This updated and expanded A New Island Biogeography of the Sea of Cortes, first published nearly 20 years ago, integrates new and broader studies encompassing more taxa and more complete island coverage. The present synthesis provides a basis for further research and exploration in upcoming years of the biologically fascinating Sea of Cortes region. The Gulf region is increasingly being exploited, for its natural resources by way of marine fisheries, and for its stunning natural beauty by way of a burgeoning tourism industry. Further, the region's human population is increasing apace. It is appropriate, therefore, that this volume discusses these evolving circumstances, and the efforts of the Mexican government to regulate and manage them. The new Biogeography includes a section on the conservation issues in the Sea of Cortes, past accomplishments and conservation needs as yet outstanding. This book should be of strong interest to conservation biologists, ecologists, and evolutionary biologists more generally.

Contributors I. THE PHYSICAL SCENE 1. History of Scientific Exploration in the Sea of Cortes, George E. Lindsay and Iris Engstrand 2. Geology and Ages of the Islands, Ana Luisa Carreno and Javier Helenes 3. Physical Oceanography, Saul Alvarez-Borrego II. THE BIOLOGICAL SCENE 4. Plants, Martin L. Cody et al. 5. Ants, April M. Boulton and Philip S. Ward 6. Tenebrionid Beetles, Francisco Sanchez Pinero and Rolf L. Aalbu 7. Rocky-Shore Fishes, Donald A. Thomson and Matthew R. Gilligan 8. Nonavian Reptiles: Origins and Evolution, Robert W. Murphy and Gustavo Aguirre-Leon 9. Reptiles: Ecology, Ted J. Case 10. Land Birds, Martin L. Cody and Enriqueta Velarde 11. Breeding Dynamics of Heermann's Gulls, Enriqueta Velarde and Exequiel Ezcurra 12. Mammals, Timothy E. Lawlor et al. 13. Island Food Webs, Gary A. Polis et al. III. THE HUMAN SCENE 14. Human Impact in the Midriff Islands, Conrad J. Bahre and Luis Bourillon 15. Cultural Disperal of Plants and Reptiles, Gary P. Nabhan 16. Ecological Conservation, Exequiel Ezcurra et al. IV. APPENDIXES Index