SEABIRD RICHNESS AND COLLISION RISK ANALYSIS IN THE NORTHERN COASTS OF RIO GRANDE DO NORTE AND EASTERN CEARÁ
Birds, Collision, Wind, Offshore, Threats
The northern coastline of Rio Grande do Norte and eastern Ceará are home to three major economic drivers that together are the largest formal job generators in the region: salt extraction, oil and natural gas extraction, and more recently, the production of renewable energy, with a notable focus on wind and solar power. The extraction and distribution of these resources directly affect bird populations that use the seas and coastal areas for feeding, resting, molting, and breeding. The Northeast is located along one of the primary migratory routes for birds heading to the polar region for breeding, with significant presence along this coastline mainly from September to May. This study aims to identify the diversity of seabirds utilizing the continental shelf and coastal zone of parts of the RN and CE coastlines. Data on species diversity in the study area were obtained from three sources: the Embedded Monitoring Program (PME), the Beach Monitoring Program (PMP), and surveys from Citizen Science platforms (Wikiaves and e-Bird). This allowed for insights into the richness and habitat use of the marine avifauna of the northern coastline of Rio Grande do Norte and eastern Ceará. Based on this survey, the collision risk for species with some degree of threat according to the Red Book of Threatened Fauna by ICMBio was calculated.