One more warning from nature
Causa Natura Media, experts in investigative journalism, recently published an article about thirteen species of the California Gulf that are in decline as reported by N-GEN (New Generation of Sonoran Desert Researchers), a network of more than a thousand researchers.
Crabs, fish, seabirds and whales are some of the species that were identified in initial or advanced deterioration in the Gulf of California, according to the evaluation of 41 taxonomic groups made by N-GEN.
Overall, the report shows an alarming decline in populations at the top of the food chain.
Of the thirteen taxonomic groups in deterioration, the two that show accelerated deterioration are marine megafauna such as whales and dolphins, and invertebrates and fish.
“Through the continuous monitoring of whales and dolphins that has been carried out in the Great Islands region, a general and marked decrease in the number of sightings (of these species) has been observed in the last eight years,” says researcher Héctor Pérez-Puig in the report.
According to Benjamín Wilder, director and co-founder of N-Gen, the degradation of this group of species could be due to overfishing and climate change.
“Species or populations that are in degradation are very good indicators and indirectly show that their food is decreasing. The main hypothesis is that there are two factors that are causing this: one is the overfishing of the species throughout the gulf and climate change with the increase in water temperature that changes the zoning of the species. It can be both,” Wilder said.
On the other hand, seven taxonomic groups were stable and three were evaluated for improvement. Most of these were terrestrial species or with connections between land and sea such as sea turtles and cardones(Mexican giant cactus).
18 taxonomic groups did not show a trend towards deterioration, stability or improvement, resulting in an indeterminate status, as was the case of pathogens (bacteria, viruses, among others).
To carry out this evaluation, N-Gen made a survey through 32 researchers who contributed with 41 long-term studies in the Gulf of California, ranging from 1960 to the present, with the objective of knowing the physical condition of this area and compiling a report.
“We know that there are many long-term studies focused on various parts of the Gulf, on various species and levels of the food web, and at various times, but we did not know who was doing them, when they were done and what trends they show,” Wilder said.
Although there is no date to update this evaluation, in the future they hope to prepare a report that not only addresses the ecological part but also the social part.
“I think it is very important to understand that there are many changes happening and that they are going to greatly affect the populations of coastal communities that base their survival on the sea. So, I think we can help understand what the changes mean for those communities,” Wilder explained.