the lagoon was and remains to be an important element of the surrounding communities and their economies, as it is not only one of the main sources of drinking water, but its waters are also used for the irrigation of local plantations. it is also a popular location for tourism, with a number of activities available on the water, including kayaking, jet skiing, and sailing.

it is also a popular source of freshwater fish, playing an important role in the local fisheries. however, the native ecosystems are under threat, as well as the lagoon itself, as the water resources have been misused, whilst landfills around its banks have seen a reduction of two-thirds of the lagoon in the last 100 years.

the study diagnóstico das restingas no brasil (diagnostic of brazilian sandbanks) by sandro menezes silva, of the botanical and biological sciences of the universidade federal do paraná gives a wealth of information on the types of flora and faunafound in sandbanks (restingas), typical of rio de janeiro's state lagoons.