ORCID Profile
0000-0002-8109-5819
Current Organisations
Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral
,
International Atomic Energy Agency Marine Environment Laboratories
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Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1071/PC17053_CO
Abstract: Galápagos is one of the most pristine archipelagos in the world and its conservation relies upon research and sensible management. In recent decades both the interest in, and the needs of, the islands have increased, yet the funds and capacity for necessary research have remained limited. It has become, therefore, increasingly important to identify areas of priority research to assist decision-making in Galápagos conservation. This study identified 50 questions considered priorities for future research and management. The exercise involved the collaboration of policy makers, practitioners and researchers from more than 30 different organisations. Initially, 360 people were consulted to generate 781 questions. An established process of preworkshop voting and three rounds to reduce and reword the questions, followed by a two-day workshop, was used to produce the final 50 questions. The most common issues raised by this list of questions were human population growth, climate change and the impact of invasive alien species. These results have already been used by a range of organisations and politicians and are expected to provide the basis for future research on the islands so that its sustainability may be enhanced.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 26-08-2020
DOI: 10.3390/SU12176931
Abstract: Marine fish populations can be vulnerable to overfishing, as a response of their life history, ecology, and socio-economic aspects. Vulnerability assessments, in this regard, can be used to support fisheries decision-making by aiding species prioritization. Assessments like Productivity–Susceptibility Analyses are well suited for multispecies fisheries, with low gear selectivity and insufficient fishery-independent and dependent data. Using this method, we assessed local vulnerability of the Galapagos grouper (‘bacalao’ Mycteroperca olfax) and compared it with other phylogenetically-related species caught in the Galapagos’ handline-fishery. Bacalao is an overfished regionally endemic fish species, characterized by low resilience, high market and cultural value and high spatial overlap with the fishery. Our results suggested that bacalao is a species of high management priority, requiring urgent measures to prevent fisheries’ collapse. In addition, if current fishing pressure persists, other related species may become threatened in the near future. We also evaluated different management scenarios using this approach. Results suggested that the inclusion of additional no-take zones in the marine reserve, comprising key nursery habitats (such as mangroves) and spawning aggregation sites, would be necessary to reduce species vulnerability and to benefit other related species. Improving enforcement and fishers’ compliance are essential to guarantee the effectiveness of these measures.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1071/PC17053
Abstract: Galápagos is one of the most pristine archipelagos in the world and its conservation relies upon research and sensible management. In recent decades both the interest in, and the needs of, the islands have increased, yet the funds and capacity for necessary research have remained limited. It has become, therefore, increasingly important to identify areas of priority research to assist decision-making in Galápagos conservation. This study identified 50 questions considered priorities for future research and management. The exercise involved the collaboration of policy makers, practitioners and researchers from more than 30 different organisations. Initially, 360 people were consulted to generate 781 questions. An established process of preworkshop voting and three rounds to reduce and reword the questions, followed by a two-day workshop, was used to produce the final 50 questions. The most common issues raised by this list of questions were human population growth, climate change and the impact of invasive alien species. These results have already been used by a range of organisations and politicians and are expected to provide the basis for future research on the islands so that its sustainability may be enhanced.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 04-2021
DOI: 10.3390/JMSE9040375
Abstract: Oceanic islands harbor unique yet fragile marine ecosystems that require evidence-based environmental management. Among these islands, the Galapagos archipelago is well known for its fish ersity, but the factors that structure communities within and between its islands remain poorly understood. In this study, water quality, physical habitats and geographical distance were assessed as potential predictors for the ersity and structure of fish assemblages. Differences in the structure of fish assemblages of the two studied islands (Santa Cruz and Floreana) were most likely driven by temperature and nutrient concentrations. In the relatively highly populated island Santa Cruz, the structure of fish assemblages was more affected by water conditions than physical habitats while the contrary was true for the more pristine area of Floreana. A wide variety of species with different geographical origins were distributed over the different islands, which indicates that most fish species are able to reach the islands of the archipelago. However, temperature gradients and elevated nutrient levels cause large differences in the structure of local fish assemblages. In addition, in Santa Cruz nutrient concentrations were negatively correlated with α ersity. Since pollution is a clear pressure on the fish assemblages of oceanic islands, environmental management of the coastal areas is of paramount importance.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-04-2020
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 08-10-2020
DOI: 10.3897/NEOBIOTA.61.53256
Abstract: While the Galápagos Archipelago is known for its endemic flora and fauna, many introduced species have also become naturalised there, especially on the human-inhabited islands. The only hibian species known to have established on the islands, the Fowler’s snouted treefrog ( Scinax quinquefasciatus ), is thought to have arrived about two decades ago. Since then, this treefrog has substantially extended its range to the islands of Santa Cruz and Isabela. Our study explores the potential influence of this introduced hibian on native trophic systems on Santa Cruz and identifies potential antagonists likely to control larval frog populations. To understand the impact of S. quinquefasciatus as a predator of local invertebrate fauna, we performed a stomach-content analysis of 228 preserved adult specimens from seven different localities on Santa Cruz. Of the 11 macroinvertebrate orders recorded, Lepidoptera constituted more than 60% of the contents. We also identified active predators of S. quinquefasciatus tadpoles: larvae of the endemic ing beetle ( Thermonectus basillarus galapagoensis ). To determine the efficiency of this predator, we conducted predator-prey experiments in ex situ conditions. Tadpole predation was highest after first exposure to the predator and significantly decreased over time. Our experimental results demonstrate that although T. b. galapagoensis larvae are effective tadpole predators, their feeding saturation rates are likely inadequate for frog population control. Our findings provide the first baseline data necessary to make informed ecological impact assessments and monitoring schemes on Santa Cruz for this introduced treefrog.
Location: Brazil
Location: No location found
Location: Monaco
No related grants have been discovered for Jorge Rafael Bermúdez.