Ignacio (Nacho) Bruno

       I come from San Clemente del Tuyú, a small city situated in the southern point of Samborombón Bay, Argentina, just where the La Plata River waters join the sea. This is an estuarine area with muddy waters, part of the coastal waters of Buenos Aires Province that represent the southern limit of distribution of one of the smallest species of cetacean, and also the most endangered dolphin species in South America, the franciscana or La Plata River Dolphin. This species mainly inhabits coastal waters, where it is vulnerable to incidental captures in fishing gillnets, one of the main threats, however, the destruction of coastal environments and contamination are important factors for their survival.
       Five years ago I became a member of Aquamarina, an Argentinean NGO directed by Pablo Bordino, who has been working in the conservation of marine biodiversity and the protection of coastal ecosystems through the sustainable use of resources for the past ten years.
       Constant efforts are underway for the conservation of franciscana dolphins, working in cooperation with artisanal fishermen and coastal communities, trying to find solutions to mitigate mortality and ensure preservation of the species. Several research projects are being developed to collect valuable information about the species: abundance estimation, contaminant levels, photo identification, mortality estimation, educational work, and also constant monitoring of the beaches.
       Aquamarina, in partnership with the SDRP and Disney, engaged in capture-release, tagging, and tracking involving radio and satellite-linked tags. This represents the first time this kind of research has been accomplished with franciscana dolphins, to collect data related to their habitat, range, diving and movement patterns, improving and increasing knowledge about ecological and physiological aspects, which allow to us to look for more effective measures for their conservation.
       I was invited as a member of the Franciscana Dolphin Project to participate in the SDRP International Training Program for three months in Sarasota, working as an intern on different research projects. My first week I was involved in bottlenose dolphin capture-release efforts in Sarasota Bay as part of their Dolphin Health Assessment Project, which allowed me to gain skills to apply in similar work performed in Argentina. I gained experience in field work through several projects including a prey-based study (purse seining), biopsy darting, and dolphin behavior. I also trained in photo-identification techniques, data entry and different lab stuff at their Mote facilities. All of this was possible thanks to the hospitality, cooperation and professionalism of all of the staff members of the SDRP who were always accompanying me, teaching me, and explaining things to me during my stay. I am sure that many of these techniques I went through can be applied to the work we are performing in our own country, and in some cases they will be an important key to advance our knowledge and to apply it to the conservation of an endangered species such as the franciscana dolphin.