Shark Conservation Ecology in the Gulf of California

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Until the 1980s, there were numerous aggregations of the scalloped hammerhead Sphyrna lewini along the eastern coast of Baja California Sur. In 2019, the species was declared “critically endangered” by the IUCN. Despite their status and vulnerability, fishing pressure has continued: S. lewini remains one of the most exploited species in the region.

Conservation of migratory species remains a challenge since individuals frequently move outside the boundaries of the few existing parks in this area. Our collaborators’ primary objective is the creation of a no-take marine reserve along the southeastern coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico that could act as a migration corridor for individuals to move safely between critical habitats.

In 2025-2026, we will conduct a study on the sharks in the Gulf of California to:
i) identify critical habitats, migration corridors, and connectivity using acoustic and satellite tags

ii) establish shark diversity and abundance in the region using drones and baited remote underwater cameras

iii) characterize the oceanographic conditions at these critical habitats using a handheld CTD and deployable temperature sensors, with a particular interest in sites that may serve as climate refugia

In 2023, we completed a successful pilot study in which we aerially surveyed hundreds of kilometers of coastline, tagged and gathered samples from approximately 35 sharks and deployed four acoustic receivers throughout the region.

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This Project

Our Collaborators

Pelagios Kakunja

Pelagios Kakunjá is a non-profit organization created in 2010 by the Mexican scientists Mauricio Hoyos and James Ketchum.

Our main goal is to study and protect sharks and mantas in Mexico, many of which are globally endangered, mainly due to overfishing. We aim to provide technical information for the regional management and implementation of conservation strategies for these species here in Mexico.