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Of Ocean and People

Stephanie Stefanski, a PhD student in marine resource economics at Duke University, took this stunning photograph of a breaching southern right whale during fieldwork at the Peninsula Valdes World Heritage Site in Argentina that recently won the grand prize in WHOI’s #OceanInMyLife Instagram contest. Stefanski’s master’s thesis examined the cost-benefit of seasonal closures and limitations on ship traffic and fishing activity compared to income from eco-toursim. According to Stefanski, “The focus of the right whale in the foreground against the backdrop of Puerto Piramides symbolizes this community’s success in developing and sustaining responsible whale watching as a primary livelihood.” (Photo by Stephanie Stefanski)