Action Pillars
SOMAR – Marine Conservation and Bioacoustics Association is a non-profit environmental protection association whose main mission is the dissemination of knowledge, sharing information on marine conservation and conducting research with dolphins and whales in the Algarve Coast region.
Looking forward to achieve an effective ocean conservation, we must focus on three key actions pillars: Scientific Research, Ocean Literacy and Community Building.
These axes are intertwined, as we want to encourage and support informed choices within our community and stakeholders. This way we engage and promote a network of people committed by a sustainable approach to the ocean.
Marine Research
Ocean Literacy
Community Building
MARINE RESEARCH
Effective conservation of cetaceans depends on knowledge of various aspects of their population ecology, acoustic ecology, and the impact of human activities on their populations.
SOMAR has as one of the fundamental foundations of the association the marine research with the aim of increasing the knowledge of marine species and habitats, in order to improve their conservation status and proper management of natural resources.
Bioacoustics, a recent scientific area and one of the specialties of the association, is a methodology increasingly used worldwide for the study of marine animals, being of great importance for a sustainable management of aquatic resources mainly in coastal regions
ACOUSTIC ECOLOGY
The study of sounds in the marine environment is an area of study dedicated to understanding the mechanisms of production and reception of acoustic signals by marine organisms, how animals use these signals in their natural habitat, and the effects of anthropogenic impacts.
SPACE AND AREA DISTRIBUTION
Knowing the geographical distribution of cetaceans that use the Algarve coast and the potential impact of human activities on the populations of these animals is fundamental to the implementation and management of marine protected areas, as well as to a better planning of the marine space.
COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS
As in all fields of action of SOMAR, the cooperation of several entities provides an increase in the exchange and sharing of knowledge and the possibility of further investigative studies.
Marine Research
Effective conservation of cetaceans depends on knowledge of various aspects of their population ecology, acoustic ecology, and the impact of human activities on their populations.
Ocean Literacy
Ocean Literacy can also be understood as ocean culture, or the understanding of the full influence of the ocean on our lives as individuals, society, and ecosystem.
A basic principle of SOMAR is to disseminate, spread and popularize knowledge about the ocean and local marine life in the Western Algarve region. For this it is necessary to act both with future generations in schools and with the general public so that besides raising awareness about the issue of conservation, each individual can be an agent of transformation.
To achieve the goal with the ocean literacy, SOMAR acts in 3 axis of action: Cetacean Watching Tourism, Scholar Activities and Environmental Initiatives.
Cetacean Watching Tourism
in order to provide support to tourism activity, leading to its sustainability.
Scholar Activities
in one-off and long-term projects, in order to strengthen the individual's bond with nature from the earliest age.
Environmental Initiatives
with activities for different audiences in order to provide contact with issues that are important to society at different times and in different contexts.
Cetacean Watching Tourism
One of the motivations for the foundation of SOMAR was to provide support for the maritime-tourism companies in the region that offer dolphin and whale watching tours.
Including an educational component in whale and dolphin watching tours helps to increase tourist satisfaction as well as serving as a tool to raise environmental awareness, contributing to marine conservation.
Through collaborative partnerships SOMAR aims to contribute to more sustainable tourism.
Maritime-Tourism Partners
SCHOLAR ACTIVITIES
Environmental education is a tool used in large scale in an attempt to reverse the trends of biodiversity loss worldwide. In this context, childhood is considered the key age for such work, since at this stage lifelong links are established at the beginning of a relationship formed between children and environment.
In this context, SOMAR conducts educational and recreational activities aimed at school groups.
With this programming we intend to raise awareness and sensitize children through playful activities, developing a citizen with an active role in society and a multiplying agent of environmental issues.
ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES
Through environmental initiatives SOMAR aims to encourage marine conservation.
Through continuous and specific actions throughout the year with the local community and visitors, SOMAR promotes the involvement in environmental and social issues, disseminates and multiplies knowledge.
Among the environmental initiatives in which SOMAR has participated since its foundation, we can highlight the International Coastal Cleanup Day and the Week of Education and Environmental Volunteer Initiatives (SEIVA).
Ocean Literacy
Ocean Literacy can also be understood as ocean culture, or the understanding of the full influence of the ocean on our lives as individuals, society, and ecosystem.
Community building
Effective conservation of the ocean requires the entire surrounding community, not just individual groups working for a common good. Through cultural and artistic events, festivals, lectures and other initiatives, SOMAR promotes community building as a way to encourage environmental conservation.
Community building promotes specific and continuous actions throughout the year linked to the ocean’s sustainability, such as cultural and artistic events (cinema sessions, art exhibitions, surf events), talks, meetings and other initiatives aiming to connect the local community.
These actions are mainly to encourage ideas exchange in an educational and cultural way, so environmental and social issues are radiate and
multiplied throughout community and plans are switched into real actions.
spreading knowledge
in order to reach out to all the different audiences: school groups, local community, visitors to Lagos, general public and children.
Targeted events
for each specific group in order to cover everyone's interest in differentiated initiatives.
partnerships and collaborations
because if we want a better future with more environmental awareness and a more protected and resilient ocean, we need the union of private entities, associations, public bodies and civil society.
Community Building
Community building promotes specific and continuous actions throughout the year linked to the ocean’s sustainability aiming to connect the local community.