Brazil Creates Vast Marine Park, Protects Dolphins & Fossils
Why this is here: The newly protected area spans more than 2.5 million acres, making it the country’s largest marine park and offering critical habitat for fewer than 500 Lahille’s bottlenose dolphins.
Brazil’s government established a large conservation area on March 6 to safeguard biodiversity in the Atlantic Ocean. The Albardão marine park and coastal protected area cover over 1 million hectares, becoming Brazil’s largest marine park. It also includes a 614,000-hectare buffer zone.
The park protects at least 25 endangered species, including the Lahille’s bottlenose dolphin, with only 500 individuals remaining, and the critically endangered franciscana dolphin. Researchers have found Pleistocene epoch megafauna fossils within the adjacent coastal area, including ground sloths and saber-toothed cats.
The decree allows sustainable ecotourism, research, and artisanal fishing. State governments had considered the area for offshore wind power, but wind farms are now prohibited. Infrastructure corridors for existing oil, gas, and future wind projects beyond the park’s boundaries are permitted with environmental safeguards.