Education
- 2013 - 2018: PhD in Environmental Sciences
Chair of Biometry and Environmental System Analysis
Graduate School Environmental, Society and Global Change
Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany - 2003-2006: MSc, Master in Biological Sciences
Faculty of Biology
Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia - 1994 – 2000: BSc, Biologist with emphasis in marine biology
Faculty of Biology
Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
Research Interests
- I am interested in the interactions between marine mammals and their environment and would like to contribute to their conservation, understanding conservation as an integral process of local knowledge, protection, and appropriate/sustainable management and use of the marine living resources.
- Measuring the effect of environmental factors, including human activities, climate change on the ecological patterns of marine mammals and how the animals are responding to these changes.
- Developing conservation strategies on the biodiversity associated to marine and coastal ecosystems, including action plans, environmental education and ecotourism planning.
EXPERIENCE IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH and CONSERVATION BIOLOGY:
- December 2021 to date: Research Associate at the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Hannover, Büsum, Germany. Web page: www.tiho-hannover.de/itaw
- June 2020 – June 2021: Post-doc researcher at the Universidad del Valle, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Colombia. Project about Spatial dimensions of risks for marine mammals in Colombia (financed by the Colombian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and University of Valle).
- February 2006 – December 2011 and February 2018 – to date: Member of the Animal Ecology Research Group of the Universidad del Valle, Biology Department, Science Faculty, Cali, Colombia. Web page: http://postgradobiologia.univalle.edu.co/posgrado/grupos/ecologia/index.html
- February 2019 – December 2019: Biologist of the Biodiversity Group at the Regional Autonomous Corporation of the Valle del Cauca - CVC, Cali, Colombia. CVC is the environmental authority of Valle del Cauca Department of Colombia.
Web-page: https://www.cvc.gov.co/ - September 2018 – December 2018: Director of the Research and Innovation Direction of the Universidad Santo Tomás, Tunja, Colombia. Web-page: http://investigacion.ustatunja.edu.co/index.php/nosotros-menu
- October 2013 - June 2018: Researcher for the project “Mapping Global Risks of Anthropogenic Impacts on Marine mammals”. Financed by: COLCIENCIAS, Colombia & University of Freiburg, Germany
http://www.biom.uni-freiburg.de/research/projekte - April 2013– July 2013: Researcher for the project on genetic connectivity and nursery of hammerhead sharks, Sphyrna lewini, in the Colombian Pacific. Fundación Malpelo y Otros Ecosistemas Marinos under the Whitley Project. Bogotá, Colombia Web-page: http://www.fundacionmalpelo.org/
- February 2013 – July 2013: Researcher-Consultant for the development of the Marine Turtle Action Plan of the Latin-American and Caribbean. World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Colombia.
- November 2012-January 2013: Consultant for the review, consolidation and validation of the database on Flora collections in Valle del Cauca. Environmental Management - ARNUT Group, Regional Autonomous Corporation of the Valle del Cauca - CVC, Cali, Colombia.
- June 2012 – July 2012: Field coordinator for the project “Research and Conservation of marine ecosystems with community engagement in the Pacific coast of Colombia”. Fundación Malpelo y Otros Ecosistemas Marinos, Bogotá, Colombia.
- November 2010 – March 2011: Researcher-Consultant for the development of the Whalewatching Tourist Guide in Colombia. Ministry of Industry and Tourism of Colombia through the consulting firm Diego Arias Gaviria, Diseño, Video, Mercadeo, Colombia.
- March 2010 – December 2010: Researcher-Consultant for the development of a diagnosis of aquatic flora and mammals associated with wetlands in the Pacific Region of Colombia. Fundación OMACHA, Bogotá, Colombia.
Web-page: https://omacha.org/ - March 2010 – August 2010: Researcher for the project “Environmental feasibility study for the development of a deepwater port in Bahia Malaga, Colombia”. Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.
- October 2009 – December 2009: Researcher for the monitoring and characterization of the aquatic mammals of the North of Choco, Colombian Pacific. Fundación OMACHA, Bogotá, Colombia.
- July 2009 – December 2009: Expert consultant for the development of an environmental and socioeconomic vision of the touristic services of the private concession in Gorgona and Tayrona Natural National Parks. The Nature Conservancy –TNC, Colombia.
- February 2008 – September 2008: Expert consultant for the integrity evaluation of the Gorgona Natural National Park. Estación Científica Henry Von Prahl –ECHvP, Gorgona National Park, Parques Nacionales Naturales – UAESPNN, Colombia.
- September 2006 – July 2007: Director and researcher for the project “Management Plans for 18 endangered species of the Valle del Cauca, Colombia”. Corporación Autónoma Regional del Valle del Cauca (CVC), Fundación ECOANDINA, Cali, Colombia.
- November 2005-August 2006: Researcher for the project “Biological evaluation and sustainable use of the aquatic mammals of Bahía Málaga”. Fundación YUBARTA, Cali, Colombia.
We page: http://fundacionyubarta.blogspot.de/ - July 2004 - December 2004: Researcher for the project “Conservation of marine mammals in Gorgona National Park, Colombian Pacific. FUNDACIÓN YUBARTA, Cali, Colombia.
- October 2003 - July 2005: Researcher for the project “Conservation strategy for the humpback whale (Megapatera novaeangliae) in the southeast Pacific, Stages I and II”. FUNDACIÓN YUBARTA, Cali, Colombia.
- June 2003 - June 2004: Researcher for the project “Monitoring of marine mammals in Gorgona National Park, Colombian Pacific”. FUNDACIÓN YUBARTA, Cali, Colombia.
- May 2002 - August 2002: Researcher for the project “Rescue and rehabilitation of sick or injured marine mammals”. CARIBBEAN STRANDING NETWORK, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- April 2000 - April 2003: Researcher for the project “Advances towards the sustainable management of biodiversity in Bahía Málaga”. FUNDACIÓN YUBARTA, Cali, Colombia.
- June 1999 - December 2001: Researcher for the Environmental Education project “Migratory Species Festival”, marine birds, marine turtles and humpback whales, in the Colombian Pacific coast. ASOCIACIÓN CALIDRIS, WWF-Colombia.
- September 1998- 2006: Researcher for the project “Catalog of photo-identification and sound collection of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) of the Colombian Pacific”. FUNDACIÓN YUBARTA, Cali, Colombia.
- July 2004 - December 2004: Researcher for the project “Conservation of marine mammals in Gorgona National Park, Colombian Pacific”. FUNDACIÓN YUBARTA, Cali, Colombia.
- January 1998 - July 1999: Researcher for the project “Research on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and Training Guidelines for whale-watching tourist in the Colombian Pacific”. FUNDACIÓN YUBARTA, Cali, Colombia.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
- March 2020- to date: External supervisor of a MSc thesis on acoustic behavior of humpback whales in Colombian Pacific. Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia -UPTC-, Tunja, Colombia.
- August - December 2020: Professor at the UNIVERSIDAD DEL VALLE, Biology Department, Science Faculty, Cali, Colombia (Web page: www.univalle.edu.co). Course: Ecology of Aquatic Mammals.
- June - December 2020: External supervisor of a BSc thesis on aquatic mammals’ threats in Colombia. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.
- July –October 2014: External supervisor of a BSc thesis on marine turtles in Greece. ALBERT-LUDWIGS-UNIVERSITÄT FREIBURG, Germany.
- February 2006 - July 2013: Professor at the UNIVERSIDAD DEL VALLE, Biology Department, Science Faculty, Cali, Colombia (Web page: www.univalle.edu.co). Courses: General ecology, General biology, Vertebrate zoology. Additionally, extracurricular course on Marine Mammals Ecology.
- January 2004 - July 2005: Assistant Lecturer for the course “Conservation Biology”. UNIVERSIDAD DEL VALLE, Biology Department, Science Faculty, Cali, Colombia.
- July 2008 - July 2009: External supervisor of a BSc thesis on humpback whales in Colombia. PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD JAVERIANA, Bogotá, Colombia.
- January 2006 – August 2007: External supervisor of a BSc thesis on humpback whales in Colombia. UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLÓGICA DE CHOCÓ “DIEGO LUIS CÓRDOBA”, Quibdó, Colombia.
- September-October 2005: Invited lecturer at the PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD JAVERIANA, Bogotá, Colombia. Course: Aquatic mammals.
- May 2005 – June 2005: Invited lecturer: course instructor "Behavior of humpback whales and whale watching guidelines. SMITHSONIAN TROPICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (STRI), Panamá.
- February 2005: Lecturer: Aquatic mammals of Colombia. FUNDACIÓN YUBARTA.
Recognitions - Awards
- April 2020: Colombian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Call No 848 of 2019 for postdoc research.
- June 2018: PhD Thesis Magna Cum Laude, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany.
- January 2012: Colciencias Scholarship for doctoral study abroad, Number 529 of 2011, Bogotá, Colombia.
- October 2007: Colciencias Scholarship for international mobility of researchers and innovators to events and short-term stays, Number 395 of 2007, Bogotá, Colombia.
- January 2006: Meritorious Master Thesis, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.
- January 2004 to July 2005: Teach grant to the best masters’ students, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.
- January 1997, January 1998: Academic stimulus recognition to the best students of Biology, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
Publications
A list of publications..
