Brazilian Mangrove Under Watch: A Review of Remote Sensing Approaches for Land Cover Change Detection

Mangroves provide important ecological and socioeconomic services but are among the most threatened coastal ecosystems, impacted by human activities and natural events, especially climate-related processes. Remote Sensing (RS) has become a key tool for monitoring changes in mangrove coverage and identifying drivers of transformation. In Brazil, which hosts the second-largest mangrove area globally, RS has generated important insights; however, gaps remain in its application for analyzing internal changes in these environments. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of research on Brazilian mangroves over the past 20 years. Data were collected from Scopus and Web of Science databases following PRISMA guidelines, and selected articles were systematically analyzed. Results show that, despite a limited number of publications, studies address diverse topics, reflected in a wide range of journals. Only 32% of studies were conducted in protected areas, although 87% of Brazilian mangroves are located within them. Landsat imagery was the most commonly used data source, likely due to its long-term availability and free access, while NDVI was the main vegetation index applied. Overall, these findings provide useful information for researchers, policymakers, and society, enhancing understanding of scientific knowledge on Brazilian mangroves and supporting the use of RS for ecosystem monitoring and management.