Brazil
Brazil occupies nearly half of South America and is the country with the highest biodiversity in the world. There are over 110,000 animal species and more than 46,000 known plant species spread across the country’s six terrestrial biomes and three major marine ecosystems. The different climatic zones in Brazil favour the formation of biomes (biogeographic zones), such as the Amazon Rainforest, the largest tropical rainforest in the world; the Pantanal, the largest wetland; the Cerrado, with its savannas and woodlands; the Caatinga, composed of semi-arid forests; the Pampas grasslands; and the tropical rainforest of the Atlantic Forest. Additionally, Brazil has a marine coastline of 3.5 million km² of marine coastline, encompassing ecosystems such as coral reefs, dunes, mangroves, lagoons, estuaries, and swamps. The rich Brazilian biodiversity provides resources for the country, not only through the provided ecosystem services but also through the opportunities that conservation, sustainable use, and genetic heritage represent.
Extractive Marine Reserve (RESEXMAR Soure)
The Extractive Marine Reserve (RESEXMAR) of Soure, an IUCN category VI protected area, is situated on the eastern coast of Marajó Island, which is renowned as the largest river-marine island globally and is positioned within the Amazon Basin estuary, being part of the Amazon Estuary and its Mangroves Ramsar Site. The Soure Marine Extractive Reserve (RESEX Soure) became the first Brazilian Protected Area to enter the IUCN Green List. This estuary serves as the confluence point where the Amazon River merges with the Atlantic Ocean on the western side, while the Tocantins River meets the eastern side of the island. With a large extent of coastline in the equatorial range, about 90km in total (coastal area and river area), mostly with low levels of occupation and difficult access, the RESEXMAR Soure distinguishes itself by presenting a complex of aquatic, floodable and transitional environmens (ecotones). There are wild beaches, lush mangroves (trees over 40 meters tall), dunes, apes, salty pans, igarapés, tide canals, lowland and “igapó” forests governed under the strong and rich dynamics of the waters of the Amazon basin and the macro tides, with a maximum amplitude of about six meters.
Tech4Nature Brazil has partnered with Marine Environmental Monitoring Research Laboratory (LAPMAR), from the University of Pará (UFPA) and Rare Brasil to advance in the development and test of a low-cost tool designed by LAPMAR for capturing environmental and atmospheric data. This initiative aims to provide continuous and comprehensive monitoring of coastal areas, focusing on the impacts of regional climate change and their social, economic, and ecological consequences. A fundamental aspect of this project is the active involvement of local communities, ensuring a participatory approach that empowers those directly affected by these changes.
