Red de reservas marinas para la Región de las Grandes Islas, Golfo de California: protocolo del proyecto de planeación y reporte de los talleres del equipo de planeación [Marine reserves network for the Midriff Islands Region, Gulf of California, Mexico: planning protocol and progress report to the WWF Mexico & Carlos Slim Foundation Alliance]

La Región de las Grandes Islas (RGI), localizada en el acuario del mundo, el Golfo de California, es reconocida a nivel mundial por su espectacular belleza, diversidad y productividad; en ocasiones se le ha denominada como "las Galápagos del Hemisferio Norte" (Figura 1). En sus 45 islas, incluyendo las dos más grandes de México, Tiburón e Isla Ángel de la Guarda, se han registrado más de 400 especies de plantas, anfibios, reptiles y mamíferos terrestres, algunas de ellas endémicas a una o varias de las islas. En algunas de estas islas, como Rasa y San Pedro Mártir, llegan a anidar cientos de miles de aves marinas. Alrededor de este gran archipiélago, se pueden observar hasta 23 especies de mamíferos marinos, incluyendo la súper agregación de cachalotes en la cuenca San Pedro Mártir. Así como también es un sitio usado por cinco especies de tortugas marinas para hibernar y alimentarse. [English] In collaboration with researchers, agencies and NGOs, we aim to guide the design and implementation of a network of marine reserves for Midriff Islands, Gulf of California, a marine conservation hotspot. The area is one of the most important fishing regions in Mexico and livelihoods of coastal communities are threatened by depletion of fish stocks and climate change. The project aims to develop a practical approach to design networks of marine reserves that consider ecological connectivity and the effects of climate change. The project is an example of interdisciplinary and collaborative applied research, including over 25 researchers and managers from NGOs (COBI, Pronatura), universities (James Cook University, The University of Queensland, Arizona State University, SCRIPPS, The University of Arizona), and national (Mexico’s Commissions for Protected Areas and Biodiversity) and international agencies (NOAA)

Inventory, monitoring and impact assessment of marine biodiversity in the Seri Indian territory, Gulf of California, Mexico

The conservation of marine ecosystems is at least 20 years behind terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems due to the difficulties in studying and monitoring these dynamic and complex environments. Furthermore, marine environment receive less attention because human impacts are less visible in the sea, and oceans are viewed as global commons. The purpose of the present dissertation is to contribute to the knowledge of marine conservation through the development of three components in natural resources management: inventory, monitoring, and assessment of impacts. I elaborate a multi-taxa inventory, identify key species to monitor, characterize one of the key species, and assess the impacts of the most important fishery in the community-based controlled marine area of the Seri Indians along the Sonoran desert coast of Mexico. A total 657 species of mollusks, echinoderms, sharks, rays, bony fish, sea turtles, sea snake, aquatic birds and marine mammals were recorded in the Seri territory through review of 30 scientific collections housed in museums and universities, literature, and field collections. The fish information was improved through the analysis of 151 traditional Seri names. Fifty species were identified for monitoring ecosystem health. They represent species with a legal status, rare, commercially important, taxa that dominate or characterize entire communities, common taxa, and species recognized in the Seri culture. The annual eelgrass (Zostera marina atam) was selected as a key species inside the Canal de Infiernillo in the Seri territory. Coverage of the eelgrass beds was estimated using aerial photographs, field mapping, and Seri traditional ecological knowledge. The total extent of the eelgrass beds was approximately 6687 ha, which regrew in the same areas during the three-year study, maintaining the same general shapes and sizes. Twenty-six percent of the eelgrass beds overlap with the swimming crab (Callinectes bellicosus) fishing zones. Major impact on this fishery are caused by "ghost" fishing traps, which continue to capture crabs and animals and modify the substrate as they are moved around by currents and accumulate on the sea bottom. Efforts to standardize the use of traps will reduce these impacts on this fishery in the long term

Exploration of Non-Monetary Benefits of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Certification, Lessons from the Developing World

Eco-labels have been developed to face the difficulties faced by States in managing fisheries. They promote the voluntary adoption of sustainable practices, through market differentiation of sustainably produced items. In fisheries, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is the most commonly used eco-label. The label is presumed to increase the social and political capitals of the certified fisheries. Mexico has the largest and longest experience in MSC within the developing countries. Mexico has had five certified fisheries including the first small-scale certified fishery. In this work we will focus on four of those five, also exploring the reasons that made 2 of these to withdrawn. The objective of this work is to explore non-financial economic benefits, associated to the certification of these fisheries. To this end, we did an stakeholder map to identify the key players of each certification process based on interviews and on-line MSC data. 40 interviews to those key players were done to recognize benefits associated with the certification. Despite the fact that half of the respondents acknowledge that there has been no improvement in the price of the product, two thirds stated that certification has allowed them to achieve better social or political agreements; around 80% would recommend certification. It is recognized that MSC's certification has not generated the financial returns expected, but it seems that it has resulted in other economical benefit, such as the validation of high social capital an the increasing of political capital

Dynamic connectivity patterns from an insular marine protected area in the Gulf of California

We studied connectivity patterns from a small and isolated island in the Gulf of California (San Pedro Mártir Island Biosphere Reserve), as a source of propagules to surrounding Marine Protected Areas and fishing sites. We used a particle-tracking scheme based on the outputs of a three-dimensional numerical hydrodynamic model to assess the spatial domain to which the island exports larvae as well as larvae retention. We modeled the release of passive particles from locations around the island during the four release dates (May 15 and 31, and June 14 and 30), matching the lunar phases and the peak of the reproductive season for several commercial invertebrates and fish, at the time when currents in the Gulf typically reverse. For each simulation we analyzed the data at 15, 20 and 30 days after the release to represent different planktonic propagule durations. Particle dispersion was highly dynamic and spread over ~ 600 km along the coast over the study period. Overall, we observed potential ecological connectivity with a few key distant fishing sites that changed trough time, and potential genetic connectivity towards many near and distant sites, including all neighboring Marine Protected Areas, although not simultaneously. The percentages of particles remaining within the boundaries of the island tended to decline from May to June, and decreased with delayed planktonic propagule duration. The design of effective Marine Protected Areas should acknowledge the dynamic nature of connectivity patterns, for instance, by establishing adaptive network reserves to respond to changing ocean features that match reproductive patterns of target species and fisheries behavior.We studied connectivity patterns from a small and isolated island in the Gulf of California (San Pedro Mártir Island Biosphere Reserve), as a source of propagules to surrounding Marine Protected Areas and fishing sites. We used a particle-tracking scheme based on the outputs of a three-dimensional numerical hydrodynamic model to assess the spatial domain to which the island exports larvae as well as larvae retention. We modeled the release of passive particles from locations around the island during the four release dates (May 15 and 31, and June 14 and 30), matching the lunar phases and the peak of the reproductive season for several commercial invertebrates and fish, at the time when currents in the Gulf typically reverse. For each simulation we analyzed the data at 15, 20 and 30 days after the release to represent different planktonic propagule durations. Particle dispersion was highly dynamic and spread over ~ 600 km along the coast over the study period. Overall, we observed potential ecological connectivity with a few key distant fishing sites that changed trough time, and potential genetic connectivity towards many near and distant sites, including all neighboring Marine Protected Areas, although not simultaneously. The percentages of particles remaining within the boundaries of the island tended to decline from May to June, and decreased with delayed planktonic propagule duration. The design of effective Marine Protected Areas should acknowledge the dynamic nature of connectivity patterns, for instance, by establishing adaptive network reserves to respond to changing ocean features that match reproductive patterns of target species and fisheries behavior.Fil: Soria, Rodrigo Gaspar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Soria, Rodrigo Gaspar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Torre Cosio, Jorge. Comunidad y Biodiversidad A. C.; MéxicoFil: Torre Cosio, Jorge. Comunidad y Biodiversidad A. C.; MéxicoFil: Munguia Vega, Adrián. Comunidad y Biodiversidad A. C.; México. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Munguia Vega, Adrián. Comunidad y Biodiversidad A. C.; México. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Marinone, Silvio Guido. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada; MéxicoFil: Marinone, Silvio Guido. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada; MéxicoFil: Lavín, Miguel F.. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada; MéxicoFil: Lavín, Miguel F.. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada; MéxicoFil: Cinti, Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Cinti, Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Moreno Báez, Marcia. University of California at San Diego; Estados UnidosFil: Moreno Báez, Marcia. University of California at San Diego; Estados Unido

Dynamic connectivity patterns from an insular marine protected area in the Gulf of California

AbstractWe studied connectivity patterns from a small and isolated island in the Gulf of California (San Pedro Mártir Island Biosphere Reserve), as a source of propagules to surrounding Marine Protected Areas and fishing sites. We used a particle-tracking scheme based on the outputs of a three-dimensional numerical hydrodynamic model to assess the spatial domain to which the island exports larvae as well as larvae retention. We modeled the release of passive particles from locations around the island during the four release dates (May 15 and 31, and June 14 and 30), matching the lunar phases and the peak of the reproductive season for several commercial invertebrates and fish, at the time when currents in the Gulf typically reverse. For each simulation we analyzed the data at 15, 20 and 30days after the release to represent different planktonic propagule durations. Particle dispersion was highly dynamic and spread over ~600km along the coast over the study period. Overall, we observed potential ecological connectivity with a few key distant fishing sites that changed trough time, and potential genetic connectivity towards many near and distant sites, including all neighboring Marine Protected Areas, although not simultaneously. The percentages of particles remaining within the boundaries of the island tended to decline from May to June, and decreased with delayed planktonic propagule duration. The design of effective Marine Protected Areas should acknowledge the dynamic nature of connectivity patterns, for instance, by establishing adaptive network reserves to respond to changing ocean features that match reproductive patterns of target species and fisheries behavior