Caracterização da captura incidental de tartarugas marinhas pela pesca de espinhel pelágico no Nordeste do Brasil

The marine turtles biological characteristics and the impact they have been suffering in consequence of human activities have caused in the last decades the decrease of populations to unsustainable levels. All four of the species described in this paper are registered as endangered in a list by IUCN: Caretta caretta, Lepidochelys olivacea, Chelonia mydas, Dermochelys coriacea. The main causes of such impact include several fishing activities, mostly the surface longline. This paper discusses the monitoring of two foreigner longline fleet along the North East Brazilian coast between October of 2004 and September of 2005. Both operated in the West South Atlantic, one using the Chinese technique and the other the American. The American method s target species is the swordfish (Xiphias gladius), and it is characterized by using squid as bait, J 9/0 offset 5º hook, light sticks and night soaking. It also operates in shallower waters than the Chinese method. The source of information about the efforts and the catches came from onboard observers and were used to calculate the catching rate of turtles over 1000 hooks (CPUE). The American equipment caught more turtles (CPUE = 0,059; N= 103), mainly D. coriacea, while the Chinese longline caught mainly the L. olivacea and presented a CPUE= 0,018 (N= 89). The hooks were most frequently found attached to the mouth of C. caretta, C. mydas, and L. olivacea. The D. coriacea were most frequently caught by hooks externally attached to different parts of their body. There was no significant difference between the hook type catching and most turtles were still alive when released. The results suggest a greater potential of turtle catching by the American method. Besides the statistic tests have showed less interaction between the Chinese equipment and marine turtles, the catches of this fishing technique could have been underestimated due to miscommunication between the onboard observer and the vessel s crew plus the retrieve of the longline during night time

Análise de estabilidade de falésias na zona costeira de Baía Formosa - RN

The natural and anthropogenic changes that are occurring at the coastal zone around the world represent the greatest problem to society in this century. This problem becomes more evident due to high density of coastal cities, to growing tourist-estate speculation of those areas and to climate change that tend to trigger and accelerate the erosive processes that operating in the littoral. In this context, it‟s possible perceive ever more a significant increase of problems associated to the coastal erosion and retreat of cliffs in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, where this study area of this search is located. The area is located in the coastal zone of the city of Baía Formosa/RN, in south-eastern coast of Rio Grande do Norte, and has a extension of about 1200 meters along the Porto beach. The main objective of this study is to analyze the stability of these cliffs in this region. Through field investigations, testings and computational analysis using the Finite Element Method and Equilibrium Limit Methods. The area was divided into four sections, and were applied checklists, and also realized characterization tests and direct shear tests with materials obtained along these sections. In this manner, it was found that the segments of cliff in this coastal zone have heights around 4 meters to 14 meters and inclinations of approximately 40° to 90°.However the constituents soils of the cliffs were classified, in general terms in accordance to Unified Soil Classification System (USCS), as clayey sands or silty sands, clays of low plasticity, clayey gravels and poorly graduaded sands. The most variegated and clayey soils belong to base of the cliff. The stability analysis showed that the safety factors ranged in section 01, from 1.92 to 4.93, in the section 02, from 1.00 to 1.43, in the section 03, from 1.36 to 1.75 , and section 04, from 1.00 to 3.64. Thus, the sections 02 and 03 were considered more unstable. However, the section 03 can be considered as the most critical section due to the absence of coastal protection structures and the narrow strip of beach.

Modelagem estatística e atribuições dos eventos de precipitação extrema na Amazônia brasileira

Intense precipitation events (IPE) have been causing great social and economic losses in the affected regions. In the Amazon, these events can have serious impacts, primarily for populations living on the margins of its countless rivers, because when water levels are elevated, floods and/or inundations are generally observed. Thus, the main objective of this research is to study IPE, through Extreme Value Theory (EVT), to estimate return periods of these events and identify regions of the Brazilian Amazon where IPE have the largest values. The study was performed using daily rainfall data of the hydrometeorological network managed by the National Water Agency (Agência Nacional de Água) and the Meteorological Data Bank for Education and Research (Banco de Dados Meteorológicos para Ensino e Pesquisa) of the National Institute of Meteorology (Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia), covering the period 1983-2012. First, homogeneous rainfall regions were determined through cluster analysis, using the hierarchical agglomerative Ward method. Then synthetic series to represent the homogeneous regions were created. Next EVT, was applied in these series, through Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) and the Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD). The goodness of fit of these distributions were evaluated by the application of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, which compares the cumulated empirical distributions with the theoretical ones. Finally, the composition technique was used to characterize the prevailing atmospheric patterns for the occurrence of IPE. The results suggest that the Brazilian Amazon has six pluvial homogeneous regions. It is expected more severe IPE to occur in the south and in the Amazon coast. More intense rainfall events are expected during the rainy or transitions seasons of each sub-region, with total daily precipitation of 146.1, 143.1 and 109.4 mm (GEV) and 201.6, 209.5 and 152.4 mm (GPD), at least once year, in the south, in the coast and in the northwest of the Brazilian Amazon, respectively. For the south Amazonia, the composition analysis revealed that IPE are associated with the configuration and formation of the South Atlantic Convergence Zone. Along the coast, intense precipitation events are associated with mesoscale systems, such Squall Lines. In Northwest Amazonia IPE are apparently associated with the Intertropical Convergence Zone and/or local convection.

Caracterização da captura incidental de tartarugas marinhas pela pesca de espinhel pelágico no Nordeste do Brasil

The marine turtles biological characteristics and the impact they have been suffering in consequence of human activities have caused in the last decades the decrease of populations to unsustainable levels. All four of the species described in this paper are registered as endangered in a list by IUCN: Caretta caretta, Lepidochelys olivacea, Chelonia mydas, Dermochelys coriacea. The main causes of such impact include several fishing activities, mostly the surface longline. This paper discusses the monitoring of two foreigner longline fleet along the North East Brazilian coast between October of 2004 and September of 2005. Both operated in the West South Atlantic, one using the Chinese technique and the other the American. The American method s target species is the swordfish (Xiphias gladius), and it is characterized by using squid as bait, J 9/0 offset 5º hook, light sticks and night soaking. It also operates in shallower waters than the Chinese method. The source of information about the efforts and the catches came from onboard observers and were used to calculate the catching rate of turtles over 1000 hooks (CPUE). The American equipment caught more turtles (CPUE = 0,059; N= 103), mainly D. coriacea, while the Chinese longline caught mainly the L. olivacea and presented a CPUE= 0,018 (N= 89). The hooks were most frequently found attached to the mouth of C. caretta, C. mydas, and L. olivacea. The D. coriacea were most frequently caught by hooks externally attached to different parts of their body. There was no significant difference between the hook type catching and most turtles were still alive when released. The results suggest a greater potential of turtle catching by the American method. Besides the statistic tests have showed less interaction between the Chinese equipment and marine turtles, the catches of this fishing technique could have been underestimated due to miscommunication between the onboard observer and the vessel s crew plus the retrieve of the longline during night time

Precificação de energia eólica offshore no Brasil

Offshore wind power emits low amounts of gases, is renewable and has better performance than onshore due to its greater stability and higher wind power density, less visual and noise impact, among others. Brazil has a high capacity of generation, but has not yet developed any offshore projects. High costs are a strong impediment. This study is an effort towards pricing offshore resources through Livelized Cost of Energy - LCOE, which represents the minimum return to cover the costs of development, production and maintenance of a wind project. Initially LCOE was calculated for all Brazilian onshore wind farms listed at Bloomberg New Energy Finance R○, accounting for 71 farms. Then hypothetical offshore wind farms were created from the onshore farms, tripling the cost of generation, which is consistent with the literature, and estimating the offshore energy for two locations off the Brazilian coast using satellite data extracted from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The results demonstrate that offshore resources have the potential to significantly reduce the energy price due to the better performance of the wind at sea

Biologia reprodutiva da |Tainha, Mugil curema valencientes, 1836 (osteichthyes: mugilidade) nas águas costeiras do Rio Grande do Norte

The marine fish white mullet, Mugil curema Valenciennes, 1836 (Osteichthyes: Mugilidae) exhibits a wide geographical distribution, being common in the Brazilian coast and is an important component of the artisanal fisheries. The objective of this study was to investigate the reproductive biology of M. curema in the coastal waters of Rio Grande do Norte. Fish samples were captured on a monthly basis during August, 2008 to July, 2009. The fish specimens were numbered, weighed, measured, dissected and their gonads were removed, weighed, their sex and gonadal development were identified. The length-weight relationship was determined for males and females. The sex ratio, the size at first gonadal maturation and gonadosomatic index (GSI) were calculated and ovarian development was investigated using macroscopic and histological techniques. The fecundity, spawning type and the reproductive period of the species were determined. A total of 366 specimens (186 males and 180 females) were captured. The sex ratio was 1:1 and the females were heavier than males. The estimated values of the angular coefficient for both sexes suggest that the species has isometric growth. The size at which 50% of the population began the process of maturation was 25.9 cm of total length for grouped sex. The macroscopic characteristics of the ovaries showed four stages of development: immature, maturing, mature and spent. However, the microscopic characteristics of the ovaries showed five stages of development: immature, early maturing, late maturing, mature and spent. The development of oocytes indicated five phases: Chromatin-nucleolus (phase I), initial perinucleolar (phase II), final perinuclear (phase II), formation of vitelline vesicle or yolk (phase III), vitellogenic (phase IV) and complete vitellogenesis (phase V). The species has a prolonged spawning period, with two peaks coinciding with the rainy season.

O canto das senhoras :Análise do discurso do sujeito coletivo (DSC) de velhas mulheres da Ponta do Tubarão, no Rio Grande do Norte

The participation of women of more than 60 years of age in the social ritual of the creation of the Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Estadual ( Sustainable Development State Reserve ) at Ponta do Tubarão, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, is the central object of this research. This work is an attempt to analyze the oral discourse of these women, to understand the historical participation in this ritual, pointing out the actions for dehistoricization that, in the Western world, take women out of the community scene making their roles less important or invisible as agents of social construction. The reflections that take place in this research, using as a starting point, the example of a traditional fishing community on the Brazilian coast, and denounce the mechanisms of male domination that try to silence their hábitus, such as: the discourse of power (that is responsible for the permanent division of sexual structures) and of the correspondent social and cultural division. The present research respects the oral discourse of the Elderly Women as a significant practice of community life in Diogo Lopes in Macau, Rio Grande do Norte. The creation of the community of RDSE in Ponta do Tubarão as an instrument for political and social management is also accepted here as a process conducted by various social actors that react to developmental threats that have interfered with and are still trying to interfere with the equilibrium of the regional ecosystem. The methodology used in the research is supported in the oral discourse of these women as social representations of a focus group, on which the method of the Análise do Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo (DSC) ( Collective Subject Discourse Analysis ) is applied

Diversificação evolutiva de gobídeos no litoral brasileiro: padrões citogenéticos e ecomorfológicos

The fishes of the order Perciformes are characterized as an important model for understanding the genetic structure of marine populations, because besides they present examples of conservation chromosomal, also they present the karyotype diversification for some groups. Gobiidae family is the most specious in the marine environment. Among its representatives, many species are part of a cryptic fauna little noticed and studied, a wide distribution with behavioral and reproductive characteristics, that make them conducive to the action of biogeographical barriers. Morphologically this family presents reduced body structures through simplification and regressions. Despite their importance in evolutionary inferences, cytogenetics data are incipient facing their species diversity, especially with western Atlantic species. In order to estimate the evolutionary diversity in Gobiidae, it were developed cytogenetic analysis and the standards body, through geometric morphometrics in five species on the Brazilian coast, Coryphopterus glaucofraenum, Bathygobius mystacium, B. soporator, Ctenogobius smaragdus e C. Boleosoma. The data show significant karyotype and morphological diversity among the species. The pericentric inversions and mergers play an important role in chromosomal evolution of this family, causing karyotypic structural and numerical differences in all species. Karyotypic and morphological comparisons among geographic samples of B. soporator from the coast of Maranhão, Rio Grande do Norte and Bahia showed cytogenetics patterns commons, but different morphological patterns. A sample from the Atol das Rocas revealed conspicuous morphological and karyotypic differentiation of another continental populations, confirming the presence of a new island species. The approaches done reveal diversification consistent with characteristics of a group of low vagile and largely able to environmental selection due from peculiar ecological requirements

Influência dos modelos digitais de terreno na modelagem de circulação hidrodinâmica 2DH: um estudo de caso

Digital Elevation Models (DEM) are numerical representations of a portion of the earth surface. Among several factors which affect the quality of a DEM, it should be emphasized the attention on the input data and the choice of the interpolating algorithm. On the other hand, several numerical models are used nowadays to characterize nearshore hydrodynamics and morphological changes in coastal areas, whose validation is based on field data collection. Independent on the complexity of the physical processes which are modeled, little attention has been given to the intrinsic bathymetric interpolation built within the numerical models of the specific application. Therefore, this study aims to investigate and to quantify the influence of the bathymetry, as obtained by a DEM, on the hydrodynamic circulation model at a coastal stretch, off the coast of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Northeast Brazil. This coastal region is characterized by strong hydrodynamic and littoral processes, resulting in a very dynamic morphology with shallow coastal bathymetry. Important economic activities, such as oil exploitation and production, fisheries, salt ponds, shrimp farms and tourism, also bring impacts upon the local ecosystems and influence themselves the local hydrodynamics. This fact makes the region one of the most important for the development of the State, but also enhances the possibility of serious environmental accidents. As a hydrodynamic model, SisBaHiA® - Environmental Hydrodynamics System ( Sistema Básico de Hidrodinâmica Ambiental ) was chosen, for it has been successfully employed at several locations along the Brazilian coast. This model was developed at the Coastal and Oceanographical Engineering Group of the Ocean Engineering Program at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Several interpolating methods were tested for the construction of the DEM, namely Natural Neighbor, Kriging, Triangulation with Linear Interpolation, Inverse Distance to a Power, Nearest Neighbor, and Minimum Curvature, all implemented within the software Surfer®. The bathymetry which was used as reference for the DEM was obtained from nautical charts provided by the Brazilian Hydrographic Service of the Brazilian Navy and from a field survey conducted in 2005. Changes in flow velocity and free surface elevation were evaluated under three aspects: a spatial vision along three profiles perpendicular to the coast and one profile longitudinal to the coast as shown; a temporal vision from three central nodes of the grid during 30 days; a hodograph analysis of components of speed in U and V, by different tidal cycles. Small, but negligible, variations in sea surface elevation were identified. However, the differences in flow and direction of velocities were significant, depending on the DEM

História, memória e espaços: experiências dos ex-combatentes de Parelhas-RN na defesa do litoral brasileiro durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial

The present essay has how I aim to analyse the memories of the ex-combatants of Parelhas-RN, specially of the components of the Força de Vigilância e Segurança do Litoral - FVSL, protagonists of the Brazilian participation in the scenery of the Second World war. Along this we looked to understand in which surrounding geographicalpartner these men were living before the War and what were the consequences of a brusque change of space owing to the convocation for the Armed Brazilian Strength in that historical context. The defense of the Brazilian coast during the War was not a so simple task, I have in mind the precariedade logistics of the Armed Strength, the attacks of submarines of the Axle that killed hundreds of civilians and Brazilian soldiers and the net of espionage mounted by Germany in Brazil. Leaving from the notion of collective memory and estrangement in Maurice Halbwachs, we will use the oral history like principal methodology, with the end of rescue these underground memories what also will make possible us the vision realizes that the protagonists themselves have of the event, besides the use of documents, photos, maps and any sort of fountains that make possible us to rebuild the scenery of Parelhas in the beginning of the War and the trajectory of life of his veterans

Comportamento e ecologia acústica da baleia jubarte (Megaptera novaeangliae) na região Nordeste do Brasil

The acoustic ecology concept involve the relation between the live organisms and their sound environment and is applied in the present work to study the context in which the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) singing behavior, known as the most complex display in the nature, occurred in the northeastern Brazilian coast, outside the core area of Abrolhos Bank, between 2005 and 2010.I analyze the singer male occurrence , their spatial distribution and probable relations with oceanographic features, such as depth, tide regimen and moon phases. I also describe the acoustic structure and temporal variation of the singing behavior, based on song frequency and time measurements outside the Abrolhos Bank, and further compare the song complexity, registered in the same period, between Abrolhos Bank (16°- 19° S, 37°- 39° W) and the adjacent North Coast, herein considered from Itacaré (14° S, 38° W) to Aracaju (11° S, 37° W). Additionally, I look for describe and analyze anthropogenic noise sources in the marine environment of the study area, produced by the oil industry as well as by the whale watching operation, relating their frequencies to the acoustic niche utilized by the humpbacks. The results indicated a great plasticity in the singing behavior, evidenced by the occurrence of singer males in diverse social structures, from solitary individuals to other groups, even containing females and calves, as well as by the diversity which compound the song, when compared between two regions inside the same breeding area, which present distinct oceanographic characteristics. The singer male distribution may be related with the continental shelf extent along the study area. The anthropogenic noise presented frequency range, amplitude and sound intensity in potential to interfere acoustically in the singing behavior of the species, may resulting in disturbance during the breeding season in the Brazilian coast. Implications about the obtained results in the humpback whale mating system are discussed. In this way, I pretend to contribute with the acoustic ecology subject and provide information to subsidize humpback whale conservation

Caracterização do repertório acústico do botocinza, sotalia guianensis, e impacto de embarcações no nordeste do brasil

The wide distribution along the Brazilian coast of specie Sotalia guianensis has been growing interest in searchers on the ecology of this species, addition to commercial interests by whalewatching. This work described the accoustic repertory of S. guianensis and their behavior associated and found if underwater noises affect this repertorie in Pipa-RN. It were analyzed 18:49h of recordings maked between april and june/2009. It were found 3258 whistles, 289 calls, 873 clicks and no gargle. The frequencies range of guiana dolphins was 1 a 48kHz and may be related to system response recorder and population s regionalization. The frequencies overlaps the noise made by motorboats, schooners and water bomb. The behavior travelling ocurred siletly in 72,58% and socialization presented no sound (56,4%) and presence of sound (43,6%). This great absence of sound may be relacioned to saving energy, probably because in this behaviors they can use physical and visual contacts. The foraging presented highest records of all class noise with 46,84% clicks, 33,84% whistles and 9,02% calls. All this sounds occurred differently in each behavior (travelling: x2 = 134,35 df = 3 p = 0,0001; foraging: x2 = 19,83 df = 3 p= 0,00018 and socialization x2 = 60,35 df = 3 p = 0,0001). It was possible to determine that underwater noise cause changes in the repertorie and does a considerable increase in whistle s number and reduce clicks. Also occurs changes in some whistles (FI: t=2,42, p=0,015; FF: t= -2,22, p=0,025), calls (FMI: t= -3,13, p=0,001; FMA: t= -3,49, p=0,0005; FD: t= -2,21, p=0,027; D: t=2,89, p=0,004) and clicks parameters (D: t= -3,85, p=0,0001; I: t= -5,32, p=0,0001) during presence of noise. These changes may be a strategy of these animals to win this sound barrier. We can not say which noise has more impact, ix however the water bomb seems to affect more the clicks and the motorboats seems to affect the others sounds. Little is know about auditive sensibility of this specie, but daily exposure to this noise may cause damage and this specie appears to have residence. The specie conservation is necessary because the population already seems to suffer damage as decrease in length of stay, number of individuals entering the inlet and the apparent diminution in the foragind during vessels presence and control standards and ambiental education can help. So, we can advance in knowledge about the ecology of this specie especially when it come to bioacoustics and their behaviors associated and reveals some of the impacts that the noise have brought to this population

Determinação da composição química do molusco Anadara notabilis encontrado em Galinhos no Rio Grande do Norte

Given the large existing biodiversity in the Brazilian coast, where many species are still little known, even under the nutritional aspect, and considering that bivalve molluscs are constituted by a natural resource of well accepted by the population, chose the bivalve Anadara notabilis, it was not found in the literature any nutritional or toxicological information about it and because its size is much larger than other species of mollusks commonly found in this region. Were studied moisture, ash, protein, macro and micro minerals, and metal ions of toxicological significance. All analytical determinations followed the standards of the Institute Adolfo Lutz. The protein determination was performed by the Kjeldahl method. All metal ions were determined by optical emission spectroscopy with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES) method described by USEPA 6010C. The results showed that Anadara notabilis can be introduced into food for human beings, in view of its mineral wealth. Noteworthy among the macronutrients phosphorus and magnesium showed that their values in mg / kg 918.7 and 586.7. With regard to micronutrients stand out with this iron 586.7 mg / kg and zinc with 12.31 mg / kg. Was not found high content of metal contaminants to this mollusc, which would prevent their use, only this chromium 0.7 mg / kg above the value established by Brazilian legislation. The results will certainly be very useful in future studies of nutrition and to build a table of chemical composition of Brazilian foods

Vegetação dunar: caracterização estrutural de dunas do município de Natal-RN como subsídio para implantação de técnicas de reflorestamernto, recuperação e conservação do ecossistema

The Brazilian coast has a wide variety of complex environments and ecosystems along the coast, about 80% are represented by sandbanks and dunes. The coastal ecosystems were the first to suffer the impacts man and places, as the very fragile ecosystems, are somehow altered. Are few areas of restinga well as natural features, very few protected in conservation units. Only in the last two decades the Brazilian restinga have been studies that are showing their importance for biodiversity of the country, though its economic importance remains largely unknown. In Rio Grande do Norte in the restinga vegetation and dune environments extend for almost the entire coast. The dunes are distinguished in the coastal landscape of the state due to the exuberance of its forms, heights and coating plants. The dune system is of fundamental importance for the maintenance of coastal urban settlements, especially for the city of Natal, acting on the hydrological dynamics of water table and reducing the effect of wind and movement of grains of sand to the interior and thus avoiding the burial City. However, the ecosystem of restinga and dune environments have been weakened and destroyed according to the intense urbanization and the knowledge of the vegetation of restinga installed on the dunes are still scarce. Thus, the objective of this study was to characterize the structure and floristic composition of vegetation established on a dune in the Dunes State Park Christmas and gather information to develop a model of recovery of the dune ecosystem. This dissertation is composed of 2 chapters, the first being: Structure of the vegetation of the dunes Dunes State Park in Natal, RN with the objective of describing the structure and composition of species of tree-shrub vegetation of restinga dunes of the Parque das Dunas and second: Recovery of degraded areas in a sand dune, which aimed to review the terms and concepts used in the theme of recovery and the techniques for recovery of degraded areas with emphasis on sandy environments and poor in nutrients, reporting some experiences within and external to Brazil the country, mainly in the Northeast and dunes positive and negative aspects that should be followed in building a model to be adopted for the recovery of local dunes

Ecologia humana e manejo participativo da pesca do búzio Anomalocardia brasiliana (Gmelin, 1791) (Bivalvia: Veneridae) na Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Estadual Ponta do Tubarão (RN)

Coastal and marine protected areas are created to protect habitat, avoid biodiversity loss, and to help maintain viable fisheries. However, most of these areas in tropical countries occurs in impoverished regions and directly affect the livelihood and survival of coastal communities which directly depend on fisheries and shellfisheries. Therefore, socioeconomic and conservation goals overlap. In this context, fishers should have a central place in resource management. They are critical resource users and their behavior directly affects the system. Shellfish resources are important sources of food, employment and income to fishing communities in Latin America. But despite its widespread use for food and income, there is an urgent need of more research on shellfish management. This research discusses the artisanal fisheries of Venus clam (Anomalocardia brasiliana) (Gmelin, 1791) (Bivalvia: Veneridae) in Brazil, and points out strategies to improve the system. Venus clam is a small and commonly exploited species for food and income on the Brazilian coast. This research was carried out at Ponta do Tubarão Sustainable Development Reserve (Brazilian Northeast coast), where there was no information available about who harvest, where or how much Venus clam has been harvested, despite this resource being exploited for generations. Clam fishery follows the pattern of socio-economic invisibility that general clam exploitation has in Brazil. Methods used were interviews, participatory monitoring and focal follow observation from January 2010 to May 2011. Results include: (a) the identification of shell fishers, (b) how harvest and meat processing are performed (mollusk beds, time spent, gross and net production), (c) the analisis of shell fisher income and their economic sustentability, and (d) the involvement of shell fisher families in data gathering and analyses for the first time. Based on the acquired knowledge, we propose a new institutional arrangement for clam fishery including co-management, fisheries agreement, compensatory arrangements and improvements for the Venus clam value chain such as the establishment of a minimum price for clam meat. This research also includes two other results: a general description for Venus clam harvesting in the Brazilian Northeast coast and a specific discussion about co-management of Venus clam in Brazil. The first one was possible through the meeting of several shell fisherwomen from other states during activities promoted by People of the Tides (PoT) project. PoT was an international initiative aiming to develop coastal communities that depend on mollusk for their livelihood. The second one is a comparison between PoT and Venus clam management at Pirajubaé Marine Extractive Reserve (Santa Catarina). It evaluates the success and failures of these only two initiatives involving co-management of A. brasiliana in Brazil