Mexico Biodiversity Hotspot Threatened by Mega-Development Project

It turns out that the site of a biodiversity hotspot in Mexico may be in danger. The lands adjacent to Cabo Pulmo in Baja California Sur are under threat from a mega-development project that could endanger one of the best preserved coral reefs in the Gulf of California.

"Until recently, the biological value of the lands adjacent to the coral reef of Cabo Pulmo had remained a mystery," said Benjamin Wilder, one of the researchers, in a news release. "We now know that these desert lands mirror the tropical water in importance. This desert-sea ecosystem is a regional biodiversity hotspot."

The study started after the Cabo Dorado project was announced. This project involves clearing Punta Arena, an idyllic beach setting, in order to make room for more than 20,000 hotel rooms.

In order to better understand how much biological diversity this region possesses, the researchers conducted a survey in November 2013. In just under a week's time, they documented 560 plants and animals on the land surrounding Cabo Pulmo. These findings in particular show that the development project may not be the wisest move.

"Forty-two plants and animals on the Mexican endangered species list would lose critical habitat, two recently described plant species only known from Punta Arena would be lost entirely, and development of the sand dunes of Punta Arena would imperil the most diverse coral reef in the Gulf of California," said Wilder in a news release.

The findings reveal the importance of fully assessing large-scale development projects. If it goes forward, critical habitat for endangered species could be lost. Not only that, but because this is a biological hotspot, it's important to preserve the region.

"We were surprised that these desert lands mirrored the biological diversity of the adjacent coral sea," said Wilder in a news release. "Specifically we were not expecting to find such a concentration of rare and endemic taxa in a single region of Punta Arena. This unique biodiversity results from regional geologic forces that were previously un-investigated. The bottom line is that the scale of the proposed development, more than 20,000 hotel rooms, is completely disconnected from the ecology of this desert region. Any development in the area must account for and sustain the area's natural wealth as well as the local communities of Cabo Pulmo and the nearby town of La Ribera."

The findings can be found in the online report here.