Cesar Javier Lenzi Gomez, Uruguay
Mr Cesar Javier Lenzi Gomez, Centro de Investigación y Conservación Marina - CICMAR, Uruguay
2013 Conference Paper:
"Geographical Distribution and Colony Sizes of New World Larus Gulls and Their Association to High Productive Areas at Sea"
Presenter(s): Cesar Javier Lenzi Gomez, Centro de Investigación y Conservación Marina—CICMAR, Uruguay
Preliminary results are presented about patterns of distribution and colony size of Larus colonies in the New World and their relation with the primary production at sea. Fifty papers were reviewed containing information about colony sizes and geographical location. Analysis of chlorophyll concentration (mg/m3) at sea was performed using an ocean color satellite image (SeaWiFS) data from September 1997 to April 2002. The distribution of the gull colonies and the distribution of the high productive areas at sea were analyzed using a resampling method using MATLAB 7.0.4. Results suggested that geographical positions of the colonies and geographical positions of the nearest-maximum chlorophyll areas were not randomly distributed (overall mean observed=191 Km. S.D. = 154, lesser than the percentile 2.5 of the resample distribution= 3528 Km). Neither seasonally random distributions between the colonies and high productive areas were observed. A negative association between the logarithm of the colony sizes and the logarithm of the nearest-chlorophyll maximum concentration area was found, principally during the period December–February (R2 = 0.19, p < 0.001). A positive relationship between colony sizes and distance to nearest-chlorophyll areas at sea was detected in the April
2013 Scholar Profile:
*-address: República de Mexico M191S08, El Pinar, Canelones 15008, Uruguay.
*-phone number(s): +598 99 388 418
*-email address(es): javier.lenzi at cicmar.org
*-job title or role in the organization: Investigator
Humans have caused an increasing rate of impacts originating an impressive loss, degradation, and fragmentation of coastal and marine ecosystems. Many factors have greatly contributed and many have been identified in Uruguay. However, they remain poorly understood, and solutions are almost inexistent. I wish to have the opportunity to make a contribution to a better understanding of these impacts and promoting smart solutions to relieve them. My objective is to learn more about how to effectively address ecological and conservation studies and how to put my knowledge in action in order to improve the evaluation and management of natural resources in my country. Therefore, I have been building on my own experience on GIS learning by myself, but also doing courses. When I was at College I had the chance to take an introductory GIS course that allowed me to think in a spatial perspective and made me want to incorporate this tool in my work. Later, when I was doing my MS studies, I could work using spatial data relating seabird colonies distribution with high productive areas at-sea. Additionally, I have been using GIS for mapping during several outreach activities and publications such as talks, technical reports, and especially in the publication of the Atlántico Sur Bulletin. In order to go further with my objective I need to build more knowledge on GIS tools. Having the chance of gaining experience will be very important because ot SCGIS extensive background in this field with many people working in related issues such as geographers, biologists, educators, among others. Furthermore, the opportunity to attend two conferences will be highly important because there will be an occasion to learn from other experiences and from experts from all around the world. Moreover, I could share my work with my course partners who probably will have similar doubts and concerns than me. I would like to learn from all of them in order to make an improvement of my work for the conservation of biodiversity.
In 2006 I took an introductory GIS course in my national University, and this was the first experience with this kind of tools. This course was based on IDRISI software (I do not remember the version) and the last two classes were about ArcView 3.2. During this course I could learn how to geo-reference a picture in IDRISI and about doing an array of calculus such as areas, perimeters, buffer areas and solve hypothetical problems the professor set up for the students. In 2009 I took the course on Statistical Analysis of Climatic Data using MATLAB 7.0.4. During this course I could set spatial analysis with scripts and also generated maps. For instance, I could run ANOVAs, Correlations, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on satellite images (i.e. matrixes of three and four dimensions) using this software and mapping the results. The final assignment of this course required intensive programming The use of GIS in my daily work is mapping in the “Atlántico 
Sur” Bulletin which is one of the most important outreach activities I ever did. This bulletin is addressed to fishermen and the general public with the aim of spreading the work my organization does and to create public awareness about the conservation problems that seabirds and other biodiversity are facing in the world (please, visit http://cicmar.org/proyectos/pap/bas). My work consists in editing the text for the articles and the production of this bulletin which involves graphic editing, diagramming, and mapping. In order to do this last task I learned ArcGIS 9 (ArcMap) by myself and with the aid of my wife, Maite Pons, and Philip Miller who took the SCGIS training a couple of years ago.
I work in the “Centro de Investigación y Conservación Marina” – CICMAR (Marine Research and Conservation Center) that is an NGO composed by 20 members, among biologists, other professionals, and general public, dedicated to the research and conservation of the marine resources. CICMAR (http://cicmar.org) have been recognized as a non-profit organization in 2008 (Ministry of Education: Resolution Nº 2010 No. 142). Since then we have established collaborations, and also receive funding, to work on satellite tracking of marine turtles and Blue Shark in the South-Western Atlantic Ocean, with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the US) and DINARA (National Administration of the Uruguayan Aquatic Resources). In addition, other projects are being carried out like “Proyecto Albatros y Petreles” – PAP (Albatrosses and Petrels Project) that is sponsored by BirdLife International through the Albatross Task Force Program and have been supported by IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators). Other projects CICMAR is running are related with marine turtles and sharks in collaboration with DINARA and some of them are undergraduate and graduate theses. Finally, I am running other project about gull ecology that is being carried out on a coastal island (Isla de las Gaviotas) off Montevideo city. I have established collaborations with othe NGOs, social organizations and the government that allowed me to gain experience from them and also make a better work (see below).
Part of our work is dedicated to spread the knowledge we generate to the general public. Several talks about seabirds, sharks and marine turtle’s distribution, by-catch and breeding ecology in the South Western Atlantic have been carried out in many institutions and social organizations.
In addition, to optimize the achievement of our objectives we work closely with fishermen, skippers, ship-owners and engineers in a collaborative way. Also, many of our members are onboard observers and have a straight contact with these important people. Furthermore, two of our members had the chance to be the scientific chief onboard our national scientific vessel working in a collaborative way with DINARA. This allowed us to be taking part in several links of the marine conservation chain such as the industry, scientists and government.
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