The dynamics of coastal macroalgal assemblages after the Fundão dam disaster: challenges and lessons from impact assessment

Anthropogenic marine disasters impair biodiversity, ecosystem services provisioning, and socioeconomic development, with long-lasting consequences. Robust impact assessment, however, depends on understanding the spatiotemporal variability of the indicators used to detect change. Here, we present the results of a monitoring program (2018-2025) targeted at two Coastal and Marine Protected Areas located 40 km south of the Doce River mouth (Eastern Brazil), which were affected by the discharge of iron ore tailings from the Fundão dam collapse in 2015. Besides assessing the dynamics of the benthic assemblages, we revealed a high variability among sampling units (residual), along with relevant variability across seasons, sites, and their interactions. Wave height and distance from rivers were the most influential drivers explaining assemblage variability. Before-after contrasts based on pre-disaster data from the literature indicate shifts in the assemblage structure. However, because baseline data are limited, the observed changes cannot be conclusively attributed to the disaster. An overview of marine areas under long-term ecological monitoring in Brazil revealed a concerning mismatch with the distribution of mining, oil and gas, port, and nuclear activities. Rethinking funding for baseline data collection and monitoring of disaster-prone marine areas, primarily from industries that are often responsible for marine disasters, constitutes a necessary step toward effective solutions.