The ocean's greatest biodiversity lies in microscopic organisms that drift with ocean currents, known as plankton. All marine life depends on the productivity of microalgae (phytoplankton), and numerous marine species have eggs and larvae that are part of the zooplankton. The Los Cabos region in Baja California Sur exhibits a remarkable diversity of tropical-subtropical zooplankton, which is fundamental to marine ecological balance. Studies conducted in Cabo Pulmo National Park have identified up to 26 taxonomic groups, with copepods and chaetognaths being the most abundant. Fluctuations in the abundance of these communities are influenced by factors such as sea surface temperature and seasonal upwelling conditions, which favor the moderate productivity of the ecosystem. Variability in zooplankton biomass is crucial as it impacts both the marine food web and local fishing activities, highlighting the importance of preserving this delicate ecological balance. Censuses of fish eggs and larvae allow us to infer when and where commercially and ecologically relevant species spawn, particularly understanding their reproductive response during abnormally warm conditions such as El Niño events and marine heatwaves.

Dr. Jaime Gómez Gutiérrez has worked since 1990 at the Interdisciplinary Center for Marine Sciences of the National Polytechnic Institute. He has studied zooplankton in northwestern Mexico, with an emphasis on protected natural areas such as Loreto, Cabo Pulmo, and Revillagigedo. Recently, he is interested in developing zooplankton time series to investigate the effects of climate change on zooplankton richness and abundance, discover new species, and understand how coastal and insular zones connect and share fauna transported by ocean currents.

I love research because it's like detective work, but without the blood. I enjoy trying to find small clues to understand how nature works. For me, this search often involves first thinking about ways to build large datasets, for example, by combining multiple studies in a meta-analysis or extracting old historical datasets and comparing them to build long time series. Nature is grand in the big things, but it's truly magnificent in the small things that collectively sustain life in the ocean.