Aquarium of the Pacific

Less than 200 miles from here is one of the most fascinating, biologically productive and diverse seas in the world.  It is home to species found no where else on Earth.  It is the youngest sea in the World Ocean and is still growing.  It has been immortalized in literature.  And it is in trouble.

Explore with experts from Mexico and the U.S. the qualities that make the Gulf of California so special and so vulnerable, and what can be done to create a better future for it and for the people who have lived along its shores and who have derived their livelihoods from its bounty for thousands of years.

We will explore how Southern California’s water policies and practices affect the Gulf and its ecosystem and how pressures for development are influenced by those of us who live in Southern California.

Four Wednesday Evenings
October 29, Nov 5, 12 and 19
7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. (please arrive 30 minutes early for first session)
Classes will be held in the Aquarium of the Pacific Watershed Educational Meeting Room.

Topics and Speakers

• October 29, 2008 The Gulf of California—The Regional Setting
  
  • Dr. W. Sean Chamberlain, Professor, Fullerton College
  • Dr. Roy S. Houston, Professor, Loyola Marymount University
  • Dr. Jerry R. Schubel, President, Aquarium of the Pacific

• November 5, 2008 An Overview of the Oceanography and Ecology of the Gulf of California
  
  • Dr. José A. Zertuche González, Professor, Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexico

• November 12, 2008 The Cauldron of Issues—Environmental, Political, and Socio-Economic
  
  • Stephen Cox, Vice President, Director of Marine Programs in Mexico, World Wildlife Fund, U.S.

• November 19, 2008 The Story of the Vaquita and the Totoaba—Two Signature and Endangered Species
  
  • Dr. Luis Enríquez, Professor, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexico