The collaboration between Instituto Ekko Brasil’s Projeto Lontra and the open-access, peer-reviewed journal Estuarine Management and Technologies (EMT) has resulted in a new Topical Collection. This marks the first joint initiative between the two organizations.
Otters as Bioindicators of Estuarine Health: Innovations in monitoring and Management from tropical Coastal Brazil
The collection, titled “Otters as bioindicators of Estuarine Health: Innovations in Monitoring and Management from Tropical Coastal Brazil,” celebrates nearly four decades of pioneering otter conservation and estuarine stewardship in Brazil. It also aims to advance global knowledge on sustainable coastal ecosystem management.
projeto Lontra has been at the forefront of tropical otter conservation, ecological monitoring, and community engagement as it’s establishment in 1986. Its research has provided unprecedented insights into the health of estuarine and coastal ecosystems. This makes otters not only charismatic species of interest but also powerful sentinels of environmental change.
Dr. Oldemar Carvalho Junior, Coordinator of Projeto Lontra and Institutional Director of Instituto Ekko Brasil notes:
“2026 will mark the project’s fortieth anniversary. This partnership represents a rare convergence of long-term field knowledge, cutting-edge methodology, and global outreach - precisely what is needed to scale impact in applied estuarine conservation.”
The collection includes contributions from Projeto Lontra’s team and also invited collaborators who have worked closely with the project over the years. The resulting series of articles will showcase the unparalleled long-term dataset built since 1986 and demonstrate how otters serve as powerful sentinels of estuarine and coastal health.
Guest Editors
Projeto Lontra – Instituto Ekko Brasil
- Dr.Oldemar Carvalho Junior – Coordinator, Projeto Lontra & Institutional Director, Instituto Ekko Brasil, Florianópolis, Brazil
- Ms. Alessandra bez Birolo - Coordinator of social Mobilization and Public policies, Founding Partner, Instituto Ekko Brasil; Environmental Education Coordinator, Projeto lontra, Brazil
- Mr. Marcelo Tosatti – President, Instituto Ekko Brasil; Field researcher (20+ years), Projeto Lontra, Brazil
EMT Editorial Board
The partnership between EMT and Projeto Lontra showcases the power of collaboration in long-term conservation success. By elevating nearly forty years of Brazilian conservation leadership to global research audiences through this Topical Collection, it aims to inspire new partnerships and operational tools that safeguard estuarine ecosystems for future generations.
You can visit the journal’s website at “EMT Journal.”
You can also follow EMT on X,
This sounds like a fascinating and much-needed resource for anyone involved in estuarine management!