Two recent earthquakes have devastated the home of a tiny fish, causing its population numbers to decline. However, a recent count of the pupfish population in a national park shows its numbers increasing, which offers hope.
Devils Hole, located in the Death Valley National Park, Nevada, is home to the tiny and endangered pupfish. According to Fox 5, researchers have discovered that earthquakes around the world are rattling the fish's home, which could be negatively impacting the population.
Kevin Wilson, Supervisory Biologist and Devils Hole Program Manager, explained to Fox 5 that earthquakes that occurred in December 2024 and February of this year created waves that are harmful to the ecosystem within the hole.
For example, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in July of this year in Russia created a 9.9 inch wave in Devils Hole that removed most of their food and resources, which was problematic for the fish.
Fortunately, at the most recent count, the population had increased from 20 to 38 fish, suggesting the population is on the rebound. This could be because researchers have been offering fish food to the fish during times when their ecosystem is stressed.
"The reason being is that there's something in the ecosystem that's not just quite right, and we're trying to figure that out… so we immediately started feeding extra food to the fish and we're continuing that today," Wilson told Fox 5.
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Environmental challenges globally are threatening populations of wild animals. For example, changing environmental conditions are leading to the spread of invasive species, which is harming native animal populations. Additionally, an increase in extreme weather events, resulting from global warming, is causing species to move into areas where they wouldn't normally be found, adding further stress to ecosystems.
Researchers worldwide are exploring methods to help protect and increase populations of endangered wildlife. Hunting bans have helped protect some species, while others have benefited from rewilding efforts and the eradication of invasive species.
Talking about issues like these can help raise awareness among friends and family about the need to protect native ecosystems, which can spark interest in people and lead to change.
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