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Isla Natividad is a small fishing community off the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, México. A lease from the Mexican government allows them exclusive rights over the waters surrounding their island. They are part of a successful fishing cooperative, la Sociedad Cooperativa de Producción Pesquera Buzos y Pescadores that sells their seafood on the international market. Isla Natividad is an island of fishermen. Like many small fishing communities worldwide, Isla Natividad is concerned with climate change, diminishing fish populations, and the increased effort required to get their product to market. They also worry about their children's futures on an island with few work opportunities. Isla Natividad is part of a federally protected area, la Reserva de la Biosfera el Vizcaino, so the town's footprint cannot expand, and the number of residents is limited to around 400. As members retire, they must leave the island and return to the mainland. If the children of current members are not interested in working in the fishing industry, they must pursue employment elsewhere.A small group was formed to bring ecotourism to the island. Through interviews with community members, this film explores the island's desire to open up to new avenues of employment while giving voice to its fears of losing its identity. Isla Natividad allows the residents of the island to tell their own story.Please see the film attached to this project here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QylfFaZoZ1KnO1FTGwItCwnyiA-LZTx5/view

Two new large muricids gastropods are named from the American tropics; one from the Lucasian Infraprovince of the Magdalenan Subprovince, Panamic Molluscan Province of the Eastern Pacific and the other from the Martiniquean Infraprovince of the Grenadian Subprovince, Caribbean Molluscan Province of the Caribbean Sea. The new Panamic species, Neorapana iwamasai Petuch, Berschauer, and Powell n. sp., is found on a very small stretch of coastline along Baja California Sur, Mexico. The other species, Phyllonotus bellettii Petuch, Berschauer, and Powell n. sp., is endemic to the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, and adjacent smaller islands, in the French West Indies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cabo Pulmo National Park (CPNP), within the East Cape of Baja California Sur, Mexico, is the location of a highly productive rocky reef ecosystem that was likely attractive to people throughout the Holocene. AMS radiocarbon dates from sites along the coast and faunal data from two excavated sites, D20 and D27, indicate people were present in the region by at least 7120–6755 cal b.p. (D34), but evidence of persistent occupation and possibly higher population densities postdates 2110–1945 cal b.p. (D27, Unit 1). The most prominent sites with intact stratified archaeological deposits appear to be focused adjacent to prominent rocky points, where assemblages include a variety of marine mollusks, fish, birds, terrestrial and marine mammals, and sea turtle remains. At both D20 and D27, there is evidence people targeted small fishes including sardines, likely with nets. This study highlights the strong archaeological potential in CPNP to address questions about human coastal adaptations and population history during the Holocene, emphasizing the importance of protecting cultural resources in an area at risk from growing tourism and residential development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estudios Regionales en Economía, Población y Desarrollo is the property of Estudios Regionales en Economia, Poblacion y Desarrollo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Terra: Revista de Desarrollo Local is the property of Terra: Revista de Desarrollo Local and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Economía, Sociedad y Territorio is the property of El Colegio Mexiquense and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The production of cysts by dinoflagellates can be part of the life cycle of some species, improving their survival under adverse environmental conditions; cyst germination may explain the recurrence of algal blooms in some cases. In order to evaluate the germination rates of Pyrodinium bahamense, its cysts were retrieved from surface sediments collected in San José Lagoon, SW Gulf of California, and germination assays were carried out through the cysts incubation under two contrasting light and nutrient concentration conditions. Also, to evaluate cysts viability, we isolated P. bahamense cysts and other dinoflagellate species from different depth layers of a 210Pb-dated sediment core (~100 years) to examine their germination for 20 days. Germination rates were higher under light (28–56%) than in darkness (23–34%); there were indications that the nutrient-enriched media was more effective in promoting germination than seawater. Furthermore, germination was observed in cysts isolated from all selected core depths, even those corresponding to ~100 years. These results demonstrate that cysts remain viable for long periods, and P. bahamense cysts germinate in any light and nutrient conditions. The results of this research provide relevant information to understand its physiology and complex population dynamics. This species should be closely monitored in the area in the context of climate change, as current natural conditions are likely to change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although most of the Nama taxa grow on sandy substrates, none of them is restricted to the coastal dune environment. A small population of a unique looking taxon was found on the Pacific coast of the Baja California peninsula, which is here presented as a new species. Question and/or Hypothesis: In the morphological analysis in the individuals of a putative new taxon, some peculiarities stand out, such as a suffruticose herbaceous perennial growth form with erect and compact branching, featuring a small cushion, unlike the rest of the known species, which are rather procumbent, or erect in form. It also has revolute leaf margins in the blade. Studied Species: Nama asuncionensis sp. nov. (Namaceae) and morphologically similar species. Study Site: Central Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico. Method: Through bibliographic consultation, review of herbarium specimens, and photographs, a comparative morphological analysis was carried out with other Nama species of the peninsula and mainland Mexico. Results: Based on the comparative analyses, Nama asuncionensis is here presented and illustrated as a new species. Conclusions: Nama asuncionensis is a micro-endemic species restricted to the Pacific coastal environment of the peninsula. We propose that this new taxon be included in the Eunama section of the genus based on its morphological characteristics, including a membranous loculicidal dehiscent capsule, free styles, and sepals divided to the base. This taxon seems to be limited to a narrow coastal strip, with high relative humidity, where it develops its fresh leaves and flowers during the mild season.

Se ofrece una valoración económica de la pérdida de servicios ecosistémicos asociada a la operación de un proyecto minero a tajo abierto en la Reserva de la Biósfera Sierra La Laguna, que dejaría un inmenso beneficio económico concentrado en pocos agentes fuera del país, a cambio de costos ambientales sustanciales en México durante varias generaciones, evidencia de que en las estimaciones de la minería es indispensable considerar los costos ambientales. La valoración de servicios ecosistémicos debe soportar la toma de decisiones, que es muy importante para instalar políticamente el debate de los pasivos ambientales que genera la actividad.

Research on the feeding habits of batoids provides information of intra and interspecific interactions of this taxon in marine ecosystems. We analyzed 832 stomachs of nine ray species collected from the artisanal fishery on the Northwest coast of Baja California Sur (NBCS). We identified 79 prey items assembled in five trophic groups (crustaceans, fish, mollusks, polychaetes, and sipunculidae). Results indicated that the red crab Pleuroncodes planipes was the most important prey in the diet of the seven batoid species. A low dietary similarity of the rays was observed, which evidenced different feeding strategies. In this regard, we identified four well‐separated trophic guilds. Each guild was characterized by the consumption of specific prey: (1) Hypanus dipterurus and Narcine entemedor that fed mostly on polychaetes; (2) Rostroraja velezi and Gymnura marmorata fed mostly on fishes (Clupeidae and Batrachoididae); (3) Hypanus longus, Myliobatis californica, and Platyrhinoidis triseriata fed on crustaceans (Munnidae) and Sipunculus worms; and (4) Pseudobatos productus and Zapteryx exasperata fed on crustaceans (Portunidae) and fishes (Synodontidae and Batrachoididae). We concluded that batoids off the NBCS show prey sharing between the different species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aetiocetids are a well-known extinct taxon of Oligocene toothed mysticetes in the North Pacific. They display a high degree of diversity contrasting with that of other tooth-bearing mysticetes such as mammalodontids, llanocetids and Coronodon spp. The disparate developmental patterns (heterochrony) and origin of the first kelp forests in the North Pacific during the Eocene–Oligocene transition might explain such diversity. Aetiocetidae have been the focus of debate regarding the origin of baleen and filter-feeding in Mysticeti. The current interpretation of aetiocetid feeding strategies is based on the presence of teeth, unfused mandibular symphysis and lateral palatal foramina. However, our understating of their feeding apparatus function is limited, leaving associated structures like the zygomatic arch unnoticed. The present study describes a new fossil of a small-sized mysticete (∼3 m long), Kaaucetus thesaurus gen. et sp. nov., which belongs to Aetiocetidae. The protruded squamosal prominence and distinctive zygomatic process present in this new fossil highlight disparity in feeding morphology amongst aetiocetids. Moreover, the zygomatic arch complex and masticatory muscle system reconstruction are crucial to interpreting the likely capability of mastication (shearing motion) in aetiocetids and other toothed mysticetes. Lastly, the record of several aetiocetid genera in Mexico extends the geographical range of the group into the subtropical region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic (As) concentrations were measured in the muscle and liver of the speckled guitarfish Pseudobatos glaucostigmus and its main prey Penaeus californiensis, in Santa Rosalia, western Gulf of California, to determine bioaccumulation and biomagnification. Higher mean wet weight (w.w.) values were found in muscle tissue (9.87 μg g -1 ) compared to liver tissue (5.32 μg g -1 ); however, the highest concentrations were found in the liver (48.05 μg g -1 ). All samples showed As concentrations above the maximum permissible limit for human consumption. The highest concentrations in mature females (muscle: 6.93 μg g -1 ; liver: 14.5 μg g -1 ) concerning pregnant females (muscle: 5.01 μg g -1 ; liver: 8.46 μg g -1 ) may indicate a maternal transfer of As from mothers to their embryos. Arsenic bioaccumulates in the liver, which was evident from the positive correlation between total length and As concentration. Arsenic levels in Penaeus californiensis showed biomagnification from prey to predator for both tissues., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

There is a concern regarding the sustainability of current global fishing effort and how to most effectively manage common pool fisheries resources. Without the allocation of appropriate property rights, both industrial and small-scale fisheries are susceptible to the tragedy of the commons due to the open access nature of un-regulated fisheries. To address this risk of fishery overexploitation, some isolated, small-scale fishing communities have formed cooperatives as a management tool to improve livelihood options and provide access to property rights for some fishery resources. The Fish Production Cooperative Society of Punta Abreojos, Baja California Sur, Mexico, is a good example of a highly organized fishing cooperative in existence since 1948. Through the use of interviews, this study uncovers the perceptions and opinions of the cooperative fishers to answer the question of what characteristics are necessary to sustaining a well functioning cooperative. There are many economic and social benefits of being a member, but the highest specific response was the ability to take out loans. The most common perceived threats to the success of the cooperative are the occurrences of natural phenomena. Members realize the importance of following the rules set by the cooperative, but the motivations for doing so change the longer a fisher works in the cooperative. Results indicate that fishers consider protection of resources, economic security, unity, and progress essential for maintaining their cooperative. Punta Abreojos is an example of a community that has worked for generations to become marine stewards while maintaining an economically viable fishery.

This study focuses on the small, but growing marine-based ecotourism industry in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. The current nature of this particular industry, small and expanding, creates an ideal opportunity to evaluate the existing marine ecotourism operations, and utilize the information to modify operations and set precedence for the future marine ecotourism industry. The aim of this evaluation is to provide a glimpse of the current industry in Baja California Sur by evaluating marine ecotourism operations in three locations, Laguna San Ignacio, La Paz, and Cabo Pulmo. Since prior evaluations are limited, and only focus on a single location, this evaluation will cover multiple locations and serve as an overview of the current marine ecotourism industry, providing marine ecotourism operators, local communities, NGOs, and protected area managers an indication of where the marine ecotourism industry in Baja California Sur is succeeding, and where modifications can be made to further reduce negative environmental impacts and maximize socio-economic benefits for the local community.

En la península y en el golfo de California, el proceso de conquista colonial impuso un proceso de antropización-colonización de la relación sociedad-naturaleza a lo largo del tiempo moderno y contemporáneo. Desde el siglo XVI, este cambio se implementó mediante la inserción de los recursos naturales terrestres y marinos disponibles en el territorio sudcaliforniano en el marco de la Economía Mundo. La península y el golfo de California se vieron sometidos a un proceso, a largo plazo, de saqueo y despojo territorial que denomino “Apropiación Asimétrica” (que se traduce en una línea temporal de cuatro momentos históricos, algunos coetáneos, desde el siglo XVI al siglo XXI). En el primer momento de esta línea temporal, se describe en el texto cómo la Corona transfirió, mediante diversos sistemas de cesión territorial, el control de recursos (perlas, acuacultura, guano, sal, etc.) hacia empresarios privados encargados de extraer el capital natural para comercializarlo en mercados globales entre el siglo XVI y el siglo XX. Esta capitalización/privatización de recursos costeros-marinos a lo largo del siglo XX se evidenció en un proceso de especulación financiero territorial, orientado al desarrollo del turismo de masas como eje del modelo de desarrollo económico (tercer y cuarto momento histórico de la Apropiación Asimétrica que se analiza en el texto. La propuesta de metodología de investigación parte del trabajo que desarrollamos en el campo de la Historia Ambiental, entendida como estudio sobre las relaciones entre sociedad y naturaleza a lo largo del mundo moderno y contemporáneo, estudiado mediante el análisis de los documentos archivísticos y bibliografía de coetáneos, viajeros o documentos institucionales. Esta propuesta metodológica supone el estudio de los cambios territoriales, ambientales y socioeconómicos junto al impacto de los mismos en el capital natural del territorio sudcaliforniano, procesos que generan conflictos y luchas contra el extractivismo y despojo como modelo económico. Desde el campo de la Historia Ambiental, el concepto de extractivismo es definido como transferencia de bienes naturales de manejo comunitario hacia la esfera del mercado, enajenados los pueblos y beneficiados sectores empresariales con este proceso de privatización. De igual manera, el concepto de apropiación asimétrica implica la identificación de cómo la transferencia verificada mediante el extractivismo y despojo territorial impacta sobre la arquitectura del modelo de desarrollo económico generando episodios y realidades de injusticia ambiental, dando lugar a importantes desequilibrios territoriales. Estos desequilibrios territoriales tienen una matriz histórica que la Historia Ambiental permite narrar como un contínuum, pero que como práctica de colonización del territorio llega hasta inicios del siglo XXI como demuestra el estudio del impacto del capitalismo financiero en Baja California.

Four new species of the spider genus Physocyclus Simon, 1893 are described from Mexico. Two species are described based on male and female adult specimens: Physocyclus mariachi sp. nov. and P. sikuapu sp. nov. Two species are described only with female adult specimens: P. lyncis sp. nov. and P. pocamadre sp. nov. The biogeographical province with the highest diversity of species is the Balsas Depression, located in the Mexican Neotropic, with 12 species. Physocyclus lyncis sp. nov. belongs to the dugesi species group, whereas the other three new species belong to the globosus species group. The total number of species of Physocyclus is increased to 37, distributed in North America (mainly Mexico) and Central America, with one cosmopolitan species: P. globosus. Updated taxonomic identification keys for males and females are provided.

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Reseña a: Víctor Manuel Gruel Sández, Rumor de locos. El Hospital de La Rumorosa, 1931-1958.

In diatoms the use of molecular tools to corroborate traditional (morphological) identification offers a new perspective in the field of biogeography. This manuscript reports the first record of the raphid pennate diatom Nitzschia volvendirostrata along the coast of Mexico, which in turn represents an expansion of the geographic range along the American continent. The cells were isolated from benthic samples taken from Balandra lagoon, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico and cultured as a monoclonal culture. Morphology and morphometry of the diatom obtained from light and electron microscopy reveal that they correspond to the original description of N. volvendirostrata and also its chloroplast sequences, rbcL and psbC, showed 98.7 to 100 % similarity and a close phylogenetic relationship with N. volvendirostrata. The reported places for this taxon show that it has a tropical-temperate biogeographical affinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate whether age profiles of ethnobiological knowledge development are consistent with predictions derived from life history theory about the timing of productivity and reproduction. Life history models predict complementary knowledge profiles developing across the lifespan for women and men as they experience changes in embodied capital and the needs of dependent offspring. We evaluate these predictions using an ethnobiological knowledge assessment tool developed for an off-grid pastoralist population known as Choyeros, from Baja California Sur, Mexico. Our results indicate that while individuals acquire knowledge of most dangerous items and edible resources by early adulthood, knowledge of plants and animals relevant to the age and sex divided labor domains and ecologies (e.g., women's house gardens, men's herding activities in the wilderness) continues to develop into middle adulthood but to different degrees and at different rates for men and women. As the demands of offspring on parents accumulate with age, reproductive-aged adults continue to develop their knowledge to meet their children's needs. After controlling for vision, our analysis indicates that many post-reproductive adults show the greatest ethnobiological knowledge. These findings extend our understanding of the evolved human life history by illustrating how changes in embodied capital and the needs of dependent offspring predict the development of men's and women's ethnobiological knowledge across the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El objetivo del trabajo es evaluar el índice de aptitud de los municipios de Baja California Sur para la instalación de concentradores fotovoltaicos. La metodología propone un modelo de aptitud que incorpora seis indicadores socioambientales explícitos en términos espaciales con asignación de su contribución diferenciada o pesos por medio de análisis multicriterio. Los resultados muestran que la irradiación horizontal anual promedio en Baja California Sur es de 6.19 kW h/m2/día en el periodo 1998-2014. De la superficie total en el estado, 5.25% es viable para la instalación de concentradores fotovoltaicos. Comondú, Mulegé y La Paz presentaron los mayores valores de aptitud. Los indicadores predominantes del modelo son la red carretera, la red eléctrica y las zonas con pendientes de ˂4°. El estudio se limitó a analizar la influencia de los indicadores socioambientales en la ubicación de sistemas de concentradores fotovoltaicos. La metodología podría replicarse en otras regiones para facilitar la toma de decisiones. Los resultados sugieren que los tres municipios de Baja California Sur mencionados son los más favorables en términos socioambientales para la instalación de dichos concentradores.

Copyright of Relaciones Internacionales (1699-3950) is the property of Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain, International Relations Studies Group (GERI) Law Faculty and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article argues that the recent emphasis on quantitative methods should also include the application of rigorous science-based methodologies for the study of sound and acoustics among past communities. The benefits of including methods developed in acoustical physics have been shown with the analysis of the rock art landscape in the Cañón de Santa Teresa gorge in Baja California Sur (Mexico), where the Great Mural rock art tradition was produced. Thanks to a thorough examination of a series of monaural and binaural acoustic parameters, we have been able to conclude that the artists selected the best sonic landscapes in which to create their rock art, both paintings and carvings, especially the latter. We have also been able to demonstrate that the sector of the canyon with a special concentration of two profusely painted caves, Cueva Pintada and Las Flechas, is precisely that with the most favorable acoustic conditions in the whole tested area. • Intangible aspects of culture such as sound should be part of the new focus on quantitative methods in archaeology. • A more sophisticated exploration of acoustic parameters is possible than just focusing on echoes, reverberation and resonance. • Monaural acoustic parameters: T20, G, C50 and C80. Binaural acoustic parameters: Lj and Jlf. • The Great Mural rock art producers selected the best sonic environments for rock art. • Discussion about the validity of the ethnohistorical sources in order to understand the Great Mural rock art tradition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad is the property of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Pasos: Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural is the property of Universidad de La Laguna, Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Politicas y Sociales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Small stands of mangrove trees are difficult to detect and monitor using satellite remote sensing because the width of the narrow strips of vegetation are typically much smaller than the spatial resolution of the imagery. Every mangrove pixel also contains water and bare soil reflectance. Linear spectral unmixing, which estimates the fractional presence of specific land cover types per pixel, was performed on Landsat 8 imagery to detect mangroves on the eastern shoreline of the Bay of La Paz on the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico. Low-altitude aerial imagery collected from a DJI Mavic Pro drone was used as ground-reference data in the accuracy assessment. Continuous fractional presence of mangroves was detected with 80% accuracy and 85% of mangrove area was found. Future work will use linear spectral unmixing to systematically monitor mangrove extent and health in the region relative to expected growth in tourism development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a critical assessment of how tourism development in the municipality of Los Cabos, Baja California Sur affects land and water use. Los Cabos is a seaside tourism Mecca located at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in Mexico's northwest. There, subsidised profits and a process of dispossession in the tourism sector have to do mainly with land and water appropriation in the form of restrictions to beach access by the local population, urban segregation and, in an arid region, privileging water provision for the tourism industry over the needs of the population. In order to sustain these claims, we map water and land use for tourism in Cabo San Lucas. We also analyse the expansion of the Los Cabos type of tourism to the small town of La Ribera, in the East Cape-Cabo Pulmo area, where marinas and high scale housing for residential tourism sprout along the coast. We argue that the seemingly ever-growing presence of tourism in the region carries with it an urgent call for the reappraisal of current approaches to land and water use, if local resources are to deliver quality of life for the population, and not only economic profitability for (mostly) foreign capital. Analytically, we address these issues by unpacking David Harvey's concept of accumulation by dispossession, which – we argue – is for our purposes a broader tent than the (mostly Latin American) theorisations on extractivism, as we explain later in the relevant section of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten years after being declared a Marine Protected Area (MPA), the fish populations in Loreto Bay National Park (LBNP) are declining. The implementation of No-Take Zones (NTZs) was proposed as a partial solution to the declines of fish stocks and marine biodiversity. However, in spite their benefits; NTZs are likely to be opposed by some stakeholders, including fishers, as they restrict access to fishing grounds. Stakeholder participation and commitment to establish NTZs inside the LBNP is necessary, since they are the users most affected by this management tool. To achieve conservation goals and economic growth, a basic prerequisite in MPA management is to promote stakeholder participation in decision-making. The objective of this paper is to design a survey to be used as a decision-making tool to evaluate different alternatives for the location of NTZs within fishing grounds of the LBNP. The purpose is to provide qualitative and spatial information about the uses of the LBNP by stakeholders and their willingness to accept certain areas as NTZs. In addition, the participatory survey may help develop consensus about how the local community can or should utilize the LBNP environment and its resources.

Based on hydrographic data from two cruises (June 2010 and May 2012) off Baja California Sur, Mexico, historical in situ measurements from the World Ocean Database 2018, California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations, and Investigaciones Mexicanas de la Corriente de California cruise programs, as well as satellite images and data from the Global Reanalysis, this study describes the California Current System off Baja California Sur. The California Current System is characterized by the interaction of four near-surface currents. Far from the coast, the California Current flows within the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre but does not reach the Pacific Tropical-Subtropical Convergence off Mexico. From December to June, an equatorward flow known as the Tropical Branch of California Current emerges along the coast. This flow intensifies from March to June and is closely related to the mass flux induced by coastal upwelling. In July, a new branch of the Tropical Branch of the California Current turns poleward along the Baja California Sur coast. This flow is often referred to as the California Surface Countercurrent because it flows in the opposite direction to the California Current. Additionally, the California Undercurrent is detected, influencing the water column from 100 to 900 m, with a maximum poleward flow between 200 m and 300 m, decreasing toward the surface. The California Undercurrent persists throughout the year over the continental slope, displaying a significant semiannual component around the Gulf of California entrance. The California Current System off Baja California Sur plays a crucial role in the formation of Transitional Waters within the Pacific Tropical-Subtropical Convergence off Mexico. The importance of equatorward flows by the Tropical Branch of California Current in ventilating the Oxygen Minimum Zone waters in the Central Pacific off Mexico is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Mexican federal agency, FONATUR, is planning a development project in Loreto, Baja California Sur, which will cause a ten-fold increase in the population and significant urban development along the coast.  The development planned for Loreto will take place along the western boundary of the National Marine Park Bay of Loreto (NMPBL), which was established to manage renewable and nonrenewable resources and to restore critical habitats. The park is home to commercial and sport fishing as well as ecotourism. Growths in tourism and in resident populations of the Loreto region will likely result in an increase in demand for fish. As the fleets of commercial and artisanal fisheries grow, the increase in fishing effort will intensify pressure on already overexploited local fish stocks. In addition, coastal development and pollution can result in the modification of areas that can serve as potential recruitment habitat for important fisheries species. In order to support any type of development in the area, management officials and city and government officials need to regulate and control all activities that impact the region’s natural resource stocks. The most urgent need is the establishment of ecosystem-based fisheries management, and officials must find an effective way to implement and enforce this management scheme. Conservation of critical habitats and spawning aggregations should be among the most important issues to address since their protection ensures replenishment of adult populations of target species.

Outcrops of Upper Triassic carbonates of shallow-marine character are rare in Mexico. Another locality, next to the Antimonio depositional system (ADS) in Sonora, is found on the Vizcaíno terrane (Baja California Sur), near the village of San Hipólito. The outcropping formation is named after the nearby village and represents an arc-ophiolite assemblage. The formation comprises a limestone breccia, which includes re-worked Upper Norian shallow-water limestone. In addition, questionable lowermost Rhaetian radiolarians have been found in some clasts of the breccia. Accordingly, the breccia member possibly deposited during the uppermost Norian–lowermost Rhaetian. Based on their preservation, 43 clasts representative of the main lithologies have been sampled along a 550-m-long outcrop surface. Some authors proposed the Vizcaíno to have been in close relation to the ADS in north-western Sonora. It has been proposed that the Antimonio served as the source of the limestone clasts contained within the San Hipólito Formation. Petrographic analysis and micropaleontologic evidences, however, indicate a more distal relationship between the two systems. Furthermore, the microfacies proposed by the hierarchical clustering include some rather poorly constraint facies. This could be explained by the facts that (a) the samples have derived from clasts that not necessarily represent a stratigraphic succession and (b) multiple systems could have contributed to the assemblage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal variability driven by environmental shifts, biological processes, and socioeconomic fluctuations is inherent in natural resource-based sectors, including fisheries. In navigating these changes as opportunities for transformation, individual decisions play a key role. Understanding individual adaptive capacity, i.e., the ability to cope under changing or novel circumstances, and considering how this capacity is affected by diverse individuals' interactions with formal fisheries policy may allow a better understanding of adaptive capacity in a rapidly changing world. In Loreto Bay National Park, Baja California Sur, Mexico, the Mexican chocolate clam is an important source of food and livelihoods and is harvested by a diverse group of fishers. Understanding the diversity of fishers, their decision-making processes, and their adaptive strategies is essential for both anticipating fishery outcomes and predicting the capacity of different types of fishers to adapt to environmental and economic change. We used semistructured interviews with clam harvesters to ask: (1) What types of fishers exist within the chocolate clam fishery? (2) How do they differ in their adaptive strategies? and (3) What are the implications of diverse fisher types on individual adaptive capacity? We find that fishers of chocolate clams in this region operate within both the formal and informal sectors, have varied fishing strategies, and can be characterized into four discrete types. We also find that heterogeneity among fishers affects their individual capacities to adapt to changing conditions and disturbances, and fisheries policy constrains fishers' access to options by limiting secure access to fishing rights. Maintaining a diverse suite of adaptive strategies is essential for individuals to cope in the face of future disturbance and change. Likewise, maintaining heterogeneity in the fishery, by ensuring that multiple fisher types are equipped to adapt to future change, will strengthen adaptive capacity within the fishery and community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The study of age and growth in fishes is a basic prerequiste to generate information on longevity, growth rates, population structure, among other attributes, all of them for the application of policies focused on the population management and conservation. We evaluated these attributes in the endangered Baja California killifish (Fundulus lima) that inhabits the oases of Baja California Sur, Mexico, with the perspective of generating base information for the conservation of this endemic fish. Objective: To determine the age, somatic growth and population structure of F. lima in one of the most important hydrological basins of its distribution range. Methods: From October 2002 to July 2004 we sampled for F. lima in 3 sites of La Purisima river by using passive and active collection methods. Individuals were measured and weighed in the field, where subsamples were selected for analysis of age based on scales. All of the individuals were released alive to its original sites of capture. We assessed the age, length-weight and length-length relationships and population structure on the basis of 802 individuals examined by non-invasive techniques. Results: The somatic growth of F. lima was of positive allometric type (b > 3.0) in all the populations studied, with values of "b" ranging from 3.126 (Ojo de Agua) to 3.420 (El Pilón). Three age class (0, 1 and 2 years old) were recognized, of which the age 1 year was the most frequent (49 %). The polimodal method based on length-frequency data also identified three age classes. Back-calculated total lengths at previous ages based in increments of growth in scales were 38.61 and 68.81 mm for individuals of 1 and 2 years, respectively. Conclusions: Three age classes (0, 1 and 2 years old) were determined for the populations of F. lima in La Purisima river, based on the interpretation of annual growth rings in scales and in the modal distribution of observed length frequencies. All the populations examined showed a positive allometric growth (b > 3.0). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Migratory species that cross geopolitical boundaries pose challenges for conservation planning because threats may vary across a species' range and multi-country collaboration is required to implement conservation action plans. The lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) is a migratory pollinator bat that was removed from the Endangered Species List in the United States in 2018 and from threatened status in Mexico in 2013. The seasonal ecology and conservation status of the species is well understood in the core part of its range on mainland Mexico and in the southwestern United States, but relatively little is known about the species on the Baja California peninsula in northwestern Mexico, a part of its range range separated by the Gulf of California. We studied the seasonal ecology of lesser long-nosed bats on the Baja peninsula at 8 focal roosts along a 450-km north-to-south transect to test hypotheses about migratory or residential status of the species on the Baja peninsula. We provide evidence of an extensive population of lesser long-nosed bats on the Baja peninsula that is primarily seasonally migratory and includes 2 mating roosts with males on the southern part of the peninsula. Seasonal ecology of lesser long-nosed bats was closely associated with the flowering and fruiting season of the cardón (Pachycereus pringlei), the dominant columnar cactus on the peninsula. However, we discovered that some female lesser long-nosed bats arrive and give birth at southern roosts in mid-February, about 2 months earlier than other migratory populations in more northern Sonoran Desert habitats. We documented the loss of nearly a third of the known maternity roosts during the study, demonstrating that action to protect key roosts remains a high priority. Migratory pollinators are particularly vulnerable to climate and land-use changes and we recommend continued monitoring and research to guide effective range-wide conservation of the species. Las especies migratorias o con rangos de distribución amplios que incluyen fronteras geopolíticas, representan desafíos particulares para la planificación de estrategias de conservación, ya que las amenazas así como las tendencias poblacionales pueden variar a lo largo de su rango geográfico y se requiere la colaboración de múltiples países para implementar planes de acción que permitan su conservación. El murciélago magueyero menor (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) es un murciélago polinizador migratorio que recientemente fue sacado de la lista de especies en peligro en los Estados Unidos en 2018 y en México en 2013. La ecología estacional y el estatus de conservación de esta especie, ha sido bien estudiado en el centro de su rango de distribución en México continental, pero se sabe muy poco acerca de la especie en la Península de Baja California en el noreste de México, región que está separada del resto del rango por el golfo de California. Nosotros estudiamos la ecología estacional del murciélago magueyero menor, en ocho cuevas a lo largo de un transecto de 450 km norte-sur, en la Península de Baja California y pusimos a prueba la hipótesis del status migratorio o residente de sus poblaciones en esta región. Proporcionamos la primera evidencia de una extensa población de esta especie en la península, a cual es principalmente migratoria estacional e incluye dos cuevas de reproducción ubicadas al sur de esta región. La ecología estacional del murciélago magueyero menor estuvo fuertemente asociada con la estación de floración y fructificación del cardón (Pachycereus pringlei), el cactus columnar dominante en la península. Nosotros también descubrimos que algunas hembras llegan y dan a luz en las cuevas más sureñas, a mediados de febrero, cerca de dos meses antes que otras poblaciones migratorias, en el desierto de Sonora del norte. Durante el tiempo de este estudio, documentamos la destrucción de una de las cuevas de maternidad, lo que demuestra la necesidad de acciones de conservación para proteger estos refugios. Los polinizadores migratorios son particularmente vulnerables a cambios en el uso del suelo y al cambio climático y recomendamos continuar con el monitoreo y la investigación, con el fin de guiar su conservación a lo largo de todo el rango de distribución de la especie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining what animals eat is simultaneously challenging and yet also critical for ecologists, fisheries scientists, and resource managers. The tools of trophic ecology have expanded considerably in the last half century in pursuit of this goal. In this study, we combined stomach contents, stable isotope, and fatty acid analyses to investigate trophic patterns in three species of highly mobile, pelagic predators: striped marlin (Kajikia audax), blue marlin (Makaira nigricans), and common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus). We were particularly interested in examining individual diet specialization among these species. We compared the short-term stomach contents with long-term diet proportions estimated from stable isotope ratios and fatty acid profiles using a Bayesian mixing model. Our results indicate that all three species feed on a mix of prey types. This work furthermore suggests that individuals of all three predator species demonstrate generalist feeding habits, with minimal differences in long-term (weeks, months) diet estimates between individuals with different short-term (hours, days) stomach contents. This novel, three-part analytical approach can elucidate complex and otherwise elusive trophic dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recorded seasonal changes in the paralarval cephalopod communities collected off the southwestern coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico, during 2003. Simultaneous surface and oblique trawls were carried out with CalCOFI-type nets and CTD casts during spring and autumn 2003 on board the R/V Río Suchiate (Secretaría de Marina), at 85 sampling stations (Magdalena Bay to Cape San Lucas). The paralarval cephalopod community predominantly showed tropical affinity in both seasons. During autumn, 11 tropical taxa, 2 cosmopolitan taxa, and one temperate taxon were incorporated to the paralarval community recorded previously in spring and were associated with the decrease in Subarctic Water and the entrance of warm water masses to the study region, modifying the community indexes between seasons. The canonical correspondence analysis showed 2 groups significantly correlated with chlorophyll a concentrations and zooplankton volumes. Oblique tows provide better information on the paralarval cephalopod community, while surface tows can be an efficient method for monitoring and evaluating the hatching areas of the jumbo Pacific squid Dosidicus gigas through their paralarvae, which are included in the Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis-Dosidicus gigas complex (SD complex). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad is the property of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Length-weight relationships (LWRs) were estimated for Pacific blue marlin (Makaira nigricans), striped marlin (Kajikia audax), sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus), dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares). These five fish species are key top predators of the pelagic ecosystem and are economically important resources in the sport fishing of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Overall, 53,359 length and weight records were analyzed for the period 1990-2015. LWRs were significant (P < 0.05), with b-values ranging from 2.52 to 3.13. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the globe, desalination is increasingly being considered as a new water supply source. This article examines how the introduction of desalinated water into the municipal water supply portfolio has affected water security in the coastal tourist city of Cabo San Lucas in Baja California Sur (BCS), Mexico. It also analyses the competing discourses surrounding desalination in the region and discusses alternative water management options for achieving water security. This article challenges the notion that desalination is an appropriate and sufficient technological solution for arid regions. The findings provide evidence of increased yet delimited water security at a neighbourhood scale while identifying new vulnerabilities related to desalination, particularly in the context of the global South. This article concludes that implementing a technological fix on top of a water management system that is plagued with more systemic and structural problems does little to improve long-term water management and is likely to foreclose or forestall other water management options. This multi-scalar analysis contributes to the emerging literature on water security by considering both a narrow and broad framing of water security and identifying a range of factors that influence water security.

Este artículo propone una mirada comparativa al desarrollo del manejo histórico de los sistemas irrigados tanto en la península ibérica -provincia de Granada- como en la península de Baja California Sur. Describir el proceso de diseño de los sistemas hidráulicos, la adaptación de los agroecosistemas a la disponibilidad de agua y el nacimiento de instituciones comunitarias que han regulado estos espacios nos permite conocer la dimensión del patrimonio biocultural de las regiones aquí consideradas. Esta mirada nos facilita intuir su potencia para dar continuidad y generar nuevos saberes de tierra y agua con los que diseñar un futuro más sostenible para las comunidades de las vegas y los oasis.