No abstract

This study evaluated the effect of human trampling on the benthic macrofauna of two beaches in Southeast Brazil with different levels of intensity of tourism, Grussaí (more impacted) and Manguinhos (less impacted), during periods of high and low tourism activity. The macrofauna of urbanized (U) and non‐urbanized (NU) sectors of the inter‐tidal zone was sampled and the number of visitors was recorded. General linear models revealed a decreasing in abundance of macrofauna species in the urbanized sectors of analyzed beaches, which are exposed to higher trampling impact than in non‐urbanized areas. At Manguinhos Beach, trampling did not affect the macrofauna (<1 visitors ∙ m−²), except for the polychaete Scolelepis sp., which was less abundant in the U sector. Considering the benthic community, Atlantorchestoidea brasiliensis, Hemipodia californiensis and Scolelepis sp. were more sensitive to human trampling pressure and may be used as potential bioindicators of tourism impact. Management plans should consider mitigation of the effects of tourism, such as the control of the visitor number and their decentralization.

No abstract

The combined effects of urbanization and extreme climatic events were examined on the ghost crab Ocypode quadrata, a well‐recognized ecological indicator in sandy beaches. The effect of storm waves was assessed before and after these climate events in beaches with different levels of urbanization in the coast of Brazil, Tropical Atlantic Ocean. The number of burrows was used as a metric for the population size of O. quadrata and the number of humans along the beaches as a proxy for the urbanization level. Significant differences were recorded in this species’ population density according to the human pressure. Our core modelling approach showed that the number of O. quadrata burrows was lower after storm waves in urbanized zones, compared to non‐urbanized ones. The interaction between storm waves and urbanization impacted the number of O. quadrata burrows negatively, and suggest that species’ populations are more vulnerable to the combined effects of extreme climatic events and urbanization. Extreme events are predicted to increase in frequency in the next few decades, and may modify or impair ecosystem functioning in sandy beaches by reducing populations of the O. quadrata, an important beach scavenger, which markedly contribute to the flux of energy in coastal trophic webs.

Beaches are multidimensional environments, and their management must include the ecological, sociocultural and economic aspects. The continuous occupation of this ecosystem combined with the scarcity of adequate management plans has reduced the quality of coastal sceneries. Therefore, strategies are needed to ensure the perpetuity of resources and delivery of ecosystem services. The objective of this study was to assess the coastal scenery quality at three sandy beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A quali-quantitative approach was applied using measurable aspects, considering eight categories as accessibility, water quality, scenic quality, infrastructure, safety and environmental education, based on 67 indicators. The beaches commonly presented higher values for water quality, while environmental education had the lowest ranks, indicating that this category should be prioritised in management strategies. In addition to the low cost of this effective tool for beach management, it is quick to apply, easy to analyse and represents an advancement in important issues about the use of integrative indicators to evaluate coastal sceneries, providing a scientific base that can offer evidence about the main management priorities in areas where coastal tourism has a significant role.