BIODIVERSITY IN ARGENTINA

THE PATAGONIA COAST

The Patagonia Coastline of Argentina stretches over 1,500 miles and is one of
the worlds richest marine ecosystems in the entire world (18 years of
support to protect the biodiversity of Argentinas Patagonian Coast, 2016).
There are many populated cities along the coast and population has been
growing in the past decade as well. In the latter half of the 20th Century,
Patagonia became a destination for tourists, allowing for more population
growth within Argentina as well as Chile. This helped the economy
dramatically, but without environmental restrictions in place, it lacked
education for the marinas plants and animals for many years.
EFFECTS FROM POPULATION & PEOPLE
For Argentine people, the culture of going to the beach and living near the
water has always been a popular idea, however in the last thirty years or so,
population has grown and people have had little knowledge of the marine life
that lives among those people in Patagonia. Due to these cultural changes,
people began to look into the biodiversity of the Patagonian Coastline and
sincerely consider the importance of the plants and animals who reside
there. Something needed to be done, so with the help of the United Nations
Development Programme, they were able to secure a safe living environment
for such a diverse area.

In 2008, the project marked a significant achievement when the National

Congress approved the creation of the Marine Park in Golfo San Jorge, which
expanded the formal protection of colonies of marine birds from 50% to 75%,
and provided protection for 100% of all fur seal breeding colonies on the
coast of Patagonia in Argentina. (18 years of support to protect the
biodiversity of Argentinas Patagonian Coast, 2016)

This organization helped out Patagonia tremendously in just eighteen years.

One way that the ecosystem was affected is the coastal population of
Argentina. Organizations such as the UNDP and the GEF have used their time
and resources to start a management plan for the Patagonian Coastline. This
plan was projected to last 18 years and succeed with animal care and oil
pollution minimizing efforts. UNDP explained that its purpose was to ensure
that the stakeholders were able to effectively manage and plan resource use
in the context of integrated coastal zone management. (18 years of support
to protect the biodiversity of Argentinas Patagonian Coast, 2016) This plan
also required oil tankers to navigate at least 20 miles off the coast to marine
life was effected very little.
FACTS ABOUT PATAGONIA & BALANCE
Patagonia may not ever achieve balance between humans and the
environment, however it has been changing slowly since humans have been
interacting and understanding Mother Nature better. In Patagonia, a 4-inch
long dwarf mouse has called the south its home which is rare for the little

rodents (Joiner, 2010). This can be influenced by nature or human

interaction.

WORKS CITED
18 years of support to protect the biodiversity of Argentinas Patagonian Coast. (2016).
Retrieved from United Nations Development Programme:
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/environmentandenergy/focus_ar
eas/ecosystems_and_biodiversity/projects/argentina---18-years-of-support-to-protectthe-biodiversity-of-a.html
Joiner, J. (2010, November 26). Six Interesting Facts About Patagonia. World Wildlife, 1.
Retrieved from World Wildlife : http://www.worldwildlife.org/blogs/good-naturetravel/posts/six-interesting-facts-about-patagonia