Lagunas de Mejía National Sanctuary (''Santuario Nacional Lagunas de Mejía'') is a protected area on the coastal plain of

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

, in Islay Province,

Arequipa Arequipa (; Aymara language, Aymara and ), also known by its nicknames of ''Ciudad Blanca'' (Spanish for "White City") and ''León del Sur'' (Spanish for "South's Lion"), is a city in Peru and the capital of the eponymous Arequipa (province), ...

, in the mouth of the Tambo River. It is a sanctuary for migratory and resident birds, and was designated a

Ramsar site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **

History

In 1981, the Mejia Lagoons were being drained by the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture to convert the land to ricefields. A letter-writing campaign to the Peruvian government in protest, made by O.P. Pearson, M.P. Harris and R.A. Hughes among others, resulted in the declaration of the lagoons as a wildlife sanctuary for birds. The sanctuary was established on February 24 1984, covering an area of with the aim to protect local flora and fauna as well as to attract tourists.

Geography

The sanctuary is located on the southern coast of Peru, in the region of

, and belongs to the districts of Mejía and Dean Valdivia. It has a maximum elevation of 3.5 m above sea level, and comprises a series of lagoons, wetlands and part of the mouth of the Tambo River.

Ecology

Flora

A total of 48 species of vascular plants and 17 species of algae have been found in the sanctuary. In freshwater ecosystems trees like pájaro bobo ('' Tessaria integrifolia'') and sauce (''

Salix humboldtiana ''Salix humboldtiana'', called Humboldt's willow, is a tree species of willow native to North and South America, growing along watercourses. Some authorities consider it a synonym of ''Salix chilensis ''Salix chilensis'', the Chilean pencil wi ...

''); shrubs like callacasa (''

Baccharis salicifolia ''Baccharis salicifolia'' is a blooming shrub native to the sage scrub community and desert southwest of the United States and northern Mexico, as well as parts of South America. Its usual common name is mule fat;Mojave Desert Wildflowers, Pam Ma ...

'') and chilca (''

Baccharis glutinosa ''Baccharis glutinosa'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names saltmarsh baccharis and Douglas' falsewillow. The species has a discontinuous distribution, found in western North America (California, so ...

''); and some herb species can be found. Marshes are dominated by species like totora (''

Typha ''Typha'' is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrushStreeter D, Hart-Davies C, Hardcastle A, Cole F, Harper L. 2009. ' ...

'' sp.) and junco (''

Schoenoplectus americanus ''Schoenoplectus americanus'' ( syn. ''Scirpus americanus'') is an American species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common names chairmaker's bulrush and Olney's three-square bulrush. Description This perennial herb easily ...

''), while grama dulce (''

Paspalum vaginatum ''Paspalum vaginatum'' is a species of grass known by many names, including seashore paspalum, biscuit grass, saltwater couch, silt grass, and swamp couch. On more saline habitats grama salada (''

Distichlis spicata ''Distichlis spicata'' is a species of grass known by several common names, including seashore saltgrass, inland saltgrass, and desert saltgrass. This grass is native to the Americas, where it is widespread. It can be found on other continents a ...

'') and verdolaguilla (''

Sarcocornia ''Sarcocornia'' is a formerly recognized genus of flowering plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. Species are known commonly as samphires, glassworts, or saltworts. Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that when separated from ''Salico ...

'' sp.) can be predominant.

Fauna

One of the purposes of this protected area is to provide a sanctuary for Nearctic migratory birds, as it is a unique habitat on almost 2000 km of coast on the Pacific Ocean. A total of 200 species of resident and migratory birds can be found in the park including: the

grey gull The grey gull, also known as garuma gull (''Leucophaeus modestus'') is a medium-sized gull native to South America. Unusual among gulls, it breeds inland in the extremely dry Atacama Desert in northern Chile, although it is present as a non-bree ...

, the

sanderling The sanderling (''Calidris alba'') is a small wading bird. The name derives from Old English ''sand-yrðling'', "sand-ploughman". The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-colour ...

, the

Black skimmer The black skimmer (''Rynchops niger'') is a tern-like seabird, one of three similar bird species in the Rynchops, skimmer genus ''Rynchops'' in the gull family Laridae. It breeds in North America, North and South America. Northern populations bir ...

Belcher's gull Belcher's gull (''Larus belcheri''), also known as the band-tailed gull, is a bird in the family Laridae found along the Pacific coast of South America. It formerly included the very similar Olrog's gull as a subspecies, but that bird occurs on t ...

, the

kelp gull The kelp gull (''Larus dominicanus''), also known as the Dominican gull, is a gull that breeds on coasts and islands through much of the Southern Hemisphere. The nominate ''L. d. dominicanus'' is the subspecies found around South America, pa ...

, the

Grey-headed gull The grey-headed gull (''Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus''), also known as the grey-hooded gull, is a small species of gull which breeds patchily in South America and Africa south of the Sahara. It is not truly migratory, but is dispersive, becomin ...

, the

White-tufted grebe The white-tufted grebe (''Rollandia rolland''), also known as Rolland's grebe, is a species of grebe in the family Podicipedidae. Found in the southern and western South America, its natural habitat is freshwater lakes, ponds and sluggish rivers ...

, the

Great grebe The great grebe (''Podiceps major'') is the largest species of grebe in the world. A disjunct population exists in northwestern Peru, while the main distribution is from extreme southeastern Brazil to Patagonia and central Chile. The population f ...

, the

White-cheeked pintail The white-cheeked pintail (''Anas bahamensis''), also known as the Bahama pintail or summer duck, is a species of dabbling duck that is spottily distributed throughout South America and the Caribbean. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in h ...

, the

Cinnamon teal The cinnamon teal (''Spatula cyanoptera'') is a species of duck found in western North and South America. It is a small dabbling duck, with bright reddish plumage on the male and duller brown plumage on the female. It lives in marshes and ponds, ...

, the

Common moorhen The common moorhen (''Gallinula chloropus''), also known as the waterhen, is a bird species in the Rail (bird), rail family (Rallidae). It is distributed across many parts of the Old World, across Africa, Europe, and Asia. It lives around well-ve ...

, the

Virginia rail The Virginia rail (''Rallus limicola'') is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae. These birds remain fairly common despite continuing loss of habitat, but are secretive by nature and more often heard than seen. They are also considered a gam ...

, the

Cocoi heron The cocoi heron (''Ardea cocoi'') is a species of long-legged wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae found across South America. It has predominantly pale grey plumage with a darker grey crest. A carnivore, it hunts fish and crustaceans in sha ...

, the

Snowy egret The snowy egret (''Egretta thula'') is a small white heron. The genus name comes from Provençal French for the little egret, , which is a diminutive of , 'heron'. The species name ''thula'' is the Araucano term for the black-necked swan, a ...

, the

Little blue heron The little blue heron (''Egretta caerulea'') is a small heron of the genus '' Egretta''. It is a small, darkly colored heron with a two-toned bill. Juveniles are entirely white, bearing resemblance to the snowy egret. During the breeding seas ...

, the

Chilean flamingo The Chilean flamingo (''Phoenicopterus chilensis'') is a species of large flamingo at a height of closely related to the American flamingo and the greater flamingo, with which it was previously considered a subspecies before being classified ...

, among others. Some of the mammals reported in the area are:

Molina's hog-nosed skunk Molina's hog-nosed skunk, also called the Andes skunk (''Conepatus chinga''), is a skunk species from South America. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, and Uruguay, at elevations up to 5000 m. Habitat The Molina's ...

, the

lesser grison The lesser grison (''Galictis cuja'') is a species of mustelid from South America. Description Lesser grisons have a long, slender body, short legs, and a bushy tail. They have a long neck and a small head with a flattened forehead and rounded ...

, the Sechuran fox, the

marine otter The marine otter (''Lontra felina'') is a rare and relatively unknown South American mammal of the weasel family (Mustelidae). The scientific name means "feline otter", and in Spanish, the marine otter is also often referred to as : "marine c ...

Pallas's long-tongued bat Pallas's long-tongued bat (''Glossophaga soricina'') is a South and Central American bat with a fast metabolism that feeds on nectar. Metabolism It has the fastest metabolism ever recorded in a mammal, similar to those of hummingbirds. Although ...

, and the

montane guinea pig The montane guinea pig (''Cavia tschudii'') is a species of caviid rodent found in the Andes in South America. The montane guinea pig is the likely main ancestor of ''Cavia porcellus'', the domestic guinea pig or domestic cavy, which appears to ...

. The aquatic ecosystems harbor species of fish like monengue ''(

Dormitator latifrons ''Dormitator latifrons'', the Pacific fat sleeper, is a species of fish in the family Eleotridae found on the Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast of the Americas from around Palos Verdes, California, to Peru, where it can be found in stagnant or slug ...

),'' lisa ''(

Mugil cephalus The flathead grey mullet (''Mugil cephalus'') is an important food fish species in the mullet family Mugilidae. It is found in coastal temperate, tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. Its length is typically . It is known with numerous En ...

)'' and pejerrey ''( Basilichthys'' sp.'');'' and crustaceans like ''

Cryphiops caementarius ''Cryphiops caementarius'' is a South American freshwater shrimp. Distribution It is found in the rivers of Chile and Peru, where it is known as ' or '. The males are called '. The females return to the estuaries to spawn, and the larvae migrate ...

'' and '' Ocypode gaudichaudii.'' Amphibians like '' Rhinella limensis'' and reptiles like the endemic tiger Pacific iguana and ''

Phyllodactylus ''Phyllodactylus'' is a genus of geckos distributed in South America and Central America, and as far north as the southern United States. They are commonly known as " leaf-toed geckos" in their native range, and otherwise as American leaf-toed ge ...

'' sp. also inhabit the sanctuary.

Activities

Birdwatching and hiking can be done in the area.

Environmental issues

The pumping of underground water and deviation of waters from the lagoons; disposal of

agrochemical An agrochemical or agrichemical, a contraction of ''agricultural chemical'', is a chemical product used in industrial agriculture. Agrichemical typically refers to biocides (pesticides including insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and nematicide ...

waste; illegal hunting, fishing and wood extraction; uncontrolled extraction of reeds; and the impact of beachgoers from nearby towns are the main environmental problems that affect this protected area. A study showed degradation in 97.93 hectares of the sanctuary due to limited management, which resulted in decreased biodiversity, especially birds. The study recommends that hydrological connectivity must be restored in order for the sanctuary to keep providing important environmental services.Alcántara, M. B., Jiménez, R., Bustamante, M., Castañeda M., Jiménez J. (2013). Conservation of the Meíja Lagoons National Sanctuary Through the Recovery of Wetland Connectivity and its Surroundings. ''Dirección General de Investigación e Información Ambiental.'' Memoria Segundo Encuentro de Investigadores Ambientales.

References

National sanctuaries of Peru Protected areas established in 1984 Ramsar sites in Peru Geography of the Department of Arequipa {{SouthAm-protected-area-stub