I was thrilled to escape the concrete of the city and enter the beautiful forest. It was especially fun to see the crocodiles. Don't worry- there is a fence! They were sunbathing in the mud.
This weekend, I was visiting the island as a tourist. Later, I will return to collect samples for my scientific research project. I am already excited to return and collect data in parts of the island that are not accessible to tourists.
Isla Santay (and the organisms that live on it) is located in the Gulf of Guayaquil, which is the largest estuarine ecosystem on the Pacific coast of South America. "Estuarine" is a describing word that describes an ecosystem that has an open connection both to the sea and to fresh water.
An estuary occurs when a river mixes with the ocean. Because estuaries contain water that is brackish (a combination of fresh and salty), only plants and animals with special adaptations can live in these waters. For example, some mangroves filter out salt in their roots or eject it from their leaves.
Different organisms live in different estuaries. In the Gulf of Guayaquil, there are crocodiles, mantled howler monkeys, crab-eating raccoons, and shrimp (among others!).
On the other hand, when I traveled to the Sundarbans in Bangladesh, there were monitor lizards, deer, and even tigers! What continent is Bangladesh on? What continent is Ecuador on?
