Notodiaptomus maracaibensis
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Notodiaptomus maracaibensis faces severe pressure from water pollution and eutrophication in Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela's largest lake system. Industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and urban wastewater have dramatically altered the lake's chemistry, creating hypoxic conditions that threaten this endemic copepod's survival. Oil extraction activities in the region contribute additional contamination, while climate-driven changes in precipitation patterns affect the lake's salinity and temperature regimes that this species depends upon.
Habitat
This endemic copepod inhabits the brackish waters of Lake Maracaibo and its associated coastal lagoons in northwestern Venezuela. It thrives in the lake's unique salinity gradient zones where freshwater inflows mix with marine influences from the Gulf of Venezuela.
Other threatened species in DIAPTOMIDAE
Threatened in Brazil
Frequently asked questions
Why is Notodiaptomus maracaibensis classified as Vulnerable?
Where does Notodiaptomus maracaibensis live?
What are the main threats to Notodiaptomus maracaibensis?
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