Aburto Lab

Dr. Velarde is a seabird ecologist researching the breeding and feeding ecology of seabirds, mainly Heermann´s Gulls and Elegant Terns in Isla Rasa, at the Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Pesquerías, Universidad Veracruzana. Her results have helped seabird conservation and predict sardine and other small pelagic fish catches, providing a solid base for this fishery’s management. Her work includes seabird pelagic distribution in order to determine seabird “hotspots” and areas for marine conservation or fisheries protected areas. Dr. Velarde collaborates with the ComCaac, an indigenous culture with extensive traditional knowledge regarding the region´s desert and ocean.