By Estephania Baez
The beaching of marine species on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, temperatures not consistent with the seasons, and a drought that appears to be never ending are signs emitted by Mother Nature in recent years which experts say could bring fatal consequences.
Experts say that the ocean has been greatly affected. That is why experts at Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego have developed a new program to measure the levels of pollution.
“There are many questions about how the coastal current behaves, so what they are doing is releasing pink ink in the water to determine how currents flow, how fish and seaweed move and to understand the movement of sea current pollution. is something that concerns us all,” explained Paloma Aguirre, Director of the U.S.-Mexico Border Coastal Program.
It was in October 2015 when researchers began with releasing the pink ink on the shores. So far, there have been three sessions with 1000 gallons released per session and are programmed when the currents move from south to north, since the greatest amount of pollution comes from Tijuana.
“They released it to the south of the northern part of the Tijuana River and will be releasing ink in Playas de Tijuana. The Tijuana River as we know it now, is contaminated with sewage. When the river flows, all that water can impact Imperial Beach, Coronado or the beaches of Tijuana, depending on the current, wreaking havoc to public health,” added Paloma Aguirre.
According to Mayor Serge Dedina of Imperial Beach, pollution from the Tijuana River has led to financial losses in San Diego County beach communities, since beaches have had to be closed on several occasions due to high bacteria levels coming from the south. Authorities are working with Mexican authorities to end this problem according to the mayor.
“We are urging CESPT in Tijuana, State Public Service Commission of Tijuana, as well as the Baja California government and US authorities to fix the pump system and infrastructure in the border area. It is urgent because there is a water pump in the Tijuana River that does not have the ability to remove contaminated waters reaching the beach, and we have had to shut down the polluted beaches for more that 40 days and this has created a great economic crisis.”
The ink does not cause any damage to marine species or humans who enter the water. Scientists chose this color because it stands out in aerial shots and depending on the degree of contamination changes its tone.
Results of this study will be available within the next 10 months. At that time, measurements that can be taken by authorities on both side of the border to reduce the levels of pollution will be shared.
So far in 2016, 50 leopard sharks, and hundreds of fish have been found dead in Imperial Beach in San Diego County, by the Tijuana River.
“In 2013, sand was brought to widen the beach in Imperial Beach, the sand is not natural and there was a lot of water movement and the sand spread and closed the mouth of the Tijuana River. The toxicity that accumulated for two weeks when the Tijuana River opened, killed these baby sharks who had not yet developed their immune system,” explained Fay Crevoshay, Director of Communication for WildCoast
“After the winter, there was a lot of sand movement and it closed the mouth of the Tijuana River and when U.S. Fish and Wildlife opened it, fresh water, sewage water and fish got caught in the river died because of that water change ,” said Zac Epropoery, Conservation Director for WildCoast.
San Diego authorities warned that the death of these animals is only the beginning if this binational problem is not dealt with. The Tijuana River flows into U.S. territory and high water pollution levels coupled with global warming could cause irreversible damage.
“These toxins are harming the sea because the water is warmer. The sea level is rising with fresh water because snow is melting in the Arctic and Antarctic zones. This adds more fresh water and increases toxins for sea life in the ocean,” explained Crevoshay.
A project is already being worked on to prevent fresh water from entering the ocean.
“WildCoast is working with Tijuana authorities. One of the key factors is not dumping freshwater into the ocean. We are in a vicious cycle in which we currently dump fresh water into the ocean and then spend money to draw water from the sea and desalinate that water. That process is much more expensive and requires more energy. We are thinking of a capital project in which those who consume water pay for the project to recover invested capital. We can’t expect the government to provide funds for this project,” added Crevoshay.