A student from the National University of La Plata was awarded a scholarship awarded by National Geographic to work on a project linked to the conservation of the Franciscana dolphin, a small cetacean that lives on the coasts of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil and whose population is at risk.
It is about Josefina Ferreira Valsecchi21 years old, who is in the third year of his Biology degree with an orientation in Zoology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Museum of the UNLP. The young woman was born in the city of La Plata, but spent much of her childhood in San Clemente del Tuyú, a coastal town where she developed a strong bond with the sea and its fauna.
The scholarship he received is part of the so-called “seed financing” granted by National Geographic to promote research, exploration and scientific dissemination projects in different parts of the world. In this case, the student became the first Argentine to obtain this type of support from the renowned organization.
The episode that put the dolphin Franciscana at the center of the scene
Interest in this species is also influenced by a fact that generated great international repercussion years ago. During the summer of 2016, on a beach in the Buenos Aires town of Santa Teresita, a tourist removed a Franciscan dolphin from the water to take a photograph with it.
The scene quickly attracted numerous people who began to surround the animal to take photos and selfies. The time that the cetacean remained out of the water was enough to cause its death, an episode that went viral and generated outrage in the media around the world.
The case highlighted the vulnerability of this species and the need to promote greater awareness about the care of marine fauna.
A project to inform and protect the species
Based on this problem, Josefina Ferreira Valsecchi’s project will seek to generate and disseminate information about the Franciscana dolphin, with the aim of raising public awareness about the importance of protecting it.
In addition to working on scientific dissemination, the initiative aims to make visible the threats faced by this species, including incidental capture in fishing nets and the pressure that human activities exert on coastal ecosystems.
The research also aims to strengthen scientific knowledge about the Franciscana dolphin and contribute to promoting conservation actions in the areas where it lives.
The role of the UNLP in scientific training
Obtaining this international scholarship also represents recognition of the academic work carried out at the National University of La Plata and the potential of its students to participate in scientific projects with global impact.
From the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Museum, researchers and students carry out numerous initiatives aimed at the study of biodiversity and the protection of ecosystems.
With this new project, the young researcher will seek to provide tools for the conservation of one of the most emblematic—and at the same time most vulnerable—species of the Argentine maritime coast.
