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Updated June 27th, 2021 at 20:25 IST

Archipelago off Rio listed as crucial ecosystem

​​​​​​​Just 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) offshore from Rio de Janeiro's famous beaches, the Natural Monument of Cagarras Islands Archipelago has recently been added to Mission Blue's Hope Spot List to highlight its importance to marine ecosystems.

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Just 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) offshore from Rio de Janeiro's famous beaches, the Natural Monument of Cagarras Islands Archipelago has recently been added to Mission Blue's Hope Spot List to highlight its importance to marine ecosystems.

The archipelago is a sanctuary for wildlife, with six islands providing a safe environment for many varieties of small fish and turtles, as well as dolphins and migrating humpback whales.

Mission Blue elected the Cagarras Islands to join other famous ecosystems such as the Galápagos Islands and the Great Barrier Reef due to its massive biodiversity close to a heavily populated area such as Rio de Janeiro.

Places in the Hope Spot List are considered by Mission Blue as those ecosystems in need of protection beyond current legal recognition.

With the addition of Cagarras Islands, Marine biologists hope international awareness will encourage local authorities to help preserve this natural wonder.

"That's what we want for the future, that we protect, mobilize society, protect this place so it can go back to its natural state more and more, for everyone's benefit," Aline Aguiar, ecologist and founder of Mar Adentro Institute (Inner Sea Institute) said on Friday, during one of the regular monitoring and study missions the organization carries out each month.

The Cagarras Islands host several unique species and serve as shelter and a rich food source for many others.

The Natural Monument is also home to a reproductive colony of thousands of frigate birds and brown boobies.

Suzana Guimarães, a marine biologist responsible for sea turtle research in the 'Ilhas do Rio Project', said she believes the work of Project Islands Rio de Janeiro will raise awareness of the place among authorities.

The Islands were designated a federal natural monument in 2010, becoming a marine protected area, meaning a modest no-take zone was stablished for 10 metres (30 feet) around each of the six islands, keeping shoreline fishing from decimating fish and turtle breeding grounds abutting the islands.

But its proximity to a major population center also brings challenges, with pollution from heavy ship traffic, sewage, and plastic affecting the archipelago. And, industrial and artisanal fishing affects not only targeted species, but abandoned nets and fishing lines end up harming many other animals.

Mar Adentro Institute is a non-profit organization, founded in 2005.

Its mission is to promote, participate and stimulate actions to generate and improve knowledge about aquatic ecosystems, aiming to ensure the integrity of natural environments, and provide benefits for today's citizens and future generations.

Several initiatives have been promoted towards sustainability, including the 'Ilhas do Rio Project' started in 2011, which aims to educate the public about the natural resource and push for government protection for the archipelago.

Mission Blue, founded by Sylvia Earle, is a non-profit dedicated to inspiring action to explore and protect the ocean.

Mission Blue's conservation strategy is based on Hope Spots, ecologically important areas of the ocean that, if protected, can regenerate the ocean back to health.

The Mission Blue's objective is to increase official protection of the ocean from just over 6% today to 30% by 2030.

 

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Published June 27th, 2021 at 20:25 IST

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