Seminário: Ocean Biodiversity: Oceana and the Oceana Ranger expeditions
Título: Ocean Biodiversity: Oceana and the Oceana Ranger expeditions
Palestrante: Ricardo Aguillar (Director of Projects and Research)
Data: 20 Setembro
Local: Anf. 1.8 (Edf. 8)
Hora: 14:30h
Abstract
The oceans are in crisis from overfishing, acidification and habitat destruction. Oceana works internationally to alleviate these and other problems through policy-oriented campaigns. Oceana, founded in 2001, is the largest international organization focused solely on ocean conservation, protecting marine ecosystems and endangered species . Its offices in Europe, North America, Central America and South America work together on a limited number of strategic, directed campaigns to achieve measurable outcomes that will help return our oceans to former levels of abundance. In Oceana scientists work closely with teams of economists, lawyers and advocates to achieve tangible results. In fewer than ten years, dozens of concrete policy victories for marine life and habitats were obtained: from stopping bottom trawling in sensitive habitat areas to protecting sea turtles from commercial fishing gear.
In this talk the various aspects of Oceana scientifc activities will be presented, namely the previous Oceana Ranger expeditions. Initially an hospital-ship, the Oceana Ranger was donated to Oceana. Since its first expedition in 2005, it sailed from the Pacific to the Mediterranean doing invaluable research and documenting illegal fishing, habitats and marine species and evaluating the damages of the destructive fishing to the marine environment. In Mediterranean and Atlantic waters the Oceana team identified illegal fishing activities and documented areas of special environmental value, gained knowledge about the Spanish seabed, documented illegal bottom trawling and promoted the creation of new marine protected areas.
In 2011 the Oceana Ranger documented the underwater canyons and mountains of Southwestern Europe, including those in Portuguese waters.
The outcomes of Oceana's activities, current collaborations and opportunities, and the preparation of the 2012 Oceana Ranger expedition, including participation from CCMAR will be presented.
Bio
Ricardo Aguilar is the Research Director of Oceana in Europe, coordinating several research projects for the study and protection of the marine environment in the area of Europe. From 2001 to 2003 Aguilar was the Director of the Centre for Environmental Studies for the Fundacion Hogar del Empleado (CEMA/FUHEM), an institution dedicated to promoting laws in favour of the environment, peace, development and education. Between 2000 and 2003 he was responsible for the Spanish edition of the "WorldWatch" report about "The Situation of the World," participating as co-author of the Spanish chapter. From 1996 to 2001 Aguilar was Campaign Director for Greenpeace Spain, unifying under his directorship all research involving several different branches such as marine biology, pollution, forests, energy, climate change and disarmament.
Ricardo Aguilar has collaborated and worked with international organisations from the United Nations, such as FAO, UNESCO or UNEP; international conventions such as the ones held in Barcelona, Bern, Bonn and Washington; and the International Whale Commission. He has also been member of the Spanish government's Water Council. He has participated in working groups toward the creation of the National Biodiversity Strategy, as well as in meetings of the United Nations for the development of the Protocol of Biosecurity for the Biodiversity Convention and the UN international fishing agreement regarding transzonal and highly migratory species. Aguilar is recognised as an international expert and is included in the Directory of Marine Mammals Specialists (Mediterranean and Black Seas) of the UN Environmental Program.
