Convenio @ La Paloma

Today is the 12th of December and I’m sitting in a bungalow in La Paloma (Uruguay, South America). Life has taken another strange turn, and now instead of working from Montevideo as I was planning; I will be coordinating a project on the behaviour, ecology and habitat characterization focosed of franciscana and bottlenose dolphins with the aim of elaborating strategies for their conservation (off Rocha), Uruguay. It is not that bad, I’m staying at “Bungalows de Piemonte” provided by Rodrigo Garcia the coordinator/director of OCC (Organización para la Conservasión de Cetáceos – Uruguay) next to the beach with surf(able) waves. There is quite a population boom here in the summer months. I’ll also be presenting weekly talks for the public at the administration house of “Bungalows de Piemonte” about general cetacean biology with an insight on the work carried out by the members of OCC and myself.
While I remain here at the bungalows I’ll have a permanent ADSL connection!

During this period some stuff was happening out there… the earthquake in Pakistan and India affected hundreds of people, the Atlantic Storm season broke all records. My external hard drive broke down and I lost everything I had in it, thankfully I manage to recover a few bits. USA asked for humanitarian help (???) due to the damages provoked by the hurricanes (if these folks need humanitarian and $ help what to say about the rest of the world then?)
Hopefully during my stay in South America I’ll be able to finish off all my pending affairs and engage into some others.

PICA

Ricardo Antunes (my personal friend and cetology guru) and me are implementing a project in the Azores named PICA (Projecto de Investigação para o Cachalote dos Açores) that in Portuguese means Research Program for the Sperm whale of the Azores. It is focused on the temporal and geographic variation of sperm whale acoustic clans and well as behaviour.
We will conduct a set of practical courses in acoustics & ethology during the next month of September (2005).
The date for the practical courses will be:
01-15 September 2005
16-30 September 2005
Courses will be held in English.
Practical course – max. 4 participants (per course).
Details on the courses and other information can be requested through the e-mail: physeter_m@yahoo.com
A website and more information will be soon available — watch this space!

M.E.E.R. Practical Courses

The German NGO MEER (Mammals, Education, Encounters and Research) will conduct another set of practical courses in ethology during the next Spring. Moreover, it will also offer again the new “Springtime Research” program.
The date for the Springtime Research is: 11-18 March 2005
The date for the practical couse will be: 08-22 April 2005
Courses will be held in English.
Springtime Research – max. 15 participants
Practical course – max. 9 participants
Details on the courses and information on the work of MEER is found @ www.m-e-e-r.org