MATERIALS AND METHODS
The estuary of the Cachoeira River, located at 14°46’-
14°50’S and 39°05’-39°01’W, with an area of about 16 km2,
is formed by the Cachoeira, Santana, and Fundão rivers and
is bordered by the city of Ilhéus (Torres et. al 20011) (Fig.
1). Mangroves are a dominant feature in the region, which
has a humid tropical climate, with no defined dry season,
rainfall over 60 mm in the driest month, and an annual
rainfall of 1400 mm (Klumpp et al. 2002).