Would you like to participate?
During our campaigns we look for collaborators who want to learn more about bottlenose dolphin photo-identification techniques and data processing at the Cap de Creus area.
How do we work?
All of us, research staff and collaborators alike, will be living in Cadaqués*, town situated at the oriental part of the peninsula of Cap de Creus, which is considered as the jewel of the Costa Brava.
Collaborators and researchers alike will engage in cooking and housekeeping shifts. Shared tasks will include meal planning and preparation. Dishwashing and house cleaning are also communal activities shared by all. Vegetarian and vegan food will be provided. Special menus will be elaborated for those that have specific allergies. Our team will be in charge of the purchase of the food weekly.
Collaborators will conduct daily surveys on board the research boat, working side-by-side with the researchers and contributing to field data collection. You will actively engage looking for dolphins and recording dolphin group size. The researches will be focus on photo-identification. Although the presence of the species in the area is well reported, the program cannot guarantee dolphin sightings.
After each survey, all the data will be entered into dedicated databases at the accommodation place. You will contribute to data entry and analysis of digital photographs. Also, you will be taught how to file, name, crop and prepare digital photos of the dolphins’ dorsal fins for subsequent matching.
Be aware that the sea conditions will determine our field trips, which means that we will not be on board every day. When this happens, we will be working at the field station.
The project covers both the accommodation and the boat, but we cannot cover the maintenance (food, household expenses and daily transfers from the accommodation to the boat). Therefore, we ask collaborators for 200€ per week (if you are staying more than one week, the price will be 170€ per week).
*The displacement to Cadaqués will be independent from each collaborator. There, we will pick you up and drive you to the accommodation place
Requirements:
Stay with us at least one week (if you cannot stay the whole week, contact us to see other options)
It is highly appreciated to have some experience in photo-ID (if not, do not worry, send us an email and explain us your motivation to participate in our campaign)
Do not feel dizzy at the boat; be aware that we will be between 6-8 hours in the boat
We want you to have an open mind, flexibility to changing situations and a desire to help and learn.
Would you like to be one of our collaborators?
Send us an email to dofinsdetramuntana@submon.org explaining your experience in this field and your motivation to collaborate with us and we will send you back all the information.
