Feature: Camilla Argent
We were so delighted that so many students and professors attended our seminar entitled: “Whales and Dolphins in the Gulf: ecological indicators of the local marine environment” held on November 13th , at the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environment at the American University of Sharjah. The talk focused on the importance of cetaceans in the marine ecosystem, their role as “ecological indicators” of the health of the marine environment, and synthesised existing information about cetaceans in the Gulf. This then led to a discussion about the research of the project and what can be done to support conservation in the UAE. It was also highlighted the importance of involving students in environmental research and we were delighted that many of the students in attendance expressed an interest in working more closely with the project by volunteering as research assistants as part of their course modules. Thank you to Dr. Pappalardo for proposing the subject to the Department and Dr. Dalibalta and Dr.Bartholomew for supporting the organization. We look forward to working with some of you in the future!