Alcatrazes Island: between snakes and tree ferns, a spot on the biodiversity map

Have you heard about Alcatrazes Island? This place is located in the Atlantic Ocean, close to the coast of São Sebastião, north coast of São Paulo, and forms an archipelago of unique biodiversity, of fundamental biological, geological and evolutionary importance. More than 20 endemic species are found there, which have been reported to date. According to the document of the Priority Areas and Actions for Conservation and Sustainable Use and Benefit Sharing of Biodiversity (MMA Ordinance No. 09/2007), Alcatrazes Island is ranked third in terms of biological richness in South America, characterized as being of extreme biological importance, with extremely high priority for action. Its main physiognomies are reflected by rocky coasts, with a predominance of dense hillside forest and, consequently, a fauna full of exclusive species, as is the case of the Alcatrazes tree frog (Scinax alcatraz) and the Alcatrazes jararaca (Bothrops alcatraz).

Given this brief scenario, one can see how valuable the preservation of this environment is, which, unfortunately, has been the target of bombings and exercise fires by the Brazilian Navy since 1982. Besides this, it also suffers from a lack of effective protective measures, which is a big reason for environmentalists to seek ways to transform the archipelago into a national park, in order to also work on the recovery of the devastated vegetation.

When addressing the endemism and biodiversity of this environment, a strong example is the “perereca-de-Alcatrazes”. This is a species of anuran that breeds only in bromeliads on Alcatrazes Island, and is critically endangered because of the attacks on the archipelago. As a way to encourage the preservation of this Ecological Station, there is the awareness through information, a powerful source of knowledge that can be associated with the words of the writer Johann von Goethe "nature is the only book that offers valuable content in all its leaves", to strengthen this action. In other words, by bringing this phrase to the Alcatrazes scenario, one can understand that studying and researching its endemic characteristics contributes to the studies and research of its biodiversity, recognizing the inestimable value of preserving and conserving this island.

NISHIDA, S.; HAYASAKA, E. Reprodução dos Anfíbios Anuros. Universidade Estadual Júlio Mesquita Filho. In: https://www2.ibb.unesp.br/Museu_Escola/Ensino_Fundamental/Origami/Documentos/Anfibi os.htm.

PENTEADO, Marli. Arquipélago dos Alcatrazes: um modelo para monitoramento de biodiversidade. In: Resumo do III Congresso Latino-Americano de Ecologia e IX Congresso de Ecologia do Brasil. 2009. p. 10-17.

VAZ, Renata Ibelli. Efeitos de ambientes artificiais no perfil da comunidade microbiana cutânea de Scinax alcatraz (Anura: Hylidae). 2016. Tese de Doutorado. Universidade de São Paulo.