Culatra Island
Description of Culatra Island
Culatra Island can be divided in three different sectors according to morphodynamic characteristics. The west end of the island is partially artificial due to the presence of the Faro-Olhão Inlet jetty and a seawall/groyne system (built in the early 1980’s). The central sector was the historical location of an ancient inlet. The inherited morphology in this sector reflects the diverse ages of the sand bodies alternating dune ridges with ancient tidal channels and washover breaches. In eastern sector, an inlet dominated evolution occurs, with the development of curved sandy spits. The morphology is constituted by sand ridges separated by active tidal channels on the inner part, and by washover on the ocean side. As the island progressed, the bays between abandoned recurved spits become low-energy environments, where sedimentation gets finer. Sandy back-barriers evolve to tidal flats and salt marshes.
The resent history of Culatra Island elongation is closely related the opening of Faro-Olhão Inlet, its stabilisation, and the scouring process, which greatly reduced the flow through Armona Inlet. Tidal current loss over Armona Inlet ebb delta allowed waves and flood tidal currents to push the shoals landward. This in turn provided the sediment necessary to enlarge Culatra Island.
The barrier embayments on the lagoon side of Culatra Island where chosen as EVREST project study sites because these locations present, during the last decades, the environmental succession from a sandy shore to saltmarsh.

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2014
The orthophotography is property of DGT (Direção-Geral do Território) of Portugal. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
2009
The orthophotography is property of CIMA (Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental) of the University of Algarve. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
2008
The orthophotography is property of CIMA DGT (Direção-Geral do Território) of Portugal. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
2005
The orthophotography is property of DGT (Direção-Geral do Território) of Portugal. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
2002
The orthophotography is property of DGT (Direção-Geral do Território) of Portugal. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
2001
The aerial photography is property of CIGeoE (Centro de Informação Geoespacial do Exército) of Portugal. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
2000
The aerial photography is property of CIGeoE (Centro de Informação Geoespacial do Exército) of Portugal. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
1999
The aerial photography is property of CIGeoE (Centro de Informação Geoespacial do Exército) of Portugal. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
1996
The aerial photography is property of Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (former INAG) of Portugal. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
1989
The aerial photography is property of Força Aérea Portuguesa (FAP) de Ministério de Defesa Nacional of Portugal. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
1986
The aerial photography is property of Força Aérea Portuguesa (Base Aérea Nº 6, Montijo) of Portugal. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
1980
The aerial photography is property of DGT (Direção-Geral do Território) of Portugal. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
1976
The aerial photography is property of Força Aérea Portuguesa (FAP) de Ministério de Defesa Nacional of Portugal. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
1972
The aerial photography is property of Instituto Portugués de Cartografia e Cadastro (IPCC) of Portugal. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
1969
The aerial photography is property of Força Aérea Portuguesa (FAP) de Ministério de Defesa Nacional of Portugal. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
1958
The aerial photography was taken by the United States Air Force (USAF) and the photographs are part of the CIGeoE (Centro de Informação Geoespacial do Exército) collection. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
1952
The aerial photography was taken by the Sociedade Portuguesa de Levantamentos Aéreos Limitada (SPLAL) and the photographs are part of the CIGeoE (Centro de Informação Geoespacial do Exército) collection. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve. -
1947
The aerial photography was taken by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and the photographs are part of the CIGeoE (Centro de Informação Geoespacial do Exército) collection. The GIS implementation was performed by CIMA of the University of Algarve.
Suggested readings:
Garcia, T., Ferreira, Ó., Matias, A., Dias, J.A. (2002). Recent evolution of Culatra Island (Algarve-Portugal). Proceedings of Littoral 2002, the Changing Coast, 22–26 September, Porto; 289–294.