Specialist Oscar Gerardo Nieto expressed his concern about the lack of academic research teams studying climate change in Mexico, especially focusing on continental aquatic ecosystems. He highlighted the significant role these ecosystems play in emitting greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Despite covering only 3.7 percent of the Earth’s surface, hydroecosystems are responsible for a significant portion of methane and carbon dioxide emissions.
In a conference organized by the National School of Earth Sciences, Gerardo Nieto emphasized that aquatic ecosystems not only release greenhouse gases but also have the potential to capture and store large amounts of carbon. He mentioned the challenges involved in studying these environments, such as limited scientific studies, lack of measurements, and the focus on boreal and temperate ecosystems rather than tropical or subtropical locations.
The postdoctoral researcher highlighted the importance of studying continental aquatic ecosystems, particularly in regions like Mexico where research is limited. He mentioned the case of lakes in Siberia, which are fed by thawing permafrost and release significant amounts of carbon stored for thousands of years. Gerardo Nieto stressed the necessity of including hydroecosystems that are not typically studied in global inventories of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as monitoring these emissions to assess their sensitivity to climate change.
He pointed out that monitoring greenhouse gas emissions from hydroecosystems can help understand their potential impacts on local and regional environments, inform decisions to address climate change, and protect biodiversity and ecosystem services. Gerardo Nieto emphasized the need for more scientific research teams in Mexico dedicated to studying aquatic biomes in relation to greenhouse gas emissions.