Study systems

Coastal regions are systems of direct interaction between components of the continent, ocean and atmosphere. These areas include beaches, coastal wetlands, estuaries, rivers, streams, lagoons and dunes, which are crucial for the transfer of matter and energy to and from the sea. Their primary production is high, influencing processes in neighboring environments and sustaining regional trophic webs. The marshes and their tidal flats, in addition to possessing great biological diversity, are very efficient at trapping carbon dioxide, capturing it from the atmosphere. It is necessary to understand the importance of these ecosystems in order to establish guidelines for environmental management, urban development and conservation, since their deterioration could have cascading effects, damaging the entire estuarine trophic web.
Coastal dunes, located at the land-sea boundary, are transitional environments, where marine influence decreases towards the continent, generating a significant environmental gradient. Thus, the role of marine influence on the dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems is of growing interest considering existing records and predictions of sea level rise. The use of these lands includes urbanization, forestry, livestock, tourism and recreation. As a consequence, unregulated tourism activities, overgrazing, forestry plantations and sand mining are the main threats to these environments.
Watersheds are natural systems of great interest in their own right and for their integration with interface environments. Their origin and geological composition determine their physicochemical characteristics, influencing biodiversity. In addition, land use and the natural wear and tear of the surrounding land impact the availability and quality of water resources. Therefore, in addition to the transport of water, sediments and nutrients to the marine-coastal environment, the transport of pollutants of agricultural, industrial or urban origin can be added. Thus, being the ecological corridors that link continental ecosystems with marine ecosystems, their sustainable management is essential for the health of the oceans.
Oceanic fronts are other important interface ecosystems in marine environments. In the ocean, water properties do not vary gradually with distance. There are large expanses with minimal horizontal variations in temperature and salinity, bordered by narrow regions with abrupt changes. These thin bands are called fronts and are regions of high primary production and increased trophic activity, being of utmost ecological and economic importance.