Joan Gonzalvo

Joan Gonzalvo, born in Barcelona, is a Catalan biologist whose main research interest is the conservation of the marine environment and, more specifically, the study and conservation of cetaceans. He holds a Ph.D. in Biodiversity from the University of Barcelona.

In 1999 he began a collaboration with the Tethys Research Institute. Since 2007, he is member of Tethys’ Board of Directors. He has participated in a number of diverse projects involving work on dolphin-fisheries interactions, dolphin population estimates and behavioral studies with the aim of producing sound information to promote conservation action. For almost two decades he has spent 1,000+ hours observing dolphin groups in their natural environment in different Mediterranean locations, and has designed and executed numerous public awareness campaigns.

Joan is experienced in research methods including ship-based, land-based and aerial surveys on cetaceans, individual photo-identification, behavioral sampling, remote biopsy sampling, cetacean dissection techniques and tissue sampling on stranded animals. He is regularly engaged in training and teaching young scientists wanting to gain experience in cetacean research.

Joan has also worked as consultant of the UNEP’s Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA) and for the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (ACCOBAMS) on the preparation of Action Plans for the Conservation of Cetaceans in Syria and Lebanon, respectively. In March 2015, he became a Council member of the European Cetacean Society. Since 2006 his research has been carried out mainly in western Greece, where he leads the Ionian Dolphin Project. He speaks Catalan, Spanish, English, Italian and modern Greek.