Abstract The Brazil-Malvinas Confluence (BMC) is a significant biological frontier where distinct currents meet, fostering optimal conditions for phytoplankton development. In this study we tested the hypothesis that eddys promote an increase in phytoplankton biomass at the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence (BMC), altering species diversity. Phytoplankton were collected with Niskin bottles and nutrient concentrations assessed at two depths (Surface and Deep Chlorophyll Maximum Layer – DCML) in areas outside and under the influence of Cold-Core (CCE) and Warm-Core (WCE) Eddies. Environmental variables were determined in situ using a CTD profiler. Four regions were separated based on environmental variables and phytoplankton species, namely, the Brazil Current (BC), Malvinas Current (MC), CCE, and WCE. Species diversity was higher in the eddies. The conditions of the WCE were different from those of the CCE, with low temperature and salinity and high cell density values in the latter. The phylum Bacillariophyta was predominant in terms of species richness in all regions and was responsible for the higher cell density in the MC, while dinoflagellates were dominant in the BC and eddies. Therefore, eddy activity alters the structure, diversity and biomass of the phytoplankton community in the BMC. BrazilMalvinas BMC (BMC meet development BMC, , Surface DCML ColdCore Cold Core CCE (CCE WarmCore Warm (WCE Eddies profiler namely BC, (BC) MC (MC) eddies latter Therefore structure (BC (MC

Estuaries are major areas of organic matter (OM) deposition, playing an important role in the global carbon cycle. The Itapicuru's river estuary (IRE) is in the North Coast of Bahia (Brazil), in na Environmental Protected Area. Although it presents preserved conditions, some environmental changes caused by human activities can be observed. This study evaluated the anthropogenic impacts importance in concentrations/sources of OM deposited in IRE. n-Alkanes and stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) were analyzed in a sediment core collected in the studied region. Total n-alkanes (n-C15 to n-C35), TOC and TN concentrations varied from 1,333 to 7,384 ng g-1, 0.65% to 2.51% and 0.07% to 0.13%, respectively. Values of δ13C and δ15N ranged from -28.8‰ to -24.3‰, -6.23‰ to 1.87‰, respectively. By the means of the isotopic composition and the selected n-alkanes diagnostic ratios values (Productivity aquatic index; Carbon Preference Index; Average Chain Length and Alkane index), the main OM sources for IRE were determined as C3 terrestrial plants. This area is covered by mangrove/riparian vegetation, which mainly species have this photosynthetic pathway. Temporal changes in deposited OM occurred due natural and anthropogenic processes, such urban growth in the IRE upstream region.