The Teaone River: a snapshot of a tropical river from the coastal region of Ecuador

Molinero, Jon; Barrado, Miren; Guijarro-Fuertes, Michelle; Ortiz, Mérida; Carnicer, Olga; Zuazagoitia, Daniel

doi:10.23818/limn.38.34

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…S2). Cymbellaceae (found both by amplicon sequencing and microscopy) have been reported in other tropical rivers [64][65][66] including rivers from Costa Rica [67]. Other diatom taxa commonly reported in these rivers, such as Nitzschia or Gomphonema [64,65,67,68] were however not detected in our study.…”

Section: Río Buenavista (Rb) Is a Circumneutral Stream With Standard ...contrasting

confidence: 43%

“…Cymbellaceae (found both by amplicon sequencing and microscopy) have been reported in other tropical rivers [64][65][66] including rivers from Costa Rica [67]. Other diatom taxa commonly reported in these rivers, such as Nitzschia or Gomphonema [64,65,67,68] were however not detected in our study. We note that the abundance of diatoms in Río Buenavista might be much higher than suggested by the relative abundance of ASV 12, since our sample processing protocol was not optimized for retrieving DNA from hard-to-lyse eukaryotic cells.…”

Section: Río Buenavista (Rb) Is a Circumneutral Stream With Standard ...contrasting

confidence: 43%

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Out of the blue: the independent activity of sulfur-oxidizers and diatoms mediate the sudden color shift of a tropical river

Arce-Rodríguez

Libby

Castellón

et al. 2023

Environmental Microbiome

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Background Río Celeste (“Sky-Blue River”) is a river located in the Tenorio National Park (Costa Rica) that has become an important hotspot for eco-tourism due to its striking sky-blue color. A previous study indicated that this color is not caused by dissolved chemical species, but by formation of light-scattering aluminosilicate particles at the mixing point of two colorless streams, the acidic Quebrada Agria and the neutral Río Buenavista. Results We now present microbiological information on Río Celeste and its two tributaries, as well as a more detailed characterization of the particles that occur at the mixing point. Our results overturn the previous belief that the light scattering particles are formed by the aggregation of smaller particles coming from Río Buenavista, and rather point to chemical formation of hydroxyaluminosilicate colloids when Quebrada Agria is partially neutralized by Río Buenavista, which also contributes silica to the reaction. The process is mediated by the activities of different microorganisms in both streams. In Quebrada Agria, sulfur-oxidizing bacteria generate an acidic environment, which in turn cause dissolution and mobilization of aluminum and other metals. In Río Buenavista, the growth of diatoms transforms dissolved silicon into colloidal biogenic forms which may facilitate particle precipitation. Conclusions We show how the sky-blue color of Río Celeste arises from the tight interaction between chemical and biological processes, in what constitutes a textbook example of emergent behavior in environmental microbiology.

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Section: Río Buenavista (Rb) Is a Circumneutral Stream With Standard ...contrasting

confidence: 43%

Section: Río Buenavista (Rb) Is a Circumneutral Stream With Standard ...contrasting

confidence: 43%

Out of the blue: the independent activity of sulfur-oxidizers and diatoms mediate the sudden color shift of a tropical river

Arce-Rodríguez

Libby

Castellón

et al. 2023

Environmental Microbiome

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“…Greater knowledge of fish diversity in this threatened region [1], that exhibits intermittency [5] and makes it more vulnerable to climate change, will benefit the local government and stakeholders, to develop conservation measures. Filling knowledge gaps of fish diversity could improve long-term conservation plans of aquatic ecosystems, particularly for the conservation of specific species for which information was previously unavailable.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The CGE is formed by four terrestrial ecoregions: Choco-Darien Moist Forests, Magdalena Uraba ´Moist Forests, Western Ecuador Moist Forests, and smaller sections of Eastern Panamanian Montane Forests. The CGE is one of the rainiest regions on Earth, with annual precipitation up to 13 000 mm in some areas [4]; however, several river networks can be intermittent or ephemeral in this region, driven primarily by the seasonal stark rainfall variation [5][6][7][8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New records of native and introduced fish species in a river basin of Western Ecuador, the Chocó-Darien Ecoregion, using DNA barcoding

Escobar Camacho,

Barragán,

Guayasamin

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

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DNA barcoding, based on mitochondrial markers, is widely applied in species identification and biodiversity studies. The aim of this study was to establish a barcoding reference database of fishes inhabiting the Cube River from Western Ecuador in the Chocó-Darien Global Ecoregion (CGE), a threatened ecoregion with high diversity and endemism, and evaluate the applicability of using barcoding for the identification of fish species. Barcode sequences were obtained from seven orders, 17 families, 23 genera and 26 species, which were validated through phylogenetic analysis, morphological measurements, and literature review. Our results showed that 43% of fish species in this region are endemic, confirmed the presence of known species in the area, and included the addition of three new records of native (Hoplias microlepis, Rhamdia guatemalensis and Sicydium salvini) and an introduced species (Xiphophorus maculatus) to Ecuador. In addition, eight species were barcoded for the first time. Species identification based on barcoding and morphology showed discrepancy with species lists from previous studies in the CGE, suggesting that the current baseline of western fishes of Ecuador is still incomplete. Because this study analyzed fishes from a relatively small basin (165 km2), more molecular-based studies focusing on fish are needed to achieve a robust sequence reference library of species inhabiting Western Ecuador. The new sequences of this study will be useful for future comparisons and biodiversity monitoring, supporting the application of barcoding tools for studying fish diversity in genetically unexplored regions and to develop well-informed conservation programs.

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“…(2020) found concentrations of several metals, including Hg, Cd, Cu and Pb, above permissible limits, and associated these with the presence of nearby gold‐mining operations, nonfunctional municipal landfills, urban centers and fish‐farming operations. The Teaone River, a highly impacted tributary to the Esmeraldas River with about 50% of its watershed area converted to agricultural land, exhibits excesses of phosphates in its main channel that are likely associated with human activity (Molinero et al ., 2019). Lack of wastewater treatment is a common problem in Ecuador, such that even the capital Quito treats less than 10% of the waste water that it generates (Castillo Pazmiño, 2012; Donoso & Rios‐Touma, 2020).…”

Section: The Factors Causing the Decline Of Ecuador's Freshwater Fishesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation threats and future prospects for the freshwater fishes of Ecuador: A hotspot of Neotropical fish diversity

Aguirre

Alvarez‐Mieles

Anaguano‐Yancha³

et al. 2021

Journal of Fish Biology

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Freshwater fish communities in Ecuador exhibit some of the highest levels of diversity and endemism in the Neotropics. Unfortunately, aquatic ecosystems in the country are under serious threat and conditions are deteriorating. In 2018–19, the government of Ecuador sponsored a series of workshops to examine the conservation status of Ecuador's freshwater fishes. Concerns were identified for 35 species, most of which are native to the Amazon region, and overfishing of Amazonian pimelodid catfishes emerged as a major issue. However, much of the information needed to make decisions across fish groups and regions was not available, hindering the process and highlighting the need for a review of the conservation threats to Ecuador's freshwater fishes. Here, we review how the physical alteration of rivers, deforestation, wetland and floodplain degradation, agricultural and urban water pollution, mining, oil extraction, dams, overfishing, introduced species and climate change are affecting freshwater fishes in Ecuador. Although many of these factors affect fishes throughout the Neotropics, the lack of data on Ecuadorian fish communities is staggering and highlights the urgent need for more research. We also make recommendations, including the need for proper enforcement of existing environmental laws, restoration of degraded aquatic ecosystems, establishment of a national monitoring system for freshwater ecosystems, investment in research to fill gaps in knowledge, and encouragement of public engagement in citizen science and conservation efforts. Freshwater fishes are an important component of the cultural and biological legacy of the Ecuadorian people. Conserving them for future generations is critical.

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The Teaone River: a snapshot of a tropical river from the coastal region of Ecuador

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

Out of the blue: the independent activity of sulfur-oxidizers and diatoms mediate the sudden color shift of a tropical river

Out of the blue: the independent activity of sulfur-oxidizers and diatoms mediate the sudden color shift of a tropical river

New records of native and introduced fish species in a river basin of Western Ecuador, the Chocó-Darien Ecoregion, using DNA barcoding

Conservation threats and future prospects for the freshwater fishes of Ecuador: A hotspot of Neotropical fish diversity

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