Satellite view of the northeast coast of Brazil Photograph by USGS   Eastern South America: Northeastern Brazil Mangroves   800 square miles (2,100 square kilometers) -- about the size of Rhode Island Vulnerable

· Patches of Life
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
More Photos

Patches of Life

In the semi-arid northeastern region of Brazil, gnarled red, white, and black mangrove trees create scattered patches of vegetation among the mud of estuaries and river mouths. In this region, four discontinuous patches of mangroves wind along the riverbanks, estuaries, and coastal lagoons from the Rio Mamanguape (Paraíba) southward to Maceió (Alagoas), tucked safely away from the high energy of the sea. And among the mass of exposed mangrove roots, a great diversity of species finds essential habitat. Sea grasses sway in the calm water, while offshore, fish dart among coral reefs.

Special Features

Just passing by, you might not realize the delicate relationship that exists between the mangroves, sea grasses, and coral reefs of this region. The sea grasses growing in the area between the mangroves and the coral reefs offshore are critical to the maintenance of the mangrove ecosystem. Without a healthy mangrove ecosystem with sea grasses trapping sediments and helping to maintain the clarity of the water, the coral reefs would not survive. In turn, the coral reefs protect the mangroves and sea grasses by forming a barrier against strong waves.

	Capuchin monkeys are named for the fur on their heads, which is said to resemble the cowls of the Capuchin monks.

Wild Side

Highly threatened West Indian manatees occasionally frequent these shores, feasting on sea grasses and other marine plants. The green turtle, another herbivore that relies on the plentiful sea grasses, grazes among the swaying plants. Several other species of marine turtles can be found here, too. Between August and April, a careful eye might glimpse a spotted sandpiper or a whimbrel, two of the many species of migrant birds that stop in the mangroves to feed and rest during their extraordinary intercontinental journey. Along the shore, a crab-eating raccoon emerges from the dense tangle of tree roots and watches the shallow waters for its next meal. Above, brown capuchin monkeys move through the trees in small groups, the young tightly holding on to their mothers’ backs.

Cause for Concern

The mangroves of the Mamanguape River and around Ilha de Itamaracá (Pernambuco) lie within protected areas, so many of their original species remain. But mangrove forests located near major cities such as Recife, João Pessoa, and Maceió are exposed to urban expansion, wood extraction, shrimp harvesting, construction of salt ponds, expansion of tourism, and pollution caused by residential areas, agriculture, and industries.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.