Marine zooplankton dynamics after a major mining dam rupture in the Doce River, southeastern Brazil: Rapid response to a changing environment

Fernandes, Luiz Fernando Loureiro; Paiva, Tayná Rosa Martins; Longhini, Cybelle Menolli; Pereira, Juliano Bicalho; Ghisolfi, Renato David; Lázaro, Georgette Cristina Salvador; Demoner, Lilian Elisa; Laino, Pedro de Souza; Conceição, Laura Rodrigues da; Sá, Fabian; Neto, Renato Rodrigues; Dias, Camilo; Lemos, Kássia do Nascimento; Quaresma, Valéria da Silva; Oliveira, Kyssyanne Samihra Santos; Grilo, Caroline Fiório; Rocha, Gustavo Martins

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139621

Cited by 38 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…The data in Table 2 indicated that DSi is distributed on the continental shelf by the particulate surface dispersion in the wet season, and it is made available again by the remobilization of the seabed by the waves in the dry season, similarly which has been observed for metal(oid)s in the continental shelf adjacent to the Doce river mouth after the disaster (Longhini et al, 2022). Although the DSi indicate surface dispersion of the river input on the continental shelf, salinity is not significantly affected by freshwater, being always > 30 in shelf waters (Fernandes et al, 2020;Conceicao et al, 2021;Bonecker et al, 2022).The enrichment of DSi in the river channel highlights the influence of the continental nutrient input on the continental shelf. The DSi is crucial for maintaining diatom density and trophic chain balance in aquatic systems (Garnier et al, 2010).…”

Section: Land and Ocean Nutrients Distributionsupporting

confidence: 53%

“…These results indicate that other meteoceanographic processes are acting to increase DFe concentrations on the continental shelf, such as the resuspension of fine particles from the seafloor and sedimentwater column exchanges by waves action (Longhini et al, 2022), which tends to be intensified in the dry months (Quaresma et al, 2020). It is also important to mention that the DFe content changed significantly after the iron ore tailings reached the coastal waters, with lower settlement rates (Grilo et al, 2018) and high content of soluble and stable inorganic forms (Longhini et al, 2020).…”

Section: Nutrients Limitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Macronutrients and dissolved iron in a land-ocean approach: Influences of contamination by ore tailings in Southeastern Brazil

et al. 2022

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Recently, many dam rupture disasters related to the mining industry have caused significant disruption to ecosystems globally. Contaminants, including nutrients in excess, can be transported from the river watersheds to the ocean in great quantities. In 2015, millions of m3 of iron ore tailings were released in the Doce River in southeastern Brazil, leading to several damaging effects to the river and marine ecosystem. So far, few studies have integrated the impact of these tailings on the river and the sea simultaneously. This research aims to provide a perspective on the macronutrients and iron concentrations and balance in the Doce River and the adjacent continental shelf, the related abiotic factors and the phytoplankton response under a new steady state of iron enrichment environment. The iron ore tailings increased the concentrations of nutrients in the river and on the continental shelf, especially for dissolved silica and iron. There was also a long-term indirect phosphorus enrichment associated to adsorption/desorption onto Fe-oxides and a nitrogen increase possibly due to N-fixing enhanced by iron. N fixation/remineralization predominates in the river watershed, while in the sea, the hydrodynamics provides nutrients supplied by the river and recycling from sediment resuspension. Nutrient ratios show DIP limitation in the river, while the complex marine environment brings both limitations on DIN, DIP, and DSi, as well as a stoichiometric equilibrium to the dataset. The phytoplankton response to the abiotic factors was more representative in the river watershed than on the continental shelf. This work emphasizes the importance of reporting local data for understanding global land-ocean nutrient fluxes and their potential influence on primary productivity and trophic chain balance.

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Section: Land and Ocean Nutrients Distributionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Section: Nutrients Limitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Macronutrients and dissolved iron in a land-ocean approach: Influences of contamination by ore tailings in Southeastern Brazil

et al. 2022

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“…The first results in the estuarine and marine areas showed that a high concentration plume reached the inner shelf leading to a sedimentation rate of up to 5 cm in the first week . Acute and chronic impacts on biodiversity were reported in planktonic and benthic communities (Bernardino et al, 2019;Fernandes et al, 2020). Shelf sediments presented an immediate increase in clay content affecting settling rates and increasing the potential for sediment resuspension and dispersion (Grilo et al, 2018;.…”

Section: Study Area and The Fundão Tailing Dam Failurementioning

confidence: 99%

The role of benthic habitat mapping for science and managers: A multi-design approach in the Southeast Brazilian Shelf after a major man-induced disaster

Menandro

Lavagnino²,

Vieira³

et al. 2022

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Seabed mapping is currently the baseline information for ocean management and conservation, and is an indispensable item within research and Marine Spatial Planning. Here, we use a case study and published data along the southeast Brazilian continental shelf to illustrate the concepts and ideas of potential benthic habitat mapping and the importance of having maps on different scales and the potential for using a multi-design approach. The case analysis presented here uses a regional map and distinct criteria (seabed geodiversity and biodiversity, and potential influence of a tailings plume) to define three areas along the continental shelf to be mapped in a high-resolution, as part of a marine monitoring program. The background of the case study is a tailing dam failure disaster that led to the input of iron ore tailings in the ocean, leading to a major environmental disaster. Three areas were chosen, including: a Marine Protected Area (MPA Costa das Algas), a major fishing ground (the Doce River prodelta/depocenter), and an understudied reef area (Forgotten Reefs). Potential benthic habitat mapping was carried out using acoustic surveys (multibeam echosounder acquiring bathymetry and backscatter) and ground-truthing (sediment samples and seafloor image). Results detailed the potential habitats throughout the three areas, providing primary information for the study of benthic habitats and their distribution. The multi-design approach indicated that although a regional analysis can indicate potential vulnerability as a first assessment approach, high-resolution potential habitat mapping (herein, 20 m or finer) is beneficial to evaluate and produce a higher-confidence level for decision-makers. Having an overall view of what and where to collect new and finer data would be best to identify vulnerable areas that, in this case study, could be threatened by plume dispersion and tailings accumulation. Our results support the delineation of priority areas aiming for monitoring, protection and guiding for other studies, besides the consolidation of habitat importance and the integration of various datasets through a hierarchical classification scheme. Although Brazil has never produced a regional or national habitat map for the entire continental margin, there are already conditions to plan, execute and maintain a habitat mapping program, partnering with Universities, Government Institutions (e.g., the Brazilian Navy), and the private sector. In the context of the UN Decade of Ocean Science targets, it is urgent to plan and implement a national database capable of supporting a habitat classification effort on a broader national scale, with the flexibility to support a multi-design or a multi-scale approach.

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“…In addition, dam construction in streams and rivers is another form of disturbance, leading to a wide range of environmental impacts, highlighting problems related to the safety of these structures. Dam failure results in serious impacts having effects on biological communities (Fernandes et al, 2020;Silva Rotta et al, 2020;Thompson et al, 2020). Brazil has recently suffered two catastrophic disasters related to the rupture of the Brumadinho iron mine dam and the Fundão dam in Minas Gerais State, leading to large scale impacts on communities and the environment (Omachi et al, 2018;Silva Rotta et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of sedimentation and dam failure on the macroinvertebrate community in a tropical stream

Pinto¹,

Smith²

2023

Limnetica

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Changes in land use due to human activities lead to disturbances related to sedimentation in aquatic ecosystems. Furthermore, the construction of dams in streams raises concerns about their safety, and the rupture of these structures implies significant impacts. Thus, this article assessed the effects of sedimentation and dam failure on the aquatic macroinvertebrate community in a tropical stream and verified its influence on the structural and functional composition of this assemblage of organisms. Water physical-chemical parameters and macroinvertebrate fauna data were obtained from monitoring data for both the pre- and post-rupture period. Macroinvertebrates were identified at the family level and classified according to functional feeding groups. Structural and functional biological indexes were applied, and data were analyzed using comparison tests, correla¬tion matrix, correspondence, and cluster analysis. The results showed that sedimentation resulted in the impoverishment of macroinvertebrate fauna, with the loss of important functional feeding groups, indicating a low environmental quality. Dam failure changed the composition of the fauna, leading to the disappearance of important orders, the appearance of organisms belonging to the order Coleoptera, and the loss of feeding groups with consequent loss of ecological functions. The dam failure was not the only stressor for the studied stream, because it already suffered from small and medium scale disturbances related to sedimentation. However, the rupture of the structure resulted in greater environmental losses, and is considered large scale, implying the need to implement recovery measures in the area.

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Marine zooplankton dynamics after a major mining dam rupture in the Doce River, southeastern Brazil: Rapid response to a changing environment

Cited by 38 publications

References 46 publications

Macronutrients and dissolved iron in a land-ocean approach: Influences of contamination by ore tailings in Southeastern Brazil

Macronutrients and dissolved iron in a land-ocean approach: Influences of contamination by ore tailings in Southeastern Brazil

The role of benthic habitat mapping for science and managers: A multi-design approach in the Southeast Brazilian Shelf after a major man-induced disaster

Impacts of sedimentation and dam failure on the macroinvertebrate community in a tropical stream

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