An analysis of concepts regarding the mangrove ecosystem, according to students of a State High School in the city of São Vicente - SP Cristiane Ramon Sampaio, Fernanda Ribeiro de Freitas, Walter Barrella

Abstract

Mangrove is a coastal environment of transition between the terrestrial and marine environment, being an ecosystem of tropical and subtropical regions, occur in the zones of
tide; They form in regions of mixture of sweet and salty waters like estuaries, bays and coastal lagoons. Mangrove trees protect the wetlands, accounting for one-tenth of the dissolved
organic carbon flowing from land to sea. The plants of this ecosystem are known as mangroves. In Brazil, there are three predominant mangrove species: Rhizophora mangle or
red mangrove, Laguncularia racemosa or white mangrove and Avicennia schaueriana or black mangrove. The mangrove has great ecological and economic importance and in great majority
the population does not know the importance that this ecosystem has. Through knowing to preserve using environmental education, it is necessary to raise awareness of the whole society by raising ecological awareness, building citizens who are protagonists for environmental conservation. The objective of this study was to diagnose, through a questionnaire with 8 questions, the environmental perception related to the mangrove in the view of students of a
state school in the city of São Vicente - SP as an instrument for actions aimed at environmental education in the school unit. It has been found that student performance on all questions is
mostly classified as unsatisfactory.