Researchers in Yucatán have found a “lost world” of a mangrove ecosystem 124 miles from the nearest ocean, where they would normally exist. It runs along the banks of the San Pedro Martir River, which runs from the El Petén rainforests in Guatemala to the Balancán region in Tabasco. This is unusual because mangroves—salt-tolerant trees,…
The sargassum on the coast and the Sahara dust in the sky might have a connection. The stinky seaweed first sprouted in 2011 in the tropical Atlantic and has been plaguing beaches ever since. Sewage and farmland runoff have been blamed. But there’s another possible culprit — Africa’s Sahara dust, which blows over the ocean and…
This week we continue our quest to bring to you original photographs and information about some of Yucatán’s most amazing animals.
Scientists will document the effects of illegal fishing and tourism in the reefs of Alacranes and Bajos del Norte in the Yucatán Peninsula.
Though the exact number of animal species on the Yucatán Peninsula is hard to nail down, even conservative estimates place the number in the thousands.
A new report titled “the costs of urban expansion in Mexico” has found that Mérida’s strategy for growth is alarmingly deficient.
Aside from Mérida, the worst affected municipalities include Tizimín, Tecax, and Tzucacab, all of which are known for ranching and agriculture.
Video of the rescue was captured by one of the fishermen who can be heard speaking to the dolphin and reassuring it with gentle gestures..
“We need a new set of standards to address the problem, as honestly efforts so far have not only been unsuccessful but have actually made the problem worse,” said Pedro Castro Borges, of the CInsvestav research institute.
Worrying levels of pollution have been detected at four of Yucatán’s beaches.
Ecologists hope to learn more about this species, as well as what brought it to Yucatán in the first place.
The accident is said to have been caused by a faulty duct that released and ignited highly combustible gas in the Gulf.
The most affected areas include beaches on the state’s southern coast, but large patches of seaweed have extended all the way north to the tourist mecca of Cancun.
The nest contained eleven live baby turtles and well over one hundred hatched eggs shells.
In Yucatán, bugs are abundant, varied, and a tad frightening. Yet they are not all dangerous and are sometimes even desirable house guests.
The Yucatan peninsula is home to some of Mexico’s most beautiful and exuberants birds, 565 of them to be exact.
Local officials feel that the tiny resort island has reached capacity and any further development would be catastrophic.
Environmentalists argue that the construction of a large industrial pig farm within Yucatán’s Cenote Ring could create disastrous levels of contaminants.
Reaserchers point to pollution from rivers in South America and the United States as the likely cause of rapid sargassum growth. The sargasso sea was first observed by Christopher Columbus in 1492. However, since that time, that relatively small patch of seaweed has been transformed into a floating island of biomass spanning over 5,600 miles….
Scientists in Yucatán warn that within a couple of decades, saltwater could contaminate the drinking water supply of the entire peninsula. Because the water basin in much of Yucatán is so close to the surface, rising sea levels would be disastrous. The problem has already begun to manifest in some areas of the Riviera Maya,…
Mexico is considering reducing the protected area for endangered vaquita porpoises after a fisherman’s death led to accusations that the government cares more about marine animals than its own citizens. An estimated 10 vaquitas are left in the world, residing in the northern Gulf of California or Sea or Cortez. The government’s most recent analysis…
An investigation into a program meant to preserve Mexico’s forests shows how good intentions can result in unintended consequences. Dozens of saplings grow scattered around charred tree stumps in the hills of Yucatán and Campeche, thanks to Mexico’s vast reforestation program, Sembrando Vida, or Sowing Life. But so too is the burned-out clearing. In this part…
Mexico’s Secretariat of the Navy has canceled shooting practice on a preserve north of Isla Mujeres amid rising opposition against the plan. The Fifth Naval Region had indicated that nearly two weeks of exercises were scheduled on Isla Contoy starting Tuesday. Ch’ooja Ajauil AC and fishing cooperatives in the area complained that shooting ammunition at…
Yucatán has announced a statewide polystyrene ban effective June 19. The news comes on the heels of similar measures taken in December, intended to eliminate the use of plastic straws and some types of plastic bags. Harry Rodríguez Botello Fierro, Yucatán’s ecology commissioner, highlighted the importance of the polystyrene ban and suggested that the state…
That’s all for now
That’s all for now