Damián Martínez Fernández
The establishment of proper conservation and management programs to protect marine mammals in Costa Rica is urgent. Without baseline data it is impossible to develop a conservation and management plan for cetaceans, without baseline data we can not asses if a population is affected directly or not by fisheries, habitat degradation, vessel noise or climate change.
In Costa Rica over the last 10 years, 3 resident species of 28 have been studied considerably: the bottlenose dolphin (Turciops truncatus), the coastal spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata graffmani), and the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). However, we lack information for almost all species and this makes the conservation strategies difficult.
By means of systematic research, this project would generated information about three species of large dolphins that are commonly observed in Costa Rican`s waters: the killer whale (Orcinus orca), the false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) and the pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus). Moreover, by collaboration between researchers from the KETO foundation (www.fundacionketo.org) and students of biology of Universidad Nacional, Universidad de Costa Rica (Nationals Universities) and students of Wildlife Management and Conservation Regional Program, we would work with the coastal communities in environmental education and conservation strategies.