Ria de Aveiro

The Ria de Aveiro is a mesotidal coastal lagoon located on the Portuguese Atlantic coast and recognized as a Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) platform. The Ria hosts extensive intertidal saltmarshes, seagrass meadows and tidal flats that support fisheries, aquaculture, tourism and maritime activities. These ecosystems provide essential ecosystem services but are increasingly affected by human pressures and environmental change.
Within REWRITE, the Ria de Aveiro demonstrator aims to explore restoration and rewilding pathways that enhance ecosystem resilience while maintaining the socio-economic activities that depend on the Ria.

Characteristics

Habitat Types in Ria de Aveiro

60%

Saltmarshes

<10%

Salt pounds

15%

Intertidal mudflats

15%

Seagrass meadows

Historical trajectories

Sea wall erosion and SLR threats – small towns
Water quality and water temperatures
Non-native and new species
Memory of 1953, the “myth of protection"

Main objectives

1

Improve understanding of marsh and tidal flat ecosystem functioning
2

Explore rewilding potential of degraded marshes and abandoned salterns
3

Support rewilding as ecosystem-based management based on stakeholder cooperation

Past, current and future restoration actions

Past and current

Saltmarsh Restoration in Abandoned Salterns – Restoration and reconversion of former salt production areas to recover tidal marsh ecosystems.

Habitat Management in Cádiz Bay Natural Park – Conservation and restoration initiatives supporting biodiversity and sustainable use of intertidal habitats ~10,500 ha.
Future

Resilience plans for climate adaptation and/or C sequestration and biodiversity support

Contact Person

Main contact

Ana Sousa