Land-Sea Linkages
slands have porous boundaries. These terrestrial realms in the middle of the sea are profoundly impacted and shaped by the surrounding waters. This is especially true for smaller islands. In the Gulf of California, sea birds nest on these small islands. They fish in the nutrient rich waters and bring those marine resources on land through their guano.
Islands have porous boundaries. These terrestrial realms in the middle of the sea are profoundly impacted and shaped by the surrounding waters. This is especially true for smaller islands. In the Gulf of California, sea birds nest on these small islands. They fish in the nutrient rich waters and bring those marine resources on land through their guano. Several bird islands have uniquely dense cactus forests, especially of the giant columnar cactus, cardón (Pachycereus pringlei). These cacti are fueled with nutrients from the sea.
Our study sampled the stable N isotopes in fish, sea birds, their guano, soil, and cacti. We also compared these values to cacti and soil measurements from throughout Baja California, mainland Sonora, and most Gulf Islands. The data clearly showed unique marine signatures in the cacti of bird islands throughout the Gulf.
This story was featured in the BBC documentary Green Planet, Desert Worlds episode.
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