Identification, mapping and cumulative analysis of threats to sandy beaches on the North Coast of São Paulo.

Abstract

The attention of science and decision makers on coastal areas and, more specifically, sandy beaches has increased recently in the face of the different threats that amplify this fragile habitat. Considering the principles of ecosystem-based management and the need to make better use of the scientific knowledge available for decision-making, understanding the cumulative nature of threats that affect beaches and the spatial and temporal scales of the socio-ecological processes that govern these ecosystems are basic elements for the search for the sustainability of the beaches. These are the objectives of this project that will be carried out on the North Coast of São Paulo, where 217 beaches are subject to the most varied conditions of urbanization and environmental degradation (eg garbage, oil and alcohol). After identifying the threats and scales of related processes based on the literature (eg articles and technical reports), the Cumulative Threat Assessment (CTA) method will be used to identify and analyze the cumulative impact on beaches, revealing their influences and the dimension of their synergistic effects. As products, (1) a list of threats will be generated, indicating their relationships with socioecological processes and their scales and (2) a map of cumulative threats to the region's beaches, indicating hotspots of environmental pressure on the beaches. Thus, in addition to contributing scientifically to the consolidation of beach management strategies and tools, the results will bring gains for the review of beach zoning within the scope of the Management Plan for the Marine Environmental Protection Area of the North Coast of São Paulo.