Lorayne Meltzer has lived along the Gulf of California for 30 years. As an ecologist and director of a binational field station, she’s supported many scientists in their research into this biodiverse region of northwestern Mexico. Over time, she’s observed changes in the region’s ecosystems and species firsthand. Most of these changes, she said, haven’t […]
  • The recent “Assessment of the Ecological Health of the Gulf of California” report shows a decline in several populations of animals throughout the narrow sea flanked by the Mexican mainland and Baja California.
  • The report was compiled by the Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers (N-Gen) in the U.S. in collaboration with Prescott College’s Kino Bay Center field station in Mexico, and draws on long-term monitoring studies.
  • Many of the assessed groups, such as seabirds, whales, giant squid, crabs, starfish and fish, are in decline.
  • Basic primary productivity, which nurtures species diversity and abundance in the Gulf of California, remains stable.

Archived (Wayback Machine):