THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA (“GOC”) program at Biodiversity Funders Group is an unprecedented and innovative effort for environmental funders to collaborate and promote conservation in northwest Mexico.

Background of the Program
The GOC program began as part of then CGBD’s, now Biodiversity Funders Group’s marine conservation program and was formally created as a new program at Biodiversity Funders Group in 2007. The participants in the GOC program are international funders who recognize that the biodiversity in the Gulf of California (or Sea of Cortez) and the five surrounding Mexican states—Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, and Nayarit—comprise an area of extremely high marine and coastal species diversity of global importance.

Biodiversity of the Gulf of California
The region has among the highest rates of endemic species in the Western Hemisphere, and highly productive fisheries. In addition to its marine biodiversity and abundance, it contains important habitats such as coastal lagoons, mangroves, dune systems, oases, and desert scrubland. The Gulf of California’s islands, which are comparable to the Galapagos in rates of endemism, harbor some of the world’s largest colonies of seabirds.

Role of the CGBD
The GOC program at CGBD is a success story of funder collaboration that provides support for information sharing, dialogue and development of complementary grant making strategies. The GOC program aims to increase the overall level of conservation funding available for the region in protecting biodiversity and ecosystems, reaches out to potential new donors interested in the GOC region, and collaborates with relevant government agencies and international organizations.

Learn More
This micro-site provides five mini success stories from the Gulf of California region and offers a dynamic and interactive platform for engaging in conservation work in the region. Contact us to learn more and get involved.