Effects of global change on aquatic lower trophic levels of coastal South West Atlantic Ocean environments

Abstract

This chapter reviews the status of knowledge on global change effects on organisms of lower trophic levels that inhabit rocky and sandy beaches, estuaries and bays, coastal lagoons, and coastal open waters of the South West (SW) Atlantic coast. Along the SW Atlantic coasts, there is a large diversity of habitats and environments: the Brazil coasts have a combination of freshwater, estuarine and marine ecosystems in the northern part, and sandy beaches, mangrove forests, rocky shores, lagoons and coral reefs to the south. The chapter discusses the ecological effects of some variables affected by global change, that is, nutrients, temperature, pH/pCO2, and solar ultraviolet radiation in coastal areas of the SW Atlantic, focusing on aquatic lower trophic levels, that is, autotrophs and invertebrates inhabiting both water column and intertidal zones. Productivity of coastal areas is affected by several environmental factors, many of which are influenced by human activities.