Environmental sub-regions in the Gulf of Mexico coastal zone: the ecosystem approach as an integrated management tool. Yáñez-Arancibia, A. & Day, J. W. Ocean & Coastal Management, 47(11):727–757, January, 2004.
Environmental sub-regions in the Gulf of Mexico coastal zone: the ecosystem approach as an integrated management tool [link]Paper  doi  abstract   bibtex   
Ecological sub-regions are a way of viewing coastal zone (CZ) regions that have been developed to enhance the capability of NGOs, governmental organizations, and academics to assess conditions and trends of the major ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), mainly as a management tool for defining priority actions towards sustainable development. Major “geographical regions” at scale-1-level (1:40) are: (a) the warm-temperate Gulf, (b) the tropical Gulf, and (c) the Caribbean coast of Mexico related to the Gulf. At scale-3-level (1:5 million) in region “A,” six distinct environmental sub-regions are defined: Western Florida Estuarine Area, Eastern Gulf Neritic, Mississippi Estuarine Area, Texas Estuarine Area, Laguna Madre Estuarine Area, and Western Gulf Neritic. In regions “B” and “C”, 13 distinct environmental sub-regions are defined: Southeast Floridian Neritic, Florida Keys, Florida Bay, Shark River Estuarine Area, Dry Tortugas/Florida Keys Reef Tract, Southwest Floridian Neritic, Veracruzan Neritic, Tabascan Neritic, Campeche Yucatanean Inner Neritic, Campeche Yucatanean Outer Neritic, Contoyan Neritic, Cancunean Neritic, and SianKa’anean Neritic. From a “hydrological units” focus, five main sub-regions are defined: (a) The western Florida rivers and ground-water discharge system, (b) The Mississippi River basin and delta, (c) The Texas estuaries and Laguna Madre US-Mexico integrated by the Rio Bravo delta, (d) The Usumacinta/Grijalva River basin and delta, and (e) The Rio Hondo-Chetumal Bay in the Caribbean coast of Mexico. Each “geographical/hydrological” sub-region can be viewed as a discrete system which results from the interaction of geologic, geomorphologic, oceanographic, climatic, freshwater drainage, physical, chemical, coastal vegetation, wildlife, estuary-shelf interactions, and human factors. The ecosystem approach adopted as a management tool for environmental sub-regions is predicated on: (a) accepting that interactions between the environment (atmosphere, water, land, biota) and human activities (social, cultural, economics) are inseparable, (b) realizing that humans are the major driving forces behind most ecological change, (c) recognizing environmental thresholds and their importance and linkages to human activities, (d) incorporating the needs of current and future generations, and e) implementing a long-term perspective that is anticipatory, preventative, and sustainable. We suggest for each sub-region to develop key agenda-topics to strengthen ICM and answer questions on, e.g., (a) controls of primary production and water fertility in the coastal zone, (b) energetic pulsing as the basis for sustainable management, (c) vulnerability of the coastal zone to global climatic change, (d) coastal wetlands restoration, and (e) environmental sustainability and the economic development of the coastal zone.
@article{yanez-arancibia_environmental_2004,
	series = {Integrated {Coastal} {Management} in the {Gulf} of {Mexico} {Large} {Marine} {Ecosystem}},
	title = {Environmental sub-regions in the {Gulf} of {Mexico} coastal zone: the ecosystem approach as an integrated management tool},
	volume = {47},
	issn = {0964-5691},
	shorttitle = {Environmental sub-regions in the {Gulf} of {Mexico} coastal zone},
	url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0964569104001036},
	doi = {10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2004.12.010},
	abstract = {Ecological sub-regions are a way of viewing coastal zone (CZ) regions that have been developed to enhance the capability of NGOs, governmental organizations, and academics to assess conditions and trends of the major ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), mainly as a management tool for defining priority actions towards sustainable development. Major “geographical regions” at scale-1-level (1:40) are: (a) the warm-temperate Gulf, (b) the tropical Gulf, and (c) the Caribbean coast of Mexico related to the Gulf. At scale-3-level (1:5 million) in region “A,” six distinct environmental sub-regions are defined: Western Florida Estuarine Area, Eastern Gulf Neritic, Mississippi Estuarine Area, Texas Estuarine Area, Laguna Madre Estuarine Area, and Western Gulf Neritic. In regions “B” and “C”, 13 distinct environmental sub-regions are defined: Southeast Floridian Neritic, Florida Keys, Florida Bay, Shark River Estuarine Area, Dry Tortugas/Florida Keys Reef Tract, Southwest Floridian Neritic, Veracruzan Neritic, Tabascan Neritic, Campeche Yucatanean Inner Neritic, Campeche Yucatanean Outer Neritic, Contoyan Neritic, Cancunean Neritic, and SianKa’anean Neritic. From a “hydrological units” focus, five main sub-regions are defined: (a) The western Florida rivers and ground-water discharge system, (b) The Mississippi River basin and delta, (c) The Texas estuaries and Laguna Madre US-Mexico integrated by the Rio Bravo delta, (d) The Usumacinta/Grijalva River basin and delta, and (e) The Rio Hondo-Chetumal Bay in the Caribbean coast of Mexico. Each “geographical/hydrological” sub-region can be viewed as a discrete system which results from the interaction of geologic, geomorphologic, oceanographic, climatic, freshwater drainage, physical, chemical, coastal vegetation, wildlife, estuary-shelf interactions, and human factors. The ecosystem approach adopted as a management tool for environmental sub-regions is predicated on: (a) accepting that interactions between the environment (atmosphere, water, land, biota) and human activities (social, cultural, economics) are inseparable, (b) realizing that humans are the major driving forces behind most ecological change, (c) recognizing environmental thresholds and their importance and linkages to human activities, (d) incorporating the needs of current and future generations, and e) implementing a long-term perspective that is anticipatory, preventative, and sustainable. We suggest for each sub-region to develop key agenda-topics to strengthen ICM and answer questions on, e.g., (a) controls of primary production and water fertility in the coastal zone, (b) energetic pulsing as the basis for sustainable management, (c) vulnerability of the coastal zone to global climatic change, (d) coastal wetlands restoration, and (e) environmental sustainability and the economic development of the coastal zone.},
	language = {en},
	number = {11},
	urldate = {2023-06-29},
	journal = {Ocean \& Coastal Management},
	author = {Yáñez-Arancibia, Alejandro and Day, John W.},
	month = jan,
	year = {2004},
	keywords = {Terrestrial Ecoregions (CEC 1997)},
	pages = {727--757},
}

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