Mara Segovia is a predoctoral researcher (Catsharks Association) focused on the conservation of sharks, rays and chimaeras, with the conviction that science without communication is not enough for conservation. She sails with Pelagik as an onboard scientist and guide, to study and share knowledge about marine biodiversity with the public.
David Jara is a doctor, photographer, guide and marine wildlife communicator through his account @jara.natura, and is the founder of Pelagik Expeditions. After more than a decade sailing and leading expeditions, he has launched this project to bring the sea closer to people and contribute to its conservation.
Gerard Martín-Carrasquero is a biologist specialising in biodiversity, a passionate naturalist and an amateur photographer. His career combines scientific-technical and outreach work with the aim of protecting and conserving local biodiversity. He is part of the Pelagik team as an onboard guide and biologist, turning each voyage into an opportunity to discover the marine life of the Mediterranean.
Gonzalo Jara is a nature illustrator and photographer, a naturalist by vocation and an amateur ornithologist. For the past 15 years, he has collaborated with various conservation and scientific organisations linked to the marine environment. Within Pelagik, he participates as a diving and bird and cetacean-watching guide.
Their open sea expeditions as @pelagik.expeditions have allowed them to document, in Catalan waters, exceptional behaviors of several species that are difficult to observe, such as blue sharks. In this talk, they will show us two extremely unique events: the 10-day monitoring of two sperm whale carcasses that generated a true trophic oasis around them, including seabirds, sharks, and other fish; and the first direct record of blue shark sexual activity in the Mediterranean Sea.
This talk serves as a reminder of how ecotourism can be a valuable tool for discovering and studying the behavior of these species, providing new insights into their ecology.
