Evaluation of the environmental quality of the estuarine system of Santos, São Vicente and Bertioga, Southern Coast of the State of São Paulo: a multiproxy study (AQUASAN)

Abstract

The present project aims to evaluate the environmental quality of the Santos, São Vicente and Bertioga estuarine system, which despite having undergone an environmental recovery program, still presents high contamination rates. The system is also submitted to natural impacts, such as the escape of methane gas. The proposal will consist of a multiproxies study, with sedimentological, geochemical (composition of organic matter, metals and semi metals, sequential chemical extraction, and stable isotopes in foraminifera), meiofauna (benthic foraminifera) analyzes. These analyzes will be applied on surface and core sediments, enabling to identify reference conditions in situ and distinguish the pre-impacted and impacted stages. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding analysis will be also applied on superficial sediments, facilitating to obtain diversity data of the foraminifera community. The data generated in the work will be of great assistance in the establishment of strategies of biomonitoring and environmental management of the tropical/subtropical estuarine systems, that can be used in public regulatory companies. (AU)