‘A study of threats to marine mammal conservation in Patagonia’

Alejandro Aguilar Vila, Amaia Gómez de Segura Domínguez, Asunción Borrell Thió, Bárbara Berón-Vera, Diana Perdiguero Alonso, Enrique Alberto Crespo, Francisco Javier Aznar Avendaño, Griselda Valeria Garaffo, Jesús Tomás Aguirre, Joan Gonzalvo Villegas, Juan Antonio Raga Esteve, Lluis Cardona Pascual, Mariana Degrati, Mariano Alberto Coscarella, María Florencia Grandi, María Mercedes Fernández Martínez, Mónica Revelles Conde, Néstor Aníbal García, Silvana Laura Dans, Susana Noemí Pedraza.

Marine mammals are a key group of oceanic organisms. The populations of many species have been dwindling in the past decades and some have already disappeared or are on the verge of extinction.

The object of this study is to analyse two of the most critical threats in Patagonian waters: non sustainable human uses including tourism and habitat degradation, as a consequence especially of chemical pollution. Three ecosystem-representative species are used as a model: the dusky dolphin, Commerson’s dolphin and the South American sea lion. The study of threats will be accompanied by an analysis of the distribution, abundance and characterisation of the main populations present in the area, providing baseline information that will allow us to assess the scale of future impacts.

The findings of the study will be transmitted to the Argentine authorities and relevant international organisations for input to regulations and conservation plans aimed at ensuring the survival of marine mammal populations.