The Bahía Blanca Estuary: Ecology and Biodiversity

FIORI, SM; PRATOLONGO, PD

SPRINGER

Año: 2021 p. 581

978-3-030-66486-2

The Bahía Blanca Estuary is among the most ecologically rich and complex areas along the Argentine coast. It is composed of 2,300 km2 of intertidal flats, salt marshes, shallow channels, and emerged islands, arranged to create intricate patterns of land-sea interfaces where terrestrial and marine realms converge. Ecosystems in the estuary are shaped by complex exchanges of energy, water, nutrients, sediments, and biota. These natural environments sustain a high concentration of marine and terrestrial species, including endemic, threatened, and endangered fish, shorebirds, and marine mammals, whose major resting and reproductive habitats have been included within the several nature reserves established in the area. Puerto Cuatreros, in the inner zone of the estuary, hosts a permanent station of marine research, whose records span more than 30 years of biophysical variables and represent one of the largest time series of ecological data in South America. Large-scale deterioration of coastal ecosystem is a global issue, and the Bahía Blanca Estuary is no exception. Despite its large ecological relevance, the estuary is under increasing anthropogenic pressure by large urban settlements, industrial installations, and port expansion projects, raising the question of how we can balance both conservation and human development. Overfishing, invasive species that establish and thrive, and runoff of nutrients and pollutants from cities and land-based industries are major environmental issues that arise from conflicts of interest between the various users of the coastal zone. This book deals primarily with the biological aspects of ecosystem health, but we recognize the many dimensions of the problem and offer an insight into some relevant social challenges for environmental management in the region. This book presents an updated revision of the biology and ecology of the major groups of living organisms inhabiting the coastal zone of Bahía Blanca, including new material on current research revealing the presence of previously unrecognized species and changes in ecosystem functions. The different chapters throughout the book include additions on how humans adversely impact the natural communities, but specific chapters have been also incorporated to deal with major anthropogenic pressures and conservation efforts in the area.