ECOSYSTEM SERVICES PROVIDED BY WET AREA MACROHABITATS IN ROCAS ATOL (SOUTH EQUATORIAL ATLANTIC)
Remote Sensing, Hydrodynamics, Climate Change, Island Ecosystem
Wetlands represent ecosystems that comprise aquatic, terrestrial, coastal or continental environments, characterized by being areas that are permanently or periodically flooded. They are one of the most challenging ecosystems to map, above all because of their temporal hydrological variability. Around 20% of Brazil's territory is made up of wetlands, and the aim of this study is to map the wetlands in Atol das Rocas, which is a Marine Conservation Unit and classified as one of Brazil's RAMSAR Sites. Located in the South Atlantic Ocean 270 km from Natal, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Rocas stands out for being the only atoll in the southern portion of the Atlantic Ocean, in addition to its biological importance, due to the ecosystem services it provides. NDWI and NDVI remote sensing methods will be used over a 10-year period (2014-2024) to classify the wetlands within the Atoll, subsequently classifying the macrohabitats, as well as the ecosystem services provided.