At more than 3,700 meters above sea level, the ‘Karachi’ swims happily through thick salt flat waters, but locals fear future lithium projects could put this extreme fish at risk. .
Orestias ascotanensis is a small stingray fish that grows to just 7.5 centimeters (3 inches) in length, but it has adapted to the high concentrations of heavy metals and fluctuating salinity of Salar de Ascotan.
Marco Mendez, a professor at the University of Chile who studies evolutionary biology, said the salt flats receive high levels of solar radiation, and the temperature can fluctuate from 26 degrees Celsius during the day to below freezing at night.
Scientists at the Millennium Institute’s Genome Center have been studying this fish and have discovered genes that allow it to withstand elements of its harsh environment, from solar radiation to heavy metals and low oxygen levels.
Fish have also evolved to do it quickly.
Miguel Allende, the institute’s director, said: “There are other variants of this fish that don’t have such harsh environments, so we looked at how they were able to do this in a short evolutionary time.” I’ve come,” he said.
“They took these genes and made the symptoms worse.”
Although the fish can survive in extreme environments, they still need habitat, and residents say the fish population has declined due to water withdrawal from copper mining.
“That’s what makes them suffer. When they drink the water, the fish die,” said Mauricio Anza, a local resident, adding that people in the area are working to protect flora and fauna.
But Ascotan is also one of the salt flats where the government plans to set up a private lithium mining project, and local residents and experts say the project needs guarantees to protect the ecosystem. are.
“While mining activities are important from an economic point of view, they must be carried out with the aim of ensuring that this unique environment is not permanently lost,” Allende said.
