The Poema del Mar aquarium, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, continues to position itself as a «scientific reference» space for education and science by hosting the Congress of Medicine and Conservation of Marine Fauna on May 23 and 24.
The event was organized by the Association of Veterinarians for the Care of Exotic and Wild Fauna (AVAFES) in the Canary Islands and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), bringing together fifty students and professionals from the veterinary and biological fields of the archipelago, as reported by the Loro Parque Group in a press release.
In this context, Poema del Mar has acted as a host, «reaffirming its role as a reference center» in the fields of medicine, conservation, and research of marine fauna. In this regard, the current president of AVAFES Canarias, Adonis David Darias, stated that this congress was «a demonstration of the growing interest» in the archipelago for scientific training applied to the care of marine fauna.
«We are proud to have held the first congress of the renewed association at Poema del Mar for this event, which is as necessary as it is inspiring for the new generations of veterinarians,» he emphasized.
The congress, inaugurated by the dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the ULPGC, Miguel Jesús Batista Arteaga, addressed topics ranging from bony fish, sharks, rays, chimeras, seabirds, turtles to sirenians such as manatees, cetaceans, and penguins.
They also focused on other advanced topics such as pharmacology, reproduction, and marine conservation projects at the national level.
Speakers such as María José Caballero Cansino, a professor at the ULPGC and a researcher in fish pathology, presented the most common pathologies in bony fish and their role in the VIGIA Network for the health surveillance of wild fauna in the Canary Islands.
Likewise, Manuel Antonio de la Riva, a veterinarian trained in the renowned AQUAvet program in the USA, shared his experience in the clinical management of sirenians and penguins in captivity, as well as his work on the scientific committee for the conservation of the gentoo penguin.
Pablo Morón Elorza, a veterinarian in the marine demarcation of the Gulf of Cadiz and a collaborator of the Oceanogràfic Foundation and the Complutense University of Madrid, presented conservation projects for sharks and rays in Spanish waters; while Lucía Marrero Ponce, a doctoral student focused on birds in the archipelago, explained the main findings on pathologies in marine birdlife in the Canary Islands.
Umberto Romani Cremaschi, a veterinarian at the ULPGC with experience in centers such as CRAM and Dolphin Cove Cayman, discussed the management and pathologies of interest in cetaceans; while Emma Plá González, a veterinarian from the conservation department of the Oceanogràfic Foundation, presented the medical techniques applied to stranded sea turtles in the Valencian Community at the congress.
Finally, Gustavo Montero Hernández, a current PhD student at the Animal Health Institute (IUSA), shared his experience in pathologies of elasmobranchs, sharks, and rays in the waters of the Canary Islands and under human care; and the current Director of Biology at Poema del Mar, Ángel Curros Moreno, presented his studies on reproduction and obstetrics, stemming from his training in France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, and his career at the Loro Parque Group.
They emphasize that this first congress has marked «a milestone» for the Canary veterinary community, «not only for the quality of its content, but also for the boost it has provided to students, organizers, and attendees.»
