AERIS ORDER · 10 ENGLISH
Environmental mission · Bajo Cauca
THE CAUCA RIVER IS MORE THAN WATER

When mining harms the river,
everyone feels it.

Explore the problem. Follow the evidence. Become a Guardian.

🛡️ Order: Aeris  •  Class: 10 English  •  Mission: Cauca River
⛏️ Illegal mining→💧 Water at risk→🌿 Ecosystems affected
Open Guardian Map ↓Enter the game ✦
The river is alive — keep learning.
01 / Guardian Map

Your mission map.

Use the map to jump directly to any part of the Guardian experience.

MISSION ROUTE 2.0
01 · Territory

Start with the river and understand the context before entering the challenge.

02 / Learn

One river. Many lives.

The Cauca connects ecosystems, communities, wildlife, agriculture and cities. What happens to the water can matter far beyond one location.

Cauca River
Cauca River · real photograph · Wikimedia Commons
Why it matters

When the land changes, the river feels it.

Illegal mining can involve excavation, vegetation loss, increased sediment and, in some contexts, hazardous substances such as mercury.

1
Land gets disturbedExcavation can reshape soil, riverbanks and habitats.
2
Water carries materialSediment and pollutants can move through connected waterways.
3
Life is affectedPlants, animals and communities can feel the consequences.
Guardian rule: knowledge comes first. You cannot protect what you do not understand.
03 / Quick facts

Facts worth knowing.

💧
3,123 g
Mercury reported seized

A 2024 report described a mercury seizure in Caucasia.

🌿
30 ha
Environmental recovery

A 2024 report described phytoremediation over 30 hectares in Caucasia.

⛏️
5
Mining units destroyed

A 2026 report described an operation against illegal mining in Caucasia.

🌊
1 basin
Connected territory

Water connects places: upstream events can matter downstream.

05 / Mercury and Fish · Cauca River

What does mercury do to fish in the Cauca River?

In the Bajo Cauca region of Antioquia, gold mining has been an important source of mercury pollution. Studies in the Bajo Cauca River have found methylmercury concentrations in fish exposed to mining areas.

Gold-mining area in Bajo Cauca, Antioquia
Bajo Cauca, Antioquia · gold mining and mercury pollution
What happens in the Cauca

Mercury can enter the food chain.

In aquatic environments, some mercury can be transformed into methylmercury. This form can build up in fish tissues and increase as it moves from one organism to another through the food web.

1
Pollution reaches the riverIn Bajo Cauca, mercury use associated with gold mining can contaminate water, sediments and ecosystems.
2
Fish accumulate itMethylmercury can remain in fish tissues and build up over time.
3
The food chain can amplify the problemFish that eat contaminated organisms can accumulate higher concentrations.
Cauca River fact: Research in the lower basin found significantly higher methylmercury concentrations in fish from areas exposed to gold mining, with Bajo Cauca among the most affected areas.
Map and infographic about mercury pollution in Antioquia rivers and fish
Mercury and fish in Antioquia
Pollution can move through connected water systems and affect species such as bocachico and catfish.
Fish caught in Bajo Cauca
Fishing in Bajo Cauca
Fish are an important part of the food and economy of riverside communities.
Why does it matter? The problem is not only the water: mercury can enter fish and affect biodiversity and the food security of communities that depend on the river.
06 / Evidence Lab

From claim to evidence.

Three sources. Three ideas. Check the evidence before the challenge.

● VERIFIED PROJECT CONTEXT

The Bajo Cauca is connected to a much bigger watershed.

Official environmental reporting describes impacts from mining in the Bajo Cauca reaching connected water systems, while scientific research has measured methylmercury in fish from exposed areas.

160fish analyzed in one study
38fish from the Bajo Cauca exposed group
2026new Cauca protection action plan validated
SCIENTIFIC STUDY

Mercury in fish

A study of bocachico and moncholo analyzed 160 fish and reported significantly higher methylmercury concentrations in exposed areas, with Bajo Cauca among the most affected.

Read the National University study ↗
GOVERNMENT

Why the watershed matters

MinAmbiente has documented how environmental impacts in Bajo Cauca can extend downstream through connected water systems and affect other regions.

Open the official report ↗
2026 UPDATE

Protection is moving forward

In April 2026, the Commission of Guardians validated an action plan focused on ecosystem restoration, fisheries, community participation and sustainable livelihoods across the Cauca basin.

See the 2026 update ↗
INTERACTIVE PATHWAY

How can mercury become a fish problem?

01 · Source

Start with the source: mining activity can introduce mercury into environmental systems. The exact pathway depends on local conditions.

Source rule: Aeris uses scientific and official sources for factual claims. If a number is not verified, it should not be presented as fact.
07 / Guardian HQ

Your mission. Your river. Your legacy.

Follow the route, build your profile and unlock your Guardian legacy.

GUARDIAN XP0Build your field profile
MISSION PROGRESS0%Explore every stage
RELICS0 / 5Earn them in the challenge
STATUSRIVER ROOKIEKeep learning
MISSION MAP

The Guardian Route

Five stages connect the story: understand the territory, follow the mercury pathway, verify evidence, take the challenge, then choose an action.

01 · Territory

Start by understanding why the Cauca River matters to ecosystems and communities.

08 / Mercury Lab

Trace the mercury pathway.

Explore the chain from mining activity to fish — one step at a time.

INTERACTIVE MODULESTEP 1 / 5
⛏️Mining activityPotential mercury source
↓
💧Water & sedimentEnvironmental pathway
↓
🦠Food webSome mercury can become methylmercury
↓
🐟FishMethylmercury can accumulate in tissues
↓
🛡️Guardian actionMonitoring, restoration and responsible practices
FISH EXPLORER

Choose a fish and inspect its role.

This is a learning model, not a risk calculator. Species can differ in diet, habitat and exposure.

Bocachico

Feeds within aquatic food webs and can be exposed when methylmercury is present in its environment.

water→food web→fish tissue
09 / What if?

Move from pressure to protection.

Drag the control to explore a conceptual transition toward a healthier river system.

SCENARIO SIMULATOR

UNDER PRESSURE

0%PROTECTION
PRESSURETRANSITIONPROTECTION
💧At riskWater condition
🐟ExposedFood-web pressure
🌿VulnerableEcosystem response
🤝NeededCommunity action

This visual shows a conceptual direction, not a numerical prediction. Real environmental recovery depends on local conditions, monitoring, restoration and sustained action.

10 / Guardian Challenge

Not just a quiz.

Learn fast. Play smart. Earn Guardian Energy.

Guardian Energy 0
✦ 0/5 relics
⚡ Level 1 · 🏆 0
Guardian Challenge · initializing…
GUARDIAN GUARDIAN · READY?
MISSION 1 / 10

Loading mission...

MISSION COMPLETE
GUARDIAN GUARDIAN
0/10

Guardian title: River Rookie
Back to top ↑
11 / Guardian Passport

Your mission becomes a legacy.

Your progress stays on this device. Complete the experience and see your Guardian identity evolve.

🛡️
CAUCA GUARDIAN PASSPORT

Guardian

RIVER ROOKIE

MISSION PROGRESS0%
0/10BEST SCORE
0/5RELICS
0/4BADGES
STATUS · ROOKIE
12 / Cauca Guardian AI

Cauca Guardian AI

Ask questions about the Cauca River, Caucasia, illegal mining, mercury, fish and environmental protection.

🤖 Cauca Guardian AIEducational assistant · Bajo Cauca
●

Educational answers based on the topics covered in this project. The assistant uses the project educational context and an AI API when configured. It does not replace official scientific or government sources.

13 / Guardian moves

Small actions. Bigger impact.

📚
Learn & share

Use reliable information when talking about environmental problems.

🌱
Restore nature

Support restoration and protection of vegetation and waterways.

🔎
Check claims

Verify dramatic environmental claims before sharing them.

🤝
Protect together

Healthy rivers need informed people and responsible action.