Research in Brazil analyzes coastal environmental changes over the last 6.000 years
André Colonese, a researcher at ICTA-UAB, brought the TRADITION and SeaChange projects to southern Brazil, where an international team is conducting a pioneering study on the evolution of coastal environmental conditions over time.
Composed of archaeologists, marine biologists, and geologists, the research team aims to understand how these environments have changed over the past 6,000 years, with particular attention to the role of human activity in driving those changes.
Over two weeks of intensive fieldwork in the Acarai Lagoon and the surrounding swampy areas of Babitonga Bay, the team has collected both lagoonal and terrestrial sediment samples. This analysis will enable the study of past climate and environmental records.
Researchers from the University of York, the University of Exeter, the University of Mainz, and the University of Copenhagen are participating in the study. The goal is to reconstruct the environmental history of the region and assess how it has been transformed over time, especially following the arrival of European colonizers.
Babitonga Bay, continuously inhabited by human groups for over 10,000 years, is a key site for understanding the long-term relationships between societies and coastal ecosystems. Over the last century, the region has undergone major transformations driven by urbanization, industrialization, and infrastructure development.
The findings of this research will provide a solid scientific foundation for guiding future conservation and sustainable management policies and will contribute to a deeper understanding of the long-term human impact on coastal environments.