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. 2022 Nov 9:10:e14313.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14313. eCollection 2022.

Long-term monitoring projects of Brazilian marine and coastal ecosystems

Cesar A M M Cordeiro  1 , Anaide W Aued  2 , Francisco Barros  3 , Alex C Bastos  4 , Mariana Bender  5 , Thiago C Mendes  6   7 , Joel C Creed  8 , Igor C S Cruz  9 , Murilo S Dias  10 , Lohengrin D A Fernandes  11 , Ricardo Coutinho  11 , José E A Gonçalves  11 , Sergio R Floeter  12 , Juliana Mello-Fonseca  6 , Andrea S Freire  13 , Douglas F M Gherardi  14 , Luiz E O Gomes  15 , Fabíola Lacerda  16 , Rodrigo L Martins  17 , Guilherme O Longo  18 , Ana Carolina Mazzuco  15 , Rafael Menezes  11 , José H Muelbert  19 , Rodolfo Paranhos  20 , Juan P Quimbayo  21 , Jean L Valentin  20 , Carlos E L Ferreira  6
Affiliations

Long-term monitoring projects of Brazilian marine and coastal ecosystems

Cesar A M M Cordeiro et al. PeerJ. .

Abstract

Biodiversity assessment is a mandatory task for sustainable and adaptive management for the next decade, and long-term ecological monitoring programs are a cornerstone for understanding changes in ecosystems. The Brazilian Long-Term Ecological Research Program (PELD) is an integrated effort model supported by public funds that finance ecological studies at 34 locations. By interviewing and compiling data from project coordinators, we assessed monitoring efforts, targeting biological groups and scientific production from nine PELD projects encompassing coastal lagoons to mesophotic reefs and oceanic islands. Reef environments and fish groups were the most often studied within the long-term projects. PELD projects covered priority areas for conservation but missed sensitive areas close to large cities, as well as underrepresenting ecosystems on the North and Northeast Brazilian coast. Long-term monitoring projects in marine and coastal environments in Brazil are recent (<5 years), not yet integrated as a network, but scientifically productive with considerable relevance for academic and human resources training. Scientific production increased exponentially with project age, despite interruption and shortage of funding during their history. From our diagnosis, we recommend some actions to fill in observed gaps, such as: enhancing projects' collaboration and integration; focusing on priority regions for new projects; broadening the scope of monitored variables; and, maintenance of funding for existing projects.

Keywords: Conservation; Ecology; Ecosystem management; ILTER; Ocean decade.

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Conflict of interest statement

Juan P. Quimbayo is a PeerJ Academic Editor. The authors declare there are no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. (A) Map indicating the monitored sites, (B) length of time series (continuous lines before bars indicate monitoring period before PELD support), and (C) general indicators monitored at each long-term monitoring site in the Brazilian coast.
The list of monitored variables can be found in Table S5 in the Supplementary Material. Polygons in dark blue (A) indicate priority areas for conservation according to Magris et al. (2021). ‘others’ may include isotopes, carbon stock, reef accretion and in situ primary production. ILOC, Monitoramento de Longa Duração das Comunidades Recifais das Ilhas Oceânicas Brasileiras; TAMS, Tamandaré Sustentável; CCAL, Costa dos Corais Alagoas; HCES, Habitats Costeiros do Espírito Santo; RLaC, Restingas e Lagoas Costeiras do norte do Estado do Rio de Janeiro; RECA, Ressurgência de Cabo Frio; PEBG, Estrutura e Funções do ecossistema da Baía de Guanabara; ELPA, Estuário da Lagoa do Patos e Costa Marinha Adjacente.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Relationship between scientific production and monitoring time of long-term monitoring sites (PELD) in Brazilian coastal ecosystems.
Generalized linear model (GLM) adjusted to values by using Poisson distribution and log as link function (p < 0.001, AIC = 386.7). Shaded area are 95% confidence intervals predicted by GLM. ILOC, Monitoramento de Longa Duração das Comunidades Recifais das Ilhas Oceânicas Brasileiras; TAMS, Tamandaré Sustentável; CCAL, Costa dos Corais Alagoas; HCES, Habitats Costeiros do Espírito Santo; RLaC, Restingas e Lagoas Costeiras do norte do Estado do Rio de Janeiro; RECA, Ressurgência de Cabo Frio; PEBG, Estrutura e Funções do ecossistema da Baía de Guanabara; ELPA, Estuário da Lagoa do Patos e Costa Marinha Adjacente.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Accumulated funding received (A) and frequency of communication outlets used to inform results (B) of long-term monitoring projects (PELD) in Brazil.
National level funding agencies: CAPES, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior; CNPq, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientíûco e Tecnolôgico; FAPs 3 state level public funding agencies; always = 100% of time, never = 0 % of time, sometimes = 50% of the time. ILOC, Monitoramento de Longa Duração das Comunidades Recifais das Ilhas Oceânicas Brasileiras, TAMS 3 Tamandaré Sustentável; CCAL, Costa dos Corais Alagoas; HCES, Habitats Costeiros do Espírito Santo; RLaC, Restingas e Lagoas Costeiras do norte do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, RECA 3 Ressurgência de Cabo Frio; PEBG, Estrutura e Funções do ecossistema da Baía de Guanabara, ELPA 3 Estuário da Lagoa do Patos e Costa Marinha Adjacente.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Network of institutions involved with marine and coastal long-term monitoring projects (PELD) in Brazil.
ILOC, Monitoramento de Longa Duração das Comunidades Recifais das Ilhas Oceânicas Brasileiras; TAMS, Tamandaré Sustentável; CCAL, Costa dos Corais Alagoas; HCES, Habitats Costeiros do Espírito Santo; RLaC, Restingas e Lagoas Costeiras do norte do Estado do Rio de Janeiro; RECA, Ressurgência de Cabo Frio; PEBG, Estrutura e Funções do ecossistema da Baía de Guanabara; ELPA, Estuário da Lagoa do Patos e Costa Marinha Adjacente. Numbers represent different partner institutions, see Table S3 for details.
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