The 19th Workshop of Aquatic Mammal Specialists in South America (19th RT) 19 RT Brasil and the 13th Congress of the Latin American Society of Aquatic Mammal Specialists (XIII SOLAMAC) in Praia do Forte took place with the main sponsorship of YAQU PACHA.
The presentations of the projects and the support of the town hall of Mata de São João was terrific. The event, which took place from 11 to 15 September, brought together the leading experts on aquatic mammals in Latin America. In total, there were 245 participants, 10 different countries, 294 presentations and several exhibitors.
Yaqu Pacha was at the Species Conservation Day at Duisburg Zoo and informed the visitors about our species conservation projects in South America From left to right... Lisa Schwarz, Sandra Honigs, Sebastian Schnock
One of the main objectives of YAQU PACHA is to provide educational opportunities for Latin American students and professionals. We are convinced that this will prepare these people to be the leading scientists in their home countries and that this is the best basis for a successful and sustainable science culture. In recent years, YAQU PACHA has offered targeted funding programs to not only enable students, biologists and veterinarians to learn new research methods, but also to build a network that helps them navigate the world of science.
This is Raphaela Mota and her participation in the most important congress for aquatic mammals in August 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida, USA. She then spent a month with Randy Wells to learn research methods. Their participation and training were paid for by YAQU PACHA.
Report by Maria Jimena Valderrama, veterinarian, from our partner organization Fundación Omacha https://omacha.org/
During the annual Bottlenose dolphin Health Survey in Sarasota, Florida, organized by the Chicago Zoological Society and the Dolphin Biology Research Institute, I participated as an invited researcher and worked in or on the waters of Sarasota Bay and surrounding areas with wild dolphins. On this occasion, I was able to deepen my knowledge in dolphin population health assessment through special clinical examinations, ultrasound, sample collection and processing, analysis of physiological processes, and additional methods for identifying and capturing small whale populations. I would like to apply all this in my work in South America with the endangered river dolphins. The Omacha Foundation has been committed to its protection and that of aquatic ecosystems for about 30 years, but there is an urgent need to use new conservation medicine techniques to address the new challenges posed by emerging diseases and new threats that can affect this species and its ecosystems. This space has also been a place of exchange of experience and knowledge with various institutions such as the National Foundation for Marine Mammals, where new alliances have been created for joint work in Colombia.
