Climate change could endanger the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islands, and scientists are trying to figure out how to protect vulnerable species such as blue-footed boobies and Galapagos Penguins.
Some 175 years after the wildlife of the Galapagos helped inspire Charles Darwin to develop his theory of evolution, scientists are measuring the impact of global warming on the rich but fragile biodiversity of the islands.
The volcanic archipelago, about 600 miles west of the Ecuadorean coast, is home to scores of endemic species that closely depend on one another for survival.
Scientists say abrupt and frequent changes in sea temperatures and the death of coral reefs near the islands show that global warming is taking its toll on local sea life.
“The coral reefs create a habitat; they are like a forest, like the Amazon. They are home to scores of species. ... If the corals die we lose thousands of species that are associated to the coral,” said German marine biologist Judith Denkinger.
The Galapagos-based scientist said the harm that pollution and climate change are causing marine life could trigger a domino effect and hurt on-shore species as well.
“Everything is intertwined. You can’t say this is land, this is sea, they are both one,” Dr Denkinger said, sitting on a rock by the sea and surrounded by growling sea lions.
According to the UN, global warming is to blame for the melting of ice caps, rising sea levels and wacky weather worldwide, including storms, droughts and floods.
The UN says that between 20 and 30 per cent of plant and animal species worldwide are likely to face an increased risk of extinction due to warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Islands are particularly vulnerable to climate change, experts say.
Gabriel Lopez, executive director of the Galapagos-based Charles Darwin Foundation, said the islands have a very fragile ecosystem. Dr Lopez expressed concern that global warming “will have very strong impacts on sea lions – due to the lack of food available to them – on penguins, and on marine iguanas”.
The foundation conducts scientific research aimed at preserving the Galapagos Islands, home to such creatures as giant tortoises, penguins, the blue-footed booby seabird, iguanas, albatrosses, finches and sea lions.
Scientists based in the Galapagos say the archipaelago could become “a life-sized laboratory” in which researchers could gauge the threat of global warming, and develop strategies to mitigate its effects on wildlife.
“The Galapagos can be a barometer for the global community ... because in such fragile ecosystem the changes could be immediate,” said Dr Lopez.
The location of the islands also could help experts understand how a possible change in the strength or temperature of ocean currents could hurt sea life.
“The Galapagos are amid a unique, dynamic crossroad of currents. Here we can do controlled experiments to see how global warming could affect marine ecosystems in the long run,” Dr Denkinger said.
Among the currents that funnel their way between the islands is the oxygen-and-nutrient rich Cromwell current, on which sharks, sea lions and whales depend for food.
The Charles Darwin Foundation is concerned that it may soon need to help animals such as penguins better cope with higher temperatures or food shortages.
Dr Lopez said Galapagos Penguins – there are around 900 of them in the islands – may need to live in man-made “condos” if the worst-case scenarios regarding global warming materialise.
Overfishing and a booming tourism industry are also hurting the archipelago’s ecosystem. Lured by exceptional wildlife and pristine beaches, some 173,000 tourists last year visited the islands, which belong to Ecuador. That was about double the number in 2003.