Postcard-pretty … and filled with pollution: how Brazil’s fishers are reviving Rio de Janeiro’s famous bay

February 5, 2026

TL;DR

Guanabara Bay, a major feature of Rio de Janeiro, suffers from severe pollution due to raw sewage and waste from surrounding urban areas.
The APA Guapi-Mirim, a protected environmental area within the bay, features thriving mangrove forests successfully restored by local fishers.
Mangroves play a crucial role in filtering pollution, protecting coastlines, serving as nurseries for marine life, and acting as significant carbon sinks.
Brazil possesses the second-largest mangrove area globally, with 87% now protected, following the establishment of APA Guapi-Mirim as the first mangrove-specific conservation area.
Community-based restoration projects, involving local residents paid for their work, have restored hundreds of hectares of mangroves using effective transplanting techniques.
Local communities are actively involved in cleaning up solid waste that harms the mangroves and their inhabitants, such as the Ucides cordatus crab.
Despite risks from climate change and nearby industrial activities, the restoration efforts have led to improved biodiversity and coastal resilience in the APA Guapi-Mirim.
The APA Guapi-Mirim's mangroves are presented as a symbol of resistance and successful ecosystem recovery against significant adversity.

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