506
depletion, hypoxia/anoxia. In addition, by fully characterizing ecocline according to
biotic and abiotic parameters, it is possible to predict if, and when, estuaries will
recover from exceptional hydrodynamic and climatic events, still maintaining its
natural capacity to support cycles of seasonal changes.
Advanced technologies are being in course to offer the potential of nanostructured catalytic membranes, nanosorbents, nanocatalysts, and bioactive nanoparticles for the treatment of surface water, groundwater, and wastewater contaminated
by toxic metal ions, organic and inorganic solutes, and microorganisms (Theron
et al. 2008; Qu et al. 2013). Other models use of aquatic plants (Gersberg et al.
1986), green algae (Wang et al. 2010) and activated sludge (Gernaey et al. 2004) for
remove nutrient loads (especially nitrogen) from primary municipal wastewaters, as
well as electrochemical technology to oxidation of organic pollutants (MartínezHuitle and Ferro 2016). In this sense, efforts for a national plan of sewage treatment
networks are urgent. This is special for uncontrolled riverside settlements, whose
sewages are directly discharged along all courses of the estuaries (Costa and Barletta
2016). In addition, governmental agencies need to propose specific reference values
for wastewater disposal for each type of oxygen-consuming effluents (i.e. agriculture, aquiculture and industrial). It is necessary to control the maximum loads of
pollutants that can be discharged to guarantee the minimum contamination of estuarine ecosystems.
Changes in estuarine morphology induced by human intervention can alter the
natural inflow of coastal water and lead to ecocline disruption along the whole system (Barletta et al. 2016; Prestrelo and Monteiro-Neto 2016). In the Piratininga and
Itaipu coastal lagoons (southeastern Brazil), the opening of an artificial channel
increased the salinity intrusion and now marine species dominate the system, while
former dominant freshwater species decreased in terms of diversity and abundance
(Prestrelo and Monteiro-Neto 2016). In addition, the higher salinity reduced the
environmental heterogeneity and decreased the species richness and biomass, leading to reduced fish production (Prestrelo and Monteiro-Neto 2016).
Some important information to guarantee the sustainable use of estuarine
resources available in the literature can already be highlighted as priorities for
Western Atlantic estuaries (Table 16.1). Limited mesh sizes to decrease capture of
juvenile stages; closed periods for fishing different groups/fishing seasons; no-takezones; quotas for capture of common resources; efforts to reduce/eliminate untreated
wastewater disposal (Table 16.1).
However, human impacts derived from urbanization, fishing and industries also
generate financial income and some social profits, at least on the short term
(Figs. 16.12, 16.14, and 16.16). To re-examine environmental operation licenses can
be another important step to prevent habitat loss and/or degradation, especially in
areas around estuaries, where shipping ports, industries and aquaculture cause damages that impair fisheries production and therefore the exportation of biomass from
regional seas (Lotze et al. 2006; Dallas and Bernard 2009; Huang et al. 2014;
Barletta et al. 2016). Fault in risk assessment of companies next to river basin is
another important point to consider. Very recently, in 2015, in southeast Brazil, the
disruption of a containment dam of mining tailings contaminated the Doce River
M. Barletta et al.
depletion, hypoxia/anoxia. In addition, by fully characterizing ecocline according to
biotic and abiotic parameters, it is possible to predict if, and when, estuaries will
recover from exceptional hydrodynamic and climatic events, still maintaining its
natural capacity to support cycles of seasonal changes.
Advanced technologies are being in course to offer the potential of nanostructured catalytic membranes, nanosorbents, nanocatalysts, and bioactive nanoparticles for the treatment of surface water, groundwater, and wastewater contaminated
by toxic metal ions, organic and inorganic solutes, and microorganisms (Theron
et al. 2008; Qu et al. 2013). Other models use of aquatic plants (Gersberg et al.
1986), green algae (Wang et al. 2010) and activated sludge (Gernaey et al. 2004) for
remove nutrient loads (especially nitrogen) from primary municipal wastewaters, as
well as electrochemical technology to oxidation of organic pollutants (MartínezHuitle and Ferro 2016). In this sense, efforts for a national plan of sewage treatment
networks are urgent. This is special for uncontrolled riverside settlements, whose
sewages are directly discharged along all courses of the estuaries (Costa and Barletta
2016). In addition, governmental agencies need to propose specific reference values
for wastewater disposal for each type of oxygen-consuming effluents (i.e. agriculture, aquiculture and industrial). It is necessary to control the maximum loads of
pollutants that can be discharged to guarantee the minimum contamination of estuarine ecosystems.
Changes in estuarine morphology induced by human intervention can alter the
natural inflow of coastal water and lead to ecocline disruption along the whole system (Barletta et al. 2016; Prestrelo and Monteiro-Neto 2016). In the Piratininga and
Itaipu coastal lagoons (southeastern Brazil), the opening of an artificial channel
increased the salinity intrusion and now marine species dominate the system, while
former dominant freshwater species decreased in terms of diversity and abundance
(Prestrelo and Monteiro-Neto 2016). In addition, the higher salinity reduced the
environmental heterogeneity and decreased the species richness and biomass, leading to reduced fish production (Prestrelo and Monteiro-Neto 2016).
Some important information to guarantee the sustainable use of estuarine
resources available in the literature can already be highlighted as priorities for
Western Atlantic estuaries (Table 16.1). Limited mesh sizes to decrease capture of
juvenile stages; closed periods for fishing different groups/fishing seasons; no-takezones; quotas for capture of common resources; efforts to reduce/eliminate untreated
wastewater disposal (Table 16.1).
However, human impacts derived from urbanization, fishing and industries also
generate financial income and some social profits, at least on the short term
(Figs. 16.12, 16.14, and 16.16). To re-examine environmental operation licenses can
be another important step to prevent habitat loss and/or degradation, especially in
areas around estuaries, where shipping ports, industries and aquaculture cause damages that impair fisheries production and therefore the exportation of biomass from
regional seas (Lotze et al. 2006; Dallas and Bernard 2009; Huang et al. 2014;
Barletta et al. 2016). Fault in risk assessment of companies next to river basin is
another important point to consider. Very recently, in 2015, in southeast Brazil, the
disruption of a containment dam of mining tailings contaminated the Doce River
M. Barletta et al.