Amazonian River Dolphins
Dolphin swimming in the river.
Ph: Juan Francisco Guerreo
Amazonian river dolphins, Inia geoffrensis, also known as pink dolphins, are a species at risk of extinction. They can be found in the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, an environment that is constantly threatened. To better understand and protect these amazing creatures, we have collaborated with researchers Roee Diamant and Aviad Scheinin from Haifa University to develop a plan for monitoring them using special devices called passive acoustic recorders. These recorders will be strategically placed at various locations in the dolphins' habitat to capture their sounds over an extended period of time.
In this newsletter, we are pleased to share the first step of our monitoring program, which entails studying the characteristics of the dolphins' vocalizations and creating an automated detector to identify their calls. We have obtained preliminary results from manual surveys conducted in the Tiputini River and recently presented these findings at the Oceans Conference in Limerick this past June. We are excited to share our progress with you.
Your support as donors is vital in our efforts to save this endangered species and protect their delicate habitat.