A recurring presence and in increasing numbers between June and November, right whales have become a reference for those who live or
frequents the coast of Santa Catarina. The species is the subject of the documentary "Da Terra há Vista - uma breve história sobre a whale-franca", which premieres on June 8th, at Cinema Gilberto Gerlach, at the Centro Integrado de Cultura (CIC), starting at 19 pm, marking the celebrations of World Oceans Day.
The short film was made by ProFRANCA, sponsored by Petrobras and produced by Mysticeta.
The film, which is about 20 minutes long, highlights the dedication of researchers and volunteers in the conservation and recovery of the right whale, a species that uses the coast of Santa Catarina as a nursery, recognized as the only whale that reproduces in Brazil and still threatened with extinction. “World Oceans Day requires us to reflect on the need to relate to them in a more balanced and sustainable way, covering
more than two thirds of the planet”, warns Karina Groch, research director at ProFRANCA/ Instituto Australis, with more than 20 years of experience in the area.
June 2008th was established by the United Nations (UN) as World Oceans Day in XNUMX, but its proposal occurred
in 1992, during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, in Rio de Janeiro (Rio-92). Whales are of fundamental importance for the health of the ocean and the balance of the entire planet. Considered “ecosystem engineers”, they play a role
essential in the carbon cycle: throughout their lives, they accumulate large amounts of CO₂ and, when they die, they sequester tons of carbon in
depths of the ocean. In addition, the transport of nutrients that are brought through the migration of right whales, from the Antarctic region to
Brazil connects an entire food ecosystem web, from producers to the various levels of consumers and decomposers, thus contributing to the health of the oceans.
This deep relationship between whales and the health of the oceans will be discussed after the screening of the documentary, among researchers from
ProFRANCA and the producers of the work, promoting the integration between the PROFranca Logo culture and marine conservation. "The proposal is to raise awareness among the public about the conservation of the right whale and, at the same time, reinforce the importance of the species for the health of the oceans. After all, protecting whales is protecting the oceans", reinforces Karina Groch.
ProFRANCA – Franca Austral Project – is carried out by the Australis Institute and is sponsored by Petrobras and the Federal Government, through the
Petrobras Socio-Environmental Program.
Start: 08/05/2025 19:00
End: 08/05/2025 21:00
Values: free admission.
