He was born in Mexico Cityin the year 1929. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in biology from the Faculty of Science of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in 1954, and his master’s degree, also from the same faculty, in 1972. In 1991, the Autonomous University of Nuevo León conferred upon him the degree of Doctor honoris causa.

His keen interest in the improvement of academic quality, as well as his social interests, led to his appointment as consultant to the General University Board and the Technical Board of the Faculty of Science, form 1953 to 1954. Afterwards, he served twice as secretary of the Faculty of Science, and as dean from 1973 to 1977.

Some of the posts he has held include: chairman of Mexico’s Association of Biologists, of which he was one of the founders, in the late 1960s; he was the under-director of biological fisheries affairs at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, from 1966 to 1979. During his tenure, he promoted teaching and research on marine science. Similarly, he was the vice-president of the WorldScientificConference on the Biology and Culture of Shrimps and Prawns of UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization; and he was the chairman of the Mexican Society of Malacology and Conchology, A.C., in the 1980s.

He was the director of FAO’s Latin American Centre for Training in Research Methods on the Biology of Shrimp and Evaluation of Shrimp Resources, in the early 1970s. He was also director general of FAO’s Programme for Fishery Research and Development, Mexican chapter, from 1978 to 1980, and director general of the National Fishery Institute, between 1993 and 1994.

He has been professor at UMAN’s affiliated schools since 1953. He was also a professor at the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria for 28 years. Similarly, he taught at the Faculty of Science from 1959 to 1995, where he won, in 1963, the competitive examinations to become a senior lecturer and teach zoology I and select laboratory techniques.

Since his early years in teaching, 50 years ago, and convinced that “there is no better strategy to learn than trying to teach someone else,” he has served as professor teaching several courses at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels in colleges, schools and universities with high prestige.

He has shared his knowledge with over 14,000 students, has been the godfather of 8 classes from several Mexican schools of biology, and has been the director of 80 bachelor’s theses, 25 master’s theses and 12 doctoral theses.

The activities he has undertaken include his work as researcher at the Department of Micropalaeontology of UNAM’S Geology Institute, from 1961 to 1965; his tenure as head of the Coordinating Department of the Laboratory of Invertabrates of UNAM’s Faculty of Science, and his work as director of the Programme for Fishery Research and Promotion sponsored by Mexico and FAO, a post he held on two occasions.

He was the head of the Programme for Research on Rough Water Shrimp, and the head of the Programme for Population and Biological Aspects of the Purpura panza and Purpura collumellaris shrimp, between 1987 and 1988.

At the University of Guadalajara, in 1995, he served as coordinator of Research and Graduate Studies of the University Centre of the Coast, located at the Puerto Vallarta campus. Additionally, he was the coordinator of the Ecology and Hydrology Programme of the “El Salado” pond, in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. He has been the head of the Bahía de Banderas Characterization Project, from 1997 to this day.

Dr Cifuentes’s scientific production includes 45 articles published in journals, and 18 books on marine resources, fisheries, protozoa, invertebrates, the teaching of biology and the history of science. 7 of his books have been translated into other languages. Some of his most widely known books are: Marine Resources, Basic Concepts of Zoology, Animal Diversity, and The Ocean and its Resources. With respect to the latter, Argentina’s Ministry of Education requested 30,000 copies to be distributed among the libraries of that country.

He has received 8 awards in recognition of his work as scholar, including the Benito Juárez medal in the area of oceanography, given by the Mexican Society of Geography and Statistics, in 1996. He has participated in 13 regulatory commissions since 1997.

He is a member of 22 scientific associations, and a founding member of 3 of them. He has given 450 presentations at conferences and scientific meetings, and has participated in 160 conferences related to biology, held in several countries. Today, he is a life chairman of “México a,” Mexican Foundation for Biological Preservation, and he is also the head of the “México a” journal, which already has 3 numbers distributed around the world.

In 2002, he was awarded the Vallarta Ecologic Merit Prize, in recognition of his work aimed at protecting and preserving the marine turtle, and his work aimed at declaring the “El Salado” pond a protected area. In 2002, The Union of Scholars of this University presented him with the Academic Merit medal, in recognition of his 50 years of teaching practice.