The objective of this research, in part, is to establish the framework of an effectice pollution monitoring system for the Island. Why do humans get so excited when they interact with whales and dolphins. This research, commenced in 1999, is designed to explore the nature of human reaction and relate it to both different personality types and indicators of emotional intelligence. Customer Survey- Management information has been available to the whale watch boats through these surveys since 1997. In addition to overall comments on industry performance, information is made available on individual boat performance relative to the industry.
All data is accessible except for individual boat details for confidentiality reasons.
Marine Habitat Survey- shore line ecology surveys have been established on beach areas around San Juan and Las Galletas. In 1999, the seabed ecology projects produced 3D images of the sea bed between San Juan and Punto de Teno which its dive teams have been researching with the objective of establishing baseline data of marine flora and fauna through which to monitor impacts on the marine environment. It has also collarorated with a government initiative to monitor the effects of colonising sea urchins on indigenous flora and fauna. In addition to the above on-going projects, it is intended to explore the possibility of research in DNA testing, and, of course, to consider proposals for new research initiative for 2000. Educational Workshops Raising awareness is key to the continued success of the projects and a number os specialist workshops have been developed each of which is multilingual and can be delivered at a number of levels of expertise.