Galapagos’ biodiversity under threat from ‘El Nino’

Santa Cruz

The Galapagos Islands, celebrated for their breathtaking biodiversity, could face a major threat from "El Nino," the weather system known to wreak havoc every few years. 

The archipelago sustains a vast variety of plant and animal life, and has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

But the fragile Galapagos ecosystem may prove no match for the strong winds, heavy rains and warmer than usual ocean currents that accompany El Nino. 

The dangers posed by those climatic changes are particularly acute for marine iguanas -- reptiles found only on the Galapagos -- which live on land but get their food from the ocean. 

"Marine iguanas feed only on algae," Eduardo Espinoza, 46, director of marine research at Galapagos National Park, explained.

"During times of El Nino, these algae may be scarce and many begin to die," Espinoza said. 

"El Nino" refers to the abnormal warming of surface waters in the tropical sections of the Pacific Ocean every three to five years.

Climatologists began observing the most recent El Nino several months ago, and fear that because of global warming, the phenomenon will hit the Galapagos with increasing frequency and greater destructive potential in coming years. 

Charles Darwin made the Galapagos famous a century-and-a-half ago with research here that led him to devise his theory of evolution.