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212L. F. D. FARACO ET ALLIIn spite of the fact that most mangroves inthis region are located inside no-take PAs, localpopulations use mangrove fishing resources on aregular basis. Although mangrove products, such ascrabs (Ucides cordatus), oysters (Crassostrearhizophorae) and shrimp (Penaeus schmitti),account for a relatively small percentage of totalartisanal fish production, there are somecommunities that rely on crab extraction and oystersemicultivation as their main economic activities. Itis also evident that a practical situation of openaccess to these resources has lead tooverexploitation. Additionally, a general crisis infisheries in the region has led to an increase in theseactivities in local mangroves. In some areas there isa direct relation between the fishing village and thenearby mangrove, with examples of locallyestablished rules of access. But in many casesmangrove resources are explored by people comingfrom distant places, which is a source of conflictsbetween different groups of fisherfolk in this region(Miranda 2004).Even when they are not included in no-takePAs, the direct exploration of mangrove resources,except fishing resources, is considered illegal inBrazil, which is also a source of conflicts with thosepopulations that traditionally explore them (Glaser& Oliveira 2004). In the end, this situation ofpermanent illegality experienced by those thatexplore mangrove resources results in a normativeinsecurity and in a reduction of acceptance ofenvironmental rules, with growing hostility betweenlocal populations and environmental authorities. Itresults also in the adoption of economicallyinefficient, ecologically inappropriate and sociallyunequal practices by these populations (Glaser et al.2003).Therefore, although they might havecontributed for the conservation of natural resourcesin this region, land management and biodiversityconservation policies also generate conflicts whenthey restrict occupation of certain areas and prohibitexploration of resources. The impacts of these rulesare unevenly distributed among different socialgroups. This situation results in negative impacts onthe livelihoods of the populations that inhabit areasconsidered important for conservation. This is one ofthe reasons why official management actions are,more often than not, inefficient in protecting naturalresources, especially common pool resources such asfishing and mangrove ones.In a context such as the one observed in thecoast of Paraná, one of the poorest regions in thestate (Pierri et al. 2006), this scenario becomes evenmore problematic, as local small-scale fishingpopulations have limited access to political, financialand social assets, which aggravates the impacts thateven small fluctuations in natural resourcesavailability, or restrictions on the access to theseresources, can have on their livelihood and survival.Therefore, environmental regulations become one ofthe sources of variability and disturbance for theselivelihoods, acting together with otherenvironmental (variations in fish stocks, environmentaldegradation, extreme weather events) andeconomic (market fluctuations, low income, lack orinadequacy of support mechanisms) factors, andcontributing to increase the vulnerability ofpopulations and ecosystems to climate change. Thevulnerability of the SES of small scale fisheries inthis context puts at risk the survival conditions ofthousands of people, compromising their socialreproduction.As we recognize the connections betweencoastal ecosystems and human populations, there isa growing need for interdisciplinary research on theeffects of climate change and to translate researchresults into better policies. It is important tocomparatively understand these dynamics, analyzinghow this multitude of factors affects the livelihoodsand adaptive capacity of coastal populations andecosystems, in order to better adapt conservationstrategies, with an eye to both biodiversityconservation and social reproduction of humanpopulations. Research in this domain must find waysto influence the making of environmental policiesand rules.A methodology for assessing vulnerability toclimate change and the impacts of protectedareasThe development of conservation policiesfor coastal zones must consider the need tounderstand the different systems - socioeconomic,geomorphologic and ecologic - in an integratedmanner, so that vulnerability can be analyzed for thecoastal area as a whole. Although climate is one ofthe main sources of hazards for the coastal zone, it isnot the only source of change and vulnerability. Itneeds to be considered together with other factors sothat management instruments are useful forintegrated coastal management. Thus, whiledeveloping methodologies for analyzingvulnerability, the components of this analysis mustprovide information about all the processes thatdefine the behavior of the whole system (McFadden& Green 2007).A research framework aiming to analyze therelations between social and ecological systems hasto face the challenge of understanding cross-scalePan-American Journal of Aquatic Sciences (2010), 5(2): 205-223