A Marine Reserve Network for the Gulf of California

Life abounds in the Gulf of California.This wonderful sea shelters some of the richest fisheries in the world,contains more than thirty species of marine mammals,and sustains the northernmost coral reefs in the American Continent. Immense coastal surges bring nutrients from the depths of the Gulf to the surface,and fertilize some of the richest oceanic waters in the world. The estuaries bring nutrients from land to sea,and join the ecological processes of ocean and land. In this study,Octavio Aburto Oropeza and Catalina Lopez Sagastegui present a detailed,comparative analysis of the different efforts carried out in the Gulf of California aiming to establish conservation priorities.With profound knowledge of the region,they discuss the alternatives set forth to establish a network of marine reserves in the Gulf of California,and with a broad,inclusive spirit, they search for consensus and solutions,finding accords, similarities in the focus points,and congruence in the different perspectives.