Morphology and Distribution of Reefs and Carbonate Buildups in the Southwestern South Atlantic

Reefs are present along approximately 2000 km of the inner shelf and extend over long sections of the Brazilian coastline. Surveys made in the XXI century indicated a far more extensive occurrence of this carbonate environment, occupying the middle and outer regions of the Brazilian continental shelf. In this chapter, we intend to synthesize the present knowledge of the morphology and distribution of reefs on the continental shelf, with particular attention to the shallow water reefs that occur from the coastline until 30 m depth. We also present an ecogeographic compartmentalization of the Southwestern Atlantic, considering oceanographic and reef morphological characteristics. This chapter aims to contribute to understanding reef occurrence on the Brazilian continental shelf and to help improve environmental risk assessments related to global changes and anthropogenic impacts, such as energy production initiatives or carbonate mining projects that are underway and will affect reef ecosystems.