The adaptability of the Galápagos Islands ’ animals magnificently excite Charles Darwin ’s thoughts , leading to one of the great scientific revolutions . Scientists have beenstudying the islandsintensively ever since . One question that has puzzled them may finally have been clear : the informant of the biological richness that so inspired Darwin .
Neither the islands ’ outrageous rocky uplands nor the modest rainfall close to sea level is conducive to the abundant plant life that forms the base of the solid food mountain range on other tropical island . Instead , the Galápagos ’ constituent riches comes from the ocean . Nutrient - rich bottom pee well up around the island at sure times of the class , driving volatile phytoplankton growth . The nitty-gritty of the upwelling was once plate to so many whale it was referred to as the “ mother consignment ” on its uncovering . The islands are close enough the waters around them are rich in Pisces the Fishes , on which the island ’ hiss , seals , and iguanas prey .
The enigma has been why the upwellings fall out at such a convenient location – Darwin ’s study having discredited the idea a benevolent Almighty determine to bestow a talent on the island . In the sixties , oceanographer proposed the Equatorial Undercurrent take nutrient to the control surface when it runs into the islands . The Undercurrent flows east around 100 m ( 330 animal foot ) beneath the surface , opposite to theCoriolis - driven flow to the N and south .
Professor Alberto Garabatoof the University of Southampton , UK noted there are few observations of how the Undercurrent interact with the islands , and suspect there must be more to the news report . Rich as these waters are , they live extreme fluctuation , specially marked by sharp downslope in phytoplankton tightness during El Niño events .
Garabato and colleagues noted upwelling volume correlate with the seasonal forcefulness of the region ’s predominant winds , which flow mostly north and a little west . They sought a causal connection and in a newspaper published inScientific Reportsexplain how these winds make turbulency in the regions ’ oceans , grant nutrient - racy cold waters to uprise to the surface .
This instability is marked by sharp contrast in piss temperature known as upper - sea fronts , which resemble modest version of the cold fronts get wind on atmospheric condition map in association with storms .
The islands are skirt by one of the human beings ’s groovy marine parks , butdark sportfishing fleetsare make for havoc just outside the protected water , and are suspected of straying within .
" This new knowledge of where and how the injection of deep - ocean nutrient to the Galapagos ecosystem materialize is inform ongoing plans to boom the Galápagos Marine Reserve , and better its direction against the climb on pressures of climate change and human victimisation , " Garabato say in astatement . A better understanding of the causes of the upwelling could improve predictions of the timing of events and the surges in animation that watch .
