the centro de adestramento da ilha da marambaia (cadim) has been operating there since 1981.

the sandbank is utilized by military staff, their families and guests as a leisure area - many high-ranking politicians use these shores as resting areas when in rio for official business.

with vegetation that includes some of the last remaining parts of the mata atlântica in south-eastern brazil, large areas of salt marshes, including beaches and dunes, and mangroves, the area is used for scientific research investigating unique ecosystems.