By considering small cetaceans as flagship and umbrella species, this project’s overall aim is to promote and work towards the conservation of small cetaceans in southern Chile through research and environmental education, which has been established as a long-term program. The project will mainly focus on Chilean and Peale’s dolphins, and Burmeister’s porpoises.

It will build on results from past years, where habitat selection and segregation has been assessed for these dolphins. This project will focus on the functional mechanisms of habitat use by looking in detail at behavioural ecology of these key small cetacean species. The information generated will assist the formulation of coastal and marine conservation action plans.