BIOINDICATORS OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IN COSTAL/ESTUARINE AREAS AS A TOOL FOR MONITORING PLANS: A STUDY CASE FOR SUAPE COMPLEX PORT (PERNAMBUCO, BRAZIL)

Abstract

The implantation of Suape Complex Industrial Port (Pernambuco, Brazil) has resulted in several actions which modified dramatically the landscape and changed the ecological role of the reef and estuarine communities in the area. The main impactful processes in Suape are related to sedimentation by dredging, reef dynamitation, landfill on the reefline, destruction of the mangrove and traffic of large vessels. The main objective of this research consists of providing a brief introduction to the process of assessing environmental impacts occurring in the main estuarine ecosystems. It was used a check-list of the indicators applied to the main four rivers estuaries and the bay of Suape, filled out by the researcher observing in loco, the main environmental impacts. Each impact can present weight 1 (small), 3 (moderate) or 5 (extreme), established subjectively, according to its importance in relation to the principles of the analysis adopted. The most impacted system was the Massangana river estuary (-431) followed by Ipojuca (-296) and Tatuoca (-288). The Merepe river (-249) and Suape bay (-212) presented lower impacts, however still very high. It was observed that the used model for the development of Suape does not contemplate ecosystem resources, since all the environments were destroyed and discharacterized. Thus, initiatives to promote the economic development at all costs cause the destruction of the natural and social heritage, like unfortunately ocurred in Suape.