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| Comunidad y Biodiversidad (COBI) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Comunidad y Biodiversidad (COBI) |
| Native name | Comunidad y Biodiversidad |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founders | Ramón Samaniego; Jorge Reséndiz; Patricia González |
| Type | Non-profit environmental organization |
| Headquarters | La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico |
| Area served | Gulf of California; Pacific Coast of Mexico |
| Focus | Marine conservation; fisheries management; community-based conservation |
Comunidad y Biodiversidad (COBI) is a Mexican non-profit organization focused on marine conservation, sustainable fisheries, and community-based resource management in the Gulf of California and Pacific Coast of Mexico. Founded in 1999, COBI integrates scientific research, policy advocacy, and local capacity-building to influence marine spatial planning and artisanal fishing governance. The organization works with diverse stakeholders including coastal communities, academic institutions, government agencies, and international donors.
COBI was established in 1999 amid regional efforts linked to the conservation agendas of the Gulf of California and initiatives by institutions such as the World Wildlife Fund and the Smithsonian Institution. Early collaborations involved researchers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education and community leaders from Baja California Sur and Sinaloa. Over the 2000s COBI engaged with programs funded by the Global Environment Facility, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme to advance marine protected areas similar to those promoted by the IUCN and Conservation International. The organization expanded its scope by participating in regional networks alongside the Gulf of California Marine Program, the World Commission on Protected Areas, and NGO coalitions that include The Nature Conservancy and BirdLife International.
COBI's mission aligns with conservation frameworks endorsed by the Convention on Biological Diversity and targets articulated in the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the Sustainable Development Goals. Its goals emphasize sustainable fisheries consistent with recommendations from the Food and Agriculture Organization and community empowerment modeled after participatory approaches from the International Union for Conservation of Nature. COBI prioritizes the recovery of species such as the vaquita-adjacent conservation concerns, artisanal fisheries stewardship reflected in practices from Mazatlán and La Paz, and habitat protection in ecosystems like the Islas Marías and Gulf of California seascapes.
COBI operates under a board of directors and an executive team with ties to academic partners such as the Center for Research in Marine Science and Fisheries at the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur and international research centers like the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Its governance structure reflects standards promoted by organizations including the International NGO Accountability Charter and the Charities Aid Foundation. COBI’s staff includes marine biologists, social scientists, legal advisors, and community liaisons who engage with municipal authorities in jurisdictions such as La Paz Municipality and state agencies like the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales.
COBI implements programs ranging from community-based fisheries management to marine protected area design and monitoring. Notable initiatives mirror methodologies used in projects funded by the Global Environment Facility, the Nature Conservancy’s Blue Cities, and the Marine Stewardship Council certification pilots in regions like Baja California Sur. Programs have targeted species and habitats including mangroves in Estero de San José and reef systems near Isla Espíritu Santo as well as spawning aggregations of groupers documented by researchers at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. COBI has conducted social-ecological studies with collaborators from the University of California, Santa Barbara, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Washington.
COBI’s scientific outputs have informed policy instruments similar to those developed by the Mexican National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries and have contributed to baseline data used by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. Research topics include artisanal fisheries catch assessments paralleling work at the Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia and by scholars at the Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, as well as spatial analyses using tools endorsed by the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative. COBI’s monitoring programs have supported management actions for species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and for ecosystem services highlighted by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
COBI maintains partnerships with academic institutions such as the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, and the University of Arizona, and with NGOs including The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, and Wildlife Conservation Society. International collaborations include engagement with the World Wildlife Fund-US, the Blue Nature Alliance, and multilateral funders like the Global Environment Facility and the Inter-American Development Bank. COBI also coordinates with governmental bodies such as the Secretaría de Marina and municipal authorities across coastal communities from Sonora to Oaxaca.
COBI’s funding model combines grants from foundations such as the Packard Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, project support from multilateral institutions like the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, and contracts with partner organizations including the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Additional resources derive from philanthropic initiatives tied to the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and corporate partnerships similar to those formed with seafood certification bodies like the Marine Stewardship Council. Financial oversight follows norms promoted by entities such as the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation and auditing practices common to non-profit organizations operating within Mexico.
Category:Environmental organizations based in Mexico