Sebastián Gómez
- Project name: Conservation of the Brazilian guitarfish (Pseudobatos horkelii) in the north of Buenos Aires Province
- Project site: North cost of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
- EDGE species: Brazilian Guitarfish, Pseudobatos horkelii
- Active: 2021 - ongoing
Biography
Sebastián is currently studying towards a PhD at the National University of La Plata, where he aims to determine the levels of genetic variation in tope sharks. Sebastián also teaches biology and chemistry at a local high school.
Sebastián hopes that the EDGE Fellowship will help him to learn the various stages of a conservation project, from bibliography searches to people management. Further to this, he is looking forward to achieving a holistic vision of the conservation world and tools to replicate actions in a local capacity.
EDGE Project
Sebastián’s project aims to fill knowledge gaps to develop a management plan that ensures the sustainable use of P. horkelii in Argentina.
His objectives are to:
- Update the socioeconomic context and operational characteristics of artisanal fisheries in the towns of San Clemente and Santa Teresita (province of Buenos Aires) in the context of COVID-19;
- Estimate the relative abundance of P. horkelii in Argentina through landing surveys;
- Initiate a citizen’s science program, working with experienced anglers from the Buenos Aires Province to tag and release P. horkelii individuals as a first step to estimate population size through mark and recapture;
- Determine the genetic structure of P. horkelii population to identify potential management units in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean;
- Describe the supply chain of P. horkelii and main target species of the artisanal fisheries in the towns of San Clemente and Santa Teresita (province of Buenos Aires) to identify leverage points and vulnerable groups.
