Day 12: We left our hotel early at 5 AM to be the first ones at Quilotoa, a dormant crater lake. In 1280 when the volcano last went off, it let off a power explosion that completely blew the top off that formed the crater that is visible to day. Since then, the crater has filled with water from the accumulation of precipitation. Although the beautiful lake is 3 km wide, little life is able to be supported due to the high sulfuric acid content. The hike down was difficult to maneuver as the path is warn and sandy. I myself, slipped and twisted my ankle several times. On the way up, I learned from my mistakes and took a mule back. After Quilota, we made our way to Cotopaxi. Cotopaxi is an active volcano that threatens several towns in the vicinity. When it erupted in April of 2015, thousands fled in fear from the intense earthquakes and ash flow. Once we got to the site, we walked around a nearby lake where our guide discussed the current issues the national park was now facing. The introduction of escaped horses and bulls to the park has degraded the quantity of vegetation and polluted the lake from their fecal matter. Since their introduction, the water has become highly eutrophic. However, the carrions of these animals after they die provide nutrients for endangered vultures in the area. Our short excursion of Cotopaxi brought us to the city of Quito, the capitol of Ecuador. Sources: http://www.volcanolive.com/quilotoa.html https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/03/living-in-fear-of-disaster-in-ecuador-cotopaxi/519684/
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Day 6: We woke up at 4:45 AM to catch a boat to take us back to Santa Cruz. As we were leaving we said goodbye to Paola and gave her a group hug. After our two hour trip, we spent the rest of the morning on the beach, snorkeling and relaxing at Tortuga Bay. Afterwards we showered up and walked to the Charles Darwin Research Center. At the center, we observed the theories of how different species made it to the island and how these species are being impacted by ecotoursim and increased competition for habitats and resources. An example would be Darwin's Finches and the constant adaptations they exhibit during shortages or abundances of specific foods. Also at the center was Lonesome George, which was the last native Pinta Tortoise. Lonesome George died in 2012 and has since been taxidermied and placed on display. Lonesome George is now a symbol all over the world for conservation of species due to human activities. As his species was wiped out by whalers and farmers, Lonesome George now stands as the last Pinta Tortoise and will forever be remembered. Evolution and Species Adaptations: The Galapagos Cormorant: Unlike every other species of Cormorant, the Galapagos Cormorant is a flightless bird that uses its powerful wings to swim and catch fish. Galapagos Tortoises: There are 13 species of Tortoises remaining on the Galapagos Islands. All these species are separated from each other by either land barriers such as volcanoes or water barriers. These barriers have allowed these tortoises to develop separate adaptations such as the saddle back. Each island also has very different vegetation which allows for individual species to feed on different food sources. Iguanas: There are 4 species of Iguanas on the Islands; Marine, Rose and two types of land iguanas. Although these species can be found on the same islands, the Rose Iguana is only found in the mountains of Isabella Island while the marine Iguana stays close to the shore and the land iguanas are able to venture inland. Darwin's Finches: There are 14 different species of Darwin's finches with an additional species that was just discovered. Researchers at the center collect finch eggs to keep them protected during incubation. Although the center says they do not preform any activities that would require special treatment to any one species. Sources: https://www.galapagos.org/about_galapagos/about-galapagos/lonesome-george/ http://aboutgalapagos.nathab.com/animals/birds-of-the-galapagos/ https://www.galapagos.org/about_galapagos/about-galapagos/biodiversity/reptiles/
Today, Isabela Island is home to approximately 1,800 residents who earn livings as fishermen, farmers and tour guides. A special tour guide near and dear to all of our hearts, Paola, guided us around the South end of the island. After a short hotel visit, Paola took the group on a bike tour around the village. At the end of our tour, we went to an old quary that had filled up from permeated seawater. When the quary was first abandoned, the water was stocked with brine shrimp which made a perfect habitat for flamingos to flock during migratory periods. (Although it is not common for flamingos to migrate, changing climate patterns around the world have made it more common for them to move.) However, the threat of hypoxia in the quary has forced many of these birds to migrate as competition for resources has increased. Now, only a handful of flamingos remain and it is not expected that they will continue to feed in the area much longer. Following the depressing tale of the flamingos, Paola informed us on the current issues that are affecting marine species. As the marine life that surrounds the Galapagos is so diverse, illegal fishing and overfishing constitutes for the majority of species loss. An example of illegal fishing in the Galapagos was when a fishing boat was caught by Ecudadorian police with 6,000 hamerhead sharks from inside the Galapagos Protected Area. Other fish that are overhunted in the Galapagos are tuna, sea urchin and sea lions. Another issue that is impacting humans on the Galapagos Islands is the inaccessibility to new technology from the mainland as exporting materials to the islands is expensive. As Paola was born and raised on Isabela, she was able to provide several examples. Currently, Isabela Island requires a desalinization plant to convert the saltwater from the ocean into freshwater for human use. However the filter needed in desalinization had broken and it had been over a month to receive the filter at a cost of about $20,000. Sources: https://www.worldwildlife.org/places/the-galapagos https://www.galapagos.org/about_galapagos/about-galapagos/the-islands/isabela/ |
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ExperienceThrough Stockton University, I traveled to Ecuador where I studied Biodiversity, |