Evaluation of recreational quality, carrying capacity and ecosystem services supplied by sandy beaches of the municipality of Camaçari, northern coast of Bahia, Brazil

Souza Filho, J. R., Santos, R. C, Silva, I R., Elliff, C.I., 2014. Evaluation of recreational quality, carrying capacity and ecosystem services supplied by sandy beaches of the municipality of Camaçari, northern coast of Bahia, Brazil. In: Green, A.N. and Cooper, J.A.G. (eds.), Proceedings 13th International Coastal Symposium (Durban, South Africa), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 70, pp. 527–532, ISSN 0749-0208. The coastal municipality of Camaçari is currently under great real estate pressure. It is located within one of the main urban growth vectors of the State of Bahia, Brazil. In this context, the main goal of this research was to assess the recreational quality and the carrying capacity, and qualitatively evaluate the ecosystem services supplied by the beaches of the municipality of Camaçari and its adjacent coastal area. In order to evaluate the recreational quality, the beaches of Busca Vida, Jauá, Interlagos, Arembepe, Barra de Jacuipe, Guarejuba and Itacimirim were classified according to twenty-three geoenvironmental quality indicators and eleven infrastructure indicators. Aiming to evaluate the similarity of geoenvironmental and recreational infrastructure characteristics among the studied beaches, a multivariate cluster analysis was used. The ecosystem services were assessed and gathered according to Regulation/Support Services, Provision Services and Information and Culture Services classes. Some beaches experienced a usage level above their carrying capacity, contributing to low geoenvironmental quality and compromising the supplied ecosystem services, mainly the ones concerning regulation and support. In beaches with low urbanization levels and predominance of natural or poorly human impacted environments, a greater diversification and quality of ecosystem services was identified, both of regulation and support services as well as of provision, information, culture and leisure services.