I have been working in Cabo Pulmo since 2009. My prior research examined the politics of conservation and development in Cabo Pulmo’s National Park (CPNP), which is located on the “East Cape” of Baja California Sur, Mexico. CPNP was first established as a marine protected area in 1995. My current research focuses on park governance, community-participation, and the challenges for long-term ecological and social sustainability. This includes research on the impacts of sea level rise and coastal erosion on CPNP.
Images (top to bottom):
1) Cabo Pulmo Bay, 2005.
2) View of Cerro Cuevoso and Cabo Pulmo, 2010.
3) Overview of Cabo Pulmo, August 2018.
One of my new research projects focuses on the impacts of sea level rise on coastal settlements. My interest in this project started in 2012, by chance, when I was in Cabo Pulmo. A big storm was passing through, and I walked out to the beach to take photographs as the tides rolled in. I took some photographs of a sea wall that was being undercut by the waves (see Image 1). From that point on, I started paying more and more attention not only to these sea walls, but to how people in places like Cabo Pulmo deal with the slow creep of sea level rise. It’s an incremental threat most of the time, with more dramatic pulses of damage during big storms and severe high tides. This project began in Cabo Pulmo, which is an interesting case because of the National Park, which is a marine protected area. In essence, the boundaries of the park constantly change because of coastal erosion and beach loss. This makes for a difficult situation, especially as residents and business owners try to protect their properties and investments. In addition to this work in Cabo Pulmo, I am now expanding this research to look at sea level rise, adaptation, and planning along the California coast in the US.
Image 1: Sea wall during storm, Cabo Pulmo, 2012.
Image 2: Sea wall, Cabo Pulmo, January 2017.
Image 3: Moderate high tide, Cabo Pulmo, June 2018.
The “East Cape” is a stretch of coastline in Baja California Sur that starts at the edge of San Jose del Cabo and runs all the way to Los Barriles. Most of this coast, particularly the southern part, remains relatively undeveloped with unpaved roads. But that reality is changing. In recent years, the real estate value of this coastline has increased dramatically as new homeowners and developers seek their own piece of the “Baja” experience. I started photographing this coast between 2008 and 2012. Here are just a few;
1) Facing south near Nine Palms, East Cape 2012.
2) The East Cape Road, south of Los Frailes, 2012.
3) Marina development, La Ribera 2012.
4) Housing parcels, East Cape 2012.
This series is part of an ongoing study of people right on the edge of the sea. I’m interested in how people use these coastal spaces in different ways, and what that can tell us about the potential effects and impacts of erosion and impending sea level rise. One theme that has been running through this series is the contrast between the immensity of the sea, on the one hand, and the people who flock to the coast. While humans have a tremendous effect upon the coast, we’re also relatively small in the grand scheme of things.
1) Terramar, Carlsbad California 2017.
2) Stand up paddler and the big blue ocean, Mitchell’s Cove, Santa Cruz CA 2018.
3) Steamer Lane and remnant of old arch, Santa Cruz 2018.
