Aplicações do Sonar de Varredura Lateral para planejamento ambiental em áreas recifais: o exemplo do Banco dos Abrolhos, BA

The Abrolhos Bank is a 200 km enlargement of the Brazilian continental platform, with about 46,000km2, in which there are extensive mangroves, seagrass and algae bottoms, submerged and emergent coral reefs, and a group of small volcanic islands. Located off the Bahia State coast, the region encompasses the most extensive and richest coral reefs in the entire South Atlantic. Besides holding a representative assemblage of the Brazilian-endemic coral reef fauna, Abrolhos’ reefs present unique morphological attributes, growing as mushroom-shaped pinnacles that are locally known as “chapeirões”.