The Galápagos Marine Reserve (GMR), famous for its incredible biodiversity, faces growing threats from chemical pollution like plastics, oils, pesticides, and heavy metals. The unique location of the Galápagos, where major ocean currents meet under intense sunlight, allows pollutants to flow in and spread. Pollution doesn’t just harm individual animals; it disrupts the entire marine ecosystem. Contaminants travel through food webs, threatening the environment’s balance. Factors like strong UV rays and volcanic activity can intensify the toxicity of pollutants. The remote and protected nature of the GMR makes monitoring and assessing these risks even harder. To protect the GMR, researchers are pushing for better monitoring tools and the use of key species to track pollution. By understanding pollution patterns and working together locally and globally, we can help preserve this precious ecosystem for future generations.
Highlights
· Geographical, geophysical and environmental factors exacerbate chemical exposure.
· Growing human footprint and global connectivity increases chemical introductions.
· Harbours are pollutant hotspots where intervention strategies should be focused.
· Eastern coastlines exposed to the Humboldt Current are plastic accumulation zones.
· Rapid assessment tools and sentinel species could aid environmental monitoring.
Read more the full paper in the following link
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724068153
