Eutrophication and introduction of exotic species in hypersaline estuary: Araruama Lagoon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

The Araruama Lagoon is a lagoon ecosystem, which is located in the Rio de Janeiro coast. For decades this environment has suffered from human impacts: primarily by the release of sewage, thus leading to eutrophication in this ecosystem. Several studies have addressed this issue, but few described the bioinvasion, which is also another type of pollution that is often occurring in Brazil, including in this estuary. Given these impacts, this study aims to summarize the impacts of eutrophication and bioinvasion in order to emphasize the preservation of the largest hypersaline environment in Brazil.