Revista de Gestão Costeira Integrada
Volume 8, Número 2, Dezembro 2008, Páginas 221-231

DOI: 10.5894/rgci138
* Submissão – 17 Julho 2008; Avaliação – 25 Agosto 2008; Recepção da versão revista – 10 Outubro 2008; Disponibilização on-line - 23 Dezembro 2008

Lixo marinho em área de reprodução de tartarugas marinhas no Estado da Paraíba (Nordeste do Brasil) *

Marine debris at a sea turtles nesting area at Paraiba State, Brazilian Northeast

Rita Mascarenhas ^{1, 2, 3}, Clenia, P. Batista ², Isa F. Moura,
Allinne R. Caldas ^{2, 3}, José M. da Costa Neto ^{2, 3},
Mônica Q. Vasconcelos ^{2, 3}, Sulia S. Rosa ^{2, 3}, Taíssa V. S. de Barros ^{2, 3}

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1 - Autor correspondente: rita.mascarenhas@gmail.com
2 - Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Campus I, João Pessoa, Paraíba, 58059-900 Brazil
3 - Associação Guajiru: Ciência – Educação – Meio Ambiente, Rua Golfo do Sião, 384, Ponta de Campina – Cabedelo, Paraíba, 58310-000 Brasil

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RESUMO
A praia de Intermares, (Paraíba – Brasil), apesar da intensa urbanização, é importante área de reprodução de tartarugas marinhas no nordeste brasileiro. A contaminação deste ambiente por lixo pode implicar na perda de hábitat reprodutivo para as tartarugas. Conhecer o perfil do lixo neste bolsão de reprodução é fundamental para o aprimoramento de planos de gestão e conservação. Para tal foi feito um levantamento do perfil do lixo encontrado na praia durante a estação reprodutiva de 2006. Para cada um dos três pontos de coleta (extremos e centro da praia) foram construídas faixas de 50 m2 a partir da linha de maré, onde dois indivíduos com esforço de 1 hora/dia realizaram 26 coletas durante 2 meses da estação seca. Para observar a deposição de lixo a cada 24 horas, as coletas foram realizadas em 3 dias consecutivos, sendo o primeiro, posterior ao dia da limpeza pública. Do total de 78 amostras obteve-se 6.556 itens que foram classificados em plástico (80%), restos de alimentos (19,4%), metal (0.5%) e vidro (0,4%). Não houve diferença significativa entre os tipos de itens encontrados por ponto, porém, o ponto 3 apresentou a maior concentração de lixo (47% do total). Pequenos fragmentos de plástico (com cerca de 1,5 cm) denominados plástico mole e plástico duro foram abundantes na linha de deixa, sugerindo que seu aporte seja dado pela ação das marés e se trate de lixo proveniente do continente por meio dos rios e drenagem pluvial. Restos de alimentos e embalagens de biscoitos e lanches (26% do total de plástico) são provavelmente depositados pelos usuários da praia e são mais encontrados nos pontos acima da linha de maré. O item monofilamento de nylon foi mais abundante no ponto 1 com 49% das unidades coletadas e a maioria se encontrava enredado em algas e junto com outros itens relacionados á pesca correspondeu a 12,8% do total de itens coletados. Tartarugas marinhas, por utilizarem também o ambiente terrestre, são duplamente afetadas pela presença de lixo. Nas areias das praias, o lixo pode afetar o sucesso reprodutivo destes animais, pois, pode impedir o acesso de fêmeas aos locais adequados de desovas, bem como impedir os neonatos de emergirem dos ninhos e alcançarem o mar. Restos de alimentos podem atrair animais nocivos como ratos que comem os ovos e os neonatos, além de serem vetores de doenças para a fauna nativa e seres humanos. Em seis anos de atividades a Associação Guajiru monitorou 670 ninhos da tartaruga-de-pente, em 180 deles (27%) foi encontrado plástico e matéria orgânica. Pelo perfil dos itens encontrados, pode-se afirmar que os neonatos de tartarugas são os mais afetados, pois fragmentos de plásticos e monofilamentos têm a capacidade de obstruir a abertura da câmara de ovos e/ou impedir a chegada ao mar. Ações de mitigação e extirpação do lixo no ambiente marinho e costeiro deveriam ser adotadas de forma integrada entre os municípios que pertençam a uma mesma bacia hidrográfica.

Palavras-chave: lixo marinho, tartarugas marinhas, área de desova, praias urbanas.

ABSTRACT
The works about marine debris and its interaction with endangered species are rare. Most of the works about such interaction is information about approach or stranding of dead or alive animals in the beach. There are no studies about debris carried to the beach and its effects on the fauna that have part or all its life cycle in these environments. In general, studies about debris in beach discuss mostly about its social and economic aspects, its esthetic misdeeds that cause economic and social value depletion of the environment, or its effects to human health. Intermares beach (Paraiba – Brazil), even having an intense urbanization, is an important nesting area for sea turtles in Brazilian north-east coast. Environment contamination by debris may imply in loss of reproductive habitat to sea turtles. Know the debris profile in this reproductive pool is crucial to improve gesture and conservation plans. And for such reason it has been done a research about the profile of the debris found in the beach during the reproductive season in 2006. Three collect points were selected, corresponding to the center and the edges of the beach. For each one of the points, was set up a 50 square meters area from the tide line, were two people with 1 hour/day effort, realized 26 collections per area during two months of the dry season. To observe the debris deposition each 24 hours, the collections were realized 3 days in a row, being the first one the day after the public cleaning. From the total of 78 samples, it has been obtained 6556 items, classified in plastic (80%) organic matter (19.4%) metal (0.5%) and glass (0.4%). In a more detailed way, the classification had 19 categories according to its use and material, resulting in 56 products. There was no significant difference between the types of items found in each point, but the point 3 presented biggest debris concentration (47% of total). Organic matter had the biggest distribution homogeneity, with average of 424.7 (± 21.1) units per point, except for coal, more concentrated in point 3, with 58.4% of collected units. Small plastic fragments (around 1.5 cm) called soft or hard plastic were abundant in strandline, suggesting that it amount is given by tide action and its origin l from continent, dragged by rivers and pluvial draining. Food leftovers, snacks and cookies packages (26% of plastic) are most likely deposited by beach visitors and are mostly found in points over the tide line. Monofilament line was more abundant in point 1 (49% of collected units) and were found mostly entangled to sea weed, and, with other fishing related items, corresponded to 12.8% of total collected items. Sea turtles are double affected by debris presence, because they also use terrestrial environment. In the beach, debris can affect the reproductive success of these animals, because it can obstruct the access of the females to adequate nestling area, as much as block neonate’s emergency and their way to sea. Food leftovers can attract noxious animals as rats, which eat eggs and neonates of sea turtles; they also can bring diseases to the fauna and human beings. In 6 years of activity, Associação Guajiru monitored 670 hawksbill nests, in 180 (27%) of them, there were found plastic and organic matter. By the found items profile, it can be attested that sea turtle neonates are the most affected, because nylon strings and plastic fragments can obstruct the egg chamber passageway and/or block their sea finding. Debris mitigation and extirpation actions from sea and coastal environment should be adopted in an integrated way by municipalities localized in same hydrographic basins.

Keywords: marine debris, sea turtles, urban beach.

 

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