Walling off the US-Mexico border would be 'catastrophic' to wildlife, researchers say
'There are animals trying to cross as if their life depended on it,' Sierra Club researcher Erick Meza told attendees at the Society of Environmental Journalists' 34th Annual Conference in Tempe on April 25. 'Finding them dead at the feet of the wall is common.'
Southern Arizona zoologists from Wildland Networks, Sky Islands Alliance and Sierra Club have been monitoring wildlife in the borderlands since 2020 to try to understand what happens when nearly 70% of the border is blocked off by a wall that's up to 30 feet tall.
In 2022, cameras picked up a wolf that came out of the Gila River from the north that kept on pacing back and forth for three days along the border wall, but, unable to cross it, ended up going back where he came from and dying.
But that wolf isn't the only animal severely impacted by the 760 miles of barrier separating the United States and Mexico, which almost blocks off an entire continent, those zoologists explained.
'All these species do not fit through the openings in the wall,' Harrity said. 'Jaguars won't get through either.'
If the United States wants to reestablish a population of jaguars, there cannot be a wall, journalist John Washington said.
The wall's design — steel bollards spaced 4 inches apart or solid panels—prevents most animals larger than a bobcat from passing. Small 8.5-by-11-inch openings have allowed some female mountain lions to squeeze through, a feat researchers call remarkable but insufficient.
'For many species, those openings are the only way through the wall,' Sky Islands Alliance zoologist Eamon Harrity said. 'But there's only 19 in the entire barrier.'
At the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona, Wildlands Network zoologist Myles Traphagan observed many animals before the construction of the wall, but very few after.
'One skunk out of 1641 pictures,' he said, noting ancient watersheds were bulldozed. 'I mourn that damage, like if I had lost a loved one.'
The Sierra Club in 2021 sued the Department of Homeland Security. The lawsuit secured open floodgates for two years at San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge, more little wildlife openings, some funds for conservation science and habitat restoration, and engagement in environmental planning before further wall construction.
However, challenges remain. The Department of Homeland Security controls wall modifications, and the Trump administration could restart construction.
Researchers recently learned that the new administration wants to build across the 27.5-mile-long San Rafael Valley, considered the last network of wildlife connectivity at the southern border.
The "Sky Islands," tall mountains in the Sonoran Desert where the San Rafael Valley lies, are one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. They are the northernmost range of the jaguar, and the place where many species' northernmost and southernmost extents of migration range happens, the zoologists said at the conference.
'If we block this, it's forever. We are going to lose so many species,' Harrity said. 'Driven north by warming climates, species will run into a barrier that will prevent them from reaching climate refugees.'
The zoologists repeatedly described that outcome as 'catastrophic.'
But until the San Rafael Valley and the 63 miles of the Tohono O'odham Nation remain unwalled, there remains some hope for wildlife.
Natasha Cortinovis is a master's student at the University of Arizona, and is part of a student newsroom led by The Arizona Republic.
Coverage of the Society of Environmental Journalists conference is supported by Arizona State University's Cronkite School of Journalism, the University of Arizona and the Arizona Media Association.
These stories are published open-source for other news outlets and organizations to share and republish, with credit and links to azcentral.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Researchers: Border wall expansion would be 'catastrophic' to wildlife
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Grad Students Were Working on a Project—and Accidentally Found a 277-Year-Old Shipwreck
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Research at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site (BTFA) in Brunswick County, North Carolina revealed a Spanish colonial shipwreck. Researchers believe the ship to be La Fortuna—a Spanish privateer ship that exploded during an attack at the end of King George's War. Further exploration at the site uncovered three additional shipwrecks and countless artifacts. At Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site (BTFA) in North Carolina, two East Carolina University (ECU) graduate students were working on a field project in the Cape Fear River when they discovered something incredible. 'While lost, in the search for the Northern extent of the wharf, I came across several wooden frames barely sticking out of the clay mud with evidence of planking just barely visible on the surface,' Cory van Hees, one of the students on the project, said in a press release. 'I didn't understand what I was looking at in that moment, but I knew I should relay the wooden structure to faculty.' Soon after the discovery, project co-leader and ECU maritime archaeologist Jason Raupp confirmed that the strange planks were in fact a shipwreck. Further research suggested that the vessel was once La Fortuna—a colonial Spanish privateer ship that exploded during an attack at the end of King George's War in 1748. Samples from the planks identified the wood as either Monterey cypress (H. macrocarpa) or Mexican cypress (H. lusitanica), which only grow in California and Central America, meaning that the ship's builders sourced the materials from 18th-century Spanish Caribbean colonies. The only recorded Spanish shipwreck in the area is La Fortuna, and previous research in the area discovered a cannon from the ship nearby. Excitingly, La Fortuna wasn't the only wreck the ECU team discovered at the site—divers actually came across three more. Researchers believe one of the additional wrecks was once a vessel used for land reclamation, and another was a colonial flatboat, which was a vessel used to transport people. The fourth wreck remains unidentified, though researchers believe it's unlikely that the three wrecks (other than La Fortuna) are of Spanish origin. The team also discovered many artifacts at the site, including 'ceramic sherds, glass container bottles, clay tobacco pipes, a cooper's adze [cutting tool], barrel heads and staves, sailcloth, leather shoes, possible clothing fragments, and butchered animal bone,' Jeremy Borrelli—another project co-leader and ECU archaeologist—told Live Science in an email. According to the press release, the relics provide greater context for colonial life, trade, maritime activity, and conflict. One of the finds—a collection of fragments of 18th-century Spanish-American ceramics—further supports the hypothesis that the initial wreck was once La Fortuna. Unfortunately, environmental concerns put the wrecks (and other undiscovered remains) at risk—dredging, dynamic wave energy, and large storms have all put BTFA's waterfront at risk. For La Fortuna specifically, erosion drastically impacted the wreck site, scattering the ship's remains across the surrounding area. The team undertook emergency recovery of over 40 timbers from what researchers believe to be La Fortuna, according to the press release, and all of the pieces recovered from the shipwreck were transferred to a laboratory at ECU's West Research Campus in Greenville. Research will continue on the wrecks and their remains. 'We are extremely excited about these important sites,' Raupp said in the release, 'as each one will help us to better understand the role of BTFA as one of [North Carolina's] earliest colonial port towns.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life? Solve the daily Crossword
Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Inside the border command center tracking migrants with drones
FT. HUACHUCA, Ariz. — Inside a windowless and dark shipping container turned into a high-tech surveillance command center, two analysts peered at their own set of six screens that showed data coming in from an MQ-9 Predator B drone. Both were looking for two adults and a child who had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and had fled when a Border Patrol agent approached in a truck. Inside the drone hangar on the other side of the Ft. Huachuca base sat another former shipping container, this one occupied by a drone pilot and a camera operator, who pivoted the drone's camera to scan 9 square miles of shrubs and saguaros for the migrants. Like the command center, the onetime shipping container was lit mostly by the glow of the computer screens. The hunt for the three migrants embodied how advanced technology has become a vital part of the Trump administration's efforts to secure the border. The Department of Homeland Security allocated 12,000 hours of MQ-9 drone flight time this year at the Ft. Huachuca base, and says the flights cost $3,800 per hour, though an inspector general report in 2015 said the amount is closer to $13,000 when factoring in personnel salaries and operational costs. Maintenance issues and bad weather often mean the drones fly around half the allotted hours, officials said. With the precipitous drop in migrant crossings at the southern U.S. border, the drones are now tasked with fewer missions. That means they have the time to track small groups or even individual border jumpers trekking north through the desert. This type of drone, first used in warfare, was operated by the National Air Security Operations division of Customs and Border Protection at the Army base about 70 miles south of Tucson. A reporter was allowed to observe the operation in April on the condition that personnel not be named and that no photographs be taken. The drone flying this day was mounted with a radar, called Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar, or VaDER, that could identify any moving object in the drone's sight, and pinpoint them with color-coded dots for the two analysts in the first container. The program had already located three Border Patrol agents, one on foot and two on motorcycles, searching for the migrants. The analysts had also identified three cows and two horses, headed toward Mexico. Then, one of the analysts spotted something. 'We got them,' he said to his colleague, who had been scanning the terrain. 'Good work.' The analyst dropped a pin on the migrants and the VaDER program began tracking their movement in a blue trail. Now, he had to guide agents on the ground to them. 'We've got an adult male and a child, I think, tucked in this bush,' the analyst radioed to his team, as he toggled between the live video to an infrared camera view that showed the heat signature of every living thing in range. The analyst saw his Border Patrol colleagues approaching on motorcycles. The roar of the oncoming machines scared up a bird, the tracking program showed. The migrants began running. 'OK, it looks like they're starting,' the camera operator said into the radio to the Border Patrol agents. 'They're hearing the bikes. They hear you guys.' The camera operator and the other personnel spoke in the professional, matter-of-fact tone of 911 operators. One adult and the child began scrambling up a hill. 'They're moving north and west, mainly,' the camera operator said. 'Starting to pick up the pace going uphill.' The agents rushed in on the pair and detained them. It was a mother and her child. The drone team turned its attention to the third person, who was stumbling through the brush and making a beeline for the Mexican border. 'If you cut due south from your current location,' the drone pilot said to the camera operator. 'You should pick up some sign.' The camera operator, as directed, panned across the desert, scanning farther and farther south. 'I've got them,' he said when he spotted someone running. He radioed the coordinates to the Border Patrol team. By now, the man, carrying a backpack, had scaled a hill. 'He's on the ridgeline right now, working his way up due south, slowly,' the camera operator radioed. Then the man dropped something. 'Hey, mark that spot,' the camera operator said. 'He just threw a pack, right here where my crosshairs are at. ' Agents would go back later and see if the backpack contained drugs, an analyst said. 'Usually, if it's food or water, they're not going to do that,' he said. On this spring morning, the drone wasn't the only airborne asset deployed. A helicopter had joined the chase to catch the southbound man, who stumbled, got up and kept running. 'He took a pretty good spill there,' an analyst said into the radio. 'We have a helo inbound, three point five minutes out,' the camera operator said. A helicopter came into the drone's view. It swooped in, circling the location of the man, who was by now hiding under a bush. 'You just passed over him,' the camera operator radioed the helicopter pilot. 'He's between you and that saguaro.' With a keystroke, he switched to infrared vision to find the man's heat profile through the brush to make sure he still had him. Guided by the camera operator, the pilot landed the helicopter in a cloud of dust near the cowering target. The video feed showed agents jump out of the aircraft, detain the man and load him into the helicopter. The chopper lifted off and tilted back north toward a nearby Border Patrol post. 'Thanks, sir, appreciate all the help,' the analyst said to the helicopter pilot. Mission accomplished, the drone pilot turned the MQ-9 back along the U.S.-Mexico border, scanning the vast desert in search of more migrants. The military is planning to deliver a third MQ-9 drone to the base this fall after spending a year retrofitting it for civilian authority use. Fisher is a special correspondent. This article was co-published with Puente News Collaborative, a bilingual nonprofit newsroom, convener and funder dedicated to high-quality, fact-based news and information from the U.S.-Mexico border.
Yahoo
13-08-2025
- Yahoo
Mexico Microcarrier Market Trends and Company Analysis Report 2025-2033 Featuring BD, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Merck, Eppendorf, Danaher, Sartorius, Bio Rad, Corning, Lonza Group, Getinge
The Mexico Microcarrier Market is poised for significant growth, projected to reach US$ 77.65 million by 2033 from US$ 39.96 million in 2024, achieving a CAGR of 7.66% from 2025 to 2033. Key drivers include increased investment in regenerative medicine and cell therapy, rising demand for cell-based vaccines and biologics, and technological advancements in cell culture efficiency. Mexico's biopharmaceutical sector expansion, supported by enhanced bioprocessing infrastructure and strategic public-private partnerships, further bolsters this growth. Emerging challenges include high setup costs and complex regulatory requirements, offering opportunities for innovation and collaboration. Mexican Microcarrier Market Dublin, Aug. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Mexico Microcarrier Market to Reach US$ 77.65 Million by 2033 - 7.66% CAGR Growth Driven by Biopharma Demand" report has been added to Mexico Microcarrier Market is expected to reach US$ 77.65 million by 2033 from US$ 39.96 million in 2024, with a CAGR of 7.66% from 2025 to 2033. Growing investment in regenerative medicine and cell therapy, growing demand for cell-based vaccines and biologics, technological advancements in culture efficiency, and expansion of biopharmaceutical research and development in Mexico. Mexico's growing biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industries depend heavily on the microcarrier industry. The large-scale manufacturing of biologics, vaccines, and cell treatments depends on microcarriers, which are tiny, spherical particles that promote the proliferation of adherent cells in bioreactors. As Mexico looks to improve its local manufacturing capabilities in response to growing healthcare demands and the need for medical product self-sufficiency, these applications become more and more market is expanding due to a number of causes. Research and development expenditures, along with the nation's strategic efforts to strengthen its biomanufacturing infrastructure, are essential. The need for effective cell culture systems is further fueled by the aging population and the rising incidence of chronic diseases, which increase demand for cutting-edge treatment solutions. Additionally, Mexico has easier access to cutting-edge biotechnologies, such as microcarrier-based cell culture systems, thanks to its involvement in international health programs and collaborations with foreign the encouraging growth trajectory, the Mexican microcarrier market still confronts obstacles including the requirement for specialized technological know-how and the development of strong regulatory frameworks to guarantee the quality and safety of the products. Nonetheless, these difficulties offer chances for creativity and cooperation. These problems can be resolved by creating training initiatives, establishing regulatory guidelines, and encouraging public-private partnerships. This will create an atmosphere that is favorable for the expansion of the microcarrier market and the larger biopharmaceutical sector in Factors Driving the Mexico Microcarrier Market Growth Increasing Demand for Cell Therapy and BiopharmaceuticalsMicrocarrier systems are in high demand due to Mexico's growing biopharmaceutical industry, which includes the manufacture of vaccines, biologics, and cell treatments. Businesses are depending more and more on microcarriers to sustain high density adherent cell cultures in bioreactors as local R&D becomes more intense and manufacturing capacity need is particularly noticeable in the creation of therapeutic proteins, monoclonal antibodies, and items related to regenerative medicine. Scalable and effective cell culture is made possible by microcarriers, which is necessary for the commercial production of biologics and sophisticated cell culture systems are now a vital enabling technology for Mexico's biomanufacturing efforts as the nation develops its capacities in these fields and aligns with international health Development and Manufacturing ExpansionMexico's bioprocessing infrastructure is being quickly strengthened through government sponsored initiatives and strategic public-private partnerships. The adoption of effective cell culture technologies is being fueled by investments in upstream bioprocessing facilities, automation, single use systems, and digital technology is also supported by the growth of industry academia partnership and regulatory modernization (e.g., COFEPRIS's digital transformation). These advancements promote easier technology transfer from research to production and improve the technical preparedness required for microcarrier is therefore better able to scale complex bioprocesses, which increases the accessibility of microcarriers for biotechnology companies, contract manufacturers, and academic institutions seeking to increase their capacity for and Technological Progress in MicrocarriersPerformance and scalability have been greatly enhanced by innovations in microcarrier design, such as surface functionalized beads, biodegradable materials, and compatibility with single use bioreactors. Manufacturers who prioritize quality and cost effectiveness are placing a greater value on enhanced features like increased yield, better cell adhesion, and lower contamination developments, when combined with automation, intelligent sensor integration, and digital process control, reduce human error and streamline production. Modern microcarrier formats are becoming feasible choices for biomanufacturers and researchers nation wide due to Mexico's rising alignment with international industry trends and the country's expanding adoption of state of the art bioprocessing in the Mexico Microcarrier Market Expensive Startup and Ongoing CostsMicrocarrier based cell culture system deployment requires a large financial outlay, especially for equipment such as bioreactors, single use systems, and associated infrastructure. Traditional planar culture techniques are still less expensive at lower scales because they require less like microcarrier beads make up a significant portion of the continuous expenses for microcarrier setups, which frequently require tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in capital expenditure. GMP grade, high quality microcarriers can account for 20-25% of total consumable financial barriers, in addition to media supplies and labor training, make the technology hard to adopt in Mexico, where a large number of biotech companies and academic institutions have tight budgets. Despite the long term productivity and efficiency benefits of microcarriers, this hinders scale of Regulations and Documentation NeedsUnder the General Health Law, COFEPRIS is in charge of regulating microcarrier based cell culture in Mexico, particularly when it is meant for clinical or therapeutic applications. In accordance with ICH guidelines, businesses are required to compile comprehensive Common Technical Document (CTD) dossiers that include clinical, non clinical, and quality is necessary to adhere to Official Mexican Standards (such as NOM?257?SSA1?2014, NOM?059?SSA1?2015), especially those that deal with GMP, bio comparability, and safety assessment. Microcarrier systems need to be thoroughly validated, which includes testing for batch uniformity, sterility, and cell material obstacles to commercialization include the burden of complicated documentation and testing, changing regulations, and unclear advanced therapeutic standards. Market access may be delayed, more expensive, and unclear for entities without local regulatory partnerships or past dossier experience. Company Analysis: Overview, Key Persons, Recent Developments, SWOT Analysis, Revenue Analysis Thermo Fisher Scientific Merck KGaA Eppendorf AG Danaher Corporation Sartorius AG Bio Rad Laboratories, Inc. Corning Inc. Lonza Group Getinge Becton, Dickinson and Company Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 200 Forecast Period 2024 - 2033 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $39.96 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2033 $77.65 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 7.6% Regions Covered Mexico Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction2. Research & Methodology2.1 Data Source2.1.1 Primary Sources2.1.2 Secondary Sources2.2 Research Approach2.2.1 Top-Down Approach2.2.2 Bottom-Up Approach2.3 Forecast Projection Methodology3. Executive Summary4. Market Dynamics4.1 Growth Drivers4.2 Challenges5. Mexico Microcarrier Market5.1 Historical Market Trends5.2 Market Forecast6. Market Share Analysis6.1 By Product Type6.2 By Application6.3 By End User6.4 By Region7. Product Type7.1 Consumables7.1.1 Microcarrier Beads7.1.2 Media & Reagents7.2 Equipment8. Application8.1 Cell Therapy8.1.1 Market Analysis8.1.2 Market Size & Forecast8.2 Vaccine Manufacturing8.3 Others9. End User9.1 Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies9.2 Contract Research Organizations & Contract Manufacturing Organizations9.3 Academic & Research Institutes10. Region10.1 Northern Mexico10.2 Central Mexico10.3 Southern Mexico10.4 Others11. Value Chain Analysis12. Porter's Five Forces Analysis12.1 Bargaining Power of Buyers12.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers12.3 Degree of Competition12.4 Threat of New Entrants12.5 Threat of Substitutes13. SWOT Analysis13.1 Strength13.2 Weakness13.3 Opportunity13.4 Threats14. Pricing Benchmark Analysis14.1 Thermo Fisher Scientific14.2 Merck KGaA14.3 Eppendorf AG14.4 Danaher Corporation14.5 Sartorius AG14.6 Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.14.7 Corning Inc.14.8 Lonza Group14.9 Getinge14.10 Becton, Dickinson and Company15. Key Players Analysis For more information about this report visit About is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Mexican Microcarrier Market CONTACT: CONTACT: Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@ For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900
