Natural and anthropogenic processes on the recreational activities in urban Amazon beaches

Challenges of the recreational use of Amazon beaches

“…As semi-urban beaches, e.g., Murubira (Mosqueiro Island), Atalaia (Salinópolis), and Olho d'Água (São Luís), offer more facilities than rural beaches, they tend to attract visitors more interested in the quality of the infrastructure than the natural features of the beach (Silva et al, 2013;Sousa et al, 2016).…”

“…However, the lack of an adequate public sanitation system ( Figure 7F) has led to the prohibition of bathing on the beaches of São Luís (Silva et al, 2013). and Araçagi (Maranhão), cars are driven onto the beach and parked in this zone ( Figure 7G).…”

“…As rural and semi-urban beaches are visited primarily during vacation periods, pollution by sewage peaks when the number of beachgoers reaches maximum levels, in particular at high tide, when the water level reaches the cesspits, and the beginning of the ebb tide. On urban beaches, such as those of São Luís, the disposal of sewage directly onto the beach has resulted in a universal ban on bathing since 2009 (Silva et al 2013). This prohibition has had a considerable impact on recreational activities in the area, and consequently, on its economy.…”

“…Access to many rural and semiurban beaches is also restricted, especially in the areas dominated by the large tract of mangrove, one of the most extensive in the world (Kjerfve and Lacerda, 1993), and most sites have low-quality infrastructure and services, often lacking such basic amenities as a public water supply or sewage disposal system. These limitations, in addition to the turbidity of the local waters caused by the region's extensive fluvial discharge (Geyer et al, 1996), tend to restrict the development of the local tourism industry (Pereira et al, 2014;Silva et al, 2013;Sousa et al, 2016).…”

Structure and temporal variation of the phytoplankton of a macrotidal beach from the Amazon coastal zone

“…PEREIRA and RAUqUíRIO M. DA COSTA contribute to this region being considered to be of the highest priority for conservation among Brazilian coastal environments. While the region is relatively sparsely populated (Santos et al 1999), there have been increasing anthropogenic impacts in some local areas over the past few decades (Small and Nicholls 2003, Sousa et al 2011, Pereira et al 2012b, Silva et al 2013.…”