Real time data available for Baja California, Mexico -

Language:

Home: ABOUT: Ecology: Ecosystems: Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs): Gulf of California LME

an expanded view of Topics and Knowledge in the Atlas

Login for Members

Username

Password

	Forgotten your Password?
	Not a Member? Join Now
	Getting started

Navigate the Atlas:

3 RELATED TOPICS:

Topic Overview

Editors

KO Overview

Owner

Gulf of California LME

Maintained by NOAA

Text-only Printer-friendly version

Introduction

The Gulf of California Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) is semi-enclosed and bordered by Baja California to the west and by mainland Mexico to the east. It was once known as the Sea of Cortez. The Gulf is long and narrow (1,500 km long by 175 km wide) and opens into the Pacific at its southern end, adjacent to the California Current LME. The southern part of the Gulf is over 200 m deep, and it includes the Guaymas trench, which is more than 3,600 m deep. The trench has volcanic and hydrothermal vents, and supports biotic communities based on hydrogen sulfide for energy, rather than sunlight. The northern part of the Gulf is shallower, due to the large amount of silt produced over the years by Colorado River run-off. Winds, tidal action and upwelling characterize the LME. It has mixed semi-diurnal tides and one of the greatest tidal ranges on earth. The tidal difference can correspond to up to 3 km of land and 9 m of vertical level in the northern part of the Gulf. The Gulf is highly productive for shrimp, small pelagics and giant squid and is the most important fishing region for Mexico. Industrial fisheries and coastal zone usage are driving forces of change; although formal evaluation of their effects has not yet been conducted.

Based on PICES. 2004. Marine Ecosystems of the North Pacific. PICES Special Publication Number 1, 280 pp

Photo title: Manta ray (Mobula lucasana) caught in gillnet, Baja Mexico.

Photo credit: Copyright Norbert Wu at http://www.norbertwu.com

Photo title: Baja California and the Gulf of California

Photo credit: SeaWiFS Project. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and ORBIMAGE

All (6)

News (1)

Websites (4)

Books (1)

Title

Real time data available for Baja California, Mexico ( WEBSITE )

Description

Observatorios de Variables Ambientales en Tiempo Real en la Costa Occidental de México CICESE Division of Oceanology Coastal Ocean Observing System

We are now providing real-time or near real-time data collected along the peninsula. Right now, only local Ensenada winds, tidal level, radiation, temp, and some other meteorological data are available in real time (as well as archives), but shortly both biological and physical oceanographic data for the entire coast from Met stations, BajaCOMNet (a coastal monitoring project running for 10yrs now from Todos Santos Island to Mag Bay), and potentially from IAI - EPCOR (Eastern Pacific Consortium for Research on Global Change in Coastal and Oceanic Regions - all countries along the entire Eastern Pacific) will also be available, though probably not in real time. This service may be of interest to you regarding local conditions or science. It is for public use and has no restrictions, as long as the source is cited.

Keywords