Caracterização ambiental e interrelações entre as fácies sedimentares e as espécies da fauna marinha demersal na plataforma continental de Icapuí - Ceará

Abstract

The ecological interactions between demersal marine species and the seafloor substrate are often underestimated. This gap often leads to ineffective decisions for researchers, managers, and entrepreneurs, resulting in high operational costs and unnecessary environmental impacts. However, the intrinsic relationship between biotic and abiotic structures is critical in limiting species distribution. Ecology publications on the concepts of ecosystems state that: "living organisms and their inert (abiotic) environment are inseparably linked and interact with each other". Sedimentary facies are a key factor in understanding the spatial distribution of marine species, along with other physicochemical variables. According to researchers, at least four of the six ecological categories of fish include species that live and feed near the seabed. Despite their importance, research on sedimentary facies and species habitats is often studied and analyzed in isolation without defining the spatial limits of their occurrence ranges. In some cases, they describe only latitudes and depths. The literature review for this thesis included an analysis of publications from the last 30 years, including internet searches, books, and the CAPES database, with the aim of supporting assessments regarding environmental, social, and economic characteristics. A total of 1,284 references related to the research topics were systematized, and a significant shortage of studies specifically addressing the relationships between demersal species and marine substrates was observed. These studies often fail to present the territorial or spatial dimensions of the species' occurrence areas, a notable gap when dealing with species of high commercial value. This study aims to present strategies for sustainable management of marine fisheries resources, based on the environmental characterization and interrelationships between sedimentary facies for the green lobster Panulirus laevicauda (Latreille, 1817) in the municipality of Icapuí, Ceará. This study recorded a fleet of 111 rafts. Through the methodology, the distribution area of the green lobster was defined as 1,865.9 km2, with a calculated fishing effort of 0.059.5 rafts/km2 and an area available for each raft of 16.81 km2. The fleet showed a concentration in certain areas, with 91.11% of the activities occurring at depths between 10 and 20 meters. Even considering all vessels operating simultaneously, the fleet occupies a small area, representing 262.3 km2, or 16.02% of the distribution area and depths up to 50 meters. Considering the area between 10 and 20 meters, this corresponds to 803.8 km2, representing 43.08% of the entire lobster distribution area. This study will not propose a management plan, as this is the responsibility of the governmental management bodies and should be developed in conjunction with the social, economic, and scientific sectors, based on updated information. The information obtained, however, allows for the determination of areas for fishing and environmental protection with minimal economic loss. Furthermore, it provides opportunities for use in the evaluation and development of marine resource management plans, which are currently impossible without this new methodological tool.