Dr. Bernardo Villa-Ramirez died Tuesday, November 21, 2006 at the age of 96. Dr. Villa started his academic career teaching children in a small community near Teloloapan Guerrero where he was born, there he taught in Spanish and in Nahuatl (Aztec language). He later joined the National University of Mexico UNAM where he was a student, professor, researcher and professor emeritus. He devoted his life to scientific research and to the National University. His work focused on various groups of mammals and his doctoral thesis on Mexican bats is now a classic. Dr. Villa directed countless theses on Mexican mammals, from bats to gray whales, from biology to legal status. He was particularly attracted to the Gulf of California where he helped establishing the Reserva Islas del Golfo de California that now harbors more than 900 islands, particularly Isla Rasa where he was the key stone for its conservation; thanks to his efforts, two species of sea birds are no longer in the brink of extinction. Dr. Villa organized and took part in the first scientific projects working with marine mammals in Mexico studying gray whales, sea lions, manatees, and vaquitas among others. He is considered the father of Mexican mammalogy. During his lifetime he received various awards, public recognitions and was an honorary member of various organizations and societies. He was the honorary life president of the Mexican society for marine mammalogy (SOMEMMA) and the Mexican society of mammalogists (AMMAC), Full Charter Member and Honorary Member of the society for marine mammalogy, and most notably, his name appears under the honorary members section in every single issue of Marine Mammal Science published to date. Former students and friends share this announcement with great sadness. Rest in peace Bernardo Villa Ramirez. Hector Pérez-Cortés M., Juan Pablo Gallo-R., Alberto Delgado E., Joel Ortega, Irelia López. Héctor Pérez-Cortés M Director del Centro de Estudios Costeros The School for Field Studies San Carlos, Baja California Sur, México Tel. + 52 (613) 136 0548 fax: + 52 (613) 136 0008 HYPERLINK "http://www.fieldstudies.org"www.fieldstudies.org -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.441 / Virus Database: 268.17.25/669 - Release Date: 04/02/2007 09:58 p.m.