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Juan Martín Cuevas
Sharks and Ray Conservation Coordinator
Juan Martín Cuevas joined WCS Argentina in late 2015, to develop and implement a program of work on sharks and rays in the Patagonian Sea. Juan Martín received his Licentiate in Biological Sciences from Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNdMP) in Argentina, his MSc in Zoology from Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (UESC) in Brazil and completed his PhD in Natural Sciences from Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP) in Argentina, with his Thesis titled Conservation tools for chondrichthyans in the Argentine Sea. In addition to his own field research, Juan Martín's priorities for the new program are networking with regional experts and assessing the current state of knowledge of species and fisheries, identifying data gaps, and developing a set of priorities for a five-year program of work, including research priorities.
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Lara Heidel
Land Conservation Coordinator and Spatial Planning Analyst
Lara Heidel is writing her doctoral thesis on the impacts of climate change on human activities and the viability of guanaco and Andean cat populations in northern Patagonia. She also leads WCS’ research and conservation work on Andean condors, the subject of her undergraduate thesis. Lara was chosen to participate in the 2009-2010 class of Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders, sponsored by the Gilman Foundation, Defenders of Wildlife, USFWS, IFAW, and the Wildlife Conservation Network. She is a founding member and past president of a local NGO, Conservación Patagónica, based in San Martín de los Andes.
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Martin Funes
Protected Areas Manager
Martín Funes is currently the Terrestrial Protected Areas Manager for WCS Argentina. Martín has dedicated more than 30 years to wildlife conservation, management, and research in Patagonia. He completed a Licenciate degree in biology at the University of La Plata and a Masters in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida. He has worked on carnivores, raptors, guanacos and lesser rheas and management plans. Within WCS, prior to his current role, he served as Conservation Director of the Argentine Program, Coordinator of the 5-year Cooperative agreement between WCS and the US Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation of Argentinean and Chilean Patagonia, and Landscape Director of the Patagonian Steppe Program.
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Santiago Francisco Krapovickas
Program Manager
Santiago Krapovickas graduated with a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires and obtained a diploma as a specialist in management of non-profit organizations from the University of San Andrés. He has worked, mainly as a consultant, for various organizations, both governmental and non-governmental: Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina, Administration of National Parks, Wildlife Conservation Society, Fundación Patagonia Natural and Tompkins Conservation. He was Director of Conservation at Aves Argentinas / AOP (1996-2005) and Coordinator of the Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea (2011-2016). He participated as a consultant and team member in several programs that achieved the creation of new terrestrial and marine reserves. He is a graduate professor in project management at the University of Buenos Aires.
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Solange Clara Fermepin
Marine Conservation Analyst
Graduate in Physical Sciences (UBA) and PhD in Environmental Sciences with orientation in Climatology (UPMC-Paris VI). During her PhD, she learned about the impacts of climate change, and in particular, about the loss of biodiversity at a global level. Determined to reorient her career towards conservation, upon her return to Argentina she completed a Master's in Biodiversity Conservation at UBA. Currently, she works in the Coastal-Marine Conservation Program, where she is mainly dedicated to the use and analysis of spatial data to inform conservation actions and management of coastal and marine ecosystems, based on scientific research and expert knowledge.
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Victoria Zavattieri
Graphic Design Producer and Content Creator
Biologist from the University of Rio Cuarto, Argentina. During her early career, she worked in projects on the ecology and behavior of reptiles and amphibians. She also taught Ecology and Zoology of Invertebrates. In the late 1990s, she moved to coastal Patagonia, where she conducted research on the reproductive biology of marine invertebrates, especially sea stars. She also participated in research projects on southern elephant seals, collaborating with the field work and data analysis. Victoria has developed skills in scientific illustration and graphic design, which contributed to numerous publications, presentations and websites. She has illustrated the Patagonia’s singular wildlife with a distinctive style that incorporates humor to engage and educate people on scientific and conservation principles.
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