Gulf of California

The Gulf of California is also known as the Sea of Cortez, Golfo de California, and Mar de Cortes. Despite having multiple names, it is referring to an large inlet along the northwest Mexico. The gulf is enclosed by the peninsula of Baja California and Mexico mainland.

The gulf itself is about 750 mile is long and and about 95 miles wide. The total surface area of the gulf is around 62,000 square miles. It is divided into two main sections and is marked by the islands of Angel de la Guarda and Tiburon.he Gulf of California is home to some of the large biodiversity in the world for marine ecosystems. One of the gulf's other names is the "aquarium of the world" because of the rich biodiversity it has. One of the other features that the gulf fulfills is the demand for commercial fisheries. Because of the biodiversity it has, it has become an important spot for fisheries looking for commercial species of shrimp, sardines, and giant squid. Another reason for the gulf's importance is the sport fishing of billfishes and tuna it has. Leading tourism to be high in this area because of its beautiful beaches and colorful reefs.

The Gulf of California has been losing its biodiversity over time due to the factors above but one that will never change is the factor of time. The effects of human development and time are never ending and its effects can be seen.

The gulf of California is the host of 25% of all marine mammal species

The gulf supports an extraordinary diversity of marine life, which includes endangered marine turtles and dolphins, coral reefs and over 900 species of fish

Like many other species of porpoise, the vaquita tend to be shy and elusive, avoiding boats when approached. They are most commonly sighted in shallow waters up to 50 meters deep. The vaquita population has been in sharp decline for decades, recently accelerated by illegal fishing with gill-nets for the endangered totoaba, a large fish sought after for its swim bladde

In April 2015, the Mexican government announced a two-year ban on gill-net fishing in the vaquita habitat, to be enforced by the Mexican navy. Conservation organizations welcomed the initiative, but stressed that unless the ban was made permanent, the measure did not go far enough. In July 2016, a permanent ban was finally announced, together with a ban on night fishing to aid the fight against poachers. However, it is illegal fishing that is responsible for the vaquita's dramatic decline, and that is unlikely to stop immediately. It is now up to Mexico to enforce the ban, and for the international community to curb the market for totoaba swim bladders in China and to go after poachers. The fight to save the vaquita continues

Many groups and organizations focuses on designing and maintaining protected areas. They can do that by fighting to help maintain the biodiversity. These efforts can be seen by focusing on, for example, the vaquita specifically, in hopes of preventing illegal fishing of the fish.

WWF works to ensure that the Gulf remains a healthy and productive marine area that can support local communities as well as the abundant wildlife within and near its waters. The WWF have helped create several protected areas within the Gulf, and have worked to protect areas such as Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park from any future coastal development.

Creating a network of marine protected areas: fully protected marine areas, no-take zones, marine sanctuaries, ocean sanctuaries, marine parks, locally managed marine areas, to name a few. Many of these have quite different levels of protection, and the range of activities allowed or prohibited within their boundaries varies considerably too

Promoting sustainable fisheries: Cooperating with stakeholders to ensure that overfishing and illegal fishing become fully eradicated thanks to well-managed fisheries, effective monitoring & tracking systems, and good governance rules , better fishing and procurement practices are adopted and promoted throughout the whole fish supply chain, money is well invested in fisheries practices that do not harm marine ecosystems, nor deplete fish populations, and safeguard incomes for local livelihoods. 

The granting of protected status to a species or ecosystem is no guarantee of protection without community support, adequate funding, and proper research.

The Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California is a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site. This serial property consists of 244 islands and oceanic marine zones. It was recognized by UNESCO for its marine landscape, as well as rich marine coastal habitat.

The site comprises 244 islands, islets and coastal areas that are located in the Gulf of California in north-eastern Mexico. The Sea of Cortez and its islands have been called a natural laboratory for the investigation of speciation. Moreover, almost all major oceanographic processes occurring in the planet’s oceans are present in the property, giving it extraordinary importance for study. The site is one of striking natural beauty in a dramatic setting formed by rugged islands with high cliffs and sandy beaches, which contrast with the brilliant reflection from the desert and the surrounding turquoise waters. It is home to 695 vascular plant species, more than in any marine and insular property on the World Heritage List. Equally exceptional is the number of fish species: 891, 90 of them endemic. The site, moreover, contains 39% of the world’s total number of species of marine mammals and a third of the world’s marine cetacean species.

The preservation approach, which aims at setting aside National Parks to exclude human activities except for tourism. Through this approach, the direct use of natural resources in the park for commercial or subsistence purposes is prohibited. This type of approach is often referred to as the “protectionist approach” or “the fines and fences” approach. The preservation approach aims at excluding human activities considered inimical to the objectives of conserving biodiversity in National Parks. The preservation approach was the most dominant approach until the 1980s, but in some National Parks, it has now been substituted by the second approach called the community-based conservation approach that allows people (especially those that neighbor National Parks) to benefit socially or economically from parks

The community-based conservation approach involves initiatives aimed at conserving biodiversity in the park but also letting local people benefit from the park [6]. Some of the initiatives involved in the community-based conservation approach include signing of resource use agreements such as in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park which allow local people who neighbor National Parks to have access to specific resources from the park for subsistence use. In other cases, local people are given money for infrastructural development, such as in Integrated Conservation and Development Initiative in Korup National Park in Cameroon. And in other National Parks such as Pendjari National Park in Benin, local people are given a percentage of revenue generated from tourism activities in the park.

Economic arguments for preservation often involve valuation of ecotourism, of the genetic resource, and commercial considerations of the natural capital. Ecological reasons may be related to the ecosystem. Ethical arguments are very broad, and can include the intrinsic value of the species or the utilitarian value.

Habitat conservation for wild species is one of the most important issues facing the environment today — both in the ocean and on land. As human populations increase, land use increases, and wild species have smaller spaces to call home. More than half of Earth's terrestrial surface has been altered due to human activity, resulting in drastic deforestation, erosion, and loss of topsoil, biodiversity loss, and extinction. Species cannot survive outside of their natural habitat without human intervention, such as the habitats found in a zoo or aquarium, for example. Preserving habitats is essential to preserving biodiversity.The values of biodiversity can be classified as either direct values or indirect values.

The values of biodiversity can be classified as either direct values or indirect values

Indirect Values - more difficult to calculate

• stabilize ecosystems (negative feedback cycles)
• provide benefits but are not generally harvested/destroyed/sold
• usually, services or processes which benefit everyone
• public goods - value accrues to society instead of individuals
• Examples: Food sources and natural products

Direct Values - can be easily calculated

• goods harvested & destroyed for consumption (eating) or sale in a market
• generally physical commodities of some sort
• private goods - value accrues to the owner of the resource
• Examples: biological control, human health, recreation, intrinsic value, gene sources, scientific value, ecosystem productivity, environmental monitors

Ethical

• The idea of good stewardship (looking after the environment) and sustainable development for the good of future generations
• Intrinsic value of the environment or right of individuals or species to exist

Aesthetic

• Nature can provide inspiration for all kinds of artwork

Economic

• Species and habitat are direct natural capital, e.g. ecotourism
• Unknown value in the potential of the species for agriculture, medicine, genetic diversity, and biotechnology

Ecological

• Life-support service value e.g. stable climate
• Some species are keystone species, which if removed from the ecosystem can lead to many other species becoming extinct

• Intergovernmental Organization
• United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP)
• Non-governmental Organization
• World Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Goals 
• Creating a network of marine protected areas 
• Promoting sustainable fisheries 
• Encouraging coastal development and tourism 
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

World Heritage Committee 

• Requested assistance for and list the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California as “World Heritage in Danger” pursuant was inscribed in part to protect both the critically endangered vaquita and totaba

Mexico Environmental Program

• Incorporated the Gulf of California as a priority area of marine resources and coastal ecosystems for a long tie developmental strategies and policies in Mexico underestimated important aspects 
• Emphasized that the ecological ordinance must be the basis of sustainable development as well as the areas to be preserved and restored.

Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California 

• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 
• 244 islands, islets, and coastal areas 
• Have been called a natural laboratory for the investigation of speciation
• Has been given high importance for study purposes 
• Contains 39% of the world’s total number of species of marine mammals and a third of the world’s marine cetacean species 

• The factors will affect the risk of extinction:
• Degree of Specialization
• Distribution
• Reproductive potential and behavior
• Trophic level
• Habitat loss caused by human development
•  Over utilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes
• Disease or predation
• Inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms
• Pesticides can runoff or drive
• Illegal trade in wildlife driven by consumer demand for animals and plants used as luxury foods, medicines, trophies and tourist souvenirs 
• Species displacement, competition for food and resources, and hunting
• Pollution
• Deaths caused by the propellers of outboard motors

• Destruction of Habitat 
• Hunting Exploitation of Selected Species 
• Habitat Fragmentation
• Collection for Zoo Research
• Introduction of Exotic Species Pollution
• Control of Pests and Predators 
• Natural Calamities
• Natural disaster 
• Habitat degradation
• Fragmentation
• Agriculture
• Introduced species 
• Pollution 
• Hunting
• Collecting 
• Harvesting

Specific to the Gulf of California:

• Increased Human Activity
• Unsustainable Tourism 
• Development and Commercial Fishing 
• Pollution 
• Climate Change