Eugenia Nikitina/Contributing Writer
Fernando Bretos, a marine biologist and a strong advocate for the conservation of our ocean’s resources, is scheduled to speak on Feb. 28 at the Luna Star Café in North Miami. The event begins at 7 p.m.
The discussion will focus on the importance of the decade long collaboration between the American and Cuban marine science communities and how it has shed light on the significance of the resources shared by the two countries.
The event, sponsored in part by a grant received from the National Science Foundation, is a part of the Eat, Think, Be Merry Science Café Lecture Series hosted by the School of Environment, Arts and Society.
“The idea behind the ETBM Science Café is to create an informal dialogue between scientists and the community to encourage conversation and debate,” said Elaine Pritzker, coordinator for SEAS. “Rather than the traditional academic lecture, ETBM Science Café is a casual, interactive forum in which scientists share and discuss cutting-edge research with members of the community.”
Bretos is a research associate at The Ocean Foundation, which aims to build scientific collaboration between Cuba and the United States. Most of the work is conducted in partnership with the University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research.
“[The program] establishes enduring, locally-supported marine research and conservation programs, contributes to major advances in the scientific understanding of Cuba’s natural resources, achieves meaningful, long-lasting conservation for Cuba’s marine ecosystems, and in the process, helps build capacity for Cuba’s marine scientists,” Bretos said.
The Ocean Foundation has several projects, which include: Project of the Northwestern Coast, Project: Garden of the Queens, Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Projects and Trinational Initiative for Marine Research and Conservation in the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean. All aim to gain a better understanding of ocean resources, help conserve the marine environment, and establish long-term collaborative relationships between marine science communities.
Bretos has worked in Cuba for 14 years. According to Breto, the biological, geographical, and cultural links between the US and Cuba unite the two countries more than they divide.
Bretos aims to engage and inform the community about his work in hopes that they will understand the importance of the marine resources, which seem to be an undervalued resource in the eyes of the public.
“The embargo prevents a lot of information exchange between the two countries,” said Breto. “While Science is an avenue of exchange that is permitted by the US and Cuba, we need to expand our contact with Cuba in order to share important conservation tools and lessons and more effectively manage our shared marine resources.”
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