Ecological and social basis for the development of a sand barrier breaching model in Laguna de Rocha, Uruguay

The research establishes a new breaching protocol for the sand barrier at Laguna de Rocha, Uruguay, replacing artificial opening practices that began in the 1950s and may have caused negative physical and biological effects since the 1980s. The protocol uses indicators such as water depth, sand barrier berm elevation, and rainfall forecasts to guide management decisions. The process relied on a participatory advisory group active for over 15 years to reach a consensus among scientists, authorities, and local stakeholders.

• Artificial opening of the sand barrier at Laguna de Rocha began in the 1950s, transitioning from methods used by fishermen and cattle ranchers to the current use of heavy machinery; inappropriate practices since the 1980s may have negatively impacted the lagoon's physical and biological structure.
• Geomorphological analysis indicates the sand barrier is highly vulnerable and suggests that climate change and sea level rise could lead to the development of new opening sites over the long term.
• A new breaching protocol was developed to assist managers in deciding when to open the barrier based on three specific indicators: rainfall forecasts, sand barrier berm elevation, and water depth.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2025). Ecological and social basis for the development of a sand barrier breaching model in Laguna de Rocha, Uruguay. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/ecological-and-social-basis-for-the-development-of-a-sand-barrier-breaching-model-in-laguna-de-rocha-uruguay/

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Ecological and social basis for the development of a sand barrier breaching model in Laguna de Rocha, Uruguay. 2025. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/ecological-and-social-basis-for-the-development-of-a-sand-barrier-breaching-model-in-laguna-de-rocha-uruguay/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Ecological and social basis for the development of a sand barrier breaching model in Laguna de Rocha, Uruguay |date=11 January 2025 |url=https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/ecological-and-social-basis-for-the-development-of-a-sand-barrier-breaching-model-in-laguna-de-rocha-uruguay/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2025ecological, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Ecological and social basis for the development of a sand barrier breaching model in Laguna de Rocha, Uruguay}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/ecological-and-social-basis-for-the-development-of-a-sand-barrier-breaching-model-in-laguna-de-rocha-uruguay/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }