Brazil Estuaries ILTER Coastal Habitats of Espírito Santo Benthic Macrofauna

The PELD (Long-term Program of Ecological Research) Coastal Habitats of Espírito Santo is part of the Brazilian LTER program and started in 2017. It is located on the Eastern Coast of Brazil, and includes coastal ecosystems including estuaries, mangroves, coastal reefs and rodolith beds. This is an innovative project to assess the temporal patterns in multiple coastal ecosystems in the East ern Brazil Marine Ecoregion, where there is a decadal warming trend. The program associates research and conservation, at three Conservation units: Coasta das Algas Environmental Protected Area (APACA), Santa Cruz Wildlife Refuge (RVSSC) and Municipal Reserves of Integral Protection of the mangroves of Piraquê-Açu and Piraquê-Mirim rivers (RPPAM). The project aims to investigate the interactions among abiotic, climatic and ecological dynamics in the benthic communities and Ichthyofauna assemblies associated with the estuaries, the mangroves and the Rhodolith beds. PELD-HCES counts with a research team coordinated by UFES in partnership with USP, UFBA, UFSB, UFF, UFPR, UNISUL, UFSC and the State University of Oregon, and funded by CNPQ, CAPES and FAPES.