An earthquake off Northern California shook the waters at Devil's Hole, 500 miles away

The endangered and ruthlessly resilient Devils Hole Pupfish living in Death Valley National Park has been in for a major shock. The water-filled cave they call home was shaken by a powerful earthquake whose epicenter was about 500 miles away. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California on December 5. Their little aquatic environment began shaking after just two minutes. Scientists estimate that the waves – called “seiche” – were approximately two feet high.

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The water at Devils Hole is usually still. The pool is protected from the wind and is located at the bottom of a collapsed cave. According to the National Park Service, the unusual waves disrupted the shallow shelf that is the main spawning area for the Devils Hole Pupfish. Most of the organic material was transported from the cliff into the cave, which is more than 500 feet deep.

“In the short term, this is bad for the pupfish,” National Park Service biologist Kevin Wilson said in a statement. “A lot of the little fish's food has sunk deep into the cave, and it's probably too deep for the fish to get in. There were probably little fish eggs that were destroyed on the shelf. But, in the long term, this is kind of a reset.” Helpful for your pup fish You have cleaned up any decaying organic matter that could be causing pockets of low oxygen.

[ Related: Devils Hole pupfish are clawing their way back from the brink of extinction. ]

Devils Hole Pupfish are critically endangered due to the hellish environment they call home. The pupfish is now only found in the upper 80 feet of the cave in Death Valley on a shallow 11-foot by 16-foot shelf at the cave entrance. Although it is a desert, this area has been under water for about 542 to 251 million years. Those waters receded over time and pupfish have lived in this area for at least 10,000 years.

Devils Hole pupfish also live in the smallest habitat of any vertebrate species on Earth. The water temperature is around 93 degrees Fahrenheit year round, and its food resources are scarce, and oxygen levels that would kill other fish. A 2022 study found that the Devils Hole Pupfish is also one of the most prolific species on Earth. This lack of genetic diversity makes it difficult for them to reproduce and thrive.

Pit Devils Pupfish. Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Olin Feuerbacker

Pupfish have survived other wave events like this recently in 2018, 2019 and 2022. In the past, they responded to these disturbances by increasing egg-laying activity. The most recent surveys counted 191 fish in April – the highest number in 25 years – and 212 fish in September.

Wilson said the team is taking no risks in their response because this species of pupfish has no other natural habitat. Biologists from the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Nevada Department of Wildlife are evaluating how to mitigate the disturbance to the fish, which are also affected by climate change and groundwater pumping. This plan would likely include increasing the amount of supplemental food provided to the fish.

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