Eliska Rejmankova Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of California - Davis
Lake Atitlan, a caldera lake located in the highlands of Guatemala, has been described by many as one of the world?s most beautiful lakes. Having already experienced ecological catastrophe in 1980?s with the extinction of the Atitlan grebe (Hunter 1980), the lake is presently facing problems with increasing water pollution. Without remediation, this may present a serious threat to the predominantly Tzutujil Indian community dependent on the lake for their livelihood as well as lead to the loss of Atitlan?s unique aesthetic status. Uncontrolled nutrient input into the lake has led to high phosphorus levels, initiating the formation of cyanobacterial blooms. These blooms, capable of producing various toxins, can directly impact residents via drinking water and bioaccumulation along the food chain.
This grant supports a planning visit for a team of researchers from the University of California-Davis to Guatemala to meet with Guatemalan colleagues, to visit the lake, and to design a research program aimed to protect the water quality in the lake. The visitors are meeting with Drs. Nancy Girón, Cristina Bailey, and Pablo Mayorga of the Universidad Rafael LandÃvar; Dr. Margaret Dix of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala; Dr. Alberto Rivera Gutiérrez of the Reserva Natural Atitlán; and Dr. Juan Skinner of the Lake Atitlán Environmental Protection Society. The goals of joint US ? Guatemalan activities are to be the following: (1) to evaluate external and internal P loading; (2) to set up a monitoring system for water quality; (3) to predict threshold values for P input that would sustain the lake?s oligotrophic status; (4) to assess the dynamics of cyanobacterial growth; (5) to analyze cyanobacteria and higher trophic levels for presence of cyanotoxins; (6) to develop an affordable bioassay for cyanotoxins; (7) to initiate steps to prevent and reduce future P input; and (8) to educate and involve local residents in a movement to prevent future lake deterioration.
It is considered that Lake Atitlan is indicative of ecosystems that are at risk for deterioration as a result of human activity and global climate change. Thus, the collaborative research to be planned in this visit is timely and environmentally critical. The scientific approach to be undertaken carries significant intellectual merit, and the potential consequences for the local communities as well as the implications for other ecosystems, such as Lake Tahoe, constitute valuable broad impact. The involvement of young researchers in the planning visit and the establishment of a meaningful international collaboration are also notable.
