COLE BAY--Nature Foundation has been researching the effects of the drought conditions the country has been experiencing for the past months. The foundation has checked water level, the number and state of animals and the level of pollution in specifically wetlands affected by the dry weather.
"What we have been experiencing is really quite unprecedented in terms of how the dry weather has been affecting especially the wetlands of the country. Anecdotally there have been no times in recent memory that we have seen this type of drought. We thought it important to research the effects the drought has been having on our ponds," said Tadzio Bervoets of Nature Foundation.
A drop of about 40 centimetres in certain sections of the Belair and Fresh Ponds and a 60-centimeter drop in the Great Salt Pond have been recorded. Numerous birds, fish and turtle carcasses were also observed in sections of Great Salt Pond.
Although seasonal fluctuations are normal, with certain times of year being drier than others, the recent dry-spell has been causing some concern. When we look at climate models and events such as the current El-Niño Phase, which is when the Pacific experiences warmer water temperatures affecting global weather.
"We are concerned about the coming months. We have seen an increase in rain recently and hopefully in the coming days with the approach of a tropical system we can get some much needed relief," said Bervoets.
Nature Foundation was able to monitor areas of the Fresh, Belair and Great Salt Ponds that usually lie underwater and collected samples of fish, crabs and shellfish to gauge the impacts the drought and pollution have on the country's wetlands.
