The warm morning light is reflected in the remains of a natural rocky arc near Darwin Island, one of the most isolated Galapagos Islands. In deep, clear blue water, thousands of marine organisms such as fish, hammer molechers and marine loungers move in search of food.
The collapse of the Darwin Arch, which was named after the famous British nature scientist, the owner of the theory of evolution, was in 2021 as a result of natural corrosion. However, his disappearance highlighted the fragility of a vast archipelago that is exposed to increasing pressure from climate change and gas species.
The high temperature of the ocean affects the sources of food for many marine animals in the Galapagos Islands. The marine egwana, which is one of the unique or unique types of the Galapagos Islands, faces it difficult to find the red and green algae you prefer.
Sea turtles also find it difficult to build their nests at higher temperatures. The difficulty of raising its youngsters increases with the high water temperature and the lack of available nutrients.
The great warming caused by climate change in recent years has added pressure on many species in the remote islands off the coast of Ecuador.
“We have something here of everything, and for this reason people say the Galapagos Islands are very diverse, but we have a small number of everything,” says Natasha Capsas, a natural guide.
The Galapagos Islands have always been sensitive to ocean temperature changes. The archipelago itself is located at the main convergence point of the main peripheral currents, cold from the south, warm from the north, and the cold rising current from the west. Then there is the phenomenon of Nenio, which is a periodic and natural height in the Pacific temperature that affects the weather all over the world.
While temperatures vary depending on seasons and other natural climatic events, ocean temperatures are high due to the change of climate caused by human activities, as the oceans absorb the vast majority of excess heat in the atmosphere.
The ocean has witnessed its finest contract since the 19th century at least in the past ten years, and in 2024 it was a warmer year on land and in the oceans at all.
With the beginning of June, winter is dissolved in the southern hemisphere, and the chromwell stream brings whale sharks, hammer fish and huge sun thickness to the surface.
This current also provides nutrients for penguins, marine lizards and sea lions in search of food. With the appearance of more of these animals this season, scientists follow how they were affected by the Nino phenomenon last year.
Neenio may lead to a lack of food for some species, such as marine egwana and marine turtles, as the high temperature of the ocean means decreasing food sources. Scientists who monitor these species have noticed a significant decrease in their numbers during the events of the Neenio.
The marine egwana swims like snakes in water from rock to rock, at a time when the waves collapse on the beach of Fernandina Island. While clinging to the rocks under the water to feed on the algae that grow there, the sea revolves around it as the proceeding of those who play with it.
“Iganna was one of the most affected species of the Nino phenomenon last year, and it is still recovering now,” said Jorge Carion, director of the Galapagos Preservation Authority.
With the threat of high ocean temperatures to marine and aquatic organisms, land face a different problem. Wild animals such as wild cats, dogs, pigs, goats and cows – are not local animals – threaten unique species in the islands.
Emotionous animals are a special threat to the giant turtles closely related to the Galapagos Islands. The numbers of turtles decreased dramatically in the 19th century due to overfishing, and the authorities have sought to protect them from humans. The killing of giant turtles has been prohibited since 1933.
“In one night, a wild boar can destroy all nesting sites in an area … park guards are trying to visit the nesting sites once a day, and they kill pigs when they find them. But pigs are difficult
Wild cats feed on the sacrifices of the marine Iguana, and both pigs and cats compete with turtles for little food.
If the invasive species and the high temperature of the ocean are not sufficient, there is plastic that represents a widespread problem in the world’s oceans. A recent study reported the presence of accurate plastic particles in the stomachs of penguins in the Galapagos Islands. “There are no animals in the Galapagos Islands whose food does not contain accurate plastic molecules,” Carion says.
