The vastness of the marine ecosystems is one of the main reasons for which our knowledge about them is scarce and fragmented. Most of what happens in these ecosystems is out of our sight, limiting our capacity to learn about the organisms that live within and the functions and processes involved. Nevertheless, the humanity’s intricate dependence on marine resources (from food through recreation, and the numerous uses in between) and the growing conscience that these resources are being strongly impacted for the very same human activities, has stated the necessity to increase our knowledge about the marine environment, at all levels, to undertake actions directed toward its maintenance, conservation, recovery or restoration.

Mexico, because of the vast richness of its oceanic and coastal ecosystems and because of the extensive use of its marine resources, shares this necessity. Mexico needs to incentive and expand the scientific and technological investigation done in these environments, in order to evaluate and establish priorities and strategies, in accordance with the country’s reality, and also to delimitate the actions and activities needed to guide the conservation and adequate use of these ecosystems.

Under this perspective, the Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad instrumented the Programa de Regiones Marinas Prioritarias de México (Mexican Marine Priority Regions Program), which, through multidisciplinary workshops, gathered a group of experts from the academic, governmental, private, social and non-governmental organizations sectors. In these workshops, and based on the information and knowledge of the participants, 70 priority coastal and oceanic areas were identified, delimited and characterized; these were considered as such because of their high biodiversity, for the variety of their resource uses and for their lack of biodiversity knowledge. Also, the most common threats or with greater negative impacts to the marine environment were identified (overexplotation, contamination, tourism, petroleum industry and lack of strategies for an integrated management of resources), for which recommendations were established for their prevention, mitigation, control or cancellation.

The classification of the priority areas, the description of their physical, biological and social characteristics, as well as the problematic and recommendations identified, do not intend to be an exhaustive and final revision. On the contrary, they reflect, on the one hand, the knowledge and experience of a vast number of scientists, governmental workers, civil associations, etc. and, on the other hand, they wish to stand out the most actual and frequent definitions, problems, information and proposals on the matter. They, as well, represent a reference framework and an instrument useful for scientists, decision makers, and general public, hoping that the activities and strategies directed to the definition of plans for the conservation, use, management, and scientific research, as well as the distribution of financial resources, can be prioritized considering the criteria contributed here.

Among the primary necessities confronted by the marine environments in Mexico, identified in the present exercise, are: to gather scientific information, at all levels of biological integration (genes, species, populations, ecological interactions, habitats, communities, and physical, chemical, oceanographic and functional processes) for an adequate knowledge of the marine environment; to identify the nature and magnitude of the threats to these components; to set up measures to protect such resources; to review the actual classification of marine protected areas and identify proper zones for the establishment of new areas; to urgently regulate the exploitation of fisheries. Finally, the conflicts and problems among the different sectors involved in the use of marine resources should be taken care of, in order to conciliate the productivity, recreational and conservation activities, particularly in the coastal zone. All these, with the intention and objective to maintain the balance between the use of the marine resources and their protection against the degradation and destruction resulting from the human activities, establishing the adequate mechanisms for an integrated management of our coasts and oceans.

Regiones terrestres prioritarias | Regiones marinas prioritarias | Regiones hidrológicas prioritarias | Áreas de Importancia para la Conservación de las Aves (AICAS)

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Dirección Técnica de Análisis y Prioridades