Dear Marmam readers, I am pleased to announce a new documentary film and social media project that investigates the critical status of the world’s rarest porpoise - the Vaquita. The film entitled, “Vaquita – Last Chance for the Desert Porpoise,” is available for free online in english and spanish at - http://www.vaquita.tv We had two goals for the project. The first, to share the complex story of vaquita with the global community, while documenting extraordinary efforts over the past three years to save it. The second and most important, was to create a much-needed, bilingual tool for outreach efforts to communicate scientific findings and conservation recommendations for Vaquita, while addressing the challenges faced by people in local communities affected by these programs. What we hope is that the website is used by stakeholders to measure and communicate issues in “real-time” via blogs and social media in a meaningful, transparent way to facilitate meaningful solutions. In late September, earthOCEAN will freely distribute DVDs of the documentary with an education booklet through partners to local communities of El Golfo de Santa Clara and San Felipe, Mexico so people with limited internet access can watch this story, and make a decision about the importance of the Vaquita to the unique biodiversity of the Upper Guif of California, Mexico. “Vaquita – Last Chance for the Desert Porpoise” was funded by grants from The Ocean Foundation and United States Marine Mammal Commission with support from scientific and conservation partners; NOAA Fisheries - Southwest Fisheries Science Center in the United States and in Mexico, Instituto Nacional de Ecología (INE), Noereste Sustentable (NOS), CEDO - Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans, and WWF Mexico. There were many people involved in the production of the film, giving much time, expertise and advice in its making, including - Lorenzo Rojas Bracho, Lisa Ballance, Bob Pitman, Catalina Lopez, Alejandro Robles, Jay Barlow, Barb Taylor, Tim Gerrodette, Sarah Mesnick, Armando Jarmillo, Jonathan Gordon, Tom Jefferson, Paula Olson, Tom Keikeffer, Annette Henry, Shannon Rankin, Rene Swift, Genevieve Johnson, Mina Innes, Hans Herrmann and Tim Ragen. For more information or any questions, feel free to contact me via email or follow updates about vaquita via facebook - http://www.facebook.com/vaquita.tv Sincerely, Chris CHRIS JOHNSON Director - earthOCEAN media Melbourne, Australia www.earthocean.tv www.whaletrackers.com www.chrisjohnsonimages.com em. christophe.johnson@mac.com cj@earthocean.tv mob. +61 450 909 102 "Vaquita - Last Chance for the Desert Porpoise" is now on iTUNES - http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vaquita-last-chance-for-desert/id38694306...