Exceptional species in a mexican archipelago identified by UNESCO

UNESCO has identified the continued existence of two exceptional species in the Revillagigedo Archipelago: the Multibarred triplefin (Axoclinus multicinctus) and the Socorro Wrasse (Halichoeres insularis). These endemic species, documented by Ross Robertson and Gerald Allen in 1992, have received little attention over the past decades. Their presence reinforces the Outstanding Universal Value of this World Heritage Site in Mexico.

Instituto Smithsonian de Investigaciones Tropicales

These species are part of nearly 4,500 identified through UNESCO's pioneering eDNA programimplemented in 21 World Heritage Sites in the world. "This initiative provides new opportunities to better understand and protect critical ecosystems in the 18,000 protected marine areas around the world," stated UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

Scientists and site managers collected 500 samples over three years, enabling a mapping process that would otherwise have taken much longer and cost millions of dollars. Of the nearly 4,500 species identified, almost half are fish, and 120 are classified as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Cheikh Fall

The UNESCO report highlights the identification of 402 species in the Mexican archipelago, including 182 fish species and 14 threatened species. Among these are the endemic Multibarred triplefin and the Socorro Wrasse, both classified as "Vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List, which notes that their habitats remain suitable for now.

The report on UNESCO's program results emphasizes that the relative isolation of the Revillagigedo Archipelago has allowed the evolution of exclusive terrestrial and marine species, or endemics, alongside large gatherings of other species. This presents a significant opportunity for action by Mexico and its various community sectors.

UNESCO's Representation in Mexico reiterates its commitment to supporting governments, institutions, and civil society organizations in efforts to protect nature and the country's rich biodiversity. Central to this mission is redefining humanity's relationship with nature.

Achieving this mission requires working through education, improving information and science popularization, fostering environmentally harmonious social dynamics and consumption models, and promoting open science while collaborating closely with scientists. An example of such collaboration is the involvement of professionals from the Revillagigedo National Park, the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), and the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur.

The data collected by UNESCO can support evidence-based decision-making, helping states strengthen the planning and management of marine protected areas to adapt to climate change. This is critical because the study also determined that many of these species will soon confront temperatures exceeding their known tolerance limits.

Parque del Humedal de iSimangaliso

The eDNA program represents the first standardized application for monitoring marine species in biodiversity reserves. Using a single 1.5-litre water sample, this technique can detect genetic traces of approximately one hundred marine species on average. Compared to existing technologies, the program's approach is cost-effective, non-invasive, significantly faster, and reduces data collection time from years to months.

All eDNA data have been integrated into UNESCO's Ocean Biodiversity Information System(OBIS), a global platform ensuring open, comparable, and interoperable access to information for researchers and policymakers worldwide.

In Mexico, the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) operates the Coastal-Marine Information and Analysis System(SIMAR), a technological platform designed to study ecosystems in the Greater Caribbean and the northeastern tropical Pacific. It includes methodologies for in-situ studies of coral reef conditions, seagrass meadows, mangroves, marine turtles, sharks, and rays.

SIMAR also hosts protocols, such as one for coral reefs that evaluates structural and functional attributes, another for seagrass meadows that monitor changes over time to identify degradation or recovery, and a protocol for mangroves that assesses climate change impacts and ecosystem resilience in the Mexican Caribbean. Additional protocols cover marine turtle population status and the characterization of shark and ray populations, assessing fishing impacts on these species.

UNESCO's Natural Sciences Sector in Mexico implements actions to restore, conserve, and rehabilitate ecosystem functions and interactions. It collaborates with communities to empower them as change agents by fostering reconnection with the planet. UNESCO also works with governments to enable informed decision-making, with the private sector to promote healthier production models, and with scientists to develop evidence-based strategies. These strategies aim to accelerate sustainable development by defining extraction, load, and carrying capacity limits in urban and rural ecosystems to ensure they are self-sustaining and self-regenerating.

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