National Marine Park of the Archipelago de San Lorenzo
| Parque Nacional Marino Archipiélago de San Lorenzo | |||
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| Location: | Baja California , Mexico | ||
| Next city: | Mexicali | ||
| Surface: | 504.42 km² | ||
| Founding: | April 25, 2005 | ||
The Parque Nacional Marino Archipiélago de San Lorenzo is a Mexican national park in the Gulf of California , which includes the Archipelago San Lorenzo and some islands northwest of it (Isla Rasa, Roca Rasa or Raista and Isla Partida), and belongs to the province of Baja California . It is managed by the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales .
The area belonging to the city of Mexicali , separated from the mainland of Baja California by the Canal de Salsipuedes , contains a rich flora and fauna on the islands and the surrounding waters.
Flora and fauna
The national park has unique ecosystems and habitats. The ecosystems form important food bases for marine animals, birds and the adjacent human settlements. The abundant waters of the Gulf of California are home to more than 800 species of fish and 2000 species of invertebrates .
The islands themselves appear less fertile due to the lack of fresh water and the drought (60 mm annual rainfall), there are only a few shrubs and cacti, otherwise it is desert. The marine flora consists of several types of algae . The algae serve as an ideal habitat for small marine animals.
The fauna contains the following threatened species : blue whale , humpback whale , killer whale , sperm whale , green turtle , hawksbill turtle , olive ridged turtle , totoaba . There are large numbers of commercially important fish in the archipelago. Swordfish , hake, and round-headed dolphins are also common. The island of Rasa is an important breeding area for the male gull , the African tern , the American oystercatcher , the craverialk and the brown pelican . Common gull and African tern are estimated to be up to 260,000 and 200,000 individuals, respectively, about 95% of their total population on earth.
The islands of Salsipuedes, Las Animas and San Lorenzo are important habitats for the brown pelican, the average number of their breeding pairs on the three islands is estimated at 6000 to 18,000.
The islands are also home to large numbers of native and migratory birds, which are attracted by the abundance of food available. The most frequently observed species include: round-tailed corsair , golden eagle , peregrine falcon , Columbidae , magnificent frigatebird , brown pelican and Nazca booby .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b "Se decreta el Parque Nacional Marino Archipiélago de San Lorenzo" ( Memento of the original from March 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 132 kB)
- ↑ http://www.utdallas.edu/~rnix/MAT-SE_Units/gulf_cal.pdf
