The Rio Doce Biodiversity Project was born from the partnership between FUNBIO and Fundação Renova and its main objective is to increase knowledge of target species in the Doce River basin (Minas Gerais), through scientific research that will support the recovery and conservation efforts anticipated in the Action Plans for the Conservation of Terrestrial and Aquatic Biodiversity in the Doce River basin, led by the Fundação Renova.

The studies will focus on developing efforts to conserve species of fauna and flora that may have been affected by the collapse of the Fundão tailings dam (Mariana – Minas Gerais), considering the Transaction and Conduct Adjustment Agreement (TCAA) , concluded between the public authorities, bodies and environmental entities of the Union, the States of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, Samarco Mineração S.A., Vale S.A. and BHP Billiton Brasil Ltda, on March 2^nd, 2016.

The Rio Doce Biodiversity Project will allocate approximately 29 million to Calls for Projects for non-profit institutions and communication efforts to disseminate and promote the exchange of information about the supported subprojects, their objectives, and results.

The Calls for Projects will subsidize scientific research projects to conserve target threatened species in the Doce river basin, projects to reintroduce endangered and/or extinct species in the Doce river basin, existing ex situ conservation projects with target species and projects to monitor the structure and dynamics of populations of target species of the aquatic biota.

The technical and financial incentive to carry out this scientific research in the Doce River basin must be understood as a good path towards the local remediation process, with the application of the best biodiversity conservation practices. It is not the objective of this Project to answer questions related to the effects of the dam collapse on the target species. Therefore, after the implementation of the Rio Doce Biodiversity Project, we expect to have supported 39 research subprojects, which will make a significant contribution to the conservation of biodiversity of target species in the Doce River basin.