During this week the 10th European Seminar on Marine Mammals takes place in Valencia, a meeting dedicated to biology and conservation of these species and to the environmental risks for their natural spaces. Directed by professors Juan Antonio Raga (University of Valencia) and Peter Evans (University of Bangor, United Kingdom), the congress takes place at the Menendez Pelayo International University (UIMP) and is completed with stays in different labs from the University of Valencia.
We have all read or watched stories on dolphins that show their intelligence, a fact that makes them very close to people. This closeness allows them to be useful in order to analyze diseases that we share and for which they show better defense than humans do. The same happens with other marine mammals like whales, seals or sea lions.
Despite the ecologists’ denunciations, many are the vulnerable populations and many are in danger of extinction as a consequence of an exploitation that aims to obtain fat, oil, ivory and skin. In order to avoid this situation, there have been many international protections developed. It is only necessary to think of the litigation with Japan to avoid seal hunt, which came to be resolved in the UN.
On the other hand, it is necessary to analyze the consequences of man’s actions in these animals’ habitats, since any variation in the vital space means putting continuity into risk. The melting of the ice caps produced by the climate change or pollution are risk factors for any species’ survival, being these variations produced by man’s actions.
Valencia becomes, this week, a meeting point for the best marine mammal’s experts who argue on the last advances to know and treat marine mammals’ diseases, along with the analysis of the environmental risks that damage their natural spaces. It is the 10th European seminar on marine mammals and this year’s debate centers on the fields of Biology and Conservation.
Directed by professors Juan Antonio Raga (University of Valencia) and Peter Evans (University of Bangor, United Kingdom), the congress takes place at the Menendez Pelayo International University (UIMP) and it is completed with stays in the different labs at the University of Valencia where the latest technics on obtaining and analyzing data are put into practice. University experts will participate along with high positions from animal protection organizations and representatives from different enterprises that make marine prospections as well as biologists and vets.
All information can be accesses in http://ir.uv.es/RX6LYpE
Last update: 2 de september de 2014 13:32.
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