People who live along the coast of Alagoas say this over and over, proudly: “See that coral reef? That coral reef is the second largest one in the world. It’s second only to Australia’s.” According to an Alagoas-born fisherman, who supplements his income by working as a tourist guide during his free time, the reef extends from the State of Bahia to the State of Maranhão.

I’ve traveled the entire coast of Alagoas, but spent more time in the northern portion of the State. I took a route known as “Ecologic Route” where the beaches are not so exploited for tourism. There, the color of the sea varies: aqua, emerald-green, baby-blue and sky-blue. It’s like the Caribbean, a total knockout!

Along the entire coast we can see, from the beach, the waves breaking at the ocean’s horizon. That indicates the location of the coral reefs. (The two photos above are from the same beach; the one on the top was taken during low tide.) When the tide is low, you can walk over the rocks near the corals and free-dive with snorkels. The water is no more than two meters deep. The “coral” shade mixes with the sky-blue color of the ocean… it’s so beautiful that you could weep.

Some towns, like Japaratinga, have two coral reefs. One of them is near the beach so when the tide is low you can get there by foot—see the boats aground in the photo on the right. The other one is approximately two kilometers away. If you don’t feel like swimming, the fishermen can take you there during their free time. By the way, most of the boat cruises I took during my trip were fruit of this arrangement. The fishermen admit that they make more money with tourists than fishing.

I took this marvelous photo at Croa Island—a sandbank with rocks and corals—where we met an octopus fisherman. He was less than 18 years old and told us that a kilo of octopus was sold for R$12. He would swim to the Island, which is approximately two kilometers away from the beach, catch the octopuses and swim his way back. “There are no jobs in this region, we need to live of the sea,” he said.

In my opinion, two must-see places are: São Miguel dos Milagres and Japaratinga. Set aside three days for each one of these towns, it’s worth it.

The future of Coruripe

Coruripe is a modest little town located south of Maceio. Its inhabitants live of tourism, fishing and commerce. Besides its wonderful emerald-green sea, the coolest thing about the town is that Coruripe’s coral reef is very close to the beach. When the tide is low, the sea creates natural pools. You can see sea creatures without going deep into the water.

Recently, after returning from the trip, I read that a shipyard—which will manufacture ships and oil platforms—in being built in the town. See the article here. I don’t know the project details, so I can’t make any comments. I just think that, for the sake of our economic development, we need shipyards and industrial plants. But that area is so beautiful…

Fernando de Noronha’s highest point is called Morro do Pico. In the past, tourists were allowed to climb it to enjoy a view of the entire island. But then, some morons came up with a “brilliant” idea.

At the top of the hill, there is a lighthouse with a giant lens. This lighthouse is protected (?) by the air force. One day, air force officers noticed that the lighthouse wasn’t giving out as much light as it should. They sent somebody there to find out what was happening.

As he got there, the officer saw that the lens was covered with graffiti. Tourists had left messages on the lighthouse lens, such as: “I’ve been here on (date).” Or: “Joao loves Maria.” Or: “Mommy, here I am.”

The conclusion? Those tourists risked the lives of people aboard vessels. And… from that day on, the air force has forbidden non-authorized people from climbing Morro do Pico.

To find out more about Fernando de Noronha, check out the website maintained by the Government of Pernambuco and the Ilha de Noronha website.

It’s an irony of faith. Usually, when you buy a little tree, the roots and the soil around it are held together by a black plastic bag. The seedlings used for reforestation also come “wrapped” in bags. Now, imagine how much plastic is thrown away after they are planted—the bags are not reused to hold new seedlings to avoid contamination.

With this in mind… Scientists from the Federal University of Sao Carlos (UFSCar) together with Corn Products Brasil and BASF have created an “ecologically correct” and rigid plastic that can be used to manufacture tubes for seedlings.

The new material is made with EcobrasTM—a BASF’s biodegradable and compostable plastic that contains a corn-based vegetal polymer—and vegetal fibers such as ground cassava bark and coconut fibers. The material decomposes when in contact with microorganisms present in the soil, generating water, CO2 and biomass.

According to Elias Hage Júnior, professor and coordinator of the project, this partnership between UFSCar and these multinational companies arises from the fact that EcobrasTM is a flexible material and can’t be used to manufacture sufficiently hard molded pieces. He says that the new compost can be used to manufacture any type of molded piece—the cassava bark provides rigidity and the fiber offers mechanical resistance, making the material less likely to rupture—meant to be disposable, such as package trays.

The first step of the project, responsible for adapting the use of the cassava bark and the coconut fiber was complete in the beginning of 2009. From now on, they need to optimize the process and improve the product. Then, it will have to be produced in large scale.

The idea is good. But there is a controversy. Some experts say that biodegradable plastic decomposes quickly because it breaks down into tiny pieces. This could pollute rivers. Others say that because the material “breaks down,” it is easily decomposed and safer for the environment. Oh my, I’m feeling so critical lately.

I wrote a post for Blog do Planeta about the invading and exotic species found in the Atlantic Forest. I talked with Helena de Godoy Bergallo, a researcher at the Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ). She pointed out some of the things that people do in the hopes to preserve the environment but that end up harming it. Things such as feeding stray dogs and letting pet cats walk across rooftops.

This conversation reminded me of the issue of urban trees. Since the Brazilian colonization, people have been planting trees from other regions of the country and the world in front of their houses and in their backyard. For example, the mango tree mentioned in the song—”when I step on dry leaves, fallen from a mango tree”—comes from Asia. However, years ago, it was chosen by our local government to decorate public streets. Find out more about the risks it poses on the post.

So, which trees can be used in urban areas? The endemic (native) species for the area in question, of course. But there’s a detail that is worth pointing out. My beloved Araucaria tree, for example, is native to the Atlantic Forest. However, it is no longer found in the Sao Paulo coast. So, it should not be planted on the seashore. Remember that the biome also has its particularities.

Yeah… urbanization and landscaping are a little bit complex. Before planting your little seed or seedling, contact your local Secretariat of Environment. Get their help to select the right species. They can—and should—be able to give you a list of endemic species. Also, be aware of the urban technical requirements that must be observed should you decide to plant a tree on a sidewalk. In the city of Sao Paulo, it needs to be at least 1.20 meter wide. The tree should not get in the way of this measurement. I know that in practice…

Well, I’m going to leave (below) some information related to trees in urban areas. Have fun:

• Their size must be appropriate for the space available;
• Preferably, their fruit should be small to avoid accidents;
• The tree top should be compatible with the space available to avoid obstructing traffic and building facades;
• On sidewalks, choose species with deep roots to avoid damaging the public pavement;
• Choose pest and disease resistant species as the use of pesticides and fungicides is not recommended;
• Be careful with power cables; with water, sewage and gas pipes, and with directional signs. Trees must not interfere or damage these public properties;
• Make sure the trees do not interfere with the buildings’ natural and artificial lighting;
• It’s best to avoid species with thorns along their trunks and branches;
• Fallen leaves can clog gutters and sewers; therefore, prefer planting trees with small leaves.

Note: The government of the city of Sao Paulo has started a photography contest called “Árvores da Cidade de São Paulo.” See here: Anyone with a beautiful, poetic, conceptual photo or else, of a tree planted in this chaotic metropolis can participate. I’m going to enter my photos—I took the one below from my window. Kisses. Have a nice Friday.

Aha! Scientists, usually international, are constantly claiming that tropical forests and oceans are the main means to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the contributors to global warming.

But… researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States, and McGill University, Canada, found that temperate forests—such as those filled with pine trees, in North America—can store much more carbon then they used to think.

The researchers did a study comparing how much carbon was held by the forests of the state of Wisconsin. Despite the activities of the logging industry, they still hold approximately 2/3 of the carbon that used to circulate before the European settlement!

The researchers believe that those trees have the potential to store at least twice as much as they used to think. The research considered the carbon accumulated in tree trunks and crowns, without counting what was stored in roots and in the soil. The study has been published by PNA, an American scientific magazine.

In Europe and North America, tropical forests were exploited by the European and now they’ve been replaced by agriculture. Maybe this research will encourage reforestation practices and perhaps, make Americans and Europeans admit that they have played a direct role in the destruction of the environment, who knows?

“We often forget the invisible services, like climate regulation, that ecosystems provide to us for free, says Jeanine Rhemtulla, one of the researchers. “But this will need to change. We need to find ways to meet our immediate needs without compromising critical services over the long term,” she added. To learn more, click here and read the webpage of the American university. In English.

Note: The Diário de Pernambuco newspaper published an interesting piece about a Nasa research. The space agency simulated how Earth would be like without the ozone layer and found that our skin would be burnt within less than half an hour! Read here. And, oh… On the 16th of April Xis-Xis will be moving to Scienceblogs Brasil! Just wait.