Project M3.3.B/ORG.R.C./042/2023

The event to be held is called “Beyond Whale-Watching - Advancing participatory science and whale-watching”. It will take place on the 9th and 10th of May, in a hybrid format (online and at the Ponta Delgada Campus of the University of the Azores), and aims to reinforce the current connection between science and tourism in the Azores, fundamentally the collaboration between observation companies of cetaceans and research in the region. The event will consist of two days, with presentations made by researchers and students who work actively with this type of opportunistic information, and with two work sessions/workshops where the discussion on topics of current interest will be debated and promoted. The topics addressed will be: (1) the importance of collecting opportunistic data from whale watching vessels in the Azores; (2) examples of works and studies existing today based on this information; (3) appreciation and discussion of current methodologies, including observation from the ground – lookouts – and future lines of parallel work; (4) new study opportunities such as acoustics or eDNA; (5) study needs, such as consideration of the potential impact of human activities; (6) discussion on the advantages and disadvantages, the challenges for both companies and researchers, and possible improvements to add value to this joint effort and make the work carried out credible. The event is open to the general public, with greater interest for the academic community related to Marine Biology, and for workers in the whale watching sector or similar areas. We trust that the topics presented are of interest to the target audience, and are the subject of dialogue and collaborative conversation. Without a doubt, this initiative will make it possible to publicize the work that is being carried out, potentially creating synergies and collaborations between the participating entities and people, identifying areas of greater relevance today, and structuring a new network of communication and collaboration at regional. The event will give rise to a book of abstracts and a final report summarizing the discussions and conclusions of the event. We have the support of several whale watching companies in the region (São Miguel, Faial and Pico), and we frame the initiative as an approved action within the scope of the recently acquired certification of the Azores as a Whale Heritage Site. By establishing this opportunity for interdisciplinary dialogue, we hope to work collaboratively to improve our current knowledge of cetaceans in the region, and achieve a more responsible future in the whale watching tourism sector in the Azores.

WORKSHOP 1. Open to the general public, with special interest for people who currently work in observation companies, and therefore, who actively collaborate in the collection of valid opportunistic data for scientific purposes. On this day, the intention is to discuss current data collection protocols, talk about the advantages and disadvantages, and the challenges that this collaboration poses from the point of view of companies and researchers. Together, define new possible improvements, and envision new collaboration horizons. WORKSHOP 2. Open to the general public, with special interest to people currently working in observation companies. In this second work session, the intention is to give the word to the watchmen, essential people in the whale watching operation in the region. We need to value your work, listen to your experience and assess the importance of your role in organizing trips. Likewise, discussing the possibility of establishing a systematized data collection, perhaps in collaboration with students or other dedicated people, would be of great relevance to lay the foundations for a long-term monitoring of cetaceans from land. Additionally, new methodologies, such as acoustics or eDNA, may be discussed in this colloquium of new horizons. And the existing collaboration between Arte & Ciência will also be exemplified during the final part of the workshop, in which the sounds collected during tourist outings become protagonists in collaboration with musicians from the Ponta Delgada Conservatory.