The Rio Pacoti flows through the coastal zone of Ceará, Brazil, draining a watershed of approximately 132,717 hectares — about 8.83% of the Greater Metropolitan Basin near Fortaleza. The river winds through a diverse landscape that includes tableland forests, mobile and fixed dune fields, and extensive mangrove systems before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near the municipality of Aquiraz, not far from Porto das Dunas. The lower estuary is particularly dynamic, shaped by the interplay of freshwater flow and tidal marine influence, creating a rich and productive fishery where both freshwater and marine species converge. The river's estuarine zone is flanked by mangrove vegetation that serves as critical feeding, shelter, and nursery habitat for a wide variety of fish species, making the Pacoti a uniquely diverse fishing destination in northeastern Brazil.