The northern part of San Jorge Gulf, Argentina, is an epicentre of marine biodiversity that sustains several top predators, including cetaceans for which the information was scarce or inexistent. The area is exposed to overfishing, petroleum exploitation, waste, lack of coastal planning, and scarce public awareness, mainly because their main city was born and grew based on petroleum activity.

Convinced that we could make a change, in 2002 we started our first RSG project named Cetaceans of Golfo San Jorge. We expected at least to generate some public interest for the marine realm, using cetaceans as flagship species, and to provide the government with information on cetaceans, seeking to promote the protection of the area. Our results (13 species of cetaceans reported) and the response of the public encouraged us to expand our objectives to a more integrated framework.

General view of main study area: San Jorge Gulf.

Killer whale sighting in San Jorge Gulf.

Talk to primary school students in Northern Patagonia.

Mother and calf.

Management Plan workshop coordination at Punta Tombo.

Laura Reyes in the field.

We launched the RSG2 (2004) and the Booster (2006), aware of the need to develop management tools for Patagonian Marine Ecosystem, introducing the idea of MPAs as opportunities for people and for conservation. Knowing that MPAs only succeed when backed by the community and governments, we worked on building public understanding and support for conserving the ocean. The combined efforts of our project and key conservation partners encouraged the first promissory signal: in 2007 the government announced the creation of the First National Marine Park in Northern San Jorge Gulf.

Thanks to the support of Rufford Small Grants Foundation since 2002, we could work actively and synergistically with important partners and with the provincial government of Chubut, achieving these main results: coordination of the 1st Management Plan of Punta Tombo penguin colony, produce original information on cetaceans of San Jorge Gulf, assessment of the chronic oil pollution problem with penguins in the South Atlantic, presentation of 16 congress communications, several reports and 3 scientific publications considered by the government and oil companies to analyze impact of their activities, several popular articles, posters and leaflets on cetaceans, 12 dissertations and 9 courses for teachers, students, tour guides, conservation agents and public, organization or participation in 14 workshops, training of 8 university students on field ecology and conservation.

At the moment, we are working to expand and consolidate a long lasting Marine Conservation Programme for Central Patagonia. Thanks to Rufford Small Grants Foundation, we can take the amazing challenge of changing people's perception towards the ocean, inspiring change and fostering the conservation of this fragile and wonderful environment.