The Gulf of California: Biodiversity and Conservation

The Gulf of California
Biodiversity and Conservation
Edited by Richard C. Brusca
400 pp. / 6.00 in x 9.00 in / 2010
Paper (978-0-8165-0010-9) [s]
Cloth (978-0-8165-2739-7) [s]

Series
- Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Studies in Natural History

Related Interest
- Biological & Ecology

Few places in the world can claim such a diversity of species as the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), with its 6,000 recorded animal species estimated to be half the number actually living in its

This book is an essential reference for anyone who is interested in the Gulf of California and in its social, political, ecological and physical dynamics.

—Journal of Latin American Geography

A comprehensive and wellstructured reference, useful in understanding the biodiversity conservation efforts in the region.

—Ecological and Environmental Anthropology

A reflection of the long-term efforts attempting to decipher the message of change that is read between the lines of ecological indicators.

—Environmental Biology of Fishes

waters. So rich are the Gulf's waters that over a half-million tons of seafood are taken from them annually—and this figure does not count the wasted by-catch, which would triple or quadruple that tonnage. This timely book provides a benchmark for understanding the Gulf's extraordinary diversity, how it is threatened, and in what ways it is—or should be—protected.

In spite of its dazzling richness, most of the Gulf's coastline now harbors but a pale shadow of the diversity that existed just a half-century ago. Recommendations based on sound, careful science must guide Mexico in moving forward to protect the Gulf of California.

This edited volume contains contributions by twenty-four Gulf of California experts, from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. From the origins of the Gulf to its physical and chemical characteristics, from urgently needed conservation alternatives for fisheries and the entire Gulf ecosystem to information about its invertebrates, fishes, cetaceans, and sea turtles, this thought-provoking book provides new insights and clear paths to achieve sustainable use solidly based on robust science. The interdisciplinary, international cooperation involved in creating this much-needed collection provides a model for achieving success in answering critically important questions about a precious but rapidly disappearing ecological treasure.

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