Recent earthquakes threaten mysterious fish hundreds of miles away in heart of Death Valley
Devils Hole is a geologic formation that is home to the endangered Devils Hole pupfish in Death Valley. Large earthquakes around the globe cause the water to slosh back and forth, destroying the fish’s eggs.
Video showing the release of fish into Devils Hole
Recent earthquakes threaten mysterious fish in the heart of the California desert.
DEATH VALLEY, Nev. - After two significant earthquakes, the population of the critically endangered Devils Hole pupfish has dropped to alarmingly low levels, but biologists aren’t giving up on the rare species.
The tiny, iridescent fish are found only in Devils Hole, a deep, water-filled geologic formation in the heart of Death Valley National Park.
During episodes of intense seismic activity, groundwater in the cavern can violently slosh back and forth – known as a seiche – disrupting the fragile ecosystem the fish depend on.
Seiche hits Death Valley pond after 7.0 quake hundreds of miles away
A seiche rolls back and forth inside a normally tranquil pond housing rare fish inside Death Valley National Park.
According to the National Park Service, a recent survey conducted after two significant earthquakes along the U.S. West Coast revealed only 38 Devils Hole pupfish alive.
The survey results showed a sharp decline from the 191 fish recorded during a previous count just one year earlier.
Waves triggered by the December and February earthquakes hundreds of miles away still disrupted the algae that the fish rely on for food and dislodged eggs from their spawning shelf.
A fence with razor wire surrounds Devil's Hole in Death Valley. Human error is being blamed for the deaths of 1/3 of the federally endangered Devil's Hole pupfish population in Death Valley. With only 83 of the fish left in a remote rock fissure, biologists fear they may become extinct within a year. The big question now is whether to capture them all and try to breed them in aquariums.
(Photo by Stephen Osman/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images / Getty Images)
7.0 CALIFORNIA QUAKE MAY HAVE KILLED ENDANGERED FISH 500 MILES AWAY IN DEATH VALLEY
"The present size, at near-record lows, deserves our serious attention," Michael Schwemm, a fish biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a statement. "The actions outlined in our strategic plan, including supplemental feeding and population augmentation, provide the best opportunity for recovery."
Despite the steep population drop, biologists said the impacts were not entirely unexpected and, in response, began efforts to prevent the species from slipping further toward extinction.
In a carefully coordinated effort, 19 pupfish raised at a nearby conservation facility were released into Devils Hole to help stabilize the declining population.
According to the National Park Service, it marked the first time that captive-raised pupfish had been introduced into the unique ecosystem.
The recent release and survey took place just days before a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck the region on Monday, shaking much of Southern California and neighboring states once again.
It is unknown what the status of the 19 fish is or what impacts the San Diego-area earthquake had on the population, but it will be determined during a regularly scheduled survey later in the fall.
Devils Hole Pupfish.
(NPS / FOX Weather)
DID THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CAPTURE A PHOTO OF BIGFOOT DURING A PENNSYLVANIA STORM SURVEY?
Surveys have been conducted twice a year since 1972, with numbers exceeding 200 fish in the early 1990s.
Populations dipped dramatically in the early 2000s, hitting just 35 fish in 2013, before rebounding in recent years, before the seismic activity.
"I’m proud of the work this interagency team is doing to monitor and protect the Devils Hole pupfish," said Mike Reynolds, superintendent of Death Valley National Park. "The historic transfer of captive-raised fish from the backup population in Ash Meadows Fish Conservation Facility underscores the importance of the dedicated staff and their state-of the-art equipment."
Looped video of the Devils Hole Pupfish Cam in Death Valley National Park, showing the water in Devils Hole sloshing after an earthquake that struck in 2019.
(E. Hoerner / NPS / FOX Weather)
With viable eggs and new larval fish being spotted during the most recent survey, biologists remain hopeful that the Devils Hole pupfish will naturally recover.
"The fish were in good body condition and active throughout Devils Hole," said Brandon Senger, a fisheries biologist with the Nevada Department of Wildlife. "We observed encouraging spawning behavior and signs of increasing algal growth."