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Mary Lou Jones & Steven Swartz in 1978
Dr. Steven Swartz and Mary Lou Jones conducted the first systematic studies of gray whales in Laguna San Ignacio, Baja California Sur from 1977-1982. Dr. Jorge Urban R. resumed field studies of gray whales from 1996 to 2000, which continued sporadically until 2003. Recognizing the need for an ongoing science based monitoring program, these investigators collaborated in 2007 to initiate the “Laguna San Ignacio Ecosystem Science Program” (LSIESP). In 2007 they joined forces with Pro Peninsula, a San Diego based 501-C-3 non-profit environmental organization that served as the fiscal agent for the LSIESP. In 2009 Pro Peninsula merged with The Ocean Foundation (TOF), and the LSIESP is now part of the Pro Peninsula portfolio of projects within TOF. Together they envision a sustained science based program that enlists and supports researchers and graduate students in marine science to monitor and research the ecological health of the lagoon, the surrounding wetlands, and the variety of marine wildlife that utilize this unique marine protected area.
Laguna San Ignacio is the center of a unique marine ecosystem surrounded by, and part of the “Vizcanio Biosphere Reserve.” It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site: “Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcanio.” The lagoon is best known for gray whales that congregate there each winter to breed and calve. However, it is also home to dolphin, sea turtles, sealions, commercially important fish and shellfish, multitudes of migratory waterfowl and shore birds, and supports some of the world’s most productive red-mangrove and coastal wetland ecosystems within its shores.
Common Egret
World-wide attention was focused on Laguna San Ignacio in the late 1990s when it was targeted as the site for an industrial scale solar salt production facility; a project that would have significantly altered the lagoon ecosystem, perhaps irreversibly. Since the defeat of that proposal, local residents, fishing co-operatives, and local entrepreneurs have developed eco-tourism focusing on the winter-time abundance of gray whales, and more recently marine birds. Annually these companies host thousands of whale-watchers and eco-tourists from many countries, and provide livelihoods for the lagoon residents. Through education, information sharing, and responsible management, they are striving to become stewards of the “ecosystem” and to maintain a balance between eco-tourism and the biological integrity of the lagoon. A consortium of environmental groups and local business organizations developed a “Conservation Plan for the Laguna San Ignacio Wetlands Complex” (Wildcoast 2008) which seeks to secure the future development rights for the wetlands surrounding the lagoon. Beginning in 2009, LSIESP researchers began visiting local schools and providing classroom presentations on the lagoon’s wildlife and its significance as a coastal resource for marine life and the local economy. Primary and secondary students make site visits to the lagoon where they participate in “hands on” learning activities led by LSIESP researches. These science based information and education programs strengthen the students’ awareness of the need to conserve Laguna San Ignacio and its living marine resources for the future.
Community Reunion
The LSIESP effectively utilizes community meetings, school presentations, and its website to report and disseminate its scientific findings to the local community, eco-tour operators, fishing cooperatives, schools, and residents of the region that depend on the lagoon ecosystem for their livelihoods. We believe that and educated, empowered and active local community working for the common goal of environmental preservation and responsible stewardship for Laguna San Ignacio and for Baja California is an effective means to counter future threats to the region’s environment and the economic and biological stability of the region. To this end LSIESP is dedicated to providing reliable science based information designed to assist the local community to make informed decisions about future development options.
