The Southern Cross (Crux, Cruz del Sur or Croix du Sud) is one of the most famous, emblematic and culturally rich constellations in the starry sky of the southern hemisphere. Although it is the smallest of the 88 modern constellations, its history, its stellar composition, and its crucial role for southern navigation make it a fascinating subject of study.
Astronomical features
The Southern Cross is not technically a constellation in origin, but an asterism (a distinctive pattern drawn by particularly bright stars). It is now recognized as the constellation of the Cross (Crux). It consists of four main stars that form the ends of the cross, often completed by a fifth, smaller star located between the right arm and the foot of the cross.
Acrux (Alpha Crucis): This is the brightest star in the constellation and the 12th brightest star in the night sky. Located at the base of the cross, it is actually a multiple star system situated about 320 light‑years from Earth, with a combined apparent magnitude of 0.76.
Mimosa (Beta Crucis): Located on the left (western) arm of the cross, this is the second‑brightest star. It lies at about 280 light‑years and has a magnitude of 1.25.
Gacrux (Gamma Crucis): At the top of the cross, Gacrux is a red giant of spectral class M3.5 III. At only 88.6 light‑years, it is the nearest red giant to the Sun and the largest of the five stars. Its magnitude is 1.64.
Imai (Delta Crucis): This star forms the right (eastern) arm of the cross. Its apparent magnitude is 2.79 and it lies 345 light‑years away.
Ginan (Epsilon Crucis): Although often omitted in the strict shape of the cross, this star of magnitude 3.58 lies between Acrux and Imai, at 230 light‑years.
History and mythology
Indigenous cultural significance
Long before Europeans, the Southern Cross held a central place in the cultures of the southern hemisphere:
Aboriginal Australians: The stars of the cross appear in many Dreamtime stories and served as a calendar and seasonal guide. In certain traditions, the Cross and the “Dark Nebula” (a dark nebula nearby) form the head of the Celestial Emu.
Māori of New Zealand: In Māori culture, the Cross is known as Te Punga (“the anchor”), linked to the great canoe (the Milky Way) of Tama‑rereti.
Incas: The Inca Empire knew it as Chakana (the “stair‑cross”), a deep spiritual and cosmological symbol connecting the underworld, the earthly world and the divine.
European discovery
In antiquity, the Southern Cross was visible from the Mediterranean. The Greeks, including Ptolemy, regarded it as part of the constellation Centaurus. Because of the precession of the equinoxes (the slow movement of the Earth’s rotational axis), it gradually slipped below the European horizon and was forgotten.
It was “rediscovered” during the great European maritime expeditions at the dawn of the 16th century. The Venetian navigator Alvise Cadamosto noted it in 1455, calling it the carro dell’ostro (“southern chariot”), although his drawing was imprecise. The Portuguese astronomer and physician João Faras is generally credited with being the first European to draw it correctly in May 1500, from the coasts of Brazil. The Florentine navigator Amerigo Vespucci also described it in a letter in 1503.
An emblem of southern territories
Beyond its astronomical and nautical function, the Southern Cross has become a major emblem, serving as an identity marker for the extreme southern territories of the American continent. Its representation conveys a deep geographical and memorial rooting.
It thus appears at the heart of the official symbols of Patagonia and the Fuegian archipelago.
On the flag of the Chilean region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, the white constellation stands out against a deep‑blue background, above snowy peaks and a golden steppe, symbolizing the southern position of the region.
Across the border, the flag of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctic and South Atlantic Islands likewise displays the five stars of the Southern Cross tilted on a blue field, here associated with the silhouette of an albatross in flight, an allegory of freedom and local marine fauna.
In both cases, the Southern Cross functions as the seal of a shared belonging to the southern world and its maritime history.
In a more free‑flowing, contemporary vein, the Southern Cross appears even in the visual identity of our association, Karukinka. Without seeking the rigor of an official emblem, the logo pays it a clear tribute. This choice is no accident: it is an invitation to travel, a discreet reminder of our sub‑Antarctic fields of exploration and of our attachment to both maritime and Indigenous knowledge in this land at the end of the world.
An invaluable navigation tool
The major historical importance of the Southern Cross lies in its use for oceanic navigation. In the northern hemisphere, Polaris points precisely to the celestial north pole. The southern hemisphere lacks such a bright star near the pole, which made nighttime orientation complex for early sailors.
How to find the south celestial pole?
The Southern Cross serves as a “pointer” toward the south celestial pole. Mariners and navigators use a simple geometric method:
Draw an imaginary line joining Gacrux (the top of the cross) to Acrux (the base).
Extend this line downward by about 4.5 times the distance separating these two stars.
This imaginary point in the sky lies very close to the south celestial pole.
To confirm this point, navigators rely on two very bright neighboring stars, Alpha and Beta Centauri (the “Pointers”). By drawing a line perpendicular to the midpoint of the segment joining these two Pointers, the intersection of this line with the one descending from the Cross gives the exact location of the south celestial pole.
This technique was essential for Polynesian navigators during their incredible transoceanic voyages. During the first circumnavigation (1519–1522), Magellan’s expedition also learned and used these techniques based on the Southern Cross to navigate the vast expanse of the Pacific and the Southern Ocean. Argentine gauchos similarly used it to orient themselves at night across the vastness of the Pampa and Patagonia.
Today, the importance of the Southern Cross is such that it has become a national emblem. It features prominently on the flags of several nations in the southern hemisphere, including Australia, New Zealand (which displays only the four main stars), Brazil, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
The genus Aphrastura (family Furnariidae) groups together small insectivorous passerines endemic to the southwestern part of South America. It historically comprises two species: the thorn‑tailed rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda, synallaxis rayadito or espinoso rayadito), widely distributed in the temperate forests of Chile and southern Argentina, and the Masafuera rayadito (Aphrastura masafuerae), microendemic to Alejandro Selkirk Island in the Juan Fernández Archipelago.
Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) photographed during a Karukinka expedition in the channels of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve (Chile, April 2025).
The rayaditos (in Yagán: tachikatchina) play a central role in the biology of southern temperate forests, where A. spinicauda is one of the most abundant tree‑cavity birds (and one of the most vocal!) in the Nothofagus forests, up to the southernmost limits of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve.
Within this subantarctic context, the recent discovery of the subantarctic rayadito (Aphrastura subantarctica) in the Diego Ramírez archipelago, to the southwest of Cape Horn, has revealed a remarkable case of island diversification within a treeless environment.
Table of contents
Distribution, diversity and ecosystems
Recent studies on the community of cavity‑using birds show that A. spinicauda is one of the most abundant passerines in southern temperate forests, with densities exceeding 9 individuals per hectare and a strong dependence on cavities excavated by the Magellanic woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus). In contrast, A. subantarctica inhabits an herbaceous archipelago dominated by Poa flabellata and uses ground cavities or the structures of seabird nests for breeding, in the absence of terrestrial mammalian predators.
Morphology, ecology and behaviour
A. spinicauda is a small passerine of about 12 g, with a long, slender tail employed in its acrobatic movements on trunks and branches. Its streaked, brown‑reddish plumage provides excellent camouflage against bark and foliage, and it feeds primarily on insects and larvae, exploring bark and understory vegetation.
A. subantarctica, on the other hand, averages 16 g, with a longer bill, heavier legs, a shorter tail and a behaviour focused close to the ground, reflecting adaptation to a wind‑exposed, herbaceous habitat.
The behaviour of the rayadito in Yagán territory is illustrated by these words from Ursula Calderon: “Tachikatchina is a bird that sings in the mountains during the day, warning that someone is hidden: a wicked man, a sorcerer. It thus announces to the walker the presence of these people, or of a dog, of a cat… in short, of someone hidden. Its calls, when they sing together, are frightening, tsch‑tsch‑tsch, since they do not announce anything good” (p. 70, réf. 10).
Rayadito or Tachikatchina, photographed in April 2025 in Caleta Borracho (sailing expedition through the Patagonian channels, Chile).
Genetics, speciation and conservation
Genetic analyses show a clear differentiation between A. spinicauda and A. subantarctica, which justifies proposing A. subantarctica as a new emblematic species of subantarctic biodiversity. This distinction, combined with morphological and behavioural differences, places the Diego Ramírez archipelago as a natural laboratory of speciation and conservation, now protected by the Diego Ramírez–Drake Passage Marine Park.
For A. spinicauda, the conservation of old‑growth, cavity‑rich forests and the preservation of the Magellanic woodpecker population are essential to maintain the structure of rayadito populations within the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve.
Sources :
Rozzi, R. et al. (2022). “The Subantarctic Rayadito (Aphrastura subantarctica), a new bird species on the southernmost islands of the Americas”. Scientific Reports 12, 13957. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-17985-4
Rozzi, R. et al. (2023). “The subantarctic rayadito (Aphrastura subantarctica), a new bird species on the southernmost islands of the Americas (repositorio UChile version)”. Repositorio UChile. https://repositorio.uchile.cl/handle/2250/194760
Ramírez‑D’Crego, R. (2022). “The Subantarctic Rayadito (Aphrastura subantarctica), a new bird species on the southernmost islands of the Americas”. CECS research‑related article. https://ramirodcrego.com/papers/article29/
Zenodo (2022). Dataset “The Subantarctic Rayadito (Aphrastura subantarctica), a new bird species on the southernmost islands of the Americas”. Morphological and genetic data. https://zenodo.org/records/6983420
Rozzi, R. et al. (2022). “The Subantarctic Rayadito (Aphrastura subantarctica), a new bird species on the southernmost islands of the Americas”. PMC version (NIH‑NIHMS). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9418250/
Rozzi, R. et al. (2022). Taxonomic description of Aphrastura subantarctica (Wikispecies).
Marine, R. H. et al. (2022). “The extreme rainfall gradient of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve”. Science of the Total Environment ou équivalent (étude de biodiversité et de rayaditos dans les canaux).
Rozzi, R. et al. (2018). “Marine biodiversity at the end of the world: Cape Horn and Diego Ramírez islands”. PLOS ONE ou revue équivalente, décrivant la diversité des îles Diego Ramírez et la contexte écologique.
Rozzi, R. et al. (2017). "Guia Multi-Etnica de Aves de los Bosques Subantarticos de Sudamérica". Ediciones Universidad de Magallanes.
In southern Patagonia, within the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, lichens and bryophytes turn trunks, rocks, and peat bogs into true “miniature forests” that can only be discovered by leaning in with a hand lens.
This cryptogamic diversity reaches an exceptional level on Navarino Island, where work carried out by the Omora Ethnobotanical Park team has shown that more than 5% of the world’s bryophyte species are concentrated on less than 0.01% of the Earth’s surface, including a large proportion of endemic species. To this richness in mosses and liverworts is added a remarkable lichen flora, recently inventoried, which confirms the status of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve as a global hotspot for non-vascular organisms.
Placopsis lambii and Gunnera magellanica, seen in one arm of Tres Brazos bay (Karukinka's expedition "Biosphere Reserve of cape Horn", February 2026)
A hotspot at the end of the world
Navarino Island and the subantarctic region of Magallanes lie in a zone of humid temperate forests swept by winds, where abundant rainfall and cool temperatures favor the proliferation of mosses, liverworts, and lichens. This ecoregion has been identified as a global center of bryophyte diversity, with about 818 species recorded in the Magallanes region, which play a key role in nutrient regulation and water quality. Lichens also reach remarkable diversity there: an intensive floristic study on Navarino Island recorded 416 taxa of lichens and related fungi, including species new to science.
The forests of Navarino are located in one of the cleanest-rain regions on the planet, and the abundance of lichens sensitive to air pollution reflects the low contaminant load of the local air. This sensitivity makes lichens good bioindicators of air quality, a point often emphasized in the educational activities of Omora Park and in communication about the Biosphere Reserve.
Even in this relatively preserved region, bryophyte and lichen communities remain vulnerable to repeated trampling, hydrological changes, and the long-term effects of climate change on precipitation and temperature regimes. Disturbances caused by introduced species, such as the North American beaver, which profoundly modifies waterways and peat bogs in the region, can indirectly alter the substrates and microclimatic conditions needed by these miniature forests.
Bunodophoron patagonicum (Expedition Karukinka February 2026, Gordon island, Biosphere Reserve of cape Horn)
Bryophytes and lichens: discreet but essential protagonists
Bryophytes—mosses, liverworts, and hornworts—are small non-vascular plants, lacking roots and complex conducting tissues, yet they colonize trunks, soils, and rocks extensively in subantarctic forests. Lichens, long-lasting symbioses between a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium, form crusts, leafy rosettes, or shrubby tufts that cover Nothofagus bark, dead wood, stones, and even moss cushions already in place. Together, these two groups make Cape Horn one of the places with the highest densities of non-vascular organisms in the world, to the point where a single tree can host more than a hundred epiphytic species.
Gunnera magellanica, Lepidozia chordulifera and Blechnum pennamarina, photographed during an expedition Karukinka in Tres Brazos Bay (Gordon island, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile, February 2026)Plagiochila elata (expedition Karukinka February 2026, cape Horn province, Chile)
Bryophytes and lichens in southern Patagonia are poikilohydric, meaning they tolerate strong drying and can suspend their metabolism, resuming it rapidly once rehydrated, which makes them especially resistant to freeze–thaw cycles. Many species develop protective pigments and thick structures that reduce damage from UV radiation, wind, and direct exposure, especially in Magellanic tundra and coastal environments. These functional traits explain why, at the highest elevations of Navarino or on wind-swept shores, the dominant organisms are moss cushions and crustose or shrubby lichens.
Miniature forests
To make this richness perceptible beyond scientific circles, Ricardo Rozzi and colleagues proposed the metaphor of the “bosques en miniatura del Cabo de Hornos,” miniature forests formed by mosses, liverworts, lichens, and the microfauna that lives there. The practice of observing these small landscapes with a hand lens, pausing for a long time in front of a trunk or rock, turns a walk into a detailed natural history exploration of worlds that are usually invisible.
Lypocodium s.l. on the right (Tres Brazos bay, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, expedition Karukinka February 2026)
Miniature forests are not only vegetal: they also shelter a diverse microfauna of insects, mites, nematodes, and other invertebrates that feed, reproduce, and take refuge in moss and lichen cushions. These organisms contribute to the fragmentation of organic matter, the mineralization of nutrients, and sometimes the dispersal of spores and propagules, adding several trophic levels to what, to the naked eye, looks like a simple green or gray carpet.
Ecological roles in forests and bogs
In humid subantarctic forests, bryophytes and lichens form thick mantles on trunks, rocks, and the ground, capable of retaining large amounts of water and regulating local humidity. This water-retention capacity makes them natural sponges that soften the impact of frequent rainfall, limit erosion, and stabilize microhabitats for many invertebrates and microorganisms.
In peat bogs, bryophytes—especially sphagnum-type mosses and related forms—structure the matrix that accumulates organic matter in saturated environments, storing both water and large amounts of carbon.
Sphagnum, Baie Tres Brazos (cape Horn biosphere reserve, fueguian channels, Chile, expedition Karukinka, February 2026)
Lichens also play a pioneering role on bare rocks, glacial moraines, and coastal outcrops, where they initiate soil formation by physically and chemically altering the substrate. By retaining particles and moisture, these pioneer communities gradually create micro-niches favorable to the later establishment of mosses and then vascular plants.
Emblematic mosses and lichens
Among bryophytes, the moss Lepyrodon lagurus is often cited as an emblematic species of Omora Park, where it forms velvety mats on tree trunks and contributes to the luxuriant appearance of humid forests. This type of epiphytic moss retains rainwater, offers micro-refuges to a variety of invertebrates, and sometimes hosts lichens that settle on its surface, further increasing the complexity of the miniature forest.
Among lichens, the large tufts of Usnea, the “old man’s beards” hanging from Nothofagus branches, clearly illustrate the relationship between air purity and the vigor of lichen populations. The cushions and small trumpets of Cladonia that cover some soils or dead wood, as well as newly described species such as Candelariella magellanica, testify to the originality of Navarino’s lichen flora.
Miniature forest photographed during a trekking between Lëm and Wulaia (Navarino island, Chile) in February 2020 (Lauriane Lemasson)Sphagnum and liverworts (expedition in Tierra del Fuego, Lauriane Lemasson, March 2013)
Hand-lens ecotourism
To highlight and protect this discreet biodiversity, the Omora Park team developed the concept of “Ecoturismo con lupa,” a hand-lens ecotourism that places the discovery of mosses, liverworts, and lichens at the center of the experience. Coined by Ricardo Rozzi and colleagues, the term refers to a niche tourism practice in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, where visitors are invited to observe the “miniature forests” and understand their ecological role. Marked trails welcome small groups equipped with hand lenses, accompanied by guides who combine natural history, ecology, and ethical reflection on biocultural conservation.
This ecotourism model has been supported by projects aimed at developing scientific and educational tourism in the region, seeking to connect local economic benefits, environmental education, and the protection of subantarctic ecosystems. The documentary Viaje Invisible. Ecoturismo con Lupa illustrates this approach by following guided visits that immerse the public in the detailed contemplation of Cape Horn’s miniature forests.
Gackstroemia magellanica (Endemic liverwort of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve (Karukinka expedition, February 2026))Gunnera magellanica – lichens Pseudocyphellaria berberina, Pseudocyphellaria frecineti, and Pseudocyphellaria granulata – Nephroma antarcticum (Karukinka expedition, Tres Brazos Bay, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, February 2026)
Biocultural conservation and education
Omora Park and its partners defend a “biocultural conservation” approach, linking biodiversity protection to the recognition of local cultures, especially Yaghan tradition and the communities of Puerto Williams. Bryophytes and lichens then become mediators for reflecting on the links between ways of life, environmental ethics, and responsibility toward ecosystems, notably through the “field environmental philosophy” proposed by Rozzi and colleagues.
Schools in Puerto Williams include the observation of miniature forests in their educational activities so that children recognize the global value of the biodiversity in their territory. This local appropriation helps counter “biocultural homogenization,” a concept that refers to the tendency to forget discreet organisms and lose the cultural knowledge and meanings associated with them.
Our thanks to Ricardo Rozzi and José German Gonzalez Calderon for their help in identifying the bryophytes from our images.
Short bibliography
Etayo, J., Sancho, L. G., Gómez-Bolea, A., Søchting, U., Aguirre, F., & Rozzi, R. (2021). Catalog of lichens (and some related fungi) from Navarino Island, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile. Anales del Instituto de la Patagonia, 49.
Goffinet, B., Rozzi, R., Massardo, F., et al. (2012). Miniature Forests of Cape Horn: Ecotourism with a Hand Lens. University of North Texas Press.
Rozzi, R. (coord.) (n.d.). Ecoturismo con lupa en el Parque Omora. Universidad de Magallanes. Editorial presentation and book notice.
Cape Horn Center (CHIC). Ecoturismo con lupa: a way to discover the miniature forests of lichens and mosses.
Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad / Universidad de Magallanes. Omora Ethnobotanical Park – institutional presentation of the biological station.
Rozzi, R., et al. (2008). Patterns of species richness in sub-Antarctic plants and implications for conservation.
Documentary Viaje Invisible. Ecoturismo con Lupa. Omora Ethnobotanical Park, 2013.
Cultivating a Garden of Names in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve. Study on biocultural conservation, bryophytes and lichens, and environmental education.
Today we share with you a Yagan story dedicated to the hummingbird, told by Úrsula Calderón and Cristina Calderón in 2001 in Mejillones Bay (Navarino Island, Chile). It was published on pages 170 and 171 of the book Guia Multi-Etnica de Aves de los bosques subantárticos de Sudamérica (2017) and translated from Spanish to English by the Karukinka association.
The Chilean hummingbird Sephanoides sephaniodes
The Yagan story of the hummingbird
“Once, when birds were still humans, a severe drought struck the Cape Horn region and its inhabitants were dying of thirst. The cunning fox (cilawáia, the Magellan fox) found a lagoon and, without telling anyone, built a fence around it with umush branches (calafate in Yagan) so that no one could enter. Hidden there, he drank plenty of water alone, only caring for himself.
After some time, others discovered the lagoon's existence and, as a group, they went to ask cilawáia for some water. But he didn’t even want to listen to their pleas and brusquely expelled them. The people's condition worsened by the moment, and in their despair, they remembered omora. They sent a message to this small occasional visitor who, in similar past shortages, had saved their lives.
The Magellanic fox (Lycalopex griseus, cilawáia)
The hummingbird, or little omora, was always ready to help and came very quickly. Although weakened, this tiny creature (human or spirit) is braver and more fearless than any giant. Upon arrival, people told him in detail what had happened about the great shortages. Omora, upon hearing what happened, became indignant and flew to the place where cilawáia was. Selfish, the fox confronted him. And omora said: ‘Listen! Is it true what others told me? You have access to a lagoon, and you refuse to share your water with others. Do you know that if you don't give them water, they will die of thirst?’ The fox replied: ‘What do I care? This lagoon has very little water, just enough for me and some close relatives.’
Hearing this, omora became furious and, without answering cilawáia, he returned to the camp.
He thought hard and, hastily, rose holding his staff and returned to where cilawáia was. On the way, omora collected several sharp stones, and when close enough to the fox, he shouted: ‘Will you finally share the water with everyone?’ The selfish cilawáia answered: ‘Let them die of thirst. I can’t give water to each one of them, or else my family and I will starve.’
Omora was so furious he could not restrain himself and leapt with his staff, killing the fox with the first blow.
The others watching came running happily to the place, broke the fence, approached the lagoon, and began to drink to quench their thirst — all of the water. Some birds who arrived late barely managed to wet their throats. Then, the wise little owl sirra (grandmother of omora) said to the birds who had arrived late: ‘Go collect mud from the bottom of the lagoon and fly to the tops of the mountains, above which you must sprinkle.’
The little birds and their balls of mud created vertical springs that originated the watercourses cascading from the mountains, forming small streams and large rivers running through ravines. When everyone saw this, they were extremely happy and all drank large amounts of fresh and pure water, which was much better than the lagoon water that the selfish cilawáia guarded. Now everyone was saved. To this day, all these watercourses flow from the mountains and provide exquisite water. Since then, no one should die of thirst.”
The study proposes a collaboration model between ancestral Mapuche knowledge and ecological science, demonstrating that nature conservation requires listening to, respecting, and working alongside indigenous communities.
Temuco, October 23, 2025. (diariomapuche.cl) – A study published by the scientific journal Ecology & Evolution highlights the contribution of the Mapuche people to the understanding and protection of biodiversity in southern Chile. The research, titled "Listening Deeply to Indigenous People: A Collaborative Perspective and Reflection Between a Mapuche Machi and Ecologists", proposes a paradigm shift in ecological science: moving from consulting communities to co-producing knowledge alongside them.
The work was developed by a group of scientists and a machi from the Conguillío territory, who shared knowledge, experiences, and reflections on the impacts of industrial projects—forestry and hydroelectric—on the Truful-Truful river basin, one of the ecosystems most affected by extractivism in Wallmapu.
"The machi and the ecologists show us that listening deeply to indigenous peoples is not a symbolic act, but a condition for understanding the life of the territory," the study states.
Ancestral Mapuche knowledge and science with two eyes
The team applied the "Two-Eyed Seeing" approach, a framework that integrates Western scientific vision with Mapuche cosmovision. In this way, two ways of knowing the world are articulated: one based on ecological data and another on the spiritual and territorial experience that sustains the Mapuche relationship with itrofil mongen (biodiversity).
The article identifies historical barriers between academia and indigenous peoples—such as mistrust, knowledge extractivism, and inequality in decision-making—but also shows concrete paths for collaboration, respect, and reciprocity.
The territory speaks
The research documents how exotic plantations and hydroelectric projects have altered medicinal species, water courses, and cultural practices linked to küme mongen (good living). Against this, the study proposes that indigenous communities participate as co-managers and co-researchers, recognizing their territorial and spiritual authority over the ecosystems they inhabit.
The publication concludes that without indigenous peoples there will be no effective nature conservation, and that integrating their knowledge and rights into public policy is an urgent task in the face of the global climate crisis.
"Wallmapu does not only conserve biodiversity: it conserves memory, language, and spirituality. Listening deeply to its inhabitants is also listening to the earth," the statement summarizes.
A study conducted by Conicet in the Beagle Channel could be a turning point for aquaculture production in Tierra del Fuego. The analysis of variables such as water temperature, salinity, and oxygen concentration aims to lay the foundations for the first industrial-scale mussel farm in Ushuaia, as part of a project led by Newsan Food. #mussels Beagle Channel
The study is led by Irene Schloss, a specialist in biological oceanography, with a team from the Southern Scientific Research Center (Cadic). The researchers are studying environmental conditions in areas near Puerto Almanza, where mussels already grow naturally, and evaluating other areas with production potential. This species is native to the Beagle Channel and has great potential for regional aquaculture.
The work is part of a High-Level Technological Service (STAN) requested by Newsan Food, which has been developing fishing activities in the province for 15 years and, in the last five years, has made progress in aquaculture for domestic supply according to a sustainable model. Last February, the company led by Rubén Cherñajovsky launched the first national production of industrial mussels.
“Mussels are sensitive marine organisms that require optimal environmental conditions to grow and thrive. It is therefore essential to understand and evaluate the environment in which their cultivation is planned, to ensure the long-term success of the productive activity,” explains Schloss.
The study considers key environmental and biological variables: temperature, salinity, oxygen and ammonium concentration, presence of chlorophyll and phytoplankton, with an emphasis on toxin-producing species (red tide). All this aims to determine whether the conditions in the channel are suitable for the development of this industry.
“Studying the marine environment of the Beagle Channel is important for many reasons, but it is even more valuable that these studies can have a real impact on productive activities in the southernmost region of the continent. When we work together, everyone wins: better decisions are made and science translates into concrete results for society,” adds the researcher.
For field operations, the Scientific Research Vessel (BIC) Shenu serves as a base for navigation and surveys, with a monthly campaign at five coastal stations between Puerto Almanza and the east of Gable Island, opposite Puerto Williams (Chile). The project plans twelve campaigns until October. The ship is equipped with multiparameter instruments (CTD, light and chlorophyll sensors) as well as equipment for storing and processing samples taken at depths of between 5 and 8 meters, which are then analyzed in Cadic's laboratories.
On the Newsan Food side, director Fabio Delamata explains: “The company's objective is to conduct a study of the marine environment to consolidate the creation of an aquaculture development hub based on sustainability, environmental protection, and an industrial perspective. Working with Conicet means relying on data and information to achieve a solid, reliable, and long-term result.”
The company has invested nearly $10 million in cultivation lines, boats, and harvesting and seeding platforms, as well as an operational hub in Puerto Almanza. The overall plan calls for a $17 million investment to expand production with new collection and breeding lines.
The project aims to meet local demand, which fluctuates between 300 and 400 tons of mussels per year, currently imported from Chile, and to open the door to exports. Last summer, Newsan sent a batch of 10 tons of mussels cultivated in the Beagle Channel to Buenos Aires, whole, frozen, and pre-cooked in the channel's water.
The results of Conicet's research could not only diversify Tierra del Fuego's productive matrix, but also generate employment and raise environmental awareness in the community. “This would strengthen environmental awareness as an alternative for diversifying the productive matrix and encourage sustainable development in Almanza,” emphasize Cadic members.
