Remembering Dr. Arturo Gómez-Pompa, Pioneering Tropical Biologist and Conservationist

It is with great sadness that the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement recognizes the passing of Dr. Arturo Gómez-Pompa, Tyler Prize Laureate and globally celebrated tropical biologist. Dr. Gómez-Pompa passed away on September 17, 2025, at age 90.

Born October 21, 1934, in Mexico City, Dr. Gómez-Pompa is remembered as one of the first voices to draw attention to the problem of rainforest destruction, and one of the most prominent voices for forest conservation. Gomez-Pompa helped develop an agenda for reasoned debate on the most effective ways to protect tropical ecosystems, and as a political adviser in both the US and Mexico, is credited with leading two governments toward preserving their biological heritage.

Colleagues and family remember him not only for his scientific stature, but for his warmth, humility, and passion for education. He saw no sharp divide between science and service—he insisted that ecology, conservation, and communities be in dialogue, not isolation. He argued that conservation must not treat people as external adversaries but as stakeholders and stewards, drawing on their local knowledge as well as modern science. This approach helped shift tropical conservation toward more inclusive and fair models, at a time when it was often controlled by distant, elite institutions.

Legacy, Achievements & Contributions

Dr. Gómez-Pompa’s career was marked by ambitious, boundary-crossing contributions. He completed his early research at the United Autonomous University of Mexico, where he developed one of the first significant computerized databases — the Flora of Veracruz project — in the 1960s. This work kickstarted early efforts to digitize botanical specimens and plant distribution data, and his system remains a backbone of botanical research.

One of his signature contributions was the discovery of ancient cacao (Theobroma cacao) cultivation in the Yucatán Peninsula, reinforcing the idea that ancient Mayan forests were shaped by long-term human management, rather than purely “wild” systems. This concept influenced later research on the domestication of tropical trees, forest gardens, and how human–nature interactions structure tropical landscapes.

Dr. Gómez-Pompa joined the University of California, Riverside, where he rose to the rare rank of University Professor and Distinguished Professor of Botany (later Emeritus). Over more than two decades, he advanced collaborative research, mentored graduate scholars, and shaped cross-border ecology through the UC Institute for Mexico and the United States (UC MEXUS)—work widely credited with making UCR a West Coast center for tropical plant science and conservation. He later settled in Irving, Texas, and joined the Board of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) in Fort Worth, where he helped shape BRIT’s cross-border mission. With a herbarium renowned for Texas–Mexico holdings, BRIT became a platform for specimen exchange, research, and publishing—reinforcing Texas as a bridge linking North America and the Neotropics.

Dr. Gómez-Pompa was influential not solely through his publications and research, but also through his work as a global institution builder. He founded the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones sobre Recursos Bióticos (INIREB) in Mexico, where he helped establish a new field of research — agroecology — analyzing agricultural techniques used by peoples inhabiting the rain forests. His work at INIREB demonstrated that local methods are often based on a profound knowledge of local ecosystems and, in fact, are often better adapted to local conditions than imported techniques.

In the U.S., Gómez-Pompa guided science policy, serving on the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Biological Sciences, and as a member of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s advisory committee under President George H. W. Bush. A global leader through the United Nations, he chaired UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) programs, and served on the boards of several international conservancy organizations, including the Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Over his career, Dr. Gómez-Pompa produced more than 200 publications (journal articles, books, chapters) across topics of biodiversity, tropical ecology, restoration, ethnobotany, and conservation policy. For his work, he was the recipient of many high honors: the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (considered the ‘Nobel Prize for Environment’) in 1994, the Chevron Conservation Medal, the David Fairchild Medal for botanical exploration, among many others.

“He is without question one of the world’s leading botanists, conservation biologists and champions of the tropical forests,” wrote Thomas E. Lovejoy at the time of Gómez-Pompa’s Tyler Prize award in 1994.

 “It is a rare gift that someone with the academic credentials of Dr. Gomez-Pompa has the political and diplomatic skills to put basic ecology into pragmatic resource management programs,” wrote Jean-Michel Cousteau, in recognition of Gómez-Pompa’s Tyler Prize win.

Dr. Gómez-Pompa is survived by his wife Norma and three sons — Arturo Eugenio, Eduardo, and Gerardo — and a growing family of grandchildren