This is the first book to cover Holocene geology and geomorphology of the entire 8,500 kilometers of the Brazilian coast. It is aimed at third and fourth year undergraduates, post-graduate students, scientists and managers. It characterizes the coast in terms of holocene geology, geomorphology, oceanographic conditions and the location of the barrier types. Separate chapters outline the types of barrier in each state, beginning in the south and proceeding to the north. Special emphasis is placed on the stretches of coast where the detailed morphology and stratigraphy of barriers has been previously determined.To date the Brazilian coastal barriers have been largely ignored by the international community, especially by north American authors and scientists who generally concentrate on barrier islands. However, the Brazilian coastal barriers display a much wider range of types than is generally assumed. The biggest and most spectacular dunefield barriers in the world exist in Brazil although hitherto completely unknown.This volumes provides a wealth of information on barrier types, evolution and dynamics. It furnishes managers, biologists and botanists with much needed geological and dynamic background of the evolution, functioning and ecosystems of holocene barriers along the entire Brazilian coast.