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La protección del paisaje marino del Pacífico Este Tropical y la vida que habita en él depende de nosotros. Lugares como la Isla del Coco, Galápagos, Malpelo y Coiba son lugares fundamentales para la supervivencia de miles de especies que migran de un espacio a otro sin importar las fronteras. La semana pasada, Panamá se convirtió en el primer país dentro de la meta 30x30 en proteger al menos el 30% de su paisaje marino y el segundo en el Pacífico después de Chile. Para que este esfuerzo sea exitoso las demás naciones que presiden sus aguas: Costa Rica, Ecuador y Colombia necesitan unirse y comprometerse a proteger este lugar lleno de belleza y riqueza natural.

Este logro no habría sido posible sin el liderazgo y trabajo de Héctor Guzmán, científico del Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute y miembro de la red MigraMar, quien ha trabajado día a día para obtener información relevante que muestre la importancia de este espacio y la necesidad de conservarlo para la supervivencia de la vida marina. Gracias al Presidente de Panamá y al Ministro de Ambiente por tomar las acciones y proteger este espacio tan fundamental para la economía, la cultura y el futuro de estas cuatro naciones.

Sigamos haciendo ruido y convoquemos a los demás gobiernos a que sigan el ejemplo de Panamá, hay muchas formas de hacerlo, infórmate sobre los temas relevantes de tu país, comparte material o sube el tuyo y etiqueta a tus gobiernos y ministros, o únete a las campañas ya existentes, como la de Costa Rica para que el gobierno de el fallo definitivo  y proteja a los tiburones de CREMA o la de Only One para crear un refugio unificado entre las cuatro naciones para las especies marinas.

MigraMar is pleased to announce a new Board of Directors. Founding member Dr. Alex Hearn assumed the presidency of the board on April 1st, joined by existing board members Dr. Hector M. Guzman (vice-president), Dr. George Shillinger (treasurer) and MS. Kerstin Forsberg (secretary). 

They are joined by international policy expert Maximiliano Bello, who has over two decades of experience in the marine environmental sector and has worked directly with scientists in the MigraMar network. MigraMar wishes to thank outgoing President Dr. James Ketchum, and board members Sandra Bessudo, Todd Steiner, Robert Rubin and Eduardo Espinoza for their leadership throughout the past cycle, which has seen MigraMar become formally established as a charitable organization.

The Eastern Pacific is home to large populations of threatened migratory marine megafauna, including sharks, cetaceans, turtles, and seabirds. It is also subject to intense human impacts, including intense fishing pressure, boat traffic, pollution, and climate change.

Within the region, there are several World Heritage Sites (UNESCO), some of which have recently been expanded, while others are in the process of expansion. Since 2006, MigraMar – a network of researchers and conservationists from different organizations – has been dedicated to understanding the movements of these species within and between these marine protected areas.

By combining innovative methods of population monitoring and assessment to identify key migratory routes and foci of threat for these species, MigraMar aims to create two MigraVías (marine corridors) to link key habitats between Galapagos and Coco (Ecuador – Costa Rica), and Malpelo – Coiba (Colombia – Panama). The MigraMar database includes more than 1200 acoustic and satellite tags of different migratory species, including the hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), the silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis), the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas). ) and the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). These records show strong connections between oceanic islands, along different seamount systems.

By engaging the governments of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador through the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR), MigraMar’s biological and oceanographic research efforts foster the use of innovative technologies for the management of the high seas to protect populations of highly migratory marine species.

Based on the experience of MigraVías in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, MigraMar is planning the management of marine megafauna connectivity conservation areas between the Gulf of California and Revillagigedo (Mexico), Revillagigedo and Clipperton (Mexico – France), Revillagigedo – Guadalupe – Channel Islands of California (Mexico – United States) and Juan Fernández – Rapa Nui (Chile).

Hammerhead sharks are very sensitive to over-exploitation. These sharks possess ecological characteristics that increase their vulne- rability, such as low birth rates, late reproduction and selectivity in their feeding habits. Hammerhead shark species are widely threate- ned globally, mainly because of their consumption. The characte- ristics of their population dynamics highlight the need to establish conservation strategies for the adequate protection of this species at a global level.

In 2017 within the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR), one of the main aggregation sites of the common hammerhead shark (Sphyr- na lewini) was detected in the neonatal and juvenile stages in the northern sector of Santa Cruz at the site called El Edén. This dis- covery laid the foundation for monitoring a breeding area used by this highly threatened species in the GMR. Natural populations of sharks must be monitored in order to know the recruitment levels of the species, and the contributions that the species has to nature. Likewise, the migratory characteristics of S. lewini increase the need to extend this research to the continental region and other countries in the region.

The monitoring and follow-up program of hammerhead shark bre- eding areas managed in GMR has been able to extend to the conti- nental Ecuadorian area, with the support provided by Ocean Blue Tree. The aim of this extension is to implement effective and efficient management measures throughout the region, which will help to conserve this highly threatened species, hoping to give this critically endangered species a chance.