A conservation area in Brazil’s northeastern state of Piauí was facing development until environmental journalism helped drive accountability: in March 2025, Mongabay Brasil published an investigation on the controversial reclassification of a protected area along the coast of the state. Once designated as Monumento Natural das Itans (Itans Natural Monument), the 57-hectare (141-acre) area – which is key habitat for vulnerable manatees and sea turtles – was downgraded to an Área de Proteção Ambiental (Environmental Protection Area), a category that permits greater development.
The move sparked outcry from local fishers and environmental groups, who warned that it opened the door to unregulated tourism infrastructure in one of the last strongholds of Brazil’s manatee population.
The area also contains rare and sensitive ecosystems, including mangroves, restinga (a threatened ecosystem type consisting of plants that grow on sandy, acidic, and nutrient-poor soils), and sambaquis which are prehistoric shell mounds of archaeological importance. The area also serves as a feeding and reproduction zone for manatees and sea turtles, including the olive ridley and green turtle species.
