Biodiversidad Marina

MARINE BIODIVERSITY

The marine environment surrounding Malpelo Island is strongly influenced by the area’s current patterns. Thanks to the currents, many species that come from the Indo-Pacific and other parts of the Eastern Tropical Pacific, find in Malpelo a viable place to live, and a well stepping stone for dispersion. Malpelo is an important site for reproduction, dispersion and recruitment for marine species. The submarine environment can be divided into various ecosystems:

1 - VERTICAL WALL ECOSYSTEM

The rocky walls from Malpelo and its rock outcrops have an abrupt fall of up to 60 meters. In the first meters the walls are dominated principally by barnacles. Some of them, are dead, mainly from the sea stars and seashells predation. But these empty barnacles provide a habitat for other species, such as polychaetes, mollusks, crustaceans, and endemic fishes. The vertical rocks present themselves as a good substratum for hydroids, tunicates, sponges, octocorals and hexacorals.

2 - The coral community and species associated to coral and rocky ecosystems

Most of the basaltic walls submerged in Malpelo are dropping steeply so they are creating some marine terraces under the surface. The best - known terrace is called “El Arrecife” where the development of these coralline communities is abundant, extended and compacted.

Other places where divers can observe corals are: "La Nevera", "La Pared del Náufrago" and "El Bajo de Júnior." In these places, nearly 50% of the species of fish and vertebrates have some kind of relation to the corals.


Yellow Strip Snapper Lutjanus viridis	Black Diodon Arothron meleagris	Coral reef

3 - PELAGICS

The Malpelo Island acts like an oasis in an oceanic desert, for a considerable quantity of pelagic species. This is the case for the silky sharks Carcharhinus falciformis, hammerhead sharks -Sphyrna lewini, marine tuna, mammals and turtles.


Silky Shark Carcharhinus falciformis	Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae	Hammerhead shark Sphyrna lewini

The marine communities of the island guarantee abundant food to the pelagic species. Many pelagic species are present around Malpelo. The present fish biomass is so high that a group of bottle nose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) , have become residents of the island. Important quantities of amberjack Seriola rivoliana, and the mackerel Elagatis bipinnulatus are present all year. these two species are considered to be the most frightful predators for other young species. The blue Jackfish - Caranx melampygus, the black Jackfish - Caranx lugubris and Thunnus albacares can form great groups and hunting small fish around the Island.


Amberfish Seriola riviolana	Blue Jackfish Caranx lugubris	Mackerel salmón Elagatis bipinnulata

Several species of sharks for example, Sphyrna lewini and Carcharhinus galapagensis are forming huge schools in the dry season and during the day around the island. Indeed, some special spots around the island are used as cleaning stations, and accomplished mainly by the butterfly fish Johnrandallia nigrirostris, the angel fish Holacanthus passer and some species of wrasse fish (Bodianus diplotaenia).


Butterfly fish Johnrandallia nigrirostris.	Amberjack in a cleaning station.	Queen Angel fish Holacanthus passer

4 - SAND AND GRAVEL ECOSYSTEMS

In these places we find many species of starfishes, mollusks and fish of high biological value, since many of these are endemic to the region or to the protected area. In addition, several species of fish and mollusks that inhabit this ecosystem are part of the food source for sharks, rays and others.


Sea eel Heteroconger klausewitzi	Batfish Ogcocephalus porrectus	Tropical Halibut Bothus mancus

5 - ECOSYSTEM OF TUNNELS AND CAVES

The caves and caverns are dangerous for the divers, they must move slowly to be visited by the divers due to the strong currents in the area. The walls of the caves and caverns are generally smooth and some species of fish and other organisms live there. The walls of the tunnels are full of life and the bottoms are made up of sand and gravel.

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