Media
Outreach is of utmost importance to us. We aim to share as much awareness about the conservation of dolphins and how we can help to protect them, along with sharing scientific findings to the public.
Msc. Student and acoustics project leader Luana Clementino presented her Msc. thesis at the UK & Ireland Regional Student Chapter Conference at the University of St. Andrews in January 2022! She joined to talk about the communication of common dolphins and their vocal responses to swimming with dolphin activities. To read her abstract, click below.
The 2021 field-season was funded by the Lucie Burgers Foundation for behavioural reseaerch. The article summarizes an observation we had where a mixed species of dolphins with offspring, Striped dolphins (Stenella Coeruleoalba) and Common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), split into their own species of group after a vessel intervened into their group. To our surprise, only the common dolphins' mother and calves split off with the group of striped dolphins. The digital version can be seen below.
Professor Jose Manuel Azevedo, an advisor of the PhD project, organized the Bienal das baleias, a meeting with policy makers, whale watching companies and scientists to revise the whale watching and swim with dolphin regulations. Co-founder dr. Laura Gonzalez helped in this organization, Co-founder dr. Lorenzo Fiori presented and recommended policies, and co-founder Fadia Al Abbar attended the meeting. The precursor and inspire of Azores delphis project, dr. Arianna Cechetti also presented based on her publication on the tour operator compliance on the swim with dolphin activities, and lastly our skipper Nuno Pimentel took the usual media shots. A successful meeting, already with an outcome. A blog and update will follow soon.
Co-founder dr. Laura Gonzalez organized a local conference in the Azores involving all stakeholders related to whale watching. Fadia Al Abbar and dr. Lorenzo Fiori presented their research related to azores delphis project.
Whale heritage site program, 8 October at the University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada. Our main researcher presented the project to the Whale Heritage Site steering committee of the Azores
Fadia Al Abbar was invited as a speaker at the Exhibition on the theme "in your hands" to make small changes in the world, for the ocean that we love. Martina Trepczyk where she showcased some of the photographs that she took on board with us and on other islands of the Azores, along with Kyle Roepke who, too, is an ocean cinematographer and joined us on board our research vessel.
Fadia Al Abbar , spoke about the research that we do and shared Drone videos of the research that we do, and why we do it. The event made it to the Local newspaper: "Acoriano Oriental."
MARINE MAMMALS AROUND THE WORLD FROM HOME LECTURE SERIES BY MARECET. Fadia Al Abbar was an invited speaker - the Azores, Portugal! The talk was LIVE on Facebook. Fadia Al Abbar from Azores delphis project shared about the study of common dolphins and other cetaceans in the Azores! #marecet #marinemammals #talks #global #webinar #Azores #commondolphin #conservation
Marc Fernandez was recently in the Azores collaborating with the Azores delphis project team! Together with Laura Gonzalez, they are working hard to continue developing the MONICET Platform. Marc was the founder of MONICET, a platform that records the daily cetacean species sightings made by whale watching companies from the Azores archipelago. .................
As a child, Fadia Al Abbar (31) from IJsselmuiden was already crazy about dolphins. Now, as a marine biologist, she conducts scientific research into these mammals in the Azores, where swimming with dolphins is a tourist attraction. Five days ago, Al Abbar was still in IJsselmuiden. For example, she stayed with her parents for months, while waiting for a research grant. When it came, she immediately booked a ticket to the Portuguese archipelago where she does her research. A new season of fieldwork begins in June, but she would prefer to get to work earlier. She hopes to collect the missing money through crowdfunding.........
Terra Azul Azores Whale Watching is thrilled to announce the beginning of two new research projects they are supporting! Fadia Al Abbar is starting her PhD project investigating Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) social and nursing behaviour in São Miguel, Azores.....
A bird-eye and a dolphin-ear to investigate Common Dolphin behaviour
Not only we have been back to the Ocean for our whale watching expeditions, but we also took advantage of helping researchers collecting the data they need to understand more about our whale and dolphin friends. In the last week, we hosted Fadia Al Abbar on a research-dedicated trip onboard Terra Azul boat to test her methodology to collect video and acoustic data on Common Dolphins ......
My passion for the sea and my concern for the environment started at a young age. As a child I often visited the Dolfinarium in Harderwijk. I soon learned how these animals suffer in such an environment. This was the reason for me to become a marine biologist. I am Fadia Al Abbar, living in the Netherlands and from Kuwait. Fadia Al Abbar VVAO, Zwolle Department........
“As one of the few woman in a mainly men's world, I regularly have to deal with sexism. It's important to me to hear from other women how they deal with it. How do you position yourself? What do you accept or not accept? Sometimes jokes are made, is that okay or not okay? Where do you set your boundaries? You don't get to hear that at school, you have to learn it from others. I spoke about this, for example, with Doortje (Wynia) and with Margriet Meindertsma. They showed me that it is possible, that as a woman you can take an important position and also be yourself.”
Dolphin tracking, filming and mapping. Fadia al Abbar last year started a five-year study into the natural behavior of these animals. She is doing her PhD at Wageningen University & Research, but she will spend part of her research period in the Azores. This is made possible in part by the Cultuurfonds grant........