Earthwatch Award Recipient Summary

Awardee: Marcos César de Oliveira Santos, PhD
Affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo
Project: Brazil's Marine Mammals (project: Brazil's Tuxuci Dolphins)
Award: 2004 Young Scientist Award

Project Synopsis
Dr. Marcos Santos and Earthwatch teams are surveying a diversity of marine mammals in Brazil's rich Cananéia Estuary ecosystem, a World Heritage Site featuring some of the last remnants of Atlantic rainforest. The estuary harbors at least 43 species of whales and dolphins, including a resident population of rare marine tucuxi dolphins. Earthwatch teams are helping Dr. Santos monitor marine mammal strandings, mortality from disease and injury, and interactions between dolphins and tourist and fishing boats. Their efforts are establishing baseline data that will help guide local tourism development and protect the estuary's outstanding marine mammal biodiversity.

Award Outcomes
The Young Scientist Award allowed Dr. Santos to:

· Purchase a digital projector for presenting lectures and courses to local groups and Earthwatch volunteers
· Support the training and licensing of a local assistant to pilot the project boat

Dr. Santos used his award money to multiply the community impact of his data by purchasing a digital projector for public presentations. He can now present the breadth of his Earthwatch-supported data, supported by colorful and evocative photographs, to school groups and stakeholders throughout the county of Cananéia. This audiovisual aid will help raise the local awareness of the unique biodiversity of Cananéia Estuary and the importance of conservation efforts. Dr. Santos plans to offer free courses in nature conservation to local teachers at the Universidade de São Paulo. The projector will also be useful in training Earthwatch teams, presenting important features of the project at the beginning of the expedition and during inclement weather.

The remainder of the award money allowed Dr. Santos to fund a boat piloting course and license to a local community member, Ednilson da Silva. The training provides a promising future for this young man, as a boat pilot, in a region where job opportunities are scarce. Mr. da Silva has been assisting with the Earthwatch project for two years, and is an important link to the local community and their support. Now he will be able to pilot a research boat, making data-gathering more effective.


Publications and Papers
Pending

Quotes
"I can't describe my emotions at the recognition of my efforts down here in Brazil. I've been conducting cetacean research and conservation in Brazil for the last ten years, and rarely received the kind of attention I've been receiving from Earthwatch. In this last Earthwatch conference, I tried to learn how to improve my marine mammal research and conservation efforts and, most important, engage local community members and Earthwatch volunteers in both actions. From that night on, many things changed. It seemed that I became stronger, able to face more and more challenges. I came back to Brazil with a better feeling that we really can make the difference down here."

"For the first time in 10 years, I feel I'll have conditions to establish an educational program directed towards nature conservation down there. I have conditions to get local people involved with the project, boat pilots, cooks, martial art dancers, folklore music players, local community members, and fishermen, and have great plans for the next season."

"These outcomes are extremely important and go far beyond the limits of the basic field research. Research without a broader communication and community involvement has no meaning."