A recent study published in Scientific Reports highlighted a significant decline in minimum flow rates across six rivers in the Los Lagos and Aysén regions, alongside a reduced influence of freshwater and an increase in surface water temperatures within the coastal system. The research combined field observations, hydrological time series, hydrological models, satellite data, and reanalysis processes to analyze changes on weekly, monthly, and seasonal scales for the Petrohué, Puelo, Yelcho, Palena, Cisnes, and Aysén rivers from 1993 to 2021. The study was led by Dr. Jorge León-Muñoz, researcher at the Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción (UCSC) and Adjunct Researcher at the Integrative Program of the Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR). Collaborating scientists included members from the Dynamic Research Center for Marine Ecosystems of High Latitudes (IDEAL) at the Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh), the Patagonia Ecosystem Research Center (CIEP), and INCAR.
The research results demonstrate that river flow rates have consistently declined over the last thirty years, indicating changes in the hydrological cycle attributed to reduced rainfall, lower wind speeds, and heightened solar radiation, especially in the summer months. The characteristics identified and quantified in this study have been linked to a higher occurrence of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) during the summer period. These results are crucial as foundational material for developing mitigation and adaptation policies in response to the rapid changes occurring in the Patagonian watersheds, amidst significant uncertainty regarding the future trajectory of the region’s valuable ecosystem functions.
