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2022 in review

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As we near the end of 2022, we want to share some of our highlights of this year with all of you.


BELIZE

We completed the National Shark, Ray and Turtle Census that included the entire Barrier Reef and Turneffe and Lighthouse Reef Atolls, and ran parallel to the Human Census. We are still analyzing data, but we continue to see hopeful upward trends in shark abundance at both two atolls. Not only that, but we have even been able to sight critically endangered hammerhead sharks two years in a row on our BRUVs, which suggests that they are slowly repopulating these areas.

 Also in Belize, we surveyed fishers about species key to food security and to gather preliminary insights into the impact of the two-year-old gillnet ban. To strengthen and formalize our partnership with country institutions, we signed four MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding) with NGOs and government partners. We look forward to further supporting their work to manage protected areas, marine wildlife, and fisheries in 2023.

Photo MarAlliance/Rick Miskiv


PANAMA

 We received new reports of sawfish released alive! In a field trip on October 5th, 2022, Hayro Cunampio, our Community Officer in Darien working with local fishers encountered and released one largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis) deemed Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List, and through our work, the we can confirm the continued existence of this species in Panama’s Pacific coasts and rivers. This remote region represents a stronghold site for a lifeboat population of sawfish. Our team is currently working with fishers to collect data on size, sex and tissues for population work and train them in tagging, safe handling and release. 

This year, we also piloted the implementation of the Ninja Marine Education and Lessons Plans in partnership with the Guna Yala teacher and the Ministry of Education, setting a new standard for marine conservation education in Panama. We hope to expand this Program to more communities and replicate it in other countries.

The objective of the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding)  we signed this year with ARAP – Panamanian fisheries authority – is strengthening public-private cooperation in an effective manner to strengthen decision-making related to the establishment and execution of fishing activities.

We finalized the baseline study on marine megafauna for the Coiba National Park to find out that the protected area requires more enforcement, buy-in, and education with contiguous communities to stem fishing impacts inside the park and restore populations of big animals. We also conducted fine-scale and small-scale fisheries landings in two communities, revealing an incredible diversity of species and productivity along with a host of little-known endangered species near the World Heritage Site Coiba National Park. This project has trained ten community researchers to date and further expansion is expected in 2023.

This 2022 Panama hosted the CITES COP19, which was MarAlliance’s first attendance at this convention. Our work focus on establishing the status of listed species populations was identified as a critical need in the successful implementation of CITES moving forward.

Photo MarAlliance/Rick Miskiv


HONDURAS

In Honduras, our results are helping to shape the revisions of the Bay Islands protected area Management plan where Sharks and Rays are now elevated to species of priority for monitoring and conservation, and our monitoring methods are adopted as the standard. We are continuing to provide novel and much-needed data for the deepwater fisheries in the region, including the distribution, abundance, and ecology of the commercially important deepwater snappers and groupers.

Photo MarAlliance

 

GLOBALLY

Besides all these, on a global scale, we expanded awareness for sharks and marine wildlife and dependent coastal communities, especially on the challenges both face to a global public through a range of media. This included CNN International, two in-prep documentaries, local Television and radio stations, National Public Radio, and multiple podcast interviews. We also shared our work in newsletters and peer-reviewed papers, and at several global events including the Global Exploration Forum (GLEX), the Wildlife Conservation Network Expos, Month of the Oceans (Panama), and Sharks International.

Photo MarAlliance/Rachel Graham

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Asistente de comunicación (Internship)

MarAlliance es una organización internacional sin ánimo de lucro registrada en EE.UU., Belice, Panamá y Cabo Verde, cuyo objetivo es explorar, facilitar e inspirar cambios positivos para la fauna marina amenazada, especialmente tiburones y rayas, sus hábitats críticos y las comunidades humanas dependientes. Nuestra misión es amplia y ambiciosa, y trabajamos en tres idiomas y en siete países de tres regiones. Ante el declive de muchas poblaciones de megafauna marina, estas especies necesitan una voz fuerte, eficaz y con base científica que las represente para ayudar a los socios dependientes a dar forma a las estrategias y acciones de gestión y conservación para invertir el declive.

Resumen del puesto:

Buscamos a un becario (6 meses) proactivo, con conocimientos digitales y excelente capacidad de redacción y edición de textos, que apoye la creación de contenidos escritos de alta calidad y recursos multicanal para difundir el trabajo que MarAlliance realiza a través de sus plataformas en línea (sitio web, redes sociales, boletín, entre otras) y fuera de línea, y que interactúe con nuestro público externo para contribuir a nuestros objetivos generales de comunicación y marketing. El Asistente de Comunicación dependerá directamente del Coordinador de Comunicación y Marketing, y trabajará en estrecha colaboración con el resto del equipo para apoyarles en los elementos de comunicación de su trabajo.

Las funciones y responsabilidades incluirán, entre otras, las siguientes:

  1. Proporcionar apoyo creativo, editorial y operativo a los proyectos. 
  2. Apoyo en la organización, etiquetado y etiquetado del archivo fotográfico y gestión del archivo de vídeo.
  3. Gestión de la comunidad: Gestionar activamente los canales de medios sociales, así como identificar nuevas tendencias y oportunidades de colaboración. Generar reels y visuales.
  4. Apoyo en la redacción de artículos de blog (SEO) y contenido de boletines. 
  5. Ayudar a construir y desarrollar materiales, herramientas y acciones para campañas (online y offline).
  6. Ayudar en diferentes tareas relacionadas con la comunicación trabajando mano a mano con contratistas externos (desarrollador web, diseñador gráfico…) para mejorar el compromiso de las audiencias externas.
  7. Apoyo en la elaboración de informes de campañas y comunicaciones (Google Analytics, métricas de redes sociales, informes de marketing por correo electrónico).
  8. Como parte del Equipo de Comunicación de MarAlliance, apoyar al Coordinador de Comunicación y Marketing en cualquier otro proyecto de comunicación, coherente con las habilidades y experiencia del titular del puesto, en circunstancias no rutinarias.

Experiencia, conocimientos y aptitudes requeridos:

  1. Licenciatura en comunicación, periodismo, marketing o cualquier disciplina relacionada.
  2. Experiencia en comunicación digital o marketing.
  3. Pasión e interés por la naturaleza, la vida marina y la conservación.
  4. Capacidad demostrada para redactar y presentar comunicaciones creativas.
  5. Presencia y conocimientos de medios sociales y digitales.
  6. Capacidad para realizar múltiples tareas y detectar buenas historias.
  7. Capacidad para trabajar a distancia y cumplir los plazos establecidos.
  8. Conocimientos de diseño gráfico deseables, pero no necesarios.
  9. Conocimientos de edición de vídeo deseables pero no necesarios. 

Salario y prestaciones:

Estipendio durante 6 meses.

Idiomas:

Español, con fluidez en inglés

Localización:

Nacionales o residentes de Panamá, Belice, México, Honduras, Guatemala.

Este contrato será a distancia dentro de las zonas horarias de América, flexible, a tiempo completo y desde casa con hasta un 10% de viajes ocasionales locales e internacionales.

Cómo presentar la candidatura:

Por favor, envíe su currículum, portfolio si lo tiene, y carta de presentación a info@maralliance.org con “MAR-CA_Apellido” en el asunto antes del 21 de marzo, 2024. No se admiten llamadas.

Enviar cv

Communications Assistant (Internship)

MarAlliance is an international non-profit registered in the US, Belize, Panama and Cabo Verde that aims to explore, enable and inspire positive changes for threatened marine wildlife – notably sharks and rays – their critical habitats and dependent human communities. Our remit is broad and ambitious, and we work in three languages and across seven countries encompassed by three regions. In the face of declines in many populations of marine megafauna, these species need a strong, effective, and science-based voice to represent them to help dependent partners shape management and conservation strategies and action to reverse declines.

Position summary:

We are seeking for a proactive, digitally savvy Paid Intern (6 month) Communications Assistant with excellent writing and copy editing skills, who will support the creation of high-quality written content and multichannel assets to broadcast the work MarAlliance does through its online (website, social media, newsletter, among others) and offline platforms, and engage with our external audiences to contribute to our overall communications and marketing goals. The Communications Assistant will directly report consistently to the Communications and Marketing Coordinator, and work closely with the rest of the team to support them on the communications elements of their work.

Duties and responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

  1. Provide creative, editorial, and operational project support. 
  2. Support organizing, labeling and tagging the photo archive and video archive management.
  3. Community Management: Actively manage social media channels, as well as identify new trends and collaboration opportunities. Generate reels and visuals.
  4. Support with writing blog articles (SEO) and newsletter content. 
  5. Help build and develop materials, toolkits, and actions for (online and offline) campaigns.
  6. Assist in different communications-related tasks working hand in hand with external contractors (web developer, graphic designer…) to improve the engagement of external audiences.
  7. Support in campaign and communications reporting (Google Analytics, social media metrics, email marketing reports)
  8. As part of the MarAlliance Communications Team, support the Communications and Marketing Coordinator with any other communications projects, consistent with the skills and expertise of the post holder, in non-routine circumstances.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills Required:

  1. Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, marketing or any related discipline.
  2. Experience working in digital communications and or marketing.
  3. Passion and interest for nature, marine life and conservation.
  4. Proven ability to write and deliver creative communications.
  5. Social Media and digital presence and knowledge.
  6. Ability to multitask and spot good stories.
  7. Capable of working remotely and meeting established deadlines.
  8. Graphic design skills are desirable but not required.
  9. Video editing skills are desirable but not required.

Salary and benefits:

Stipend for 6 month.

Language:

English, Spanish are mandatory.

Location:

Panama, Belize, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala nationals or residents. 

This contract will be remote within the Americas time zones, flexible, full-time and home-based with up to 10% occasional local and international travel.

How to apply:

Please send your resume, portfolio if you have one, and cover letter to info@maralliance.org with “MAR-CA_Last name” in the subject line by 21st of March, 2024. No calls please.

Send CV