RESUMO
This study provides the first assessment of the impact of the worst oil spill ever faced by Brazilian sandy beaches by analyzing changes in the community structure of intertidal macroinfauna. Four sandy beaches were sampled three times after the oil spill, and the results were compared with previous data. The first sampling, conducted 15 days after the oil spill (October 2019), showed higher abundance of macroinfauna, which decreased in subsequent sampling conducted 60 and 120 days later, but never reached a lower level than in previous sampling. Of the macroinfauna species, Scolelepis sp. was most abundant in October 2019, while Donax gemmula was predominant during the other time periods. Changes observed in macroinfauna were due to natural fluctuations rather than a response to this disturbance. Characteristics of both the oil spill and macroinfauna contributed to the lack of acute impacts.
