All life in the Gulf of California, marine and terrestrial, is connected to climatic and oceanographic cycles on the time scale of years to decades. There is general uncertainty among the public, policy makers, managers, as well as scientists as to the general status and trajectory of life in the Gulf of California.

The Gulf of California is the focus of dozens of long-term ecological studies focused across the region and across species. These studies, each remarkable on their own, can allow the establishment of baselines to present data to address such an overarching question.

Through a collaborative effort we are beginning to identify the studies available, present what they are showing, and identify what is missing.

Here are the results of a preliminary assessment as a starting point for discussion for a special session on the ecological health of the Gulf of California that was held at the 2024 N-Gen Summit in Álamos, Sonora.

Wilder, B.T. and L. Meltzer. 2024. A Preliminary Assessment of the Ecological Health of the Gulf of California. Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers.

English version

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We are currently expanding the studies included and analyzing their results through this survey, https://sites.google.com/prescott.edu/gulfofcaliforniastudy/home