Corumbau Marine Extractive Reserve, Marine extractive reserve in Bahia, Brazil

Corumbau Marine Extractive Reserve is a federal sustainable-use reserve covering 89,596.75 hectares: a belt of sea eight nautical miles wide along about 65 kilometres of coast, from Praia das Ostras in Prado to Praia do Espelho in Porto Seguro, Bahia. It also takes in mangroves at the mouths of the Caraíva, Corumbau and Cahy rivers, offshore from Monte Pascoal and Descobrimento national parks.

Created by federal decree on 21 September 2000 after artisanal fishing communities mobilised against predatory industrial fisheries, the reserve is administered by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. A deliberative council was set up on 21 September 2002, and in 2002 the area joined the Central Atlantic Forest Ecological Corridor.

Fishing families living here practice traditional methods passed down through generations, catching fish and shrimp while maintaining their deep connection to the sea. These time-honored ways shape the character of nearby coastal communities and how residents relate to their environment.

Visit outside the rainy season when conditions are more stable and water access is easier to navigate. Bring proper protective gear and check local guidelines before arriving to understand protections for fishing stocks.

The reserve's reefs hold all the stony coral species of the South Atlantic, including endemics such as Mussismilia braziliensis, Favia leptophylla and the octocorals Plexaurella regia and Muricea flammea. The Ministry of the Environment classified the area as of Extreme Biological Importance for Brazilian coastal and marine biodiversity in 2002.