Title: The Subtropical Estuarine Complex of Paranaguá Bay, Brazil
Abstract: Paranaguá Bay, on the coast of Paraná State in southeastern Brazil (48°25′W, 25°30′S), is part of a large interconnected subtropical estuarine system that includes the Iguape-Cananéia Bay system on the southern coast of São Paulo State. Rather than being an estuary, Paranaguá Bay (612 km2) is best defined as an estuarine system comprised of two main water bodies, the Paranaguá and Antonina bays (260 km2) and the Laranjeiras and Pinheiros bays (200 km2). The system connects to the open sea through three tidal channels, with the main entrance area around Mel Island (152 km2; Fig. 10.1). The structural properties of the bay are typical for a marine ingression environment. Forced regressions, following sea-level maxima at approx. 120,000 and 5,100 B.P., have formed an upper and a lower geomorphologic zone, represented by a drowned, narrow paleo-valley west of Paranaguá City and by wide beach ridge plains east of Paranaguá, respectively (Angulo 1992; Angulo and Lessa 1997). An extensive coastal plain surrounds Paranaguá Bay and the upper reaches of the bay originate about 50km inland at the piedmont of the Serra do Mar mountain range. Mangrove swamps and marshes mainly fringe the interior of the system, while ocean-exposed areas adjacent to the mouth are composed of extensive sand beaches and some rocky shores (Angulo 1992).
Publication Year: 2001
Publication Date: 2001-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 205
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