What happens when climate change and pesticide pollution collide? Ecosystems suffer, local businesses struggle, and communities face real risks. But aquatic solutions are emerging to protect Amazonian fish, the people who rely on them, and the region's biodiversity.
What's happening?
A new study from Brazil, shared by Mongabay, shows how Amazonian fish are fighting to survive through the weight of both threats. The findings are troubling, but they also create opportunities for solutions that could protect aquatic life and the communities that depend on it.
The tambaqui (also known as the giant pacu or black pacu) is a frugivorous fish that supports Amazonian floodplain forests by dispersing seeds that maintain ecosystem health. It's a key food source in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, valued for its size and nutrition in local diets and fisheries. Studies highlight its importance to both the environment and the communities that rely on it.
To understand how this freshwater fish might cope with environmental changes, researchers at the National Institute of Amazonian Research tested its resilience under extreme climate conditions and exposure to common pesticides. Using a "room of the future," they simulated a world 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than today's temperatures in the Amazonian city of Manaus, with carbon dioxide levels reaching 708 parts per million.
Why is this important?
The fish were exposed to a mix of common pesticides often found in Amazonian rivers, including chemicals like chlorpyrifos, malathion, atrazine, and carbendazim.
Even at low doses, the fish experienced severe liver damage, nervous system issues, and DNA degradation. These effects were more pronounced in the simulated warmer climate because the fish struggled to process the toxins due to a slowed metabolism.
Pesticides in Amazonian rivers can accumulate in fish and pose risks not just to wildlife but also to human health, including nervous system and organ damage. Scientists at the National Institute of Amazonian Research are pushing for stricter regulations in Brazil, where thousands of pesticides are still used.
What's being done about it?
Solutions like crop rotation, natural pest control, and integrated pest management are being used in sustainable agriculture to reduce chemical pesticide use. For example, farmers are planting trap crops such as nasturtiums and marigolds to attract pests away from main crops, effectively managing pests without harmful chemicals.
Innovations like biofloc systems, which boost water quality and strengthen fish immunity, offer a promising way to cut down on chemical use in fish farming. Projects covered by The Cool Down, such as sustainable farming practices by the Rainforest Alliance or Amazon reforestation initiatives, are setting examples for companies and individuals to help make a difference.
Conservationists are safeguarding the Amazon and the people who depend on its biodiversity by adopting solutions designed to reduce pollutants and rising temperatures. The efforts are a powerful way to ensure the "room of the future" remains a tool and does not become a look into the "Earth of the future."
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