The Cuatrociénegas ecological preserve, in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila, runs the risk of disappearing, Valeria Souza, researcher with the Autonomous National University of Mexico's Ecology Institute, told Tierramérica. Cuatrociénegas is a series of some 300 pools of crystalline water in the desert, rich in microorganisms that form calcified structures, among them cyanobacteria that produce carbonate from microscopic algae.

It is thought that in the beginning of life history this type of ecosystem produced oxygen and changed the conditions for life on Earth. Study of the pools allows scientists to understand how biodiversity was created, says Souza.

The environmental deterioration of Cuatrociénegas, due to overexploitation of water sources and use of fertilizers, has caused the disappearance of the pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) and the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi).

Fish species are disappearing from the pools before there is even scientific documentation of them, Souza said.