The Gulf of California Biodiversity and Conservation (review)

Over the past several decades, the Gulf of California has been the focus of a large and growing number of studies addressing the biological, physical, social, political and economic dimensions of this remarkable land and seascape. The attractions of this region to scientists are numerous and include extraordinary biological productivity and diversity, high levels of endemism, and dynamic geological and oceanographic processes. These factors, plus an extremely valuable fishing industry and the fact that the entire region falls within the jurisdiction of one nation, Mexico, create a situation in which the potentials for visionary stewardship and sustainable management are truly exciting. Unfortunately, as is so often the case, although the region has become a prolific laboratory for physical, biological and social scientists, too often the results of these studies remain isolated within disparate disciplines and have little influence over policy-makers.

The editor for this volume, Richard Brusca, is academically renowned as an authority on marine invertebrates. He is also a passionate advocate for sustainable use and conservation of marine resources, especially in the Gulf of California region. In assembling the expert authors for this book, Brusca wears his conservation biologist hat and reaches beyond his own academic discipline to bring under one cover, a collection of authorities on topics that include geology, environmental history, biology, public policy, and oceanography. With decades of experiences with this sea in northwestern Mexico, Brusca was able to identify the leading experts to author each of these chapters. The result is an eclectic compendium of the state of knowledge about this region.

One might question the logic of having chapters that focus upon single species (ospreys) or narrow taxonomic groups (turtles, algae, fishes, marine mammals) juxtaposed among chapters that synthesize broad topics such as environmental history and conservation politics. Indeed, the sequencing of the chapters follows no obvious storyline and few readers will feel compelled to read this book from cover to cover. But this is the nature of conservation biology. The big picture can only be assembled by addressing complex issues at several levels and across multiple disciplines. In this volume, Brusca serves a diverse palate of chapters that share one unifying element --they all deal with the social and ecological characteristics of this remarkable region. Each chapter stands alone as a synopsis of a particular theme and each is also a crucial piece in the complex puzzle defining conservation of marine resources.

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. With nearly eighty pages of references, the citations alone comprise a comprehensive resource for scholars interested in this region. But the utility of this book is not limited to scholars focused on this geographical area. The challenges of understanding marine and coastal ecosystems and of using this understanding to manage and conserve the precious and potentially renewable resources of these regions are universal.

The chapter on fisheries of the Gulf of California describes the region as "an ecological and biological observatory" because of the impressive amount of publications that have emanated from research focused on this ecosystem. However, as is well illustrated by other chapters, the scope of this observatory in not limited to ecological and biological dimensions. In many ways, the Gulf of California has become a laboratory for testing the ambitious ideals of ecosystem-based sustainable co-management for conservation (the theme of one chapter). Central to this concept is the integration of physical, biological, social, and political sciences to conserve and sustain, natural resources of all types for the benefit of human society. This large-scale and synthetic approach to natural resource conservation is thoroughly addressed in two chapters that deal with fisheries management and ecological conservation. It is this comprehensive perspective that offers many lessons that will be useful for scholars and natural resource...