Work

Since October 2009, Joaquin Murrieta-Saldivar has managed our Mexico work within the Latin American and Caribbean Oceans program based in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Dr. Murrieta-Saldivar oversees our initiatives to implement catch share programs in the Gulf of California with the goal of reversing overfishing there.

Background

Committed to preserving both the natural and cultural landscape, Joaquin has been a guiding force in shaping several projects in the Sonoran desert and Gulf of California ecoregions and other areas of the West.

Dr. Murrieta-Saldivar has a unique appreciation of the connections between people, culture and the environment. He is dedicated to protecting ecosystems for present and future generations and promoting economic growth that also safeguards the natural world.

With National Geographic Society’s Center for Sustainable Destinations, Dr. Murrieta-Saldivar implemented community strategies to advance the concept of Geotourism (sustainable tourism) in the United States, Mexico, Peru and Guatemala. 

In addition, Dr. Murrieta-Saldivar:

• Created the vision for the first visitor center in a protected area in northwest Mexico, the Pinacate Biosphere Reserve.
• Worked with ranching communities in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico to implement sustainable ranching practices.
• Has extensive experience in ecotourism product development in Mexico and the United States.
• Has created multiple strategic public-private partnerships for the management of natural and cultural resources in Mexico and the United States.

A native of Sonora, Mexico and resident of La Paz, Dr. Murrieta-Saldivar is fluent in both Spanish and English.

Dr. Murrieta-Saldivar is a graduate of the University of Arizona, with a Masters in Natural Resources and Agricultural Economics and a Ph.D. in Natural Resources Studies with an emphasis on management, policy and economics of natural resources.