The Team
This project is co-lead by two regional biologists who combined have over 40 years of whale research, locally, nationally and internationally. Both run research projects right opposite to the Marías Islands and have been dreaming of making this project a reality for years.
We are conducting the first dedicated studies of cetacean presence on the archipelago via vessel surveys and acoustic monitoring, while simultaneously training students, fisherman and park rangers in cetacean research and tourism. This will provide critical new data for management, while increasing local capacity and aiding local coastal communities.
Óscar Guzón, MSc.
Óscar, born and raised in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, is an oceanologist with 20 years of experience at sea, he holds a Master of Science in Marine Ecology and has participated in various research projects in Canada, the United States, and Mexico working with some of the worlds most endangered cetaceans. He is the founder of the ecotourism platforms “Onca Exploraciones” and the NGO “Legado Azul México.” Óscar is a leader in the promotion and conservation of marine life, locally and nationally, and is known internationally for his research. He is now the Head of Operations of the National Whale Museum of Mexico (MUNBA), while co-leading our project on the Marías and still publishing in international peer review journals and aiding in research across the Americas.
Nico(la) Ransome, PhD.
Nico has worked with whales in Alaska, Australia, the Azores (Portugal), Canada, the Cook Islands, Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, the Philippines, Mozambique, and 20 seasons in Mexico. She has a MSc in Marine Science and Management and a BSc in Zoology, and a PhD on the humpback whales of Nayarit. She also helps run a research project in El Salvador and is involved in several other research projects worldwide (presently Hawai’I and Rarotonga). Additionally, Nico has a drone pilots’ licence, she is a qualified MMO and PAM for offshore industries. She is publishing research in international peer review journals and has been featured in multiple articles in the mainstream press, as well as being the invited scientist on several documentaries including the BBC’s Blue Planet Now and on National Geographic expedition ships.