Lia Méndez

Trace metals in tissues of gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) carcasses from the Northern Pacific Mexican Coast.

Samples of liver, lung, heart, muscle, and blubber tissue from the carcasses of juvenile gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) found stranded on the coast off the Sea of Cortez, México were analyzed for a range of trace metals (Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Cd). The highest concentrations of copper, iron, zinc, and manganese were found in liver; nickel and lead in heart, and cadmium in kidney. In all tissues analyzed, iron, zinc and copper were present in the highest concentrations; however, some whales also showed high levels of cadmium in the kidney which could be related to their diet. Elevated concentrations of copper were found only in the liver of one whale. In general, where low levels of iron were found in the liver, they were associated with poor nutrition. Lead, nickel, manganese and zinc levels in liver were within the normal range, indicating that these whales had not been exposed to high levels of these metals.

Heavy metals in the clam Megapitaria squalida collected from wild and phosphorite mine-impacted sites in Baja California, Mexico: considerations for human health effects.

The “chocolate clam” Megapitaria squalida, is widely consumed by the population of several localities along the Pacific coast. Clams collected from seven stations in Bahía de la Paz, a bay within the Gulf of California, before and after the summer rainy season were analyzed for Pb, Ni, Cd, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Fe. The location of the sampling sites significantly affected the concentration of metals in clam tissues, but not in relation to the proximity to alleged contaminated sites. Clams from a site close to a phosphate mine had the highest levels of Pb, but only in April, and the highest concentrations of Cd were recorded in clams collected in areas with no anthropogenic activities. Clams from sites considered clean had higher levels of Cd, Fe, Zn, and Mn. The mean concentrations (μg/g dry weight) ranged from 0.1 to 7.8 for Pb, from 1.9 to 8.8 for Ni, from 1.5 to 11.1 for Cd, from 2.5 to 14.1 for Mn, from 47.2 to 64.6 for Zn, from 5.4 to 18.7 for Cu, and from 154 to 558 for Fe. Collecting clams in sites apparently pristine is no guarantee that metals will be in low concentrations.

Development in the Sea of Cortés Calls for Mitigation

ABSTRACT Islands in the seas of northwestern Mexico have the largest number of insular endemic species in North America. The islands have the greatest number of extinct mammalian taxa in Mexico, and many of the remaining taxa are rare, threatened, or endangered. Thus the Mexican governments plan to build 24 modern ports—the “Escalera Nautica” project—will place enormous pressure on island species, which are exceptionally vulnerable to human activities, including the introduction of alien species. The intensified port activities would most likely lead to an ecological disaster. Several mammal species inhabiting the islands are already close to the limit of their capacity to survive. For many endangered species, a small change in habitat can be the final push into extinction. In this article, we make some recommendations to try to prevent the extinction of species at risk.

Invasive migration of a mainland rodent to santa catalina island and its effect on the endemic species Peromyscus slevini

Santa Catalina Island has an endemic mouse, Peromyscus slevini, which is the only native rodent species on the island. However, specimens of P. fraterculus have been recorded on the island. P. fraterculus is the most common species of Peromyscus off Santa Catalina Island in the Baja California peninsula. The records show the absence of P. slevini in the 1990s and an increasing number of P. fraterculus during the 2000s. P. slevini has recently been collected in 2007. The current situation in Santa Catalina Island shows a strong expansion of P. fraterculus and the restriction of P. slevini to the canyons. This study confirms for the first time the recent invasion of a peninsular native species in one island on the Gulf of California. Peromyscus fraterculus is a better desert adapted species in contrast to P. slevini. Under those conditions, in the near future, P. slevini could be extinct.