Milestones

Milestones

The most outstanding milestones of SECAC are:

Dean entity in the research of cetaceans of the Canary Islands. Its base is the Canary Islands Cetacean Research Center (CICC).

Creation and consolidation of the Canary Network of Cetacean Strandings.

The development of longitudinal investigations of various cetaceans, having provided basic information on the bottlenose dolphin, the rough-toothed dolphin, the short-finned pilot whale, Risso’s dolphin, the beaked whales (family Ziphiidae), the sperm whale and the Bryde’s whale of the islands.

The creation of photographic identification catalogues of these species, some more than 20 years old. Photo-identification catalogs are basic tools for studying cetaceans.

The creation and maintenance of the Macaronesia Cetacean Reference Collection (CRCM), the most important biological collection of cetaceans in Macaronesia.
Co-founder of the Canary Islands Cetacean Museum (MCC), which was visited by more than 70,000 people between 2005-2011.

Participation in the design and creation of new marine protected areas for cetaceans in the archipelago thank to LIFE-INDEMARES project, the Site of Community Importance (SCI) of the Red Natura 2000, especially of the “Marine Area of the East and South from Lanzarote-Fuerteventura (ESZZ15002)”.

Member of the permanent scientific committee created after the mass stranding that involved different species of beakead whales (Ziphidae family) on the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. This had coincided with naval army exercises and led to the moratorium by the Spanish army of naval exercises using antisubmarine sonar in the Canary Islands.

Scientific publications in international journals such as Nature, Scientific Reports, Jpeer, PlosOne, Aquatic Mammals, Marine Mammal Science, etc.

Participation in national and international forums, the last one in the World Marine Mammal Conference (WMMC´19) held in Barcelona between 7th and 12th of December, 2019.

Participation in the drafting of the Marine Strategies of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Participation in the drafting of the Marine Mammals Group and the Initial Evaluation and Good Environmental Condition.

Participation in the National Expert Group on Submarine Noise (2010).
Interlocutor with different administrations in any matter related to cetaceans of the Canary Islands.