Fadia Al Abbar
Behind the scenes
Do you wonder how the photo's were taken? How life got me to certain locations? How I decided to document the moments through photography? This section shows the marine biology side of what it is like in the field. I have contributed to various marine conservation and scientific projects around the world and here is a peek on what it was like.
Photos credits from top left to right: Tiago Batista
Inaki Cabo Ibarzabal
Anxo Cao
Tiago Batista
Azores delphis project
The Azores delphis project was founded in 2020, and turned into a part of my PhD project. The project includes understanding the population of common dolphins off Sao Miguel, along with their social responses to the swim-with-dolphin activities. This project is done in collaboration with 3 whale watching companies, Terra Azul, Picos de Aventura, and Terra do Pico. The research is done at the Wageningen University and the University of the Azores. See the website of the Azores delphis project to learn more.
Listening to sperm whales, Azores
As a whale-watching guide at Futurismo I got an equipment grant from IDEA WILD to collect acoustics of sperm whales whilst guiding. This was a feasibility study to collect data from an opportunistic platform. What started as a feasibility study for a PhD, is now managed by Fadia and Laura Gonzalez as a long-term project. See season 2019 summary in the link of Futurismo Azores Whale Watching below. In 2022, Cristina Marcolin presented her thesis at the Cachalote Consortium of the Society of Marine Mammalogy conference in Florida, USA, measuring sperm whales with this method of data collection!
Sterrin's Wild World
During my PhD I got sent on a research trip to pilot the drone in Sierra Nevada, Spain, for Sterrin's Wild World PhD, to map the amphibians habitats. This rugged region was filled with wildlife, and herpetologist Sterrin showed me everything she could find!
California's common dolphins
In December 2021 I was sent on a survey to do land-based observations on common dolphins on Catalina Island, California, USA. I worked alongside of 2 post-docs. This exciting adventure allowed me to see different wildlife and once again capture these on camera.
Whale and dolphin project Q8
On my trip to Kuwait, I connected with the only dolphin researcher in the country who set up the WDPT_Q8. He aims to improve the research on dolphins in Kuwait and we created a collaboration. I also explored the migratory birds in the area.
Bottlenose dolphins, New Zealand
Carrying on with my passion, I continued to study marine mammals. During my Msc. internship position I field-assisted on photo ID and behavioural observations on project at the Cetacean Ecology Research Group (CERG) at the Massey University, Auckland. New Zealand. This project was to determine the difference in behaviour in highly touristic areas, and less/no tourism areas. Photographs (not of me) were taken by me, and owned by HGBDP, Massey University. See more about the CERG below.
Photos credits: Blair Outhwaite & Cat Lea
Photos credit left: Agatha Gil
Marine mammals from cargo ships
As a Marine Mammal Observer (MMOer) I spent 4 months identifying whale and dolphin species from cargo ships for 4 months in 2017.18.000 Nautical miles was traveled during this time from continental Portugal to the Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, Mauritania, and to Cape Verde, and this is where I had many hours to practice my photography skills. Photos (not of me) were taken by me and donated for research to CETUS Project, where my pictures have been used in a publication. Learn more about CETUS project in the links below.
Harbour porpoise, Texel, the Netherlands
Photos credit: Rogier von Asmuth
I was appointed as field-coordinator where I managed a team of 5 to set up a camera system, track a porpoise, record data, timing the Animal Deterrent Device (ADD) appropriately, and deploying and retrieving passive acoustic instruments called Continuous POrpoise Detectors (CPODs). For my Msc. thesis, I used acoustics and camera videos to determine when the harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) were echolocating. See technical report in the Wageningen University link below.
Photos credits: MareCet Research Organization
Delphinid transects, Malaysia
My first fieldwork experience with dolphins started in Matang, and Langkawi, Malaysia with MareCet, where delphinid transect surveys were carried out. My love for this field was definite, and it determined my next steps. All photos owned and taken by MareCet. Learn about their research and the 2013 season summary below
Whale sharks, Madagascar
Coming from experience with whale shark photo ID in the Philippines during my gap year, I assisted Stella Diamant in collecting daily photo ID on a newly discovered whale shark population on guided tourist boats in 2016. After this field-work experience I travelled across Madagascar where my interest in photography arose and developed. See below for the links about Stella's founded NGO the Madagascar Whaleshark Project.
Photo credit:Stella Diamant
Photos credits: Fadia Al Abbar & Ben Kentaro Bowes, owned by LaMaVe
Whale sharks, Philippines
After my Bsc. in Environmental Science, I took a gap year to find out what I really wanted my niche to be in marine biology. So I started off with a whale shark study in the Philippines in 2013. Free-diving I learned how to identify whale sharks. Learn about LaMaVe's research below.
Coral reef conservation, Thailand & Tanzania
My first interest in making marine biology my career started with my two holidays as a volunteer in 2011 in Thailand and Tanzania, I learned how to dive whilst contributing to marine conservation. Here we created coral reef nurseries, did coral Reef Monitoring, identified and counted fish species and invertebrates, and organized awareness activities such as beach clean-ups, games in local schools, environmental awareness day, etc. Links of New Heaven Reef conservation program in Thailand, and dive school Big Blu at Mafia Island, Tanzania are below:
Photos credits of me:
Naomi Shen-Clark
Links to the projects
