PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP: SAVING THE VAQUITA: ARE WE DOING ALL WE CAN? Date: Sunday, 27 November 2011 Time: 900 AM – 430 PM Workshop Leaders: Thomas A. Jefferson and Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho Sponsor: ¡VIVA Vaquita! (a collaborative effort of Cetos Research Organization, the American Cetacean Society, and Save the Whales) Attendance: Open to anyone (please register on SMM website), but limited to 50 people Cost: Free (coffee and drinks provided) Summary: One species of cetacean (the baiji, Lipotes vexillifer) has recently gone extinct, and there is another species teetering on the edge (the vaquita, Phocoena sinus). Several other species and populations of marine mammals are nearly there, or will likely reach this point in our lifetimes. The majority of marine mammal biologists work mostly with species that are relatively abundant, and they do not spend much of their time doing public awareness/education work relating to endangered species. The question is: are we doing all we can as marine mammal specialists to help avoid future marine mammal extinctions? The goal of this workshop will be to explore ways to better use our skills, knowledge, and resources as marine mammal specialists to help save the World’s most endangered species of marine mammal, the vaquita. The workshop will have relevance to other endangered species and populations of marine mammals. Format: There will be several background presentations in the morning, and the afternoon sessions will be focused around small-group discussions. Outputs will include a short workshop summary and assignments of task actions identified at the workshop. The goal will be to develop a “Vaquita Task Force” to push forward various initiatives aimed at using our special abilities as marine mammal specialists to reverse the tragic precedent of the baiji – and help save the vaquita. Sign up for the workshop on the SMM conference website: http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content& view=article&id=591&Itemid=336&workshop=1 ********************************************************************* Thomas A. Jefferson, Ph.D. Clymene Enterprises / Cetos Research Organization 5495 Camino Playa Malaga San Diego, CA 92124 Tel. (858) 278-4240 Email: sclymene@aol.com Web: http://www.cetosresearch.org/about/associates.htm *********************************************************************