UT Connection Runs Deep in Cuatro Ciénegas

CUATRO CINEGAS, Mexico — With its dizzying variety of wildlife, Cuatro Ciénegas is one of the most studied spots on earth and no institution has been more involved lately than the University of Texas.

Professor of ichthyology (the study of fish) Dean Hendrickson has been doing research in the valley for more than two decades and has brought more than 160 UT students to study the unique fish that evolved in Cuatro Ciénegas's isolation.

And since 2006, Hendrickson has directed the Cuatro Ciénegas Research Station, which is staffed by Peace Corps volunteers and provides a base for visiting scientists studying everything from the Coahuila Box Turtle to the impact of water levels on surrounding communities.

"It's a hotbed of evolutionary biodiversity," said Hendrickson, who frequently makes the 8-hour drive to Cuatro Ciénegas from Austin. "You can think of it like the Galapagos Islands, but in reverse. Cuatro Ciénegas is an island of water in the middle of the desert."

While Hendrickson's research focuses primarily on desert fishes, he has recently turned his attention to the impact of invasive plants and animals, mostly wildlife introduced into the valley by humans.

"It doesn't take much to knock (the ecosystem) out of whack," he said.

The Jewel Cichlid, a fierce fish originally from Africa, has been wreaking havoc on Cuatro Ciénegas's native species and is the subject of an eradication campaign. Most likely it was introduced by someone throwing their pet fish into one of Cuatro Ciénegas's picturesque pools.

Hendrickson warned that increased tourism in Cuatro Ciénegas needs to be carefully managed — swimmers can damage the area's unique collection of stromatolites, ancient coral-like creatures that represent the earliest life forms on earth.

And developers and large-scale farmers have also been draining the area of its precious underground water.

"In Mexico it's very difficult to control groundwater extraction," Hendrickson said. "There is much, much less water and wetland habitat than there used to be."