occurring as rhodoliths and carbonate concretions extend over 1953 km 2 in the mid and outer shelf. Rhodolith beds predominate in these areas, totaling 1521 km 2 of sea bottom and were more abundant at depths between 45 and 65 m, occupying an extensive area south of the Doce River mouth. Northward, rhodolith beds are less abundant or absent likely due to the long-term deposition of fine sediments in this region. Carbonate concretions and reefs covered by CCA occupy sparse areas on the outer shelf (65-105 m depth). Differences in rhodolith features recorded, including coverage, density and size, may be related to the Doce River sedimentation and related factors (e.g., hydrodynamics, depth, and light). However, since there are no previous detailed studies on RBs along the DRS, we could not assess the impact of sedimentation of dam wastes on RBs' abundance and density. In any case, these are valuable results for the further monitoring of long-term effects. Considering that the growth of these rhodoliths is relatively slow, and that they are affected by the sedimentation from the Doce River, the implementation of a management and conservation plan for this area is necessary in order to preserve this ecosystem.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Structure of Rhodolith Beds and Surrounding Habitats at the Doce River Shelf (Brazil)

et al. 2020

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“…It also provides insights into the interaction between sediment-related stressors, such as light depletion, suspended sediment and sedimentation. Coupled with large-scale maps of exposure to sediments and high-resolution maps of habitats (e.g., Magris et al, 2019), along with estimates of disturbance recovery, our findings will enable further analysis of sediment impacts and risk assessments to advise policymakers and conservation planners on best practices in the environmental management of this threat.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…Although the damming of rivers constrains the delivery of sediments to the sea (Walling, 2006), extensive human land use significantly alters sediment-loading regimes (Thrush et al, 2004). Moreover, point sources of pollutants (e.g., mining) have affected the quality and the quantity of the downstream flow of suspended sediment locally in many places (Galván, Olías, Cánovas, Sarmiento, & Nieto, 2016;Magris, Marta-Almeida, Monteiro, & Ban, 2019), further compounding the problem.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A meta‐analysis reveals global patterns of sediment effects on marine biodiversity

Magris

Ban

2019

Global Ecol Biogeogr

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Aim Sediment disturbances are important threats affecting marine biodiversity, but the variety of biological responses has not yet been synthesized. Here, we collate all available information to compare the extent of impacts across different taxonomic groups, habitat types and pathways of impact (light attenuation, suspended sediment and sedimentation). Location Global. Time period Data collected from 1979 to 2017. Major taxa studied Corals, fishes, seagrasses, sponges, macroalgae, ascidians, bryozoans, crustaceans, echinoderms, molluscs and polychaetes. Methods We used meta‐analyses to evaluate the effects of sediments across 842 observations found in 110 publications. We also evaluated some of the biological and methodological factors that could explain the variable effects observed in different studies. Results We found a significant negative effect of sediments on behavioural responses of species, reproduction and recruitment processes, the morphology of organisms, physiology, community abundance and diversity, and species interactions. In contrast, the overall effect on the abundance of individual species was statistically non‐significant and there was a strong positive effect on abundance for sponge and polychaete species. Many individual studies described physiological effects on coral reefs, but the effects on the diversity of soft‐bottom and coral reef communities were particularly detrimental. Phototrophic species were generally more negatively impacted by sediments than heterotrophs, driven by strong physiological responses in crustose coralline algae and seagrasses. Additionally, species with limited mobility were more vulnerable to sediment disturbances than highly mobile species. Sedimentation alone triggered more consistently negative effects on most biological responses than light depletion and suspended sediments. We found evidence for increased impacts on community diversity when more than one pathway of impact was present, indicating that these disturbances can disrupt whole ecosystems. Main conclusions Our meta‐analysis provided, for the first time, strong quantitative support of negative effects of sediments on marine biodiversity. Taxonomic groups, habitat types and life‐history characteristics were most influential in determining the biological responses to sediment disturbances, highlighting the importance of an ecosystem‐based approach when fully accounting for the impacts of sediments.

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Evaluation of Metals in Soil and Tissues of Economic‐Interest Plants Grown in Sites Affected by the Fundão Dam Failure in Mariana, Brazil

Coelho

Marinato

Matos

et al. 2020

Integr Envir Assess & Manag

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The objective of this study was to evaluate the concentration of potentially toxic elements in Brachiaria decumbens, Stylosanthes guianensis, and Saccharum officinarum plants and soil samples in affected and unaffected areas by rupture of the Fundão dam, Brazil. Samples were collected in areas affected by residues from the Fundão dam (RAA1, RAA2, RAA3) and in an unaffected area (control). The material was analyzed for the composition of micronutrients and trace elements in soil and plants, as well as contamination factor (CF), accumulation factor, and translocation factor (TF). Overall, the results showed that soil and plant tissues had increased Fe, Mn, Cu, and Cr content and decreased Zn content in the affected areas, compared to the control. Leaves and roots of B. decumbens showed an increase in Fe content in affected areas, compared to the control, reaching a mean maximum value of 42 958 µg/g of roots of RAA2‐collected plants. As a result, CF for Fe of B. decumbens was classified as very high and they presented low TF values. Furthermore, B. decumbens collected in affected areas showed an increase of Fe, Mn, Cu, and Cr in leaves, stems, and roots, whereas in Stylosanthes guianensis, there was an increase of Fe concentration in all tissues and Cr in leaves. Also, Saccharum officinarum showed the accumulation of Mn in the stem and Cu in leaves and stem. On the other hand, there was no contamination of plants by hazardous elements such as Pb, Cd, and As in the samples analyzed. In conclusion, increases in the content of Fe, Mn, Cu, and Cr were found in soil and several plant tissues of residue‐affected areas, which could compromise plant growth and represent potential hazards arising from the biomagnification process in the food chain. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:596–607. © 2020 SETAC

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A modelling approach to assess the impact of land mining on marine biodiversity: Assessment in coastal catchments experiencing catastrophic events (SW Brazil)

Abstract: A modelling approach to assess the impact of land mining on marine biodiversity: assessment in coastal catchments experiencing catastrophic events (SW Brazil).

Cited by 93 publications

References 75 publications

Structure of Rhodolith Beds and Surrounding Habitats at the Doce River Shelf (Brazil)

Structure of Rhodolith Beds and Surrounding Habitats at the Doce River Shelf (Brazil)

A meta‐analysis reveals global patterns of sediment effects on marine biodiversity

Evaluation of Metals in Soil and Tissues of Economic‐Interest Plants Grown in Sites Affected by the Fundão Dam Failure in Mariana, Brazil

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