The CCAHD and its Partners Make Waves at SMM 2024.

The CCAHD and its Partners Make Waves at SMM 2024.

 

By Elizabeth Agyekumwaa

The Consortium for the Conservation of the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin (CCAHD) and its partners made a notable impact at the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s biennial Conference (SMM 2024) in Perth.  Thanks to generous funding from two anonymous donors and the SMM itself, seven African CCAHD partners attended the meeting, the highest representation from Central and West Africa to the SMM to date.  Five of these team members gave posters or presentations highlighting research and conservation efforts for Critically Endangered Atlantic humpback dolphins (Sousa teuszii) and Vulnerable African manatees (Trichechus senegalensis), both of which are endemic to the west coast of Africa.

An Exhibitor’s booth was set up by the CCHAD to raise awareness about the consortium’s mission, objectives, and conservation efforts aimed at protecting Sousa teuszii. The booth featured educational materials, including a slide show, an illustrated regional ID guide for marine mammals in western Africa, stranding protocols, and the newly launched children’s storybook Keita and the Dolphins. These resources captivated conference attendees, creating a steady stream of visitors and sparking enthusiastic discussions.

Beyond the booth, CCHAD partners actively engaged in all the conference had to offer, meeting members of the global research community, and attending a multitude of presentations, posters, and panel discussions. Through their interactions the team made valuable new professional contacts, and helped raise awareness about the Atlantic humpback dolphin and the CCAHD’s work with many researchers who were not previously aware of the species or the consortium.

Representatives from the African Marine Mammal Conservation Organization (AMMCO) in Cameroon participated in a panel discussion titled “Science on a Shoestring” and presented their unique Siren citizen science programme, which has yielded valuable reports of Atlantic humpback dolphins.

Meanwhile, Diana Seck from the African Aquatic Conservation Fund (AACF) from Senegal presented a poster on the results of three years of photo-identification efforts to assess the population size and distribution of Sousa teuszii in the Delta Saloum Senegal. Seidu Issah from Ghana shared a presentation on the characteristics and socio-economic drivers of cetacean fisheries in the Western Region of Ghana, and Dr. Tilen Genov gave a presentation on the results of surveys of Sousa teuszii in Guinea.

Feedback from both the CCAHD participants and those who had the pleasure of visiting the CCAHD booth and interacting with the team indicates that this was a highly positive and beneficial experience for everyone involved – one that we will aim to repeat at the next SMM Biennial meeting in Puerto Rico in 2026, when there should be even more good work for CCAHD partners to share with the wider marine mammal community!

The CCAHD would like to thank the Society for Marine Mammalogy, 2 anonymous donors and the Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund  for supporting the travel and accommodation costs of some of its partners.  And we extend our thanks also to the Georgia Aquarium, the Zoo Nuremberg, the National Marine Mammal Foundation, Ocean Alliance, and Abel Conservation for making it possible to print, sell and display the Keita and the Dolphins book and other CCAHD materials.