Impact on a fish assemblage of the maintenance dredging of a navigation channel in a tropical coastal ecosystem

Silva Junior, Demarques Ribeiro da; Santos, Sérgio Ricardo; Travassos, Marcelo; Vianna, Marcelo

Abstracts

Dredging and dredge-spoil disposal are among the major problems in coastal management. Many of the scientific contributions concerning the impacts of this practice are based on the study of sessile organisms and subtropical environments. We evaluated changes in the composition and abundance of a fish assemblage resulting from dredging and sediment disposal at the mouth and in the adjacent waters of the Caravelas River on the north-eastern coast of Brazil. Samples were collected in two directly impacted and three adjacent areas. Differences among stations were not significant, but the dredged site had the least diverse station, as expected. The stations farthest from the directly impacted areas apparently were not influenced by the coastal work, thus suggesting localised effects. The contribution of the present study is particularly important because of the study area's proximity to others that have high conservation value such as mangrove forests and coral reefs, and the relevance of the subject given the continuing dredging activity.

Dredging; Coastal works; Estuarine environments; Sediment disposal; Marine impacts

A dragagem e descarte de sedimento se destacam como atividades que geram grandes distúrbios aos ecossistemas marinhos e, consequentemente tornam-se um desafio ao manejo e ordenamento costeiro. Grande parte dos estudos que abordam seus impactos é baseada em pesquisas com organismos sésseis e em ambientes temperados, criando uma lacuna no entendimento de seus efeitos sobre a ictiofauna, principalmente nas regiões tropicais. No presente estudo foram avaliadas as alterações na composição e abundância da comunidade de peixes sob influência da dragagem e descarte de sedimento na foz do Rio Caravelas, costa da região Nordeste do Brasil. As amostras foram obtidas em duas estações diretamente afetadas e em três outras áreas adjacentes. Não houve diferença significativa na diversidade média obtida para cada estação, porém a estação correspondente à área dragada apresentou o menor valor dentre as demais. As estações mais afastadas aparentemente não foram influenciadas pelo empreendimento sugerindo efeitos localizados. A contribuição do presente estudo é particularmente importante devido à proximidade com áreas de alto valor de conservação como manguezais e recifes de corais e a relevância do assunto, o qual trata de uma atividade que sugere expansão em vista do desenvolvimento da atividade portuária.

Dragagem; Ambientes estuarinos; Descarte de sedimento; Impactos marinhos

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ANDRADE, A. C. S.; DOMINGUEZ, J. M. L. Holocene barrier island/lagoon system at Caravelas strandplain. J. coast. Res., v. 42, p. 132-141, 2002.
BEMVENUTI, C. E.; ANGONESI, L. G.; GANDRA, M. S. Effects of dredging operations on soft bottom macrofauna in a harbor in the Patos Lagoon estuarine region of Southern Brazil. Braz. J. Biol., v. 65, p. 573-581, 2005.
BLABER, S. J. M. Tropical estuarine fishes: ecology, exploitation and conservation Oxford: Blackwell Science, 372 p. 2000.
BOLAM, S. G.; REES, H. L. Minimizing impacts of maintenance dredge material disposal in the coastal environment: a habitat approach. Environ. Manag.,v. 32, p. 171-188, 2003.
BORJA, A.; DAUER, D. M.; ELLIOTT, M.; SIMENSTAD, C. A. Medium- and long-term recovery of estuarine and coastal ecosystems: Patterns, rates and restoration effectiveness. Estuaries and Coasts, v. 33, p. 1249-1260, 2010.
BROWN, B. E.; LE TESSIER, M. D. A.; SCOFFIN, T. P.; TUDHOPE, A. W. Evaluation of the environmental impact of dredging on intertidal coral reefs at Ko Phuket, Thailand, using ecological and physiological parameters. Mar. Ecol. Progr.Ser., v. 65, p. 273-281, 1990.
CEPEMAR - Meio Ambiente. Caracterização geológica do fundo marinho no canal de acesso da Barra do Tomba - Caravelas Vitória: CEPEMAR Technical Report CPM RT 051/04, Vitória, Brazil, 2004.
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COLLINSON, R. I.; REES, C. P. Mussel mortality in the Gulf of La Spezia, Italy. Mar. Pollut. Bull, v. 2, p. 99-101, 1978.
CONSTANTINO, R.; GASPAR, M. B.; TATA-REGALA, J.; CARVALHO, S.; CÃRDIA, J.; DRAGO, T.; TABORDA, R.; MONTEIRO, C. C. Clam dredging effects and subsequent recovery of benthic communities at different depth ranges. Mar. Environ. Res., v. 67, p. 89-99, 2009.
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DESPREZ, M. Physical and biological impact of marine aggregate extraction along the French coast of the Eastern English Channel: short- and long-term post-dredging restoration. ICES J. Mar. Sci., v. 57, p. 1428-1438, 2000.
ELLIOT, M.; WHITFIELD, A. K.; POTTER, I. C.; BLABER, S. J. M.; CYRUS, D. P.; NORDLIE, F. G.; HARINSON, T. D. The guild approach to categorizing estuarine fish assemblages: a global review. Fish and Fish., 8:241-268, 2007.
ENGLER, R.; SAUNDERS, L.; WRIGHT, T. Environmental effects of aquatic disposal of dredged material. Environ. Prof., v. 13, p. 317-325, 1991.
FIGUEIREDO, J. L.; MENEZES, N. A. Manual de Peixes Marinhos do Sudeste do Brasil VI, Teleostei (5) São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, 2000. 116 p.
HARVEY, M.; GAUTHIER, D.; MUNRO, J. Temporal changes in the composition and abundance of the macro-benthic invertebrate communities at dredged material disposal sites in the Anse à Beaufils, Baie des Chaleurs, Eastern Canada. Mar. Pollut. Bull., v. 36, p. 41-55, 1998.
IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2009..<http://www.iucnredlist.org>. Accessed online October 10, 2010:
KENNISH, M. J. Ecology of estuaries: anthropogenic effects. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 1992. 512 p.
LEIPE, T.; KNOPPERS, B.; MARONE, E.; CAMARGO, R. Material transport in coral reef waters of the Abrolhos Bank, Brazil. Geo -Marine Letts, v. 19, p. 186-195, 1999.
MARGALEF, R. Ecología Barcelona: Omega, 1974. 966 p.
MCCUNE, B.; MEFFORD, M.J. PC-ORD: multivariate analysis of ecological data for Windows v4.01 Oregon: MjM Software Design, 1999.
MMA - Ministério do Meio Ambiente. Normative Instruction nº 5 04/21/2004. Brasília, DF., Brasil, 2004.
MMA - Ministério do Meio Ambiente. Normative Instruction nº 52 11/08/2005. Brasília, DF.,Brasil, 2005.
PATCHINEELAM, S. R.; SMOAK, J. M. Sediment accumulation rates along the inner eastern Brazilian continental shelf. Geo Mar. Lett., 19:196-201, 1999.
PÉREZ-RUZAFA, A.; GARCÍA-CHARTON, J. A.; BARCALA, E.; MARCOS, C. Changes in benthic assemblages as a consequence of coastal works in a coastal lagoon: The Mar Menor (Spain, Western Mediterranean). Mar. Pollut. Bull., v. 53, p. 107-120, 2006.
SELLESLAGH, J.; AMARA, R. Environmental factors structuring fish composition and assemblages in a small macrotidal estuary (eastern English Channel). Estuar. coast. Shelf Sci., v. 79, p. 507-517, 2008.
SMITH, S. D. A.; RULE, M. J. The effects of dredge-spoil dumping on a shallow water soft-sediment community in the Solitary Islands Marine Park, NSW, Australia. Mar. Pollut. Bull., v. 42, p. 1040-1048, 2001.
STATSOFT. STATISTICA v7.1 Tulsa: StatSoft Inc., 2005.
VIANNA, M.; ALMEIDA, T. Bony fish bycatch in the Southern Brazil pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis and F. paulensis) fishery. Braz. Arch. Biol. Tech., v. 48, p. 611-623, 2005.
WESTERBERG, H.; RONNBACK, P.; FRIMANSSON, H. Effects of suspended sediments on cod eggs and larvae and on the behaviour of adult herring and cod. ICES Council Meeting Papers, E:26, 1996.
YEAGER, K. M.; BRINKMEYER, R.; RAKOCINSKI, C. F.; SCHINDLER, K. J.; SANTSCHI, P. H. Impacts of dredging activities on the accumulation of dioxins in surface sediments of the Houston Ship Channel, Texas. J. coast. Res., v. 26, p. 743-752, 2010.
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Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
15 May 2012
Date of issue
Mar 2012

History

Received
06 Jan 2011
Accepted
20 Oct 2011
Reviewed
22 July 2011

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

[1] ALLEN, R. L.; BLATZ, D. M. Distribution and microhabitat use by flatfishes in a Louisiana estuary. Environ. Biol. Fishes, v. 50, p. 85-103, 1997.

[2] ANDRADE, A. C. S.; DOMINGUEZ, J. M. L. Holocene barrier island/lagoon system at Caravelas strandplain. J. coast. Res., v. 42, p. 132-141, 2002.

[3] BEMVENUTI, C. E.; ANGONESI, L. G.; GANDRA, M. S. Effects of dredging operations on soft bottom macrofauna in a harbor in the Patos Lagoon estuarine region of Southern Brazil. Braz. J. Biol., v. 65, p. 573-581, 2005.

[4] BLABER, S. J. M. Tropical estuarine fishes: ecology, exploitation and conservation Oxford: Blackwell Science, 372 p. 2000.

[5] BOLAM, S. G.; REES, H. L. Minimizing impacts of maintenance dredge material disposal in the coastal environment: a habitat approach. Environ. Manag.,v. 32, p. 171-188, 2003.

[6] BORJA, A.; DAUER, D. M.; ELLIOTT, M.; SIMENSTAD, C. A. Medium- and long-term recovery of estuarine and coastal ecosystems: Patterns, rates and restoration effectiveness. Estuaries and Coasts, v. 33, p. 1249-1260, 2010.

[7] BROWN, B. E.; LE TESSIER, M. D. A.; SCOFFIN, T. P.; TUDHOPE, A. W. Evaluation of the environmental impact of dredging on intertidal coral reefs at Ko Phuket, Thailand, using ecological and physiological parameters. Mar. Ecol. Progr.Ser., v. 65, p. 273-281, 1990.

[8] CEPEMAR - Meio Ambiente. Caracterização geológica do fundo marinho no canal de acesso da Barra do Tomba - Caravelas Vitória: CEPEMAR Technical Report CPM RT 051/04, Vitória, Brazil, 2004.

[9] CEPEMAR - Meio Ambiente. Hidrodinâmica e concentração de sedimentos em suspensão na zona costeira de Caravelas (BA) CEPEMAR Technical Report CPM RT 212/05, Vitória, Brazil, 2005.

[10] CITES - Conservation on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. CITES species database2009.<http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/species.html>. Accessed online October 10, 2010.

[11] CLARKE, K. R.; WARWICK, R. M. Change in marine communities: an approach to statistical analysis and j United Kingdom: Bourne Press, 1994. 859 p.

[12] COLLINSON, R. I.; REES, C. P. Mussel mortality in the Gulf of La Spezia, Italy. Mar. Pollut. Bull, v. 2, p. 99-101, 1978.

[13] CONSTANTINO, R.; GASPAR, M. B.; TATA-REGALA, J.; CARVALHO, S.; CÃRDIA, J.; DRAGO, T.; TABORDA, R.; MONTEIRO, C. C. Clam dredging effects and subsequent recovery of benthic communities at different depth ranges. Mar. Environ. Res., v. 67, p. 89-99, 2009.

[14] DAAN, N.; BROMLEY, P. J.; HISLOP, J. R. G.; NIELSEN, N. A. Ecology of North Sea fish. Neth. J. Sea Res., v. 26, p. 343-386, 1990.

[15] DESPREZ, M. Physical and biological impact of marine aggregate extraction along the French coast of the Eastern English Channel: short- and long-term post-dredging restoration. ICES J. Mar. Sci., v. 57, p. 1428-1438, 2000.

[16] ELLIOT, M.; WHITFIELD, A. K.; POTTER, I. C.; BLABER, S. J. M.; CYRUS, D. P.; NORDLIE, F. G.; HARINSON, T. D. The guild approach to categorizing estuarine fish assemblages: a global review. Fish and Fish., 8:241-268, 2007.

[17] ENGLER, R.; SAUNDERS, L.; WRIGHT, T. Environmental effects of aquatic disposal of dredged material. Environ. Prof., v. 13, p. 317-325, 1991.

[18] FIGUEIREDO, J. L.; MENEZES, N. A. Manual de Peixes Marinhos do Sudeste do Brasil VI, Teleostei (5) São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, 2000. 116 p.

[19] HARVEY, M.; GAUTHIER, D.; MUNRO, J. Temporal changes in the composition and abundance of the macro-benthic invertebrate communities at dredged material disposal sites in the Anse à Beaufils, Baie des Chaleurs, Eastern Canada. Mar. Pollut. Bull., v. 36, p. 41-55, 1998.

[20] IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2009..<http://www.iucnredlist.org>. Accessed online October 10, 2010:

[21] KENNISH, M. J. Ecology of estuaries: anthropogenic effects. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 1992. 512 p.

[22] LEIPE, T.; KNOPPERS, B.; MARONE, E.; CAMARGO, R. Material transport in coral reef waters of the Abrolhos Bank, Brazil. Geo -Marine Letts, v. 19, p. 186-195, 1999.

[23] MARGALEF, R. Ecología Barcelona: Omega, 1974. 966 p.

[24] MCCUNE, B.; MEFFORD, M.J. PC-ORD: multivariate analysis of ecological data for Windows v4.01 Oregon: MjM Software Design, 1999.

[25] MMA - Ministério do Meio Ambiente. Normative Instruction nº 5 04/21/2004. Brasília, DF., Brasil, 2004.

[26] MMA - Ministério do Meio Ambiente. Normative Instruction nº 52 11/08/2005. Brasília, DF.,Brasil, 2005.

[27] PATCHINEELAM, S. R.; SMOAK, J. M. Sediment accumulation rates along the inner eastern Brazilian continental shelf. Geo Mar. Lett., 19:196-201, 1999.

[28] PÉREZ-RUZAFA, A.; GARCÍA-CHARTON, J. A.; BARCALA, E.; MARCOS, C. Changes in benthic assemblages as a consequence of coastal works in a coastal lagoon: The Mar Menor (Spain, Western Mediterranean). Mar. Pollut. Bull., v. 53, p. 107-120, 2006.

[29] SELLESLAGH, J.; AMARA, R. Environmental factors structuring fish composition and assemblages in a small macrotidal estuary (eastern English Channel). Estuar. coast. Shelf Sci., v. 79, p. 507-517, 2008.

[30] SMITH, S. D. A.; RULE, M. J. The effects of dredge-spoil dumping on a shallow water soft-sediment community in the Solitary Islands Marine Park, NSW, Australia. Mar. Pollut. Bull., v. 42, p. 1040-1048, 2001.

[31] STATSOFT. STATISTICA v7.1 Tulsa: StatSoft Inc., 2005.

[32] VIANNA, M.; ALMEIDA, T. Bony fish bycatch in the Southern Brazil pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis and F. paulensis) fishery. Braz. Arch. Biol. Tech., v. 48, p. 611-623, 2005.

[33] WESTERBERG, H.; RONNBACK, P.; FRIMANSSON, H. Effects of suspended sediments on cod eggs and larvae and on the behaviour of adult herring and cod. ICES Council Meeting Papers, E:26, 1996.

[34] YEAGER, K. M.; BRINKMEYER, R.; RAKOCINSKI, C. F.; SCHINDLER, K. J.; SANTSCHI, P. H. Impacts of dredging activities on the accumulation of dioxins in surface sediments of the Houston Ship Channel, Texas. J. coast. Res., v. 26, p. 743-752, 2010.

[35] ZAR, J. H. Bioestatistical analysis Upper Sddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1996. 663 p.