From kmcdonald at zoo.nsw.gov.au Tue Jan 1 13:51:55 2008 From: kmcdonald at zoo.nsw.gov.au (McDonald, Kate) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 08:51:55 +1100 Subject: [MARMAM] Positions Vacant - Research Biologist Message-ID: <7A0B7DD921E4E24DA597514A717E68FD03214F1C@t1wnexc1.zoo.nsw.gov.au> Research Biologist (Marine Mammals) Permanent Full Time The Zoological Parks Board of NSW (ZPB) has an exciting opportunity for a motivated individual with suitable experience, to join our team as a Research Biologist on a permanent full time basis. As part of the Scientific Research and Wildlife Conservation Division based at Taronga Zoo, the Research Biologist will be required to grow the research capacity within the ZPB by ensuring research is relevant, economical and productive, with a focus on programs encompassed by the Australian Marine Mammal Research Centre (AMMRC). The successful applicant will possess: * PhD or post doctorate experience in population management, reproductive physiology and/or acoustics in marine mammals. * Excellent academic track record measured by the number of publications in high impact factor scientific journals. * Experience with conducting research on in-situ populations. * Working knowledge of research related legislation and the conduct of Animal Ethics Committees. * Demonstrated experience, confidence and effectiveness in communicating research and science to the broader community. * Demonstrated success in obtaining research grants, fundraising and sponsorship. * Demonstrated leadership and ability to effectively supervise research staff/students including undergraduate and postgraduate (PhD) students. * Effective administrative, planning, organizational and time management skills. * Demonstrated ability to monitor, maintain and report on budgets. * Well developed verbal, interpersonal and written communications skills. To obtain an information package including the position description, application form and selection criteria, please visit www.zoo.nsw.gov.au (About Us) or contact Rebecca Spindler on 02 9978 4608, or email rspindler at zoo.nsw.gov.au Applications addressing the selection criteria should be sent to HR Officer, ZPB, PO Box 20, Mosman 2088 by Thursday 31 January 2007 quoting reference. no. 2007/581. Taronga and Western Plains Zoos - Contributing to Conservation Kate McDonald Human Resources Officer Zoological Parks Board of NSW Ph: (02) 9978 4626 Fax: (02) 9978 4582 Email: kmcdonald at zoo.nsw.gov.au ____________________________________________________________________ This message is intended for the addressee named only and may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete it and notify the sender. Views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, and are not necessarily the views of the Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales. ____________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned for viruses for the Zoological Parks Board of NSW by MCI's Internet Managed Scanning Services - powered by MessageLabs. For further information visit http://www.mci.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Phillip.Morin at noaa.gov Wed Jan 2 08:26:14 2008 From: Phillip.Morin at noaa.gov (Phillip Morin) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 08:26:14 -0800 Subject: [MARMAM] Job: Lab manager, Southwest Fisheries, NOAA, La Jolla, CA Message-ID: <3D1D3565-9BC1-4A9D-B65C-319D0D0263AD@noaa.gov> The Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) in La Jolla, CA, seeks a lab manager for its Molecular Ecology Laboratory. Responsibilities include production of high quality genetic data for phylogenetic and population structure studies primarily of marine mammals and sea turtles by: ? overseeing daily operations of the genetics laboratory and its systems, ? training laboratory personnel and students in basic laboratory techniques, ? serving as liaison between project investigators and laboratory staff, ? supervising laboratory technicians, ? tracking status of all projects moving through the lab, ? providing technical guidance, problem solving, and troubleshooting of laboratory methods ? procurement of laboratory supplies and equipment, ? ensuring maintenance of laboratory equipment and environment ? providing fiscal oversight of laboratory budget and maintenance of a cost effective research environment He/she must communicate with and report to principle investigators and collaborators on a regular basis, and be familiar with relational databases for laboratory data input, quality control, and tracking of projects. Additionally, she/he will: Oversee development and testing of new technologies and protocols to improve our data quality and efficiency; Introduce and evaluate new technology to improve our research capacity; Track and manage the laboratory budget using MS Access and Oracle databases; Assist in the development, monitoring, and maintenance of project budget and schedules; Produce and provide data to other laboratories within NMFS, to international organizations such as the International Whaling Commission, and to collaborators; Coordinate lab activities with members of other programs and divisions within the SWFSC Required Qualifications: Ability to effectively communicate and interact with staff in a team-based environment. Requires a high degree of autonomy, flexibility, independent judgment, and leadership skills. Bachelor?s degree or higher in biology or related field, at least 3 years experience with molecular genetics research methods including DNA extraction, microsatellite genotyping, SNP genotyping, and DNA sequencing, and experience with overseeing the operation of a lab, including procurement, training of new personnel, data quality control and assurance, and project management. Preferred Qualifications: Preference will be given to candidates who pay attention to detail, have good organizational skills, and can work collaboratively with others. This is a full-time position with a two year term limit, but with potential for extension. Salary commensurate with experience and will include benefits. Candidates must be U.S. Citizens. The job is currently open for applications through January 23, through the web site www.usajobs.com. Please contact Phil Morin for details (phillip.morin at noaa.gov ). http://swfsc.noaa.gov/prd.aspx Announcement Number: NMF-SWC-2008-0008 Position: Supervisory Research Biologist (Lab Manager), ZP-401-III Location: La Jolla, CA Open: January 2, 2008 Close: January 23, 2008 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rjtarpley at gmail.com Wed Jan 2 10:22:16 2008 From: rjtarpley at gmail.com (Raymond Tarpley) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 12:22:16 -0600 Subject: [MARMAM] MARVET California 2008 Message-ID: <99D88C04-3193-40C5-A3F8-CB11E33D9C7C@gmail.com> We would like to announce a MARVET workshop (Marine Veterinary Medicine) for graduate veterinarians to be conducted at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA from July 7-10, 2008. Please visit www.marvet.org for further information or email Raymond Tarpley (info at marvet.org). MARVET California 2008 [TAKING APPLICATIONS] (Sausalito, California, July 7-10, 2008 ~ based at The Marine Mammal Center) offers graduate veterinarians an intense lecture and hands-on workshop, directed toward critical veterinary care and rehabilitation of stranded pinnipeds - primarily California sea lions, harbor seals and elephant seals. Students will have the opportunity to perform traditional diagnostic workups and develop therapies for actual cases at the Center, and perform necropsies with a Board-Certified pathologist. The contribution that rehabilitation facilities make to species conservation and ecosystem health will be examined. The Marine Mammal Center (www.tmmc.org) is a state-of-the-art veterinary treatment and holding facility, reflecting emerging societal concerns for environmental responsibility through energy efficient architectural design ? new construction for the Center and its veterinary hospital is currently in progress with completion planned in late 2007. Tuition includes lodging and all course activities. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From els at marybio.org Wed Jan 2 12:04:29 2008 From: els at marybio.org (els at marybio.org) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 17:04:29 -0300 Subject: [MARMAM] Foundation Marybio Message-ID: <000001c84d7a$b2e91df0$1a00a8c0@mebron> Dear all,We are proud to announce the official start of Foundation Marybio, an organization dedicated to the scientific research of marine mammals in Patagonia, born as the result of an excellent cooperation between Belgian and Argentine scientists!Marine mammals speak to the human imagination for centuries now. They are symbol of wisdom, elegance and mystery and form an important part in their ecosystem. Nevertheless, still too many factors form a threat towards these animals and their wellbeing. Therefore, with Marybio we want to dedicate us to the achievement of a better knowledge and understanding of these animals and their environment in the unique area of Patagonia. Besides research, we also strive for an improvement of the public awareness through educational and informative programs as we are convinced that they are crucial factors for the conservation and preservation of wildlife!With kind regards,Foundation Marybio Kladdenbergstraat 34 - 2650 Edegem - Belgium -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 130701 bytes Desc: not available URL: From laura.joan at gmail.com Thu Jan 3 12:26:09 2008 From: laura.joan at gmail.com (laura-joan fire) Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 12:26:09 -0800 Subject: [MARMAM] =?windows-1252?q?SEACR_MARINE_RESEARCH_INTERNSHIPS_=96_S?= =?windows-1252?q?UMMER_2008?= Message-ID: <94494ba20801031226s491bc3afq6dfccde516c0fb50@mail.gmail.com> SEACR MARINE RESEARCH INTERNSHIPS ? SUMMER 2008 Enthusiastic individuals with a keen interest in nature and science are invited to discover the challenges of marine field research along Canada's coastal rainforest through SEACR's Marine Research Intern Program! The Society for Ecological and Coastal Research - SEACR - is a non-profit organization, established in 1998, dedicated to scientific research on the ecology of nearshore marine systems. SEACR is sponsoring several long term ongoing research projects on gray whale ecology and resource use of marbled murrelets in Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia, Canada. The projects are organized and run by the Whale Research Lab of the University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (http://www.geog.uvic.ca/whalelab/). MRIP is a volunteer program where Research Interns live and work at a remote research field-station in the coastal rainforest of Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia. Interns assist experienced and dedicated marine ecologists with ongoing field research and analysis related to coastal and marine ecology. Internships are offered on a competitive basis, *at cost* and provide invaluable exposure to boat based field work, marine mammal and bird research, the Pacific coastal ocean environment, mentoring with established researchers in marine ecology, and encouragement to work and play hard! We have a limited number of 3 or 4-week Marine Research Internship available for the 2008 Summer. There is no deadline to apply. However, approved applications are reviewed and accepted on a first-come, first serve basis. If you are interested in applying for a position, please see the details of our application process on our website http://www.geog.uvic.ca/whalelab/seacr-application.html Questions regarding the MRIP application or internships can be directed by email to: whalelab at mail.geog.uvic.ca **************************** Laura Joan Feyrer Director Society for Ecological and Coastal Research P.O. Box 35052 Victoria, British Columbia CANADA V8T 5G2 whalelab at mail.geog.uvic.ca -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From magnus at fjord-baelt.dk Thu Jan 3 13:21:13 2008 From: magnus at fjord-baelt.dk (Magnus Wahlberg) Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 22:21:13 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] phd research training class in aquatic animals Message-ID: <3E3C44288C75DD4DB538202BAD61BB1A09D40B@server.fjord-baelt.local> A Ph.D. Class on Research Training of Aquatic Animals Many branches of biological research relies on trained animals under human care. Animal training thus fulfills a very important role in biological research, and appropriate training methodologies are crucial for obtaining and adequately interpreting data. This class is inteded for graduate students and trainers specializing in research training of aquatic animals. The first part of the class contains lectures and practical trials on basic training paradigms, such as classical conditioning and positive reinforcement. The second part deals with special training techniques for marine mammal and fish training. The students are exposed to lectures by some of the foremost experts in the world on animal training, as well as on very highly esteemed scientists whose research methods involve animal training. Lectures are combined with practical trials where the students train and try out various training methods under the supervision of the teachers. When: Monday 2nd to Wednesday 11th of June, 2008 Where: Fjord&B?lt, Kerteminde, Denmark. Funded by: The Nordic Marine Academy from the Nordic Research Council, and the Research Graduate School SNAK, University of Southern Denmark Organized by: Magnus Wahlberg, Fjord&B?lt and University of Southern Denmark Workload: 5 ECTS Maximum number of students: 24 Fee: Students from Nordic countries free of charge including room and board, students outside this region will be charged 3.000 DKK for participation, including room and board. Applications consisting of a maximum 1-page letter motivating why you want to be enrolled in this class, and a maximium 1-page C.V., should be emailed or posted to Magnus Wahlberg, Fjord&B?lt, Margrethes Plads 1, DK-5300 Kerteminde, Denmark, magnus at fjord-baelt.dk or magnus.wahlberg at biology.au.dk no later than 1st of March, 2008. Successful candidates will be notified by 15th of March, 2008. Teachers Bj?rn Mauck (BM), Ph.D. and Professor, University of Southern Denmark Colleen Reichmuth (CR), Ph. D. and Associate Professor, Long Marine Lab, Santa Cruz, USA Ken Ramirez (KR), vice president, John G Shedd Aquarium, USA Kirsten Andersen (KA), animal curator, Odense Zoo, Denmark Mats Amundin (MA), Ph.D., chief Biologist, Kolm?rden, Sweden Marie-Anne Blanchet (MAB), M.Sc., senior trainer, Fjord&B?lt, Denmark Marlee Breese (MB), senior trainer, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, USA Paul Nacthigall (PN), Professor, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, USA Richard Fay (RF), Professor, Parmly Sensory Sciences Institute, USA Schedule (still subject to major changes) Students share rooms in hostel, where breakfast is served. Lunch and dinner is served on at the marine station. Monday 2nd of June 9-10 MW -Welcome and general introduction 10-12 KR - Introduction to Training & Basic Conditioning 14-15 MB - Chicken Training Intro 15-17 KR - Basic Operant Conditioning Continued 20-21 MW - Tour around Fjord&B?lt Tuesday 3rd of June 9-10 KR - Non-Formal interactions 10-11 MB - Chicken Training 11-12 KR - Cooperative Behavior Introduction 14-15 MB - Chicken Training 15-16 KR - Husbandry Training 16-17 MB - Chicken Training 20-21 Bertel M?hl and S?ren Andersen: Origins of research training of marine mammals in Denmark Wednesday 4th of June 9-11 KR - Advanced Operant Conditioning 11-12 MB- Chicken Training 14-16 KR - Advanced Operant Conditioning Continued 16-17 MB - Chicken Training 20-21 KA + MB: Harbour porpoise training at F&B Thursday 5th of June 9-10 MB - Chicken Training 10-12 KR - Problem Solving 14-15 MB - Chicken Training 15-16 KR - Aggression 16-17 MB - Chicken Training Friday 6th of June 9-10 MB - Chicken Training 10-12 KR - Research Training (tied to previous lectures) 14-16 RF - Research Training 16-17 MB - Chicken Training Saturday 7th of June 9-12 RF - Training fish for psychophysical studies 14-18 KA - Tour to Odense Zoo 20- Dining at Skovbakken, Odense Sunday 8th of June 9-10 MB + PN - Research training of dolphins 10-11 PN - Food deprivation and other controversial techniques 11-12 PN - Trainer and scientists team work, a historical perspective of do's and don'ts 14-17 MB - Chicken trainining BM + MAB + MB: Harbour porpoise and harbour seal training demo 20-21 MAB + Kristian Beedholm: Porpoise hearing studies at F&B using ABR Monday 9th of June 9-12 CR + BM - Research training of seals 14-16 Desensitization in marine mammal training 16-18 Training projects wrap-up 20-21 MA - Training Cetaceans for sound production studies Tuesday 10th of June Group evaluations including video observations of training sessions Wednesday 11th of June 9-11 Sum-up discussion around training projects 11-12 MW + KA - Where do we go from here: a Nordic network on research training 12-13 Class evaluation and farewell -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Trainer class F&B.doc Type: application/msword Size: 39424 bytes Desc: Trainer class F&B.doc URL: From Charles.Littnan at noaa.gov Fri Jan 4 01:18:00 2008 From: Charles.Littnan at noaa.gov (Charles Littnan) Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:18:00 -1000 Subject: [MARMAM] Job Announcement - Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Unit Message-ID: Aloha Everyone- We are seeking applications for a Research Ecologist with the NOAA Fisheries Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Unit in Honolulu, Hawaii. The person in this position conducts and oversees scientific studies, provides advice, and prepares status reports and manuscripts on recovery research and enhancement efforts for endangered Hawaiian monk seals. Some examples include participating in Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Team meetings, attending conferences and Symposia (i.e. Marine Mammals, Conservation Biology), working with Pacific Island Regional Office staff to implement the Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery plan action items, overseeing preparation and publication of scientific manuscripts from staff conducting monk seal research. The incumbent also publishes reports and scientific papers on Hawaiian monk seals and answers scientific questions and inquiries in a timely manner for partners and stakeholders (e.g., PIRO, State of Hawaii, WestPAC, F/PR). Innovative and appropriate research will be required to meet management needs and enhance the conservation of monk seals through a variety of techniques which will include but are not limited to population assessment, characterization of monk seal foraging, monitoring of health and disease, and investigation of methods to mitigate mortality. Specifc details about the position and application process can be found by searching for job # NMF-PIC-2008-0011 at http:// www.usajobs.opm.gov/ For more information regarding the Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Unit visit: http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/psd/mmrp/monkseals.php For more information on the Hawaiian monk seal recovery plan and mortality mitigation efforts visit: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/ recovery/hawaiianmonkseal.pdf All qualified U.S. citizens, and current Federal employees serving under a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service, former Federal employees with reinstatement rights, CTAP/ ICTAP eligibles, and applicants eligible under special authorities. Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after 3 years or more of continuous active service may apply under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA). Applications are due January 23, 2008 Cheers, Charles Littnan Head, Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Unit Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries charles.littnan at noaa.gov -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jan.herrmann at cetacea.de Fri Jan 4 08:10:10 2008 From: jan.herrmann at cetacea.de (Jan Herrmann) Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 17:10:10 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] New publications week 35-37 Message-ID: Dear all, here are some new publications of week 35-37 / 2007, which haven't been announced on MARMAM earlier AFAIK. By clicking the following link you are guided to a website, where the following references are linked to their according journal homepages. There you can find abstracts and contact information: http://www.mmbib.com/news.php Please do not contact MARMAM, the MARMAM editors or me for reprints. Thank you. Thanks to all of you who sent in reprints to be included in the weekly announcements. Kindest Regards, Jan Herrmann CETACEA Alter, S.E. and S.R. Palumbi (2007): Could genetic diversity in eastern North Pacific gray whales reflect global historic abundance? Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 104(52): E3. Christensen, A., S. Rowe, and M. Needham (2007): Value Orientations, Awareness of Consequences, and Participation in a Whale Watching Education Program in Oregon. Human Dimensions of Wildlife 12(4): 289-293. Dietz, R. et al. (2007): Upside-down swimming behaviour of free-ranging narwhals. BMC Ecology 7(1): 14. Forman, D. et al. (2007): LETTERS: Toxoplasma in cetaceans around the British Isles. The Veterinary Record 161(8): 279. Givens, G.H. and I. Ozaksoy (2007): Population structure and covariate analysis based on pairwise microsatellite allele matching frequencies. Statistical Applications in Genetics and Molecular Biology 6(1): Article 31. Guimaraes, P.R., Jr. et al. (2007): Vulnerability of a killer whale social network to disease outbreaks. Physical Review E - Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics 76(4): 042901. Harino, H. et al. (2007): Accumulation of Organotin Compounds in Tissues and Organs of Dolphins from the Coasts of Thailand. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 54(1): 145-153. Jackson, J.A. et al. (2008): How few whales were there after whaling? Inference from contemporary mtDNA diversity. Molecular Ecology 17(1): 236-251. Jaramillo-Legorreta, A.M. et al. (2007): Saving the Vaquita: Immediate Action, Not More Data. Conservation Biology 21(6): 1653-1655. Jiang, M. et al. (2007): Springtime transport and retention of Calanus finmarchicus in Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays, USA, and implications for right whale foraging. Marine Ecology Progress Series 349(): 183-197. Kon, T. et al. (2007): Phylogenetic position of a whale-fall lancelet (Cephalochordata) inferred from whole mitochondrial genome sequences. BMC Evolutionary Biology 7(1): 127. Lauriano, G. et al. (2007): Short Note: Observations of top predators foraging on fish in the pack ice of the southern Ross Sea. Antarctic Science 19(4): 439-440. Palsb?ll, P.J., M. B?rub?, and F. Larsen (2007): Could genetic diversity in eastern North Pacific gray whales reflect global historic abundance? Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 104(52): E2. Rossi-Santos, M.R. et al. (2007): Cetacean sightings near South Georgia islands, South Atlantic Ocean. Polar Biology 31(1): 63-68. Smith, T.B. and L. Bernatchez (2008): PREFACE TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE: Evolutionary change in human-altered environments. Molecular Ecology 17(1): 1-8. Weilgart, L.S. (2007): The impacts of anthropogenic ocean noise on cetaceans and implications for management. Canadian Journal of Zoology 85(11): 1091-1116. Zamon, J.E. et al. (2007): Winter observations of southern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) near the Columbia river plume during the 2005 spring chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) spawning migration. Northwestern Naturalist 88(3): 193-198. O'Brien, C.M. (2007): Short Book Reviews: Analysing Ecological Data by Alain F. Zuur, Elena N. Ieno, Graham M. Smith. International Statistical Review 75(3): 426-427. PINNIPEDIA Cronin, M.A., C.D. Duck, and O.?. Cadhla (2007): Erratum to "Aerial surveying of grey seal breeding colonies on the Blasket Islands, Co. Kerry, the Inishkea Group, Co. Mayo and the Donegal Coast, Ireland"[J. Nat. Conserv. 15(2) (2007) 73-83] Michelle A. Cronin, Callan D. Duck and Oliver ?. Cadhla. Journal for Nature Conservation 15(4): 265. Higdon, J.W. et al. (2007): Phylogeny and divergence of the pinnipeds (Carnivora: Mammalia) assessed using a multigene dataset. BMC Evolutionary Biology 7(1): 216. Lancaster, M.L., S.D. Goldsworthy, and P. Sunnucks (2007): Multiple mating strategies explain unexpected genetic mixing of New Zealand fur seals with two congenerics in a recently recolonized population. Molecular Ecology 16(24): 5267-5276. Lewer, D. et al. (2007): Mandibular fracture repair in a harbor seal. Journal of Veterinary Dentistry 24(2): 95. Luque, S.P. et al. (2007): Ontogeny of body size and shape of Antarctic and subantarctic fur seals. Canadian Journal of Zoology 85(12): 1275-1285. Wiig, ?. et al. (2007): Historical sex-specific distribution of Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) in Svalbard assessed by mandible measurements. Polar Biology 31(1): 69-75. OTHER MARINE MAMMALS -- --> jan.herrmann -at - cetacea.de From annalisab at ceredigion.gov.uk Mon Jan 7 07:17:20 2008 From: annalisab at ceredigion.gov.uk (Annalisa Bianchessi) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 15:17:20 -0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Job Vacancy - Cardigan Bay SAC Officer, West Wales , UK Message-ID: <00db01c85140$65929080$137814ac@ceredigion.gov.uk> _____ From: Annalisa Bianchessi [mailto:annalisab at ceredigion.gov.uk] Sent: 24 December 2007 11:07 To: 'marmam at lists.uvic.ca' Subject: Details of a vacancy for the post of Cardigan Bay SAC Officer in West Wales, UK outlined below: This post is being advertised from 2nd January with a closing date for application of 17th January 2008. Post reference 40ESH 2301030/WM. Please visit www.ceredigion.gov.uk for an application form or call 01545 572017 quoting job reference. Please note that the Council offices will be closed from the end of today (24th December) to the 2nd January 2008. Cardigan Bay Special Area of Conservation Officer Grade: Scale 6 Spinal: Point 26-28 (?21,412-22,845) Fixed-term post to March 2009 with possible extension Based at Penmorfa, Aberaeron, West Wales Department of Environmental Services and Housing (Planning Division) a. Cardigan Bay SAC Cardigan Bay Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is part of a network of sites identified under the EU Habitats Directive, 1992. Cardigan Bay was selected because of its importance for the Bottlenose Dolphin. Since then Atlantic grey seals, river and sea lampreys, reefs, sand banks and sea caves have been added to the designation. A Management Scheme for the SAC was produced in 2000 and is currently being reviewed and is out for public consultation. Further information about the SAC can be viewed on the Cardigan Bay SAC web site (www.cardiganbaysac.org.uk ). The SAC is managed by the Cardigan Bay Relevant Authorities Group[1] (i.e. those authorities with specific responsibilities for the site). A Liaison Group has also been established as a means of ensuring that the wider community can be involved in management. Ceredigion has two marine SACs, covering approximately 2/3 of inshore waters (the other SAC being the Penllyn a?r Sarnau SAC). In addition, the County Council is developing an approach for the integrated management of the coastal zone. In 2006 the Council opened a small marine information centre on the harbour at New Quay, the Cardigan Bay Boat Place, in order to promote codes of conduct amongst boat users of the Bay. The post therefore contributes to the wider aims of marine protected area management in the County. b. Overall objectives of post 1. To assist in the development, maintenance and implementation of a management scheme and related activities of the Cardigan SAC on behalf of the Relevant Authorities Group 2. To provide a focal point for liaison and consultation between the Relevant Authorities Group and statutory bodies, interest groups and local communities. 3. To provide information and interpretation on all aspects of the SAC. c. Duties and responsibilities 1. To contribute to the development and implementation of identified management actions within the revised management scheme 2. To keep the management scheme under review and the management scheme document updated. This will include the co-ordination of inputs, and collation and preparation of sections of the document as required. 3. To maintain and promote the liaison framework established between the public, user groups, local communities, and the Relevant Authorities Group. 4. To organize and coordinate occasional public consultations on all aspects of the SAC; analyse and report the consultation responses to the Relevant Authorities Group. 5. Provide information to the wider public on the management scheme via the production of occasional publications/press releases 6. To carry out regular marine patrols to raise awareness of appropriate behaviour at sea 7. To assist with raising awareness of appropriate behaviour at sea through the promotion of codes of conduct at the Cardigan Bay Boat Place. 8. The maintenance of the Cardigan Bay SAC website 9. To liaise with other management and monitoring/research groups, and establish or maintain effective working relations with representatives of local and national agencies, authorities and bodies as appropriate 10. Assist the Relevant Authorities Group with the identification of gaps in current knowledge and research needs. 11. Contribute to the establishment and management of scientific and administrative information systems for the SAC. 12. Identify and contribute to the development of appropriate protocols and strategies for monitoring the effectiveness of the management scheme. 13. Provide administrative and secretarial support for the Relevant Authorities Group and Liaison Group. 14. To contribute to the development of Local Biodiversity Action marine habitats and species plans and their implementation d. Conditions of employment The Relevant Authority Group (SACRAG) will provide overall direction to the work of the post-holder. The Countryside Council for Wales, in particular, will provide technical assistance and supervision to the scientific aspects of the post. The post-holder will be located in the Conservation Team in the Coast and Countryside Section of Ceredigion County Council at Penmorfa in Aberaeron and at the Cardigan Bay Boat Place, New Quay. The post-holder will be line-managed by and responsible to the Conservation Management Officer. Weekend and evening work will be required e. Post Requirements Education: * Degree or equivalent in an appropriate environmental science or discipline * Qualifications in a marine science would be an advantage, but not essential. Experience: * A background in the management, regulation or study of maritime operations would be an advantage. * Experience in environmental management (not necessarily marine) especially managing public use would be an advantage. * Mature and self-reliant; able to work on own initiative * Proven ability to work to timetables and target dates. Essential Skills / Competencies: * Advanced RYA Power boat qualification. (Training will be provided where necessary) * Comfortable dealing with the public and with conflict management. * Excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational skills. * Good writing skills and ability to collate summarise and present complex issues to a wide range of individuals and organisations. * Computer literacy essential (especially in use of databases); familiarity with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) an advantage. * Experience in, or knowledge of, a range of interpretation techniques/methods * Current full UK driving licence. Knowledge * Extensive knowledge of, and interest in, the marine environment (not necessarily in any professional capacity) * Working knowledge of relevant legislation (in particular the EU Habitats and Species Directives, and UK Regulations) an advantage. * A knowledge of Welsh would be an advantage f. Additional information Interviews will be held on February 1st with a view to the post holder commencing duties at the earliest opportunity after that date. For an informal discussion, contact Liz Allan, Conservation Management Officer on 01545 572142 from 7th January, 2008 This post is supported by Countryside Council for Wales and other Relevant Authorities ________________________ Liz Allan Conservation Management Officer Neuadd Cyngor Ceredigion / Ceredigion County Council Penmorfa Aberaeron SA46 0PA Ph. +44 (0) 1545572142 _____ _____ [1] The Relevant Authorities Group comprises - Ceredigion County Council; the Countryside Council for Wales; Environment Agency Wales; Dwr Cymru; North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee; South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee; Pembrokeshire County Council; Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and Trinity House -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dodell at cfl.rr.com Sat Jan 5 13:36:20 2008 From: dodell at cfl.rr.com (Daniel K. Odell) Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2008 16:36:20 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] American Society of Mammalogists - request for workshop and symposium proposals Message-ID: <00a501c84fe3$0317c8c0$6701a8c0@wimps> The deadline for the receipt of complete symposium and/or workshop proposals for the 2009 annual meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists are due on Friday, 14 March 2008. The 2009 meeting will take place at the University of Alaska - Fairbanks in June. Symposium and workshop proposal guidelines and proposal submission forms are available on the ASM web page under the Committees / Program Committee link. http://www.mammalogy.org/committees/index.asp A list of previous symposia and workshops is posted on the Program Committee web page. Daniel K. Odell Chair, ASM Symposium sub-committee dodell at cfl.rr.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From edickson at ifaw.org Mon Jan 7 02:02:47 2008 From: edickson at ifaw.org (Dickson, Eleanor) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 10:02:47 -0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Save the date - whale watching conference Message-ID: <0FC557B272E25F45AEE8484101B4015BA8BADD@uk00sm01.ifaw.net> Hi all, I am writing to let you know about our forthcoming whale watching conference, to be held in Iceland from 12-14th March 2008. Please keep the date free ? it would be great if you could take part. We want to celebrate the success of whale watching and give operators the chance to share ideas. This conference is relevant for all wildlife tour operators, tourism students and anyone considering setting up a business in wildlife tourism. Please forward this invite on to anyone you think might be interested. The conference is being organised by Icewhale (Iceland's Whale Watching Association), with support from IFAW, the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Highlights of the conference include: Education onboard whale watching vessels ? a talk followed by a workshop to share information and ideas. Research onboard ? what techniques and equipment are available and why it would benefit your business. Making your business more economically sustainable. Sustainability of whale watching. Confirmed speakers include: Dr David Lusseau (University of Aberdeen, UK), Richard Fairbairns (Sealife Surveys, UK) and Jos? Palazzo (Brazilian right whale scientist and long-time advocate of whale watching). The conference fee includes 3 nights accommodation at the Hotel Selfoss http://www.selfosshotel.is coach transfer to and from the hotel and all meals. The fee is ISK 25,000 (approximately ?200, US$400 or ?275). Return flights from Europe start at ?175 (?250) and flights from the USA start at $400. Please do not book flights until your space has been confirmed in January. An additional option at the end of the conference is a one- day trip to H?savik (in the north of Iceland). This will include flights, bus transfer, a guided tour of the Whale Museum and lunch. If you reserve your place before 16th January 08, you will get a 20% discount on the conference fee. No payment is required at this stage. We will get back to you early in January with booking details. Please book your places by emailing Ellie Dickson at IFAW on edickson at ifaw.org Yours truly, ?sbj?rn Bj?rgvinsson, Icewhale --------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: The International Fund for Animal Welfare works to improve the welfare of wild and domestic animals throughout the world by reducing commercial exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife habitats, and assisting animals in distress. IFAW seeks to motivate the public to prevent cruelty to animals and to promote animal welfare and conservation policies that advance the well-being of both animals and people. This transmission is intended only for use by the addressee(s) named herein and may contain information that is proprietary, confidential and/or legally privileged. From jenn at whalecenter.org Mon Jan 7 07:37:34 2008 From: jenn at whalecenter.org (Jenn Tackaberry) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 10:37:34 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Marine Mammal Internships 2008- Whale Center of New England Message-ID: <000001c85143$42b0a270$6401a8c0@BEACON> Marine Mammal Research Internships (For a detailed description and application, please see our website at www.whalecenter.org/intern.htm) The Whale Center of New England, located in Gloucester, MA, is a non-profit research organization involved with the study of the behavior, ecology, and natural history of the whales and dolphins found in the waters off of Massachusetts. The Whale Center is also heavily involved with habitat conservation and education programs. We are currently looking to fill research internships for the summer (May 19-August 22) and fall (August 18 ? December 19) semester of 2008 and for the spring (February 2 - May 29) semester of 2009. Please note: All positions are filled in the spring of each year. *We also have one opening for the spring 2008 semester (January 28-May 23) which will be filled on a first come first serve basis.* The Whale Center of New England internship provides experience needed to further pursue fields in marine biology and animal behavior. It is our goal to provide college students and recent graduates with the opportunity to collect valuable information important to the marine mammal field and to see how this information is used in management and conservation efforts in this area. Each internship session offers different experiences in marine mammal science that will depend on the season. These duties may include, but are not limited to: extensive photo-identification and computer work (training provided), field data collection aboard commercial whale watching vessels and our 27? research vessel Silver II, attendance at necropsies (whale autopsies), marine mammal stranding response, harbor seal surveys and attendance at conferences and meetings. A fee of $1000 for the period will be charge and in return interns will receive housing and a $30 weekly food stipend. A common apartment is used, where interns live together and share cooking and cleaning duties. Rooms are shared with one other person. A living arrangement such as this is conductive to open discussion and interaction between peers and home life is often a continuation of the day in the field. Also, college credit may be arranged by the student through their department or as an independent research program at their college or university. The Whale Center of New England encourages this, and will take whatever steps are required to facilitate such efforts. Internship applicants should have the following: * A background in biology, zoology, or related field * Some knowledge of research methods and design * An ability to work, live and communicate well with others * Enthusiasm and dedication to work long days (sometimes 12 hours or more) in the field or lab * Completed their freshmen year at the time of application In order to apply for an internship: please send a resume, a cover letter detailing your reason(s) for applying, one letter of reference, and an updated transcript. Once your application has been received, an interview will be arranged. In-person interviews are preferred, necessitating travel to Gloucester, MA, during one of two weekends in March 2008 (to be determined at a later date). All applications must be submitted by March 1, 2008. Applicants should note which semesters they are applying for (a single application may enter an applicant into the pool for more than one session, in case they are not selected for their first choice). All positions are highly competitive. Because of an increased work calendar during the summer session, volunteer positions are also available. *If you are applying for the spring 2008 semester, please send your application as soon as possible and instead of an in-person interview, a telephone interview can be arranged.* Application materials and questions regarding the internship should be directed to the intern coordinator: Jennifer Tackaberry P.O. Box 159 Gloucester, MA 01930 978-281-6351 (office) 978-281-5666 (fax) jenn at whalecenter.org No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.17.13/1213 - Release Date: 1/7/2008 9:14 AM -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dagmar_fertl at hotmail.com Sun Jan 6 12:43:01 2008 From: dagmar_fertl at hotmail.com (Dagmar Fertl) Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2008 20:43:01 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Abstracts - Aquatic Mammals, Vol 33(3) - 2007 Message-ID: Apologies to those of you on both listserves, since you will receive cross-postings. The following are the contents and abstracts for the most recent issue of Aquatic Mammals. This journal was established by the European Association for Aquatic Mammals (EAAM) in 1974. The EAAM, Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, and International Marine Animal Trainer's Association sponsor the journal. Aquatic Mammals accepts a wide variety of papers on the care, conservation, medicine, and science of marine mammals. Dr. Jeanette Thomas of Western Illinois University is the editor and Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski of Mystic Aquarium is the co-editor. These abstracts are posted as a courtesy to the Marmam editors and the sponsoring societies, as well as the managing editor of Aquatic Mammals. For more information on the journal, please follow the link: http://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/ Please find below, the addresses (including email) of the authors to whom reprint requests and other inquiries should be directed. Thank you for your continued interest in these postings, as well as other publication postings to the listserves. With regards, Dagmar Fertl dagmar_fertl at hotmail.com ********************** Bj?rge, A., N. ?ien, and K-A Fagerheim. 2007. Abundance of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in Norway based on aerial surveys and photographic documentation of hauled-out seals during the moulting season, 1996 to 1999. Aquatic Mammals 33(3):269-275. Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870 Nordnes, N-5817 Bergen, Norway; email: Arne.Bjorge at imr.no The first nationwide aerial survey to count harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in Norway was conducted between 1996 and 1999. Haulout sites were surveyed during the early moult period of the seals in the second half of August, and most of the known haulout sites along the Norwegian coast (excluding Svalbard) were covered. The haulout sites were photographed, and the films were subsequently analysed at the Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Bergen. The number of seals hauled-out and documented during aerial surveys numbered 7,272. Some haulout sites in fjords of the alpine landscape of western Norway were difficult to cover by aerial surveys, so 193 hauled-out seals counted from boat surveys in these fjords were added, and the total counted population was 7,465. Applying a correction factor for estimating the total population from the number of hauled-out harbour seals in the adjacent Swedish Skagerrak, the total estimate was 13,000 seals in Norway. We assumed that this was possibly an overestimate of the true population, however, because the tidal amplitude and diurnal light variation differ significantly along the Norwegian coast and are reported to affect the haulout patterns of harbour seals. When correction factors based on regional studies in Norwegian Skagerrak, western Norway, and Finnmark in northern Norway of haulout behaviour in relation to tidal amplitude and diurnal light variation were applied, the total population was estimated at 10,000 harbour seals. Most sites were surveyed only once; consequently, there is no estimate of variance. Because survey methods have changed from previous questionnaire studies and boat-based surveys, the current estimate cannot be used to assess trends in population size. Harbour seals in Norway are currently intensively hunted, however, and they are subject to high by-catch levels. A decline in numbers is expected under the current management regime, and there is an urgent demand for a new abundance estimate and improved survey design and methodology to account for bias, as well as the appropriate measures of uncertainty involved. ********************** I??guez, M.A.* and V.P. Tossenberger. 2007. Commerson's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) off R?a Deseado, Patagonia, Argentina. Aquatic Mammals 33(3):276-285. *Fundaci?n Cethus, Potos? 2087, Olivos, (1636), Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina; email: miguel.iniguez at cethus.org Studies of the biology and ecology of Commerson's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) in the R?a Deseado estuary (47? 46' S, 65? 58' W) were carried out during January-February 1986 to 1991 and 1994 to 1997, August 1987 and 1988, September 1995, and May 2003. Commerson's dolphins were consistently located along a 24-km stretch of the R?a Deseado. Twenty-six dolphins were identified using marks, scars, and differences in the black and white pigmentation of the head, back, and sides. Two adult dolphins with the typical grey colour pattern of the calves of this species have been observed since 1994. Behavioural observations were recorded and fell into four general categories: (1) traveling (51%), (2) resting (21%), (3) feeding (19%), or (4) socialising (9%). Feeding behaviours included dolphins feeding at the surface, near anchor lines, and around piers. Commerson's dolphins were directly observed feeding on silversides (Odontesthes). Calves were observed between mid-September and mid-March, which suggests that calves are born in the austral spring and early summer. Interactions between dolphins and seabirds/marine mammals were recorded. Killer whales (Orcinus orca) may prey on Commerson's dolphins in this area. ********************** Desportes, G.*, L. Buholzer, K. Anderson-Hansen, M-A Blanchet, M. Acquarone, G. Shephard, S. Brando, A. Vossen, and U. Siebert. 2007. Decrease stress; train your animals: The effect of handling methods on cortisol levels in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) under human care. Aquatic Mammals 33(3):286-292. *Fjord and B?lt Centre, DK-5300 Kerteminde, Denmark; email: genevieve at gdnatur.dk Circulating cortisol levels are accepted as a sensitive indicator of acute stress in marine mammals, particularly in relation with capture and handling. The present study provides the first long-term monitoring of cortisol levels in four harbour porpoises held in human care?an adult male and adult female and two juvenile females. It also compares levels in blood obtained after removing the animal from the water (OWR sampling) with levels in blood obtained at poolside under voluntary husbandry behaviours (VHB sampling). Cortisol levels differed significantly between the four porpoises, although they all exhibited quite high variations in cortisol levels, with averages of 64.9 and 70.5 ?g/l in the adult male and female, respectively, and 90.7 and 51.4 ?g/l in the juvenile females. OWR sampling induced significantly higher cortisol levels than VHB sampling, with a dramatic threefold decrease in circulating cortisol levels obtained under VHB sampling compared to levels obtained under OWR sampling (16.6 and 20.2 ?g/l compared with 64.9 and 70.5 ?g/l in the adult male and female respectively). Even if the porpoises showed some habituation to handling, regular and frequent handling over several years did not suppress a significant stress response in the porpoises when they were removed from the water, pointing to the advantage of using VHB for limiting stress in husbandry practices. ********************** Lockyer, C., A.A. Hohn, W.D. Doidge, M.P. Heide-J?rgensen, and R. Suydam. 2007. Age determination in belugas (Delphinapterus leucas): A quest for validation of dentinal layering. Aquatic Mammals 33(3):293-304. *NAMMCO, Polar Environmental Centre, N-9296 Troms?, Norway; email: christina.lockyer at nammco.no A workshop for experts in age determination of beluga whales was convened to (1) determine the number of dentinal Growth Layer Groups (GLGs) in beluga teeth and the variation therein among readers; (2) assess the deposition rate of dentinal GLGs in beluga teeth, specifically on the question of one or two GLGs per year; (3) define the appearance of dentinal GLGs in order to standardize reading methods among readers of beluga teeth; and (4) provide a consensus report with specific conclusions on deposition rate and GLG definition. Tooth specimens from ten belugas, all originally from Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, with captive histories ranging from 4 to 30 y, were the focus of the investigation. Three of these animals had medication histories of tetracycline antibiotics which "time-mark" hard tissues. Results from the inter-reader GLG comparisons, GLG counts compared with captive history, and tetracycline mark placement indicated that despite considerable problems with the inter-reader count variability, using certain assumptions, there was evidence that two GLGs per year was not possible in six of the ten specimens; however, there were some specimens for which it was clear that two GLGs per year could be feasible, and yet others where the derived estimate of age at first capture did not appear to be compatible with the most likely age for that size of animal. The conclusions were that one GLG annual deposition rate in dentine was clearly upheld in some instances but that the results were equivocal for several specimens for a variety of reasons. In light of the fact that tooth GLGs are likely to continue being the predominant method for aging in this species, the workshop members agreed on a list of seven recommendations that included, as a priority, experimental approaches that could help to standardize and validate GLG counting in age determination. ********************** Hayes, V.J., and J.M. Terhune. 2007. Underwater call sequences of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) at the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica. Aquatic Mammals 33(3):305-314. Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 5050, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada E2L 4L5; email: terhune at unbsj.ca Repeated sequences of different call types have been reported in some recordings of underwater calls of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) but not others. Recordings made during the breeding seasons of 1990 (1 site, n = 1,136 calls), 1991 and 1992 at three and seven sites, respectively (n < 210 calls per study site) at the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica, were examined. Calls were classified into 16 types, and series of calls were examined for two data sets (1990) and for all years. The low number of seals at these breeding sites resulted in a long series of calls with no overlap, thus facilitating the opportunity for sequence analyses. At most, but not all, study sites there was a three-call-sequence that occurred above chance levels. Thirty-five of 43 three-call-sequences were only detected in one year at one recording location; the other eight were heard at up to four study sites in the same year. Five sets of three-call-sequences occurred in the reverse order of other sequences. Pairs of calls were common, and most occurred in one order and not the reverse. During 3 h of observations of a male-female pair of Weddell seals lying quietly in a pool, there were no sequences of calls or dueting (n = 241 calls). Our findings support the hypothesis that some Weddell seals make nonrandom series of calls, but the functional significance of these patterns is uncertain. Because similar sequences occurred at several study sites, however, it is not likely that call sequences could be used as a natural acoustic tag to identify individual seals. ************************* Aurioles-Gamboa, D., and F.J. Camacho-R?os. 2007. Diet and feeding overlap of two otariids, Zalophus californianus and Arctocephalus townsendi: Implications to survive environmental uncertainty. Aquatic Mammals 33(3):315-326. Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias-Marinas ? Instituto Polit?cnico Nacional, Departamento de Biolog?a Marina y Pesquer?as, Apdo. Postal 592, La Paz, Baja California Sur, M?xico; email: dgamboa at ipn.mx The San Benito Islands in Mexico host a population of about 7,000 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) and have been recolonized by Guadalupe fur seals (Arctocephalus townsendi) since 1997. Due to similarities in natural history between the two species, we undertook a study to determine their feeding habits, measure diversity of their diets, examine trophic feeding level and overlap as indicators of competition, and estimate ability to adjust to changes in prey availability. During winter and summer 2001 and 2002, 289 sea lion scats and 218 fur seal scats were collected. To identify prey species, samples were sieved to recover otoliths and cephalopod beaks. A total of 1,495 structures were recovered from the sea lion scats: 83.8% otoliths and 16.2% cephalopod beaks. The most prevalent prey was in fish species (Argentina sialis, Merluccius angustimanus, andSebastes spp.) and the squid (Loligo opalescens). Of the 1,866 structures recovered from the Guadalupe fur seal scats, 95.6% were cephalopod beaks and 4.4% were otoliths, with L. opalescens as the most prevalent prey. The diversity of the trophic spectrum (H') of the sea lion was greater than the fur seal in every one of the samples, placing it as a "generalist predator" (Levins Index B = 4.65) in comparison to the fur seal (B = 1.53). The only significant trophic overlap (Morisita-Horn Index) occurred during the summer of 2001 (CH = 0.73). Both species consumed prey at similar trophic levels (sea lion = 4.42; fur seal = 4.22), which placed them as secondary-tertiary carnivores. The evidence suggests that the California sea lion forages in both benthic and pelagic habitats, resulting in a broader feeding spectrum and better adaptations to cope with changes in prey availability than the Guadalupe fur seal. ************************* Pires, R.*, H.C. Neves, and A.A. Karamanlidis. 2007. Activity patterns of the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) in the Archipelago of Madeira. Aquatic Mammals 33(3):327-336. *Parque Natural da Madeira, Quinta do Bom Sucesso, Caminho do Meio, Funchal 9064-512, Portugal Activity patterns of the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) were examined in the Desertas Islands Nature Reserve in the archipelago of Madeira. Activity of seals at sea was recorded from 25 lookout sites positioned along the reserve's coastline and correlated to site location, season, time of day, and state of tide. From 1994 to 2005, monk seal activity, related mainly to the reproductive behaviour of the species, was recorded primarily at the three pupping sites within the reserve. Activity was influenced by site location, season, and state of tide but not by the time of day. Activity was highest during the autumn and winter months and was related to the pupping and post-parturition necessities of the species, and during high tide, when the incoming action of the sea led monk seals to move out of coastal caves, which are used for resting and breeding. Differences in activity among the three sites monitored were attributed to the level of protection offered by these locations against wind and wave action. The findings of this study, the most extensive study of its kind, have enabled the identification of priority research, and conservation actions for the species in the area. ************************* Goldstein, T., C.A. Stephens, S.S. Jang, P.A. Conrad, C. Field, L.J. Dunn, and J.E. Mellish. 2007. Longitudinal health and disease monitoring in juvenile Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in temporary captivity in Alaska compared with a free-ranging cohort. Aquatic Mammals 33(3):337-348. *current address: The Marine Mammal Center, 1065 Fort Cronkite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA: email: goldsteint at tmmc.org From March 2003 to June 2006, 77 juvenile Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) from the endangered western stock were captured in Resurrection Bay and Prince William Sound, Alaska. Thirty-one were brought into temporary captivity (transient juveniles) for short-term research studies, and 46 were captured, sampled, and released for a control comparison. The groups of wild-caught sea lions were rotated through a quarantine facility. The objectives of this study were to measure exposure to marine and terrestrial mammalian pathogens in temporarily captive Steller sea lions over time, screen for commensal and pathogenic bacteria, and monitor changes in antimicrobial resistance in bacterial isolates. Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and Brucella marinus were detected in both free-ranging and transient juveniles. Although an increase in titers to Leptospira spp. and phocine herpesvirus-1 was detected in a small number of sea lions while housed in temporary captivity, none developed evidence of clinical disease. Additionally, exposure was also found to these potential pathogens in the free-ranging control Steller sea lions. There were no significant differences among the variety of bacterial types obtained from any culture site or animal groups, and antibiotic resistance did not occur in any transient juveniles while in captivity nor in isolates from the free-ranging controls. Results therefore indicated that free-ranging Steller sea lions were not placed at risk for disease following the release of the transient juveniles back into the marine environment. ****************** Finerty, S.E.*, G.R. Hillman, and R.W. Davis. 2007. Computer-matching of sea otter (Enhydra lutris) nose scars: A new method for tracking individual otters. Aquatic Mammals 33(3):349-358. *Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Texas A&M University, 5007 Avenue U, Galveston, TX 77551, USA; email: shannonfinerty at yahoo.com The Sea Otter Nose Matching Program, or SONMaP, was developed to identify individual Alaskan sea otters using a blotch-pattern recognition algorithm based on the shape and location of lightly colored nose scars. The program ranks all the images in order of similarity, most similar first, with six images displayed at a time. The user then selects the final match. In this study, the performance of the SONMaP program was tested using images of otters that had been previously matched by visually comparing every otter in a catalog of 1,638 animals. After running the images through SONMaP, they were classified as BEST, AVERAGE, or WORST based on whether the correct match was within the first 10%, 11 to 50%, or 51 to 100% of images in the catalog, respectively. In 48.9% of the previously visually matched images, the program accurately selected the correct image in the first 10% of the catalog, which compares favorably with other computer-assisted photo-identification studies of marine mammals. ****************** McGuire, T.L.* and T. Henningsen. 2007. Movement patterns and site fidelity of river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis and Sotalia fluviatilis) in the Peruvian Amazon as determined by photo-identification. Aquatic Mammals 33(3):359-367. *Marine Mammal Research Program, Texas A&M University, Galveston, TX 77551-5923, USA; tmcguire at lgl.com Photo-identification was used to examine range, rate of movement, and site fidelity of the river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis and Sotalia fluviatilis) in Peru's Pacaya-Samiria Reserve from 1991 to 2000 (field work conducted all years and all seasons). Dolphins were identified by scars, cuts, nicks, pigmentation patterns, and abnormal beaks. Seventy-two Inia and 7 Sotalia were identified, and 25 Inia and one Sotalia were resighted. Sighting histories ranged from 1 d to 7.6 y. Maximum range of movement for Inia was 220 km, with a mean range of 60.8 km. Maximum range for Sotalia was 130 km. The greatest rates of movement observed were 120 km/2 d for Inia, and 56 km/9 h for Sotalia. The mean rate of movement was 14.5 km/d for Inia and 56 km/d for Sotalia. Identified dolphins were not observed to move between surveyed tributaries of the Mara??n River but, instead, were always observed within the same tributary system. Ninety percent of all Inia resighted in one river system were seen in the same lake at least once, and 33% of dolphins resighted in the lake were never seen outside of the lake. Although photo-identification yielded new information about river dolphin movements and site fidelity, its utility was limited due to behavioral, morphological, and ecological characteristics of these cetacean species. ***************** Beasley, I.L.* and P.J.A. Davidson. 2007. Conservation status of marine mammals in Cambodian waters, including seven new cetacean records of occurrence. Aquatic Mammals 33(3):368-379. *School of Tropical Environment Studies and Geography, James Cook University, Australia; email: isabel.beasley at jcu.edu.au The first dedicated, boat-based marine mammal surveys in Cambodian coastal waters were conducted over seven discrete survey periods, spanning February to September 2001. These surveys covered the majority of Cambodian coastal waters, in addition to the main offshore islands. As a result of these surveys, ten marine mammal species have now been confirmed to occur in Cambodian waters. Six of these, the false killer whale, a long-beaked form of common dolphin, pantropical spotted dolphin, dwarf spinner dolphin, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, constitute new country records for Cambodia. Additionally, a short-finned pilot whale was found live-stranded, constituting a further new country record. These initial results indicate that the current status of marine mammals in Cambodian waters is encouraging, both in terms of species diversity and abundance. Cambodian waters appear to support regionally, if not globally, significant populations of several of these species. The dugong is almost certainly the most highly threatened marine mammal in the region. Studies to date have provided important baseline knowledge regarding the status, distribution, and important areas of occurrence for marine mammals in Cambodia. It is now essential that conservation and management strategies are developed and implemented. Public education and awareness and community-based management programs, as well as stricter laws, regulations, and adequate enforcement will be essential to conserving the remaining marine mammal populations and ensuring their survival in Cambodian coastal waters. ******************* Highfill, L.E., and S.A. Kuczaj II. 2007. Do bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have distinct and stable personalities? Aquatic Mammals 33(3):380-389. *Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5025, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA; email: Lauren.Highfill at usm.edu Psychologists have long been interested in the role of individual differences in the behavior of many species, particularly consistent differences that might reflect temperament or personality. Only recently has animal personality become an important and credible topic of research, however. In an effort to add to the literature on animal personality, the possibility of consistent personality characteristics was explored for a previously unstudied species, the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Dolphin personality was assessed using a measure that evaluated possible personality characteristics. The measure consisted of a list of adjectives and descriptions commonly associated with dolphin behaviors (e.g., "curious: appears to be interested in new situations or objects"). Judges rated each animal on each description using a seven-point rating scale. The stability of individual dolphin personality characteristics was assessed by comparing results from judgments of individual dolphin personalities collected prior to Hurricane Katrina with those collected approximately 15 months later. In the interval between these two ratings, the dolphins' home at MarineLife Oceanarium was destroyed, and the dolphins were subsequently relocated to a facility in the Bahamas. The second set of judgments was made by individuals in the Bahamas who had no experience with the dolphins prior to Hurricane Katrina and no information about the results of the earlier dolphin personality assessments. The results support the notions that dolphins demonstrate different personalities and that these personalities are relatively stable over time and across situations. ***************' Book Reviews ***************' Simmonds, M. 2007. Book Review: Whales, Whaling and Ecosystems. Editors: J.A. Estes, D.P. DeMaster, D.F. Doak, T.M. Williams, and R. Brownell. Aquatic Mammals 33(3):390-391. Email: mark.simmonds at wdcs.org *** Prothero, D.R. 2007. Book Review: Neptune?s Ark: From Ichthyosaurs to Orcas. Author: D. Rains Wallace. Aquatic Mammals 33(3):392-393. No email provided; Donald R. Prothero, Department of Geology, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 90041, USA *** Thewissen, J.G.M. 2007. Book Review: Morphology of the Auditory and Vestibular Organs in Mammals, with Emphasis on Marine Mammals. Author: G.N. Solntseva. Aquatic Mammals 33(3):394-395. No email provided; J.G.M. Thewissen, Department of Anatomy, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Rootstown, Ohio 44272, USA _________________________________________________________________ Make distant family not so distant with Windows Vista? + Windows Live?. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/digitallife/keepintouch.mspx?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_CPC_VideoChat_distantfamily_012008 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From goncalvesleandra at yahoo.com.br Mon Jan 7 15:54:14 2008 From: goncalvesleandra at yahoo.com.br (=?iso-8859-1?Q?Leandra_Gon=E7alves?=) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 15:54:14 -0800 (PST) Subject: [MARMAM] HUmpbacks whales sounds in the whales sounds Message-ID: <956043.28151.qm@web53809.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Hi all... My name is Leandra Gon?alves, I am the scientist on the Esperanza Greenpeace ship. We are here in the Southern Ocean, pacific side. Our primary task in the Southern Ocean is to find the fleet and stop them from whaling, but we are also playing our part in ensuring real whale science is done here. This my main role onboard. We are doing the humpbacks photo-id with the IFAW, who are the matching photos for us. And also we are doing some acoustic surveys and we have recorded some sounds. The Southern Ocean is a feeding area, and I know the humpbacks exhibit a variety of foraging behaviours, but neither they nor any baleen whale are known to produce broadband clicks in association with feeding, as do many odontocetes. But, we have heard some short sounds... I would like to know if anyone have more information about the humpback whales sounds in feeding areas on the southern ocean. And if yes, could send me the paper or the information??? I have did a search on the internet but I found some papers about ALASKA and CAPE COD and just one on the Southern Ocean (Thielle et al, 2004. International Whaling Commission ? Southern Ocean- GLOBEC/CCAMLR collaboration. Journal Catecean Res. Management) And I would like to know also, if any humpback sound recordings exist for the Southern Ocean area, mainly pacific side. thanks a lot And I am waiting the answers as soon as possible Leandra -- Leandra Regina Gon?alves Science officer on the Esperanza Greenpeace Brazil +47 514 079 86 (or 87) leandra.goncalves at br.greenpeace.org http://www.greenpeace.org.br/ Greenpeace Brazil Blog http://greenpeace.blogtvbrasil.com.br/oceanos ________________________________________________ Abra sua conta no Yahoo! Mail, o ?nico sem limite de espa?o para armazenamento! http://br.mail.yahoo.com/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mjasny at nrdc.org Mon Jan 7 14:07:58 2008 From: mjasny at nrdc.org (Jasny, Michael) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 14:07:58 -0800 Subject: [MARMAM] court decision on sonar mitigation Message-ID: Dear All: Last Thursday, a federal court in California issued an order, to the U.S. Navy, requiring additional mitigation for mid-frequency sonar exercises off southern California. This ruling comes in response to a charge from the Court of Appeals last November, to prescribe mitigation that safeguards the environment while allowing the Navy to train. Among other things, the Navy is required to exclude sonar use from certain high-density marine mammal habitat; expand its shut-down zone; power down during surface ducting conditions; and employ additional monitoring measures. It is expected that the Navy will appeal. Please let me know if you'd like a copy of the decision. Cheers, Michael Michael Jasny Senior Policy Analyst Natural Resources Defense Council 4479 W. 5th Avenue Vancouver, BC V6R1S4 tel. 604-736-9386 fax 310-434-2399 mjasny at nrdc.org PRIVILEGE AND CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law as attorney-client and work-product confidential or otherwise confidential communications. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication or other use of a transmission received in error is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, immediately notify me at the above telephone number. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rjtarpley at gmail.com Mon Jan 7 11:03:41 2008 From: rjtarpley at gmail.com (Raymond Tarpley) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 13:03:41 -0600 Subject: [MARMAM] MARVET Caymans 2008 Message-ID: <49A46999-CD76-4C26-8DFF-75B6CE2FF182@gmail.com> > MARVET announces a new workshop in Marine Conservation Medicine to > be conducted in Grand Cayman, British West Indies from July 21- > August 2, 2008. Please see posting at www.marvet.org for details. > Thanks......Raymond. > > MARVET > P.O. Box 882 > College Station, TX 77841-0882 > 979-765-9193 tel (leave message) > www.marvet.org > info at marvet.org > MARVET Caymans 2008 [TAKING APPLICATIONS] (Grand Cayman, British > West Indies, July 21- August 2, 2008 ~ hosted by Boatswain?s Beach > and St. Matthew?s University School of Veterinary Medicine) offers > veterinary students an introductory lecture and hands-on workshop in > the emerging professional field of Tropical Conservation Medicine, > with focus on veterinary care and rehabilitation of sea turtles and > the use of selected species of fish in ecosystem health assessments. > > Lectures will address concepts in conservation medicine, anatomy and > physiology of marine species (mammals, reptiles, fish), emerging > diseases in marine mammals, reptiles and amphibians, sea turtle > medicine, fish medicine, wildlife ecotoxicology, diagnostic > surveillance of wildlife morbidity and mortality, coral reef biology > and restoration, mangrove ecosystem biology, wildlife law and marine > wildlife medicine career opportunities for veterinarians. > > Students will participate in diagnostic wetlabs at the marine > facility, with an emphasis on physical examination, hematology, > biopsy, ultrasonography, necropsy techniques and marine quarantine > strategies, under the direction of veterinarians and biologists > active in marine medicine and conservation. A shark class will > demonstrate current methods for training and husbandry in sharks in > an aquarium habitat. > > Field activities will orient students toward key ecologic components > of marine ecosystem health, including mangrove forest kayaking and > coral reef snorkeling (with diving opportunities if desired). A site > visit will also be made to the Blue Iguana Habitat to investigate > this rare species and the conservation strategies being employed to > preserve it. Tuition includes lodging at Sunshine Suites and all > course activities. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From steve.silva at tx.rr.com Mon Jan 7 11:11:14 2008 From: steve.silva at tx.rr.com (Steve Silva) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 13:11:14 -0600 Subject: [MARMAM] Please post Message-ID: <006001c85161$1308cac0$0201a8c0@your27e1513d96> A national consulting firm is seeking an experienced Marine Scientist/Marine Mammal Biologist for our Plano, TX office. The successful candidate would be responsible for scientific content on various environmental projects and contribute their marine mammal expertise to the existing Marine Sciences group. Projects include, but are not limited to, marine resources, environmental, and biological assessments. Job duties include: * Preparing the marine mammal sections of marine resources assessments and environmental assessment documents in support of NEPA, ESA, MMPA, CZCA, or the MSFCMA/SFA, as well as other projects; * Researching, acquiring, and synthesizing marine mammal data and literature for use in environmental reports; * Acting as a team leader/principal investigator with responsibility for specific projects or subject areas; * Communicating with government, academic, and industry researchers and scientists; * Preparing and giving presentations to clients, colleagues, or at scientific or military meetings; * Participating in project team meetings and attend meetings with third parties/clients as required; * Traveling to client locations, project sites, symposia or other meetings, or other GMI offices as required; and * Analyzing protected species survey data, including application of statistical tests, as necessitated by projects. Requirements Experience and Skills Required: A background integrating living marine resources and their physical marine environment is essential. Two to five years experience working preferably for, but not limited to, a regulatory agency, consulting firm, or military environmental group. The successful candidate will possess strong technical writing, organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills as well as the ability to manage multiple tasks concurrently while functioning in an environment of changing priorities and time constraints. Candidates possessing experience in marine mammal surveying/monitoring, SAS, ESRI GIS, and/or EndNote? software, marine/aquatic field collections or monitoring, ,and familiarity with marine regulations/legislation will have the advantage. U.S. Navy experience, particularly with operations or training, is also a plus. Education: M.S. degree in Marine Biology, Wildlife or Environmental Management, or Oceanography with emphasis in coursework and experience related to the study of marine mammals. We are presently accepting applications only from US Citizens and permanent residents. Interested candidates should submit a Resume and writing sample to Steve Silva, Search Consultant; steve.silva at tx.rr.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From steveinbox at yahoo.co.uk Mon Jan 7 11:44:22 2008 From: steveinbox at yahoo.co.uk (Steve Box) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 19:44:22 +0000 (GMT) Subject: [MARMAM] Stranding of Beaked Whale on Utila, Honduras Message-ID: <699304.14551.qm@web25810.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> On the 3rd January an adult female beaked whale 17ft long was found stranded dead on the island of Utila, Bay Islands Honduras. Two days later a male calf 11ft long was found slightly further along the coast also dead. They have been provisionally identified as Cuviers Beaked Whales. A necropsy was performed on both animals with tissue samples and blood samples taken. I would be interested in hearing from anyone studying beaked whales so that we can provide you with further information about these strandings. Please contact me at steve(at)utilaecology.org Steve Box ------------------- Stephen Box Tel: +504 425 3026 Cel: +504 3303 6322 __________________________________________________________ Sent from Yahoo! Mail - a smarter inbox http://uk.mail.yahoo.com From b_d_r_i at yahoo.com Tue Jan 8 11:47:48 2008 From: b_d_r_i at yahoo.com (Bruno Diaz) Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 11:47:48 -0800 (PST) Subject: [MARMAM] Bottlenose dolphins society - New paper Message-ID: <348541.39207.qm@web54306.mail.re2.yahoo.com> The following publication is now available. Abstract is below. We are pleased to announce the publication of the following article in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. For a PDF copy please visit http://www.springerlink.com/content/6q741jj6010567v3/ or send requests to: bruno at thebdri.com, soon a copy will be available in our website www.thebdri.com Title: Marine aquaculture and bottlenose dolphins? (Tursiops truncatus) social structure Bruno Diaz Lopez & J.Andrea Bernal Shirai The Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute - BDRI ABSTRACT In this study, we investigate association patterns of 249 bottlenose dolphin feeding groups off Sardinia Island (Italy) from January 2000?May 2007 and describe how their association behaviour is related to their response to food patches created by a marine fin fish farm. We also tested the hypothesis that dolphins have different social structures with different feeding activities: Associations should decrease during opportunistic feeding behaviours as it is easier to capture prey, and cooperation is not as necessary. Sixteen individually identified bottlenose dolphins were observed participating in both opportunistic and not opportunistic feeding activities, with a mean of 30 ? 8 times and 9.6 ? 1 times, respectively. Bottlenose dolphins show non-random social behaviour during feeding and this behaviour differs depending on their specific foraging activity. Dolphin associations during feeding can be divided into three categories: acquaintances, affiliates, and feeding associates. Association behaviour during fish farm feeding is consistent with our hypothesis that during opportunistic behaviours, benefits from cooperation decrease, as it is easier to capture prey. Group size homogeneity in both feeding activities demonstrates that the number of dolphins engaging in foraging is not necessarily related with cooperation levels. Moreover, an adult dolphin may prefer to associate with a specific individual, independent of the sex, who shares the same foraging priorities. This study is the first to show how aquaculture is not only directly affecting marine predators but could also indirectly affect their social structure and behaviour. More information on this research can be found at www.thebdri.com Bruno D?az L?pez Research Biologist / Marine Zoologist Chief Researcher The Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute BDRI V.Armando Diaz N?4 07020 Golfo Aranci (SS) Italy http://www.thebdri.com info at thebdri.com Tel: + (39) 346 0815414 From erin.fougeres at noaa.gov Tue Jan 8 14:10:39 2008 From: erin.fougeres at noaa.gov (Erin Fougeres) Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2008 17:10:39 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] RFP for bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico Message-ID: <4783F4DF.8000600@noaa.gov> Please note that the following funding that has become available: The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, in partnership with the National Marine Fisheries Service, has announced a request for research proposals for projects aimed at enhancing conservation of bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico. Up to $80,000 is available through this funding opportunity. Proposals must focus on innovative and practical ways to help dolphins survive in the wild. Research topics may include: ? Characterizing various aspects of human interactions (i.e. dolphin tourism, feeding, harassment, etc.) with wild bottlenose dolphins; ? Assessing dolphin depredation on recreational and commercial fisheries; or ? Providing a comprehensive outreach strategy to inform the public of harmful interactions. The full funding announcement, including priorities and submission guidelines, can be viewed at http://www.masgc.org/funding/dolphinRFP.pdf. The deadline for proposals is Feb. 1. For details, contact Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium Director LaDon Swann at (251) 648-5877 or swanndl at auburn.edu . Erin Foug?res NOAA/NMFS/SER Stranding Program Administrator 263 13^th Avenue South St. Petersburg, FL 33701 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Jill.Lewandowski at mms.gov Tue Jan 8 12:33:38 2008 From: Jill.Lewandowski at mms.gov (Lewandowski, Jill) Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 15:33:38 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] VACANCY-Minerals Management Service seeking marine mammal expert Message-ID: <129D9C95B82B2B47A19A6DD244AB83690515FC51@IMSHEXPRI03.service.agency.mms.pri> > MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE SEEKS MARINE MAMMAL BIOLOGIST- position closes 1/30/08 > > The U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) is looking for a Biologist/Oceanographer to serve as a senior authority on marine mammal issues with an emphasis on marine mammal related research efforts. This position would work within the MMS Environmental Sciences Branch in Herndon, VA (outside of Washington, DC) and serve as the agency's lead authority on the coordination, planning, budgeting, and execution of all marine mammal-related studies funded or carried out by MMS. This includes providing technical reviews and oversight; coordination of diverse efforts within and outside of MMS and consistency of effort with MMS and Department national policies, resources, and priorities. > > MMS is the Federal agency charged with the safe and environmentally responsible regulation of offshore energy exploration, development and production, including traditional and renewable energy resources. More information about the MMS mission can be found at: www.mms.gov. > > Applications must be received no later than 1/30/08. Additional information on the duties of the position and application instructions can be found at: > > Job Announcement Number: > MMS-ANT-08-MM165845 > Main page for job site (searchable): http://www.usajobs.gov/ > Direct link: http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=66611611&jbf574=IN23&brd=3876&AVSDM=2007%2D12%2D20+16%3A09%3A46&sort=rv&vw=d&Logo=0&FedPub=Y&caller=%2Fagency%5Fsearch%2Easp&lid=631&FedEmp=N&SUBMIT1.x=88&SUBMIT1.y=23&ss=0&TabNum=1&rc=5 > > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From editor at monachus-guardian.org Wed Jan 9 07:57:32 2008 From: editor at monachus-guardian.org (William M. Johnson) Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:57:32 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] Spanish translation of The Monachus Guardian now published Message-ID: Dear Colleagues We are delighted to inform you that, thanks to the support of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Spain, the June 2007 issue of The Monachus Guardian has been published in Spanish. The November issue will follow in due course. This, we believe, marks another significant step towards bringing the plight of the monk seals and their threatened habitats to a wider international audience. If you have Spanish-language friends or colleagues who you think might be interested in the publication, please forward them this email. The Spanish translation can be accessed at: or through our ?home? page via the linked flag. With kind regards William Johnson Editor _______________________________________ William M Johnson editor at monachus-guardian.org http://www.monachus-guardian.org http://www.iridescent-publishing.com _______________________________________ From lhall at northcoastmmc.org Wed Jan 9 11:33:57 2008 From: lhall at northcoastmmc.org (Lanni Hall) Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:33:57 -0800 Subject: [MARMAM] Pinniped Rescue/Rehabilitation Internship Announcement Message-ID: <478521A5.3080508@northcoastmmc.org> PINNIPED RESCUE/REHABILITATION INTERNSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT The Northcoast Marine Mammal Center in Crescent City, CA seeks applicants for a spring and summer internship working with stranded seals and sea lions. The spring internship starts April 2008 and the summer internship starts July 2008. Start and end dates are flexible with the chosen interns. This is an unpaid position and chosen interns are responsible for travel and housing may be provided for qualified applicants. Description: The internship is designed to give exceptional hands-on experience with stranded pinnipeds in a rehabilitation setting including Pacific harbor seals, Northern elephant seals, California sea lions and potentially Steller sea lions and Northern fur seals. The interns will work closely with NMMC staff and volunteers in all aspects of stranding response; assessments, rescue, transport, rehabilitation, medical procedures, necropsies, record keeping and research projects and education outreach. Qualifications: The internship is open to all applicants at least 18 years or older. Undergraduates, veterinary students and recent graduates are encourage to apply. Internships for academic credit are the responsibility of the chosen intern. Interns must be willing to work a flexible work schedule which includes weekends and holidays. Interns should be in good physical health and strength and have the ability to lift and carry 50 lbs. Interns must be able to work amongst a diverse group of new and veteran volunteers. Applying: Interested individuals should send a cover letter indicating spring or summer internship, and a resume including three references to be considered. Send to: Lanni Hall, Director Northcoast Marine Mammal Center 424 Howe Drive Crescent City, CA 95531 (707) 465-6265 or email to: lhall at northcoastmmc.org or fax to: (707) 465-6292 Application deadline for spring internship is February 15, 2008 and summer internship is March 14, 2008. From Lori.Schwacke at noaa.gov Thu Jan 10 05:36:51 2008 From: Lori.Schwacke at noaa.gov (Lori Schwacke) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:36:51 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] SEAMAMMS 2008 Message-ID: <47861F73.1060101@noaa.gov> SEAMAMMS 2008 This is a reminder to submit your abstract and registration for the16th Annual Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium (SEAMAMMS). SEAMAMMS 2008 will be held March 28-30, 2008 in Charleston, South Carolina. Abstracts for oral and poster presentations are due by 5:00 pm on Friday, February 1, 2008 but earlier abstract submission is encouraged! Authors will be notified by February 15th regarding the status of their presentation. The number of oral and poster presentations is limited; selection of abstracts for presentation will be made on the basis of anonymous peer review. Oral presenters will be allowed a 15 minute slot, and should aim for 12 minute presentations allowing time for questions. A designated poster session will be held on Saturday, March 29. Each individual may present only a single poster or oral presentation. Awards will be given for best student poster and best student oral presentation. Abstracts should be submitted to : seamamms08 at noaa.gov . More details can be found on the SEAMAMMS website: http://www.musc.edu/mbes/seamamms/ We look forward to seeing you in March!! Lori Schwacke Lori.Schwacke at noaa.gov -- Lori Schwacke, PhD Hollings Marine Laboratory 331 Fort Johnson Road Charleston, SC 29412 Ph/ 843.762.8868 Fx/ 843.762.8737 Mo/ 843.693.5629 Lori.Schwacke at noaa.gov From Margie.Barlas at MyFWC.com Wed Jan 9 11:55:58 2008 From: Margie.Barlas at MyFWC.com (Barlas, Margie) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 14:55:58 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] FWC Manatee Tracking Project Internship Opportunity Message-ID: <1DB18CF57E4FC540A154AA38998EF86A042AE793@FWC-TLEX3.fwc.state.fl.us> Manatee Tracking Project Research Intern or Volunteer The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Marine Mammal Research Group is looking for two motivated interns or volunteers to serve for the upcoming spring-summer session in St. Petersburg, FL. Position description: The intern's primary responsibility is to assist researchers in the Manatee Behavioral Ecology Program with tracking manatees in southwest Florida. The principle aim of this study is to characterize manatee response to watercraft in their natural environment using state-of-the-art multi-sensor digital acoustic recording tags and satellite-linked GPS technology. The successful applicant will record behavioral observations of individual tagged manatees and operational information of vessel traffic from small boats. Other duties include equipment maintenance, data entry, various office tasks, and public outreach as needed. Interns are expected to work Friday to Monday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; however, some morning and evening hours may be required to utilize daylight and maximize data collection. Applicants should understand that this job requires them to be wet, dirty, and outdoors in all weather conditions. This position is unpaid; housing is not provided, and interns must provide their own transportation to and from the office. Lodging and transportation are provided while at the field site. Qualifications: * Must be college junior or senior for internship credit; volunteers do not need to meet this qualification * Must have basic computer proficiency * Some field research experience with animals preferred * Should be comfortable speaking to the public while in the field * Ability to trailer and operate watercraft up to 22' in length is desired, but training will be provided * Experience with radio telemetry tracking gear is desirable, but training will be provided * Must be able to swim * Preference given to applicants who possess a valid US driver's license Application Process: We are currently accepting applications for the spring-summer 2008 session (April- August). Internships, which ideally last three to four months, require a minimum ten-week commitment. Starting and ending dates are flexible. Please indicate in your cover letter the position for which you are applying. Please send a hard copy of your r?sum? with your cover letter, college transcripts (unofficial are sufficient if not applying for internship credit), a list three references and contact information to the following address: TO APPLY: Dr. William S. Arnold- Internship Coordinator FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 100 8th Avenue SE St. Petersburg, FL 33701-3095 You can also send your application by e-mail to: ManateeInterns at myfwc.com For Information on FWRI: http://research.MyFWC.com/ For More Information on FWRI Internships: http://research.myfwc.com/education/category_sub.asp?id=5148 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From David.Mellinger at oregonstate.edu Fri Jan 11 12:01:42 2008 From: David.Mellinger at oregonstate.edu (Dave Mellinger) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:01:42 -0800 Subject: [MARMAM] paper on fixed passive acoustic monitoring Message-ID: <47852F3B.3050400@oregonstate.edu> The following paper has just been published: Mellinger, D.K., K.M. Stafford, S.E. Moore, R.P. Dziak, and H. Matsumoto. 2007. An overview of fixed passive acoustic observation methods for cetaceans. Oceanography 20(4):36-45. Articles in Oceanography do not have abstracts, but part of the Introduction says this: In this article, we describe the methodology of fixed passive acoustic observations, including instrumentation, software for detection of vocalizations, statistical methods, and interpretation of results, and then provide an example of the results from a fixed passive acoustic survey of Bransfield Strait, Antarctica. A PDF is available here: ftp://newportftp.pmel.noaa.gov/newport/mellinger/papers/MellingerEtAl07-AcousticCetaceanObservation.pdf Dave Mellinger David.Mellinger at oregonstate.edu or David.K.Mellinger at noaa.gov From gheckel at cicese.mx Mon Jan 14 11:32:00 2008 From: gheckel at cicese.mx (gheckel at cicese.mx) Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:32:00 -0800 (PST) Subject: [MARMAM] SOMEMMA-abstract submission deadline extended Message-ID: <1474.148.221.85.174.1200339120.squirrel@arrecife.cicese.mx> AVISO IMPORTANTE/IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT Hemos extendido la fecha limite para entrega de resumenes hasta el 25 de enero de 2008. Abstract submission deadline has been extended until 25 January 2008. Subject: SOMEMMA-abstract submission deadline extended Dear SOMEMMA members and friends: We have extended the abstract submission deadline until 25 January 2008. Best regards, Gisela Heckel Conference Chair XXXI International Meeting for the Study of Marine Mammals SOMEMMA 2008 Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico 18 - 22 May 2008 More information at: http://reunion2008.somemma.org From jan.herrmann at cetacea.de Mon Jan 14 13:02:19 2008 From: jan.herrmann at cetacea.de (Jan Herrmann) Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:02:19 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] New publications week 38-40 Message-ID: Dear all, here are some new publications of week 38-40 / 2007, which haven't been announced on MARMAM earlier AFAIK. By clicking the following link you are guided to a website, where the following references are linked to their according journal homepages. There you can find abstracts and contact information: http://www.mmbib.com/news.php Please do not contact MARMAM, the MARMAM editors or me for reprints. Thank you. Thanks to all of you who sent in reprints to be included in the weekly announcements. Kindest Regards, Jan Herrmann CETACEA Desportes, G. et al. (2007): Decrease Stress; Train Your Animals: The Effect of Handling Methods on Cortisol Levels in Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) Under Human Care. Aquatic Mammals 33(3): 286-292. Highfill, L.E. and S.A. Kuczaj II (2007): Do Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Have Distinct and Stable Personalities? Aquatic Mammals 33(3): 380-389. I??guez, M.A. and V.P. Tossenberger (2007): Commerson's Dolphins (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) off Ria Deseado, Patagonia, Argentina. Aquatic Mammals 33(3): 276-285. Lockyer, C. et al. (2007): Age Determination in Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas): A Quest for Validation of Dentinal Layering. Aquatic Mammals 33(3): 293-304. Lotan, M. (2007): Alternative therapeutic intervention for individuals with rett syndrome. TheScientificWorldJOURNAL 7(): 698-714. McGuire, T.L. and T. Henningsen (2007): Movement Patterns and Site Fidelity of River Dolphins (Inia geoffrensis and Sotalia fluviatilis) in the Peruvian Amazon as Determined by Photo-Identification. Aquatic Mammals 33(3): 359-367. Meletis, Z.A. and L.M. Campbell (2007): Call It Consumption! Re-Conceptualizing Ecotourism as Consumption and Consumptive. Geography Compass 1(4): 850-870. Mowat, R.J.C. (2007): The Kraken and the Colossal Octopus: in the Wake of Sea-Monsters - By BERNARD HEUVELMANS. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology 36(2): 449-450. Nicholls, H. (2007): Taxonomy on trial. BOOK REVIEWED - Trying Leviathan: The Nineteenth-Century New York Court Case That Put a Whale on Trial and Challenged the Order of Nature by D. Graham Burnett. Princeton University Press: 2007. 304 pp. $29.95, ?17.95. Nature 450(7173): 1161. Prothero, D.R. (2007): Book Review: NEPTUNE'S ARK: FROM ICHTHYOSAURS TO ORCAS. David Rains Wallace. University of California Press, Berkeley, 2007. ISBN 978-0-520-24322-4, 282 pp. Aquatic Mammals 33(3): 392-393. Pyenson, N.D. and D.M. Haasl (2007): Miocene whale-fall from California demonstrates that cetacean size did not determine the evolution of modern whale-fall communities. Biology Letters 3(6): 709-711. Robineau, D. et al. (2007): Description of a new subspecies of Commerson's dolphin, Cephalorhynchus commersonii (Lac?p?de, 1804), inhabiting the coastal waters of the Kerguelen Islands. Mammalia 71(4): 172-180. Savours, A. (2007): Whalers and Free Men: Life on Tasmania's Colonial Whaling Stations - By SUSAN LAWRENCE. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology 36(2): 448-449. Simmonds, M.P. (2007): Book Review: WHALES, WHALING AND ECOSYSTEMS. Editors: James A. Estes, Douglas P. DeMaster, Daniel F. Doak, Terrie M. Williams, and Robert Brownell. University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, and London. 2007. ISBN-13: 978-0-520-24884-7, ISBN-10: 0-520-24884-8. Aquatic Mammals 33(3): 390-391. Thewissen, J.G.M. (2007): Book Review: MORPHOLOGY OF THE AUDITORY AND VESTIBULAR ORGANS IN MAMMALS, WITH EMPHASIS ON MARINE SPECIES. Galina N. Solntseva. Pencroft Publishers and Brill Academic Publishers, Sofia, Leiden, 2007. ISBN 9789004162020, 244 pp. Aquatic Mammals 33(3): 394-395. Thewissen, J.G.M. et al. (2007): Whales originated from aquatic artiodactyls in the Eocene epoch of India. Nature 450(7173): 1190-1194. Beasley, I.L. and P.J.A. Davidson (2007): Conservation Status of Marine Mammals in Cambodian Waters, Including Seven New Cetacean Records of Occurrence. Aquatic Mammals 33(3): 368-379. PINNIPEDIA Aurioles-Gamboa, D. and F.J. Camacho-R?os (2007): Diet and Feeding Overlap of Two Otariids, Zalophus californianus and Arctocephalus townsendi: Implications to Survive Environmental Uncertainty. Aquatic Mammals 33(3): 315-326. Bj?rge, A., N. ?ien, and K.-A. Fagerheim (2007): Abundance of Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina) in Norway Based on Aerial Surveys and Photographic Documentation of Hauled-Out Seals During the Moulting Season, 1996 to 1999. Aquatic Mammals 33(3): 269-275. Goldstein, T. et al. (2007): Longitudinal Health and Disease Monitoring in Juvenile Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Temporary Captivity in Alaska Compared with a Free-Ranging Cohort. Aquatic Mammals 33(3): 337-348. Hayes, V.J. and J.M. Terhune (2007): Underwater Call Sequences of Weddell Seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) at the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica. Aquatic Mammals 33(3): 305-314. Pires, R., H.C. Neves, and A.A. Karamanlidis (2007): Activity Patterns of the Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) in the Archipelago of Madeira. Aquatic Mammals 33(3): 327-336. Rausch, R.L., J.C. George, and H.K. Brower (2007): Effect of climatic warming on the Pacific walrus, and potential modification of its helminth fauna. Journal of Parasitology 93(5): 1247-1251. Jenssen, B.M. et al. (2007): Brominated Flame Retardants in North-East Atlantic Marine Ecosystems. Environmental Health Perspectives 115(Supplement 1): 35-41. OTHER MARINE MAMMALS Finerty, S.E., G.R. Hillman, and R.W. Davis (2007): Computer-Matching of Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) Nose Scars: A New Method for Tracking Individual Otters. Aquatic Mammals 33(3): 349-358. Larkin, I.L.V., V.F. Fowler, and R.L. Reep (2007): Digesta passage rates in the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris). Zoo Biology 26(6): 503-515. -- --> jan.herrmann -at - cetacea.de From ciarabertulli at yahoo.it Fri Jan 11 10:18:53 2008 From: ciarabertulli at yahoo.it (chiara bertulli) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:18:53 +0100 (CET) Subject: [MARMAM] Seeking research assistants Message-ID: <822575.71064.qm@web26404.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> SEEKING RESEARCH ASSISTANTS BACKGROUND Faxafl?i Bay is a bay facing Reykjav?k city where daily tours are arranged to spot feeding minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, humpback whales and harbour porpoises. Reykjavik Whale-watching Company is running whale-watching trips since 1998, with special interest in all whales visiting the bay. The company is member of Green Globe 21 and tries to fulfil environmental standards as well as certain whale-watching guidelines. Since 2007, the Company started as well a Research project aiming to: - recognize individually minke whales and white-beaked dolphins photographed - investigate the distribution of minke whales and dolphins in association with underlying environmental variables - study the breathing patterns - analyse the feeding behaviour of minke whales and data collected on associated bird species - analyse the relation between the presence of whales, environmental variables and boat traffic CONDITIONS Research will begin on the last week of April and will extend to the end of August 2008. I am seeking 2 research assistants (April-May), and 3 assistants (June-August) to assist with the collection of behavioural data on minke whales and white-beaked dolphins in Faxafl?i Bay, Reykjav?k, Iceland. Because of the training required, applicants must be willing to commit to the project a minimum of two months. Applicants willing to participate for the whole working period will be given preference. Two whale-watching motor vessels will be used as research platform: Elding and Hafs?lan each approx 30 m long. The project will cover accommodation and lunch during the working hours. Living space is located on a former fishing boat in the old harbour, with 1 double and 3 single rooms, bathroom, kitchen, living room and internet access (25 square metres); 10 min walking distance to the city centre. Volunteers will have to cover all travel and personal expenses on their own. DUTIES Applicants should be ready to work long hours(08:00 to 16.00 or to 20.00 hours depending on weather conditions) and be expected to participate in the following duties: - collect behavioural data on cetacean sightings - data entry for cetacean sightings - photo-identification work/fin matching Applicants should: have a strong background in Marine biology-Oceanography, with knowledge and experience of marine mammal behaviour and/or sea birds have previous field experience, photo-identification skills and ability to stand long working days, sometimes in rough sea conditions be computer literate with a working knowledge PC operating system and proficiency with MS Word and MS Excel. Familiarity with software including MS Access and Photoshop is very helpful. Possibility to bring your own Laptop is much preferred be enthusiastic, hard-working, team oriented, able to share small living space on board be adaptable, flexible and patient as fieldwork is highly weather dependent have good English language skills bring your own digital camera, binoculars and GPS(useful but not a pre-requisite) If interested or got queries, please contact me sending: - CV or resume(please include also dietary choice for planning purposes: i.e. carnivore, vegetarian, vegan, etc.) - details of your availability - contact details of two referees - a brief description of yourself including your interest in marine mammals and what you hope to gain from this experience by Saturday, the 1st March 2008 Chiara Bertulli Marine biologist/Project leader c/o Reykjav?k Whale-watching Company ?gisgardur 7 101 Reykjav?k www.elding.is Phone:+39/340/6933102(mobile) +39/02/70000549(home until end February) Email: ciarabertulli at yahoo.it shakiara06 at gmail.com --------------------------------- --------------------------------- L'email della prossima generazione? Puoi averla con la nuova Yahoo! Mail -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From janiger at almaak-01.usc.edu Wed Jan 16 18:56:02 2008 From: janiger at almaak-01.usc.edu (David S. Janiger) Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:56:02 -0800 Subject: [MARMAM] New Articles Message-ID: <3.0.6.32.20080116185602.012ae810@email.usc.edu> Hi, All Here's the latest posting of new PDF's that are available. File sizes have been included. Abstracts also available on request. Please don't hit the reply button. Make all requests to: janiger at bcf.usc.edu Cheers! David Janiger - Curatorial Assistant (Mammals) Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 (213) 763-3369 janiger at bcf.usc.edu djaniger at nhm.org Janiger Journals ALTER, S. E. and S. R. PALUMBI. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 104(52):E3-E4. 2007. (Letter) Could genetic diversity in eastern North Pacific gray whales reflect global historic abundance? 0.178 MB BEAUSOLEIL, N. J. and D. J. MELLOR. AUSTRALIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL 85(12):484-485. 2007. (Editorial) Investigator responsibilities and animal welfare issues raised by hot branding of pinnipeds. 0.129 MB BERON-VERA, BARBARA; ENRIQUE A. CRESPO; JUAN A. RAGA and MERCEDES FERNANDEZ. JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 93(5):1056-1060. 2007. Parasite communities of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from Patagonia: The relation with host distribution and diet and comparison with sympatric hosts. 0.071 MB BESTER, MARTHAN N.; HENDRIK DE CLERCQ; G. J. GREG HOFMEYR and P. J. NICO DE BRUYN. POLAR BIOLOGY 31(2):255-257. 2008. Leucistic southern elephant seal at Marion Island? 0.234 MB CASTINEL, AURELIE; BILL POMROY and ALEX GRINBERG. VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY 125(3-4):388-389. 2007. (Response to Letter to the editor below) Hookworm infection and Klebsiella pneumoniae epidemics in New Zealand sea lion pups. 0.082 MB DIETZ, RUNE; ARI D. SHAPIRO; MEHDI BAKHTIARI; JACK ORR; PETER L. TYACK; PIERRE RICHARD; IDA G. ESKESEN and GREG MARSHALL. BMC ECOLOGY 7(14): 28pp. 2007. Upside-down swimming behaviour of free-ranging narwhals. 0.615 MB ENGELHAUPT, ERIKA. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 41(22):7592. 2007. Are polar bears too polarizing? 0.115 MB FINNERAN, JAMES J.; DORIAN S. HOUSER; DAVE BLASKO; CHRISTIE HICKS; JIM HUDSON and MIKE OSBORN. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 123(1):542-551. 2008. Estimating bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) hearing thresholds from single and multiple simultaneous auditory evoked potentials. 0.221 MB FOSTER, GEOFFREY; BJORN S. OSTERMAN; JACQUES GODFROID; ISABELLE JACQUES and AXEL CLOECKAERT. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY 57(11):2688-2693. 2007. Brucella ceti sp nov and Brucella pinnipedialis sp nov for Brucella strains with cetaceans and seals as their preferred hosts. 0.109 MB FRASIER, T. R.; P. K. HAMILTON; M. W. BROWN; L. A. CONGER; A. R. KNOWLTON; M. K. MARX; C. K. SLAY; S. D. KRAUS and B. N. WHITE. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 16(24):5277-5293. 2007. Patterns of male reproductive success in a highly promiscuous whale species: The endangered North Atlantic right whale. 0.266 MB GROUSSAUD, PAULINE; STEPHEN J. SHANKSTER; MARK KOYLASS and ADRIAN M. WHATMORE. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY 56(11):1512-1518. 2007. Molecular typing divides marine mammal strains of Brucella into at least three groups with distinct host preferences. 0.371 MB HARINO, HIROYA; MADOKA OHJI; GULLAYA WATTAYAKORN; KARNJANA ADULYANUKOSOL; TAKAOMI ARAI and NOBUYUKI MIYAZAKI. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 54(1):145-153. 2008. Accumulation of organotin compounds in tissues and organs of dolphins from the coasts of Thailand. 0.435 MB HIGDON, JEFF W.; OLAF R. P. BININDA-EMONDS; ROBIN M. D. BECK and STEVEN H. FERGUSON. BMC EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 7(216): 56pp. 2007. Phylogeny and divergence of the pinnipeds (Carnivora: Mammalia) assessed using a multigene dataset. 0.927 MB HILL, S. L.; K. REID; S. E. THORPE; J. HINKE and G. M. WATTERS. CCAMLR (CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES) SCIENCE 14:1-25. 2007. A compilation of parameters for ecosystem dynamics models of the Scotia Sea-Antarctic Peninsula region. 0.294 MB Aerobat 5.0 or greater to view HOUSER, DORIAN S.; CORY D. CHAMPAGNE and DANIEL E. CROCKER. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY - REGULATORY INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 293(6):R2376-R2381. 2007. Lipolysis and glycerol gluconeogenesis in simultaneously fasting and lactating northern elephant seals. 0.492 MB JACKSON, J. A.; N. J. PATENAUDE; E. L. CARROLL and C. SCOTT BAKER. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 17(1):236-251. 2008. How few whales were there after whaling? Inference from contemporary mtDNA diversity. 0.573 MB JARAMILLO-LEGORRETA, ARMANDO; LORENZO ROJAS-BRACHO; ROBERT L. BROWNELL, JR; ANDREW J. READ; RANDALL R. REEVES; KATHERINE RALLS and BARBARA L. TAYLOR. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 21(6):1653-1655. 2007. Saving the vaquita: Immediate action, not more data. 0.069 MB JESSUP, DAVID A.; MELISSA A. MILLER; CHRIS KREUDER-JOHNSON; PATRICIA A. CONRAD; M. TIMOTHY TINKER; JAMES ESTES and JORMA A. K. MAZET. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 231(11):1648-1652. 2007. Sea otters in a dirty ocean. 0.226 MB KAPOOR, A.; J. VICTORIA; P. SIMMONDS; C. WANG; R. W. SHAFER; R. NIMS; O. NIELSEN and E. DELWART. JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY 82(1):311-320. 2008. A highly divergent picornavirus in a marine mammal. 0.740 MB LANCASTER, MELANIE L.; SIMON D. GOLDSWORTHY and PAUL SUNNUCKS. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 16(24):5267-5276. 2007. Multiple mating strategies explain unexpected genetic mixing of New Zealand fur seals with two congenerics in a recently recolonized population. 0.185 MB LAURIANO, GIANCARLO; MARINO VACCHI; DAVID AINLEY and GRANT BALLARD. ANTARCTIC SCIENCE 19(4):439-440. 2007. (Short note) Observations of top predators foraging on fish in the pack ice of the southern Ross Sea. 0.066 MB LOSEY, ROBERT J. and DONGYA Y. YANG. AMERICAN ANTIQUITY 72(4):657-676. 2007. Opportunistic whale hunting on the southern northwest coast: Ancient DNA, artifact, and ethnographic evidence. 6.028 MB LUQUE, SEBASTIAN P.; EDWARD H. MILLER; JOHN P. Y. ARNOULD; MAGALY CHAMBELLANT and CHRISTOPHE GUINET. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 85(12):1275-1285. 2007. Ontogeny of body size and shape of Antarctic and subantarctic fur seals. 0.119 MB MCMAHON, C. R. AUSTRALIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL 85(12):482-484. 2007. (Editorial) Branding the seal branders: What does the research say about seal branding? 0.187 MB MONAMY, V. AUSTRALIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL 85(12):485-486. 2007. (Editorial) Hot iron branding of seals and sea lions: Why the ban will remain. 0.185 MB MURPHY, EUGENE J.; PHILIP N. TRATHAN; JON L. WATKINS; KEITH REID; MICHAEL P. MEREDITH; JAUME FORCADA; SALLY E. THORPE; NADINE M. JOHNSTON and PETER ROTHERY. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES B BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 274(1629):3057-3067. 2007. Climatically driven fluctuations in Southern Ocean ecosystems. 1.534 MB OELSCHLAEGER, H. H. A.; M. HAAS-RIOTH; C. FUNG; S. H. RIDGWAY and M. KNAUTH. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 71(1):68-86. 2008. Morphology and evolutionary biology of the dolphin (Delphinus sp.) brain - MR Imaging and Conventional Histology. 1.027 MB PALSBOLL, PER J.; MARTINE BERUBE and FINN LARSEN. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 104(52):E2. 2007. (Letter) Could genetic diversity in eastern North Pacific gray whales reflect global historic abundance? 0.067 MB PARKS, SUSAN E.; C. W. CLARK and P. L. TYACK. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 122(6):3725-3731. 2007. Short- and long-term changes in right whale calling behavior: The potential effects of noise on acoustic communication. 0.421 MB POPOV, VLADIMIR V.; ALEXANDER YA. SUPIN; VLADIMIR O. KLISHIN; MIKHAIL B. TARAKANOV and MIKHAIL G. PLETENKO. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 123(1):552-560. 2008. Evidence for double acoustic windows in the dolphin, Tursiops truncatus. 0.651 MB POTTER, JOHN R.; MARIELLE THILLET; CRAIG DOUGLAS; MANDAR A. CHITRE; ZBIGNIEW DOBORZYNSKI and PAUL J. SEEKINGS. IEEE JOURNAL OF OCEANIC ENGINEERING 32(2):469-483. 2007. Visual and passive acoustic marine mammal observations and high-frenquency seismic source characteristics recorded during a seismic survey. 4.421 MB PRESCOTT, JOHN. VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY 125(3-4):387. 2007. (Letter to the editor) Characterization of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from New Zealand sea lion pups. 0.072 MB RAUSCH, ROBERT L.; JOHN C. GEORGE and HARRY K. BROWER. JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 93(5):1247-1251. 2007. Effect of climatic warming on the pacific walrus, and potential modification of its helminth fauna. 0.220 MB ROCHE, C.; C. GUINET; N. GASCO and G. DUHAMEL. CCAMLR (CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES) SCIENCE 14:67-82. 2007. Marine mammals and demersal longline fishery interactions in Crozet and Kerguelen Exclusive Economic Zones: An assessment of depredation levels. 0.243 MB Aerobat 5.0 or greater to view ROSSI-SANTOS, MARCOS R.; CLARENCIO BARACHO; SERGIO CIPOLOTTI and ENRICO MARCOVALDI. POLAR BIOLOGY 31(1):63-68. 2007. Cetacean sightings near South Georgia Islands, South Atlantic Ocean. 0.393 MB RUDDELL, S. J. S.; S. D. TWISS and P. P. POMEROY. ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR 74(5):1357-1368. 2007. Measuring opportunity for sociality: Quantifying social stability in a colonially breeding phocid. 0.280 MB SETSAAS, T. H.; M. N. BESTER; J. H. VAN NIEKERK; J. P. ROUX and G. J. G. HOFMEYR. POLAR BIOLOGY 31(2):249-253. 2008. Dispersion during the moult haulout of southern elephant seals at the Courbet Peninsula, Iles Kerguelen. 0.290 MB STAFFORD, KATHLEEN M.; DAVID K. MELLINGER; SUE E. MOORE and CHRISTOPHER G. FOX. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 122(6):3378-3390. 2007. Seasonal variability and detection range modeling of baleen whale calls in the Gulf of Alaska, 1999-2002. 0.903 MB SUPIN, ALEXANDER YA.; PAUL E. NACHTIGALL and MARLEE BREESE. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 123(1):534-541. 2008. Hearing sensitivity during target presence and absence while a whale echolocates. 0.210 MB THEWISSEN, J. G. M.; LISA NOELLE COOPER; MARK T. CLEMENTZ; SUNIL BAJPAI and B. N. TIWARI. NATURE (LONDON) 450(7173):1190-1194. 2007. Whales originated from aquatic artiodactyls in the Eocene epoch of India. 0.492 MB VELA, A. I.; A. FERNANDEZ; C. SANCHEZ-PORRO; E. SIERRA; M. MENDEZ; M. ARBELO; A. VENTOSA; L. DOMINGUEZ and J. F. FERNANDEZ-GARAYZABAL. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY 57(11):2604-2608. 2007. Flavobacterium ceti sp nov., isolated from beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris). 0.125 MB WEI?, BRIGITTE M.; HELENA SYMONDS; PAUL SPONG and FRIEDRICH LADICH. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 122(6):3710-3716. 2007. Intra- and intergroup vocal behavior in resident killer whales, Orcinus orca. 0.193 MB WEILGART, L. S. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 85(11):1091-1116. 2007. The impacts of anthropogenic ocean noise on cetaceans and implications for management. 0.601 MB Aerobat 5.0 or greater to view WIIG, OYSTEIN; ERIK W. BORN; IAN GJERTZ; CHRISTIAN LYDERSEN and ROBERT E. A. STEWART. POLAR BIOLOGY 31(1):69-75. 2007. Historical sex-specific distribution of Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus ) in Svalbard assessed by mandible measurements. 0.518 MB WOHLSEIN, PETER; CHRISTINA PUFF; MIHAELA KREUTZER; URSULA SIEBERT and WOLFGANG BAUMGAERTNER. EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES 13(12):1959-1961. 2007. Distemper in a dolphin. 0.194 MB WOLF, JOCHEN B. W.; DAVID MAWDSLEY; FRITZ TRILLMICH and RICHARD JAMES. ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR 74(5):1293-1302. 2007. Social structure in a colonial mammal: Unravelling hidden structural layers and their foundations by network analysis. 0.954 MB ZAMON, JEANNETTE E.; TROY J. GUY; KENNETH BALCOMB and DAVID ELLIFRIT. NORTHWESTERN NATURALIST 88(3):193-198. 2007. Winter observations of southern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) near the Columbia River plume during the 2005 spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) spawning migration. 0.628 MB Too large to email, will have to download from FTP server, Email for logon info. MONTIE, ERIC W.; GERALD E. SCHNEIDER; DARLENE R. KETTEN; LORI MARINO; KATIE E. TOUHEY and MARK E. HAHN. ANATOMICAL RECORD: ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 290(12):1459-1479. 2007. Neuroanatomy of the subadult and fetal brain of the Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus) from in situ magnetic resonance images. 7.044 MB USENIUS, TAINA; ANNE-MARI MUSTONEN; JUSSI-PEKKA USENIUS; HEIKKI HYVARINEN; TERO SIPILAE; JOUNI T. KOSKELA and PETTERI NIEMINEN. ANNALES ZOOLOGICI FENNICI 44(5):355-367. 2007. Magnetic resonance imaging and its applications in morphological studies of pinnipeds. 12.958 MB Aerobat 5.0 or greater to view From john.wise at maine.edu Tue Jan 15 19:55:18 2008 From: john.wise at maine.edu (John Wise) Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:55:18 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] new right whale paper Message-ID: <001401c857f3$9bdadb20$6701a8c0@WiseJohnTablet> Dear All, We are pleased to announce the publication of our article on chromium and Northern right whales in Mutation Research: Hexavalent chromium is cytotoxic and genotoxic to the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) lung and testes fibroblasts. John Pierce Wise, Sandra S. Wise, Scott Kraus, Fariba Shaffiey, Marijke Grau, Tania Li Chen, Christopher Perkins, W. Douglas Thompson, Tongzhang Zheng, Yawei Zhang, Tracy Romano and Todd O'Hara. Mutation Research 650:30-38, 2008. Abstract Although hexavalent chromium is a known genotoxic agent in human and terrestrial mammals and is present in seawater and air, its effects on marine mammals including the endangered North Atlantic right whale are unknown and untested. The present study investigated the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of hexavalent chromium in primary cultured North Atlantic right whale lung and testes fibroblasts and levels of total chromium in skin biopsies from North Atlantic right whales. Cytotoxicity was measured by clonogenic survival assay. Genotoxicity was measured as production of chromosome aberrations. Tissue chromium levels were determined from skin biopsies of healthy free-ranging whales in the Bay of Fundy using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. Hexavalent chromium-induced concentration-dependent increases in right whale lung and testes fibroblast cytotoxicity with the testes more sensitive to the cytotoxic effects. It also induced concentration-dependent increases in chromosomal aberrations in both cell types with no significant difference in sensitivity. Skin biopsy data indicate that North Atlantic right whales are exposed to chromium and accumulate a range of 4.9-10 ug Cr/g tissue with a mean of 7.1 ug/g. Hexavalent chromium is cytotoxic and genotoxic to North Atlantic right whale cells. The whales have tissue chromium levels that are concerning. These data support a hypothesis that chromium may be a concern for the health of the North Atlantic right whales. Considering these data with chromium chemistry, whale physiology and atmospheric chromium levels further suggest that inhalation may be an important exposure route. Reprint requests should be addressed to me. John John Pierce Wise, Sr., Ph.D. Director, Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health Professor of Toxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Department of Applied Medical Sciences University of Southern Maine 96 Falmouth St. PO Box 9300 Portland, ME 04104-9300 Phone (207) 228-8050 FAX (207) 228-8518 Email John.Wise at usm.maine.edu www.usm.maine.edu/toxicology Fedex address: 178 Science Building 96 Falmouth St. Portland, ME 04103 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From yvonnesmiles at googlemail.com Mon Jan 14 18:08:54 2008 From: yvonnesmiles at googlemail.com (Yvonne Miles) Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:08:54 +1000 Subject: [MARMAM] Change of Dates for March SOS course Message-ID: Scanning Ocean Sectors - Marine Mammal Observer Training Please note that the second course dates for the UK training course have been changed The original date was 24th-26th March The NEW date is now 26th - 28th March and NOT over Easter weekend! Please go to website for more details on course and booking information or email us www.scanningoceansectors.org info at scanningoceansectors.org Regards Yvonne -- Yvonne Miles 9 Long Street Point Vernon Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Australia 0435 017 524 mob 07 4124 8320 land line www.scanningoceansectors.org info at scanningoceansectors.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cj at earthocean.tv Thu Jan 17 16:07:50 2008 From: cj at earthocean.tv (Chris Johnson) Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:07:50 +1100 Subject: [MARMAM] new online series about cetaceans Message-ID: <0A77EA64-5BD5-4823-A429-700D4DAF322F@earthocean.tv> Hi all, We are pleased to announce a new series of online educational documentary programs on earthOCEAN.tv "Cetacean Investigation" - A series uncovering the science of whales, dolphins and porpoises around the world. All videos programs are 10-20 minutes in duration and are freely distributed online in a number of formats with teacher's guides and fact sheets via our internet channel including through iTunes. Our latest program is entitled - "Disappearing Dolphins". Here is the synopsis. "Common dolphins were once abundant throughout the Mediterranean Sea. Today they are declining rapidly, surviving only in portions of their former range. In western Greece, the sea around the island of Kalamos is their last stronghold, or at least it used to be. So why are the dolphins disappearing? We interview Giovanni Bearzi, the President of the Tethys Research Institute in Italy, and a Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation. Giovanni has been studying coastal dolphins in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea for two decades. What began as a study on the ecology and behavior of common dolphins around Kalamos, became a systematic record of their demise. Only 30 kilometers away from Kalamos is the Amvrakikos Gulf where coastal bottlenose dolphins are thriving. Why is there such a drastic difference in the health of these two dolphin populations? We meet two local fishermen and discuss their relationship with dolphins and the state of sea around their community. Could what is happening to the common dolphins of Kalamos, also explain why they are disappearing throughout the Mediterranean Sea?" Video - http://www.earthocean.tv/whalesmed_part4.html Visit www.earthocean.tv for more information and to view previous documentaries. Any comments or interest in taking part in future programs, feel free to contact me at - cj at earthocean.tv Cheers, Chris Chris Johnson Filmmaker / Photographer earthOCEAN 95 Nelson Rd. South Melbourne, Victoria 3205 AUSTRALIA website: www.earthOCEAN.tv email: cj at earthocean.tv cell: +61 449 188 770 (australia) landline: +61-3-9917-2251 (australia) earthOCEAN produce documentary film and educational content for online distribution and for television. We develop partnerships with and highlight the efforts of, international and local NGOs, conservationists and scientists around the world in order to raise awareness about environmental issues to ultimately inspire change. From goldsworthy.simon at saugov.sa.gov.au Thu Jan 17 16:31:01 2008 From: goldsworthy.simon at saugov.sa.gov.au (Goldsworthy, Simon (PIRSA - SARDI)) Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:01:01 +1030 Subject: [MARMAM] Research Scientist Positions in Cetacean and Shark Ecology, South Australia Message-ID: <2CD079F5961A2E4199FD0A177852A51406296FFC@sagemsg0024.sagemsmrd01.sa.gov.au> Research Scientist Positions - Cetacean and Shark Ecologists The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) and the Flinders University are seeking to employ two internationally recognised marine scientists. These new core positions are funded by Marine Innovation South Australia (MISA), which is an initiative of the South Australian Government to enhance the scientific capability and infrastructure of the State's aquatic research organisations, including SARDI, Adelaide University, Flinders University and the SA Museum. Applications are sought from both internationally recognised scientists with strong publication records, as well as postdoctoral level scientists with demonstrated potential for developing a significant international research profile. Essential Qualifications: A Degree in Science with a PhD in marine science or related research experience. Special Conditions: These are 5 year contract positions with the possibility of extension, subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds. Some intra and inter-state travel will be required. Salary: Attractive salary packages will be negotiated on the basis of experience and scientific profile. The Cetacean Ecologist (reference # 08007) will be employed by Flinders University, but will function as a joint appointment with SARDI Aquatic Sciences. The appointee will have expertise in the biology, ecology and management of cetaceans and appointee will be responsible for developing a suite of research projects on dolphins and whales and participating in broad studies of the marine ecosystems of southern Australia. Duties also include supervision of post-graduate students and some undergraduate teaching (<15 lectures per year). INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE STAFF All nominees should read the Essential Information for Applicants, available at http://www.flinders.edu.au/employment/app.php If you are unable to access this information on the web site, please contact the contact person nominated below. Information about Flinders University, living and working in Adelaide and employment at the University is available at http://www.flinders.edu.au/employment/whyflin.php CONTACT DETAILS For further information about the position contact Associate Professor Jim Mitchell on +61 8 8201 2229 or by email at jim.mitchell at flinders.edu.au SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION All applicants must complete an Application for Employment Cover Sheet available at http://www.flinders.edu.au/hrd/html/forms/EmployApplication.doc and lodge this with their application ensuring that the reference number (08007) is quoted. Applications, together with the Application for Employment Cover Sheet, may be lodged by email to jobapplications at flinders.edu.au or by post to Personnel, Policy and Practice, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia 5001. Further information regarding procedures for mailing, e-mailing, faxing or delivering applications are provided in the Essential Information for Applicants. Please do not forward applications to the contact person nominated as the contact person. The Shark Ecologist will be employed by SARDI, but will function as a joint appointment with Flinders University. The appointee will have expertise in the biology, ecology and management of sharks and will be responsible for developing a suite of research projects on sharks and participating in broad studies of the marine ecosystems of southern Australia. Duties also include supervision of post-graduate students and some undergraduate teaching (<15 lectures per year). For Further Information, Position Description and Guidelines: Ms Renee Wall on +61 8 8207 5400 or email temp.wbadmin at saugov.sa.gov.au or visit Employment Opportunities at www.sardi.sa.gov.au . Enquiries: Prof Mehdi Doroudi on +61 8 8207 5401 or email doroudi.mehdi at saugov.sa.gov.au Applications: must include a self-assessment against the Selection Criteria (Position Description), Curriculum Vitae and names of at least two professional referees. Original application plus two copies marked "confidential" should be sent to Ms Sue Dobbins, South Australian Research and Development Institute, PO Box 120, Henley Beach, South Australia, Australia 5022. Applications Close 5.00 pm Friday 15 February 2008. Dr Simon Goldsworthy Principal Scientist - Pelagic Ecosystems South Australian Research & Development Institute (SARDI) - Aquatic Sciences 2 Hamra Avenue West Beach SA 5024 AUSTRALIA -------------- Postal address: PO Box 120, Henley Beach, SA 5022, AUSTRALIA -------------- Tel : +61 8 8207 5325 Fax : +61 8 8207 5481 Mob: 0428 102 831 http://www.sardi.sa.gov.au/ Assoc. Prof. School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University (Full Academic Status) Senior Lecturer, School of Earth & Biological Sciences, Adelaide University (Affiliate status) http://www.marinebiology.adelaide.edu.au/people/staff/simong.html The information contained within this email is confidential and may be the subject of legal privilege. This email is intended solely for the addressee, and if you are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy, use or distribute this email or any of its attachments. If you have received this email in error, please advise the sender immediately via reply email, delete the message and any attachments from your system, and destroy any copies made. PIRSA makes no representation that this email or any attached files are free from viruses or other defects. It is the recipient's responsibility to check the email and any attached files for viruses or other defects. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 1810 bytes Desc: image001.gif URL: From pcrassidens at rogers.com Thu Jan 17 12:10:58 2008 From: pcrassidens at rogers.com (JOHN WANG) Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:10:58 -0800 (PST) Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on the ETS Sousa Message-ID: <550051.95716.qm@web88013.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Dear All, I like to announce the publication of the REPORT OF THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH NEEDS OF THE EASTERN TAIWAN STRAIT POPULATION OF INDO-PACIFIC HUMPBACK DOLPHINS, SOUSA CHINENSIS The following report (~1MB) and a separate conservation action plan (~220 KB) (which is also included as an appendix in the workshop report so you don't need to download the action plan if you are downloading the full report) can be obtained at: http://activity.nmmba.gov.tw/whitedolphine2/download_e.htm The workshop was held in Changhua City, Taiwan in early September 2007; below is a short summary. Taiwan?s Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) face imminent extinction if measures are not taken to protect them and their habitat from a number of serious threats. The recent demise of the baiji (Lipotes vexillifer) in China?s Yangtze River gives a particular sense of urgency to concerns about the fate of Taiwan?s humpback dolphins. The humpback dolphin is a fish-eating mammal that lives in shallow estuaries and nearshore waters and is especially vulnerable because it relies on habitat at the interface of land and sea. Research suggests that humpback dolphins residing in the eastern Taiwan Strait (=waters of western Taiwan) comprise a distinct population of less than 100 individuals. The eastern Taiwan Strait humpback dolphins were the focus of an international workshop held in ChanghuaCity (Taiwan) on 4-7 September 2007. Participants included local dolphin researchers, conservationists and marine engineers, as well as experts from Canada, the United States, Japan, Brazil, United Kingdom and Hong Kong. Officials from government agencies, representatives of academic institutions and members of local conservation groups provided a grim picture of the state of the coastal marine environment along the west coast of Taiwan. Five major threats were identified: reduced river flow into estuaries, habitat loss, entanglement in fishing gear, industrial and municipal pollutant discharges, and underwater noise. The expert group called on the Taiwanese government to proceed with a formal and public declaration of important habitat for the humpback dolphins; carry out public and transparent evaluations of existing and planned projects that may have impacts on the humpback dolphins and their habitat; mitigate such impacts using best available methods; prohibit the use of gill nets and trammel nets in nearshore waters; limit tourism focused on humpback dolphin-watching to shore-based platforms (including provision of public access to degraded habitat, thus promoting support for clean-up programs); and disclose pollutant concentrations and other environmental data.Only through the concerted efforts of individuals, organizations, central and local government agencies and industry will the distinct eastern Taiwan Strait humpback dolphins survive. Cheers, John John Y. Wang, Ph.D. (Member of the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group) FormosaCetus Research and Conservation Group 310-7250 Yonge Street Thornhill, Ontario, CANADA, L4J-7X1 AND (Adjunct Researcher) National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium 2 Houwan Road Checheng, Pingtung County, 944, TAIWAN -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From uko.susan at verizon.net Fri Jan 18 21:33:57 2008 From: uko.susan at verizon.net (Uko Gorter) Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:33:57 -0800 Subject: [MARMAM] American Cetacean Society/Puget Sound Chapter, 2008 GRANT Message-ID: <971ce2ef511cde519cdcf3217ee8f1f2@verizon.net> American Cetacean Society-Puget Sound Grants for 2008 Request for Research Proposals The American Cetacean Society (ACS), the oldest whale and dolphin conservation organization (est. 1967) protects whales, dolphins, porpoises, and their habitats and ecosystems through public education, research grants, and conservation actions. ACS has supported worthwhile research projects in past years and continues to do so today. The Puget Sound Chapter of ACS (ACS/PS) was re-established in the summer of 1999 and has more than 70 members. Despite being a newer chapter, we have already awarded one grant in 2000 and two grants in 2001, one in 2002, two in 2004, one in 2005, and two in 2007. This year we are offering one (1) $1,000 grant to be restricted to research of Southern Resident Killer Whales within the waters of Oregon, Washington or British Columbia, Canada. Eligibility The individual conducting the research must submit the proposal, in addition to a CV. Project Managers or Principal Investigators will oversee all fieldwork. Applicants must have obtained any necessary permits or authorizations for conducting the proposed research prior to any awards being disbursed. This grant is available to undergraduate students currently enrolled in a college or university and graduate students currently enrolled in, or accepted to, a masters or doctorate program who meet the evaluation criteria. The research must be conducted within the waters of Oregon, Washington State or British Columbia (Salish Sea). Researchers of any nationality are eligible to apply. Proposals will be accepted through 30 MARCH 2008, and letters of acceptance or denial will be issued no later than 30 APRIL 2008. Grant The grant award will be available on 15 MAY 2008. Funding for this year?s grant has been generously provided by the Whale Watch Operators Association Northwest (WWOANW) and from the following whale-watch operators: Prince of Whales, Springtide Charters, and San Juan Safaris. Guidelines Please visit our website (www.acspugetsound.org) and click on ?Research Grants?, then ?Proposal Guide? for a full description of the guidelines for the research proposal and review process. Expected Deliverables There is no deadline for the completion of work; however, a brief report describing the progress/status of the research should be presented to ACS/PS no later than one (1) year after receipt of funds.?This report will be featured in a future issue of our chapter newsletter, Whulj.? In addition, the Salish Sea grant recipient will be invited to present a talk at one of our chapter meetings. Contact Information For submission of proposals or request for information, please contact: American Cetacean Society - Puget Sound Chapter P.O. Box 17136 Seattle, WA? 98127 USA E-mail: acspsgrants at acspugetsound.org Uko Gorter,ACS/PS chapter president Stephanie Norman DVM, ACS/PS Grants chair -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 4538 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: acs_tail.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 3168 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 118 bytes Desc: not available URL: From pxw at noc.soton.ac.uk Fri Jan 18 07:09:09 2008 From: pxw at noc.soton.ac.uk (Peter Ward) Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:09:09 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] IOA Underwater Noise 2008 conference Message-ID: <200801181509.m0IF9BSU016062@mercury.noc.soton.ac.uk> >Dear all, >Following a change in circumstances completely beyond our control we >have had to change both the date and location of >the Institute Of Acoustics Underwater >Noise 2008 conference. This has allowed us to move the deadline for abstract >submission to the 1st February 2008. > >Below is the revised Call for Papers for the >conference. We look forward to seeing you there. > >Simon Richards >Chair, Organising Committee >+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > >Thanks, >Simon > >-- >Dr Simon Richards CSci CPhys FInstP FIOA FASA >QinetiQ Fellow, Maritime Platforms & Equipment > >QinetiQ >Building A22, Winfrith Technology Centre >Winfrith Newburgh >Dorchester, DT2 8XJ > >Tel: +44 (0)1305 212327 >Email: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Web: www.QinetiQ.com > >QinetiQ - The Global Defence and Security Experts. Underwater Noise Measurement, Impact and Mitigation 14 15 October 2008 Novotel Hotel, Southampton, UK The Institute of Acoustics is holding a conference on underwater noise, its measurement, impacts and mitigation. The meeting is organized by the Underwater Acoustics Group of the IOA with the support of QinetiQ. The marine environment is subject to both natural, ambient noise and man-made noise from sources such as shipping, offshore oil and gas platforms, renewable energy generators, seismic surveys, piling, sonar, fisheries and marine aggregate extraction. Environmental impact assessments for all of these activities require an understanding of the radiated noise from the activity and the background ambient noise, together with the means to assess the impact of the anthropogenic noise on receptors in the marine environment and instigate appropriate mitigation measures. This conference is intended to address all of the issues from the methods used to characterize the ambient and radiated noise fields quantitatively, through to the means for assessing the impacts of noise on marine fauna and steps required for mitigation. The range of topics will therefore include: ? Underwater noise measurement techniques ? Noise modelling ? Noise generation and coupling mechanisms ? Propagation of underwater noise ? Impact assessment methodologies ? Hearing in marine species ? Behavioural impacts ? Physiological impacts ? Impacts on other acoustic users ? Mitigation methods ? Mitigation technologies Intended audience ? Sonar developers / operators ? Seismic survey industry ? Marine construction industry ? Marine renewables industry ? Offshore industry ? Underwater research community ? Environmental researchers / consultants ? Marine biologists Abstract submission Authors are invited to submit an extended abstract of not more than 800 words via the conference website: http://underwaternoise2008.lboro.ac.uk Key dates 1 February 2008 Extended abstract deadline 22 February 2008 Notification of acceptance 18 April 2008 Manuscript submission deadline and registration for authors 11 July 2008 Final submission 14 15 October 2008 Conference dates Peter D. Ward QinetiQ Unit, Rm. 251/08 National Oceanography Centre, Southampton University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK E-Mail: Peter.Ward at noc.soton.ac.uk. (http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/OTHERS/QinetiQ) Phone: +44 (0) 23 8059 6325 Fax : +44 (0) 23 8059 6142 ________________________________________________ The Information contained in this E-Mail and any subsequent correspondence is private and is intended solely for the intended recipient(s). For those other than the recipient any disclosure, copying, distribution, or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on such information is prohibited and may be unlawful. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sarahnewcomer at hotmail.com Thu Jan 17 16:51:46 2008 From: sarahnewcomer at hotmail.com (Sarah Newcomer) Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:51:46 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Seeking Past Research on Captive Pinniped Social Dynamics Message-ID: Dear all, I am looking for publications/studies of pinniped social dynamics in zoological conditions in a multi-animal collection. Research/publications based around mixed collections containing Phoca vitulina and Zalophus californianus would be most beneficial, but any publications/studies based on captive pinniped social dynamics that I can refer to would be incredibly helpful for my thesis. I am currently creating an ethogram data sheet of behaviors observed in a collection of seals and sea lions at the facility I am interning at. I am going to be completing a research project with a presentation at a symposium in March and I am seeking publications to aid in my research thesis. I can be reached at: Sarahnewcomer at hotmail.com Kindest Regards,Sarah NewcomerPsychology Ohio State University sarahnewcomer at hotmail.com _________________________________________________________________ Shed those extra pounds with MSN and The Biggest Loser!! http://biggestloser.msn.com/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From srichardson at cape.com Mon Jan 21 13:22:14 2008 From: srichardson at cape.com (srichardson at cape.com) Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:22:14 -0500 (EST) Subject: [MARMAM] Job Posting- Humpback Program, Research Assistant, Provincetown MA USA Message-ID: <2387.76.19.228.47.1200950534.squirrel@webmail.cape.com> The Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (Provincetown MA, USA) is seeking a research assistant for its Humpback Whale Research Program. PCCS is a private, non-profit institution committed to research, conservation, and education related to the marine environment (with an emphasis on marine mammals). Responsibilities include: field data recording, photo-identification and biopsy sampling, data processing, photographic matching, humpback whale catalogue maintenance, equipment maintenance and administrative tasks. Possible involvement when needed in other programs. Prerequisites: Bachelor?s degree in marine biology, zoology or another biological field, excellent computer and communication skills, strong attention to detail; ability to work at sea over extended periods in a wide range of weather conditions. Previous experience is desirable, but not required. This position is full-time, year-round. Generous benefits, salary commensurate with experience. Must be able to begin work as soon as possible; no later than April 1, 2008. Please submit letter of interest, resume and contact information for two references to the following address: Humpback RA Search Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies 115 Bradford Avenue Provincetown, MA 02657 or email srichardson at coastalstudies.org The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2008. From antje.kakuschke at gkss.de Wed Jan 23 03:48:52 2008 From: antje.kakuschke at gkss.de (antje.kakuschke at gkss.de) Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:48:52 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] New Publications Message-ID: Dear all, here are two new publications to harbour seals of the North Sea. Kakuschke, A.; Valentine-Thon, E.; Fonfara, S.; Griesel, S.; Rosenberger, T.; Siebert, U.; Prange, A. Metal-induced impairment of the cellular immunity of newborn harbour seals (Phoca vitulina). 2008. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. DOI: 10.1007/s00244-007-9092-3. abstract The cellular immunity of newborn harbor seals and the influence of pollutants are rarely investigated. This study evaluated the lymphocyte proliferation using a lymphocyte proliferation test (LTT) to understand the dynamics of immune response in seal pups of varying ages from the moment they arrived in a seal center after active beaching until their release into wildlife 3 months later after rehabilitation. Moreover, the effect of various metals (Ag, Al, Au, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, different Hg compounds, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pd, Pt, Sn, Ti) on lymphocyte proliferation in terms of immunosuppression and hypersensitivity was investigated. First, a strong lymphocyte proliferation in newborns as a reflection of relative immunocompetence was found. Second, different metal-induced influences on lymphocyte proliferation such as specific inhibition by Be, Cd, Hg, and Sn as well as stimulation induced by Mo and Ni were determined. For seals tested repeatedly, the suppressive effect was detected in newborns but not found in the same animals when they were older and had become immunologically competent. Summarizing, the lymphocyte proliferation used as a marker in this investigation provided useful immunological information on these developing animals, and its application for toxicological studies on pollutants can be recommended. PDFs are available online at (online first): http://www.springerlink.com/content/100119/ Griesel, S.; Kakuschke, A.; Siebert, U.; Prange, A. Trace element concentration in blood of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from the Wadden Sea. 2008. The Science of the Total Environment.DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.10.062 abstract Concentrations of 23 elements (Be, Al, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Pd, Cd, Sn, Pt, Pb) were evaluated in whole blood samples of live harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from two different locations in the Wadden Sea, the Lorenzenplate in Germany, and the Danish island R?m?. Elemental blood levels were compared to data from literature of seals, other marine mammals and humans. While homeostatically controlled elements showed no differences, concentrations of As, Cr, Mn, Mo, Se, and V were higher than human levels. Furthermore, animals from both locations showed significant geographical differences in whole blood concentrations of Al, Mn, Cu, and Pt. These findings could be explained by differences in feeding areas. The element pattern was not affected by gender. In conclusion, these findings indicate an impact of the environment on biochemical blood parameters of the harbor seals. The significant differences of elements in blood samples of two groups of seals, which were associated with geographical variations of prey support the use of element pattern in blood as tool for investigation of environmental impact on seals. PDFs are available online at (article in press): http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00489697 Please direct further questions to: Dr. Kakuschke, Antje Marine Bioanalytical Chemistry Institute for Coastal Research GKSS- Research Center Geesthacht Max-Planck-Strasse 1 D-21502 Geesthacht, Germany Phone: +49 (0) 4152 / 87 1839 Fax: +49 (0) 4152 / 87 1875 E-mail: antje.kakuschke at gkss.de http://www.gkss.de -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From thomas.f.norris at cox.net Tue Jan 22 20:51:46 2008 From: thomas.f.norris at cox.net (Tom Norris) Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:51:46 -0800 Subject: [MARMAM] Ruggedized laptop Review Message-ID: <00a001c85d7b$a82c5f60$6400a8c0@T60> Hello MARMAMers: I'm interested in getting feedback on your experiences with rugged-ized and semi-ruggedized laptops (e.g. Panasonic's toughbook, Amrel's Rocky Series, Panther laptops etc.). I'm sure there are lots of you who have used various laptops in difficult field conditions. I am particularly interested in how various laptops held up under field conditions such as working from small-medium sized boats in exposed or semi-exposed conditions (e.g. under canopy or on a flying bridge). Also important is how visible is the screen in the sunlight during use at sea. If you have had a good (or bad) experience with a particular model, I'd like to hear from you. I will compile and post information on MARMAM for others to use or comment on. I think this would be usefull information for our community. There are several sites with reviews (which I will include in my compilation of info), but none seem to be specific enough to evaluate these computers for our type of use on the water. Please reply directly to me and keep your info brief (although you can add anecdotal information if important). If possible, include the following information: Make/Model/year of laptop Was it a ruggedized model? How long did it last? Was it durable enough for field work? How often was it used in the field? (e.g. how many times a month) Was it exposed to vibrations or 'slapping' from use on a boat? Was it exposed to fresh or salt water spray? Was the screen easy to see in sunlight? Was the pointing device easy to use? How long was the battery life (if needed)? Would you buy or recommend this computer again for fieldwork? Additional comments/recommendations: Thank you, -Tom Norris Bio-Waves Inc. 517 Cornish Dr. Encinitas, CA 92024 tel./fax: 760-632-6344 mobile: 858-361-5656 thomas.f.norris at cox.net Bio-Waves Inc. http://www.bio-waves.net/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 1856 bytes Desc: not available URL: From Jenelle_Gilding at alaskasealife.org Mon Jan 21 11:12:29 2008 From: Jenelle_Gilding at alaskasealife.org (Jenelle Gilding) Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:12:29 -0900 Subject: [MARMAM] Job Announcement Message-ID: <90DE6706D8A7F2479D11846B9B48623E02BAC98A@SEAOTTER.ALASKASEALIFE.ORG> The Alaska SeaLife Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to marine research, rehabilitation, conservation, and public education is seeking applications for the following: Seasonal Research Technicians These positions are responsible for assisting with the Chiswell Island Remote Monitoring Project at the Alaska SeaLife Center. Responsibilities (include but are not limited to): 1. Assists with remote monitoring of Steller sea lions by operating field cameras from an office setting. 2. Conducts behavioral observations and performs photo-identification of pinnipeds through remote video equipment or, when needed, in the field. 3. Collects data as required. 4. Ensures that appropriate record keeping is maintained and performs database management. 5. Assists with data entry and analysis as requested. 6. Assists with other research projects conducted at the Alaska SeaLife Center as requested. 7. Assists with studies in the field as assigned which may require extended stays in remote locations with few basic amenities. Requirements: Bachelor's degree in biology, marine biology, zoology, or related field with two years experience in a similar position preferred. Experience in biological field studies, scientific writing, remote monitoring equipment, and photo identification of marine mammals preferred. Ability to communicate effectively with people of all levels, be organized, self-motivated and posses a strong desire to see the completion of projects. Computer skills including MS Excel, Word, Access and Observer Pro. Knowledge of basic research methods, data collection techniques as well as knowledge of and ability to operate cameras and other video recording equipment. These are seasonal, full-time positions. Start Date: May 15, 2008 End Date: August 15, 2008 & August 29, 2008 Apply by: February 29, 2008 Send resume & application (downloadable at www.alaskasealife.org ) to Human Resources, Alaska SeaLife Center, P. O. Box 1329, Seward, AK 99664-1329, or fax 907-224-6320, or email to HR at alaskasealife.org . www.alaskasealife.org The ASLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 15435 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.gif Type: image/gif Size: 5946 bytes Desc: image002.gif URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: oledata.mso Type: application/octet-stream Size: 17454 bytes Desc: oledata.mso URL: From David.Mellinger at oregonstate.edu Thu Jan 24 16:58:37 2008 From: David.Mellinger at oregonstate.edu (Dave Mellinger) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:58:37 -0800 Subject: [MARMAM] conference: Acoustic Communication by Animals (Oregon, USA, August 2008) Message-ID: <4799343D.7000503@oregonstate.edu> Acoustic Communication by Animals Second International Conference August 12-15, 2008 Corvallis, Oregon USA This conference will bring together senior scholars, mid-career researchers and teachers, young investigators, and students to share ideas, data, and methods in the growing and exciting field of animal acoustic communication. The emphasis in the conference will be to share information across animal taxa and to enable young investigators and students to meet and share ideas with more established investigators in the field. Toward this end, the keynote speakers at the conference will be Dr. Peter Marler Dr. Peter Slater who will provide insights from their lifetime of studying animal communication. Topics ------ Some of the special sessions we plan to have include ? Development and evolution of animal communication ? Communication in noisy environments ? Modern techniques in measuring and analyzing complex animal sounds ? Sound production mechanisms ? Effects of anthropogenic sounds on animals ? Cognition and language ? Echolocation ? Hearing and sound discrimination ? Signal design ? Mimicry ? Physiology and anatomy ? New equipment and software Other topics are welcome too. Invited speakers ---------------- The following invited speakers will attend: Whitlow Au: Sound detection and echolocation by dolphins Andrew Bass: Communication in fishes Eliot Brenowitz: Vocal communication in songbirds Robert Dooling: Bird hearing Richard Fay: Fish hearing and sound production Albert Feng: Neural basis of sound communication in complex environments Tecumseh Fitch: Mammalian sound communication Ronald Hoy: Communication strategies in insects Dave Kastak: Pinniped hearing Peter Narins: Vertebrate seismic communication Caitlin O'Connell-Rodwell: Elephant low frequency and seismic reception Kazuo Okanoya: Evolution of signal complexity in birds and humans Arthur Popper: New ideas on evolution of hearing Robert Seyfarth: Primate communication and social behavior Andrea Megela Simmons: Chorus dynamics in frogs James Simmons: Sound detection by bats Joseph Sisneros: Neural mechanisms of fish AnnMarie Surlykke: Bat echolocation Terry Takahashi: Hearing and localization Sophie Van Parijs: Pinniped hearing Student funding --------------- We will have funding for some students to travel to the conference. More details will be released shortly. Further information is available at the conference web site: http://oregonstate.edu/conferences/animalcommunication2008/ Hope to see you there! The conference scientific committee: Whitlow W.L. Au, Co-chair, University of Hawaii Andrea Megela Simmons, Co-chair, Brown University David K. Mellinger, Co-chair, Oregon State University Arthur N. Popper, University of Maryland Richard R. Fay, Loyola University of Chicago Charles Schmid, Vice-Chair, Acoustical Society of America From allenjb at mote.org Wed Jan 23 14:10:59 2008 From: allenjb at mote.org (Jason Allen) Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:10:59 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Wild Bottlenose Dolphin Research Internships Message-ID: <4797BB73.8090109@mote.org> Wild Bottlenose Dolphin Research Internships The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP), based at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, is the world's longest-running wild dolphin research program. The program's goal is to contribute to a better understanding of the structure and dynamics of populations of small cetaceans, as well as the natural and anthropogenic factors that impact them. The SDRP uses an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach in conducting studies of bottlenose dolphins within Sarasota Bay, Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, and the Gulf of Mexico coastal waters. For more information about the SDRP, please visit: www.sarasotadolphin.org. The SDRP is in the process of selecting volunteer interns for the summer 2008 internship program. Several internship positions are available within five different research projects listed below. There is no compensation for these internship positions and successful applicants will be responsible for their own living and transportation expenses during the time of the internship. Housing opportunities may be available (cost: $75/week). Scholarships are available from Mote Marine Laboratory through a competitive application process. Applicants would ideally have the following qualifications: *Minimum of 18 years of age and engaged in or recently completed undergraduate studies; *A background or degree in Biology, Marine Biology, Zoology or a related field; *Basic computer proficiency in Microsoft Office programs; *Some field research experience preferred but not required; *Must be able to swim; *Enthusiasm and willingness to learn field and lab based research methods; *A willingness to spend a minimum of 2 - 3 months working full time with our program. To apply for a Sarasota Dolphin Research Program internship interested persons should: 1) Fill out an application form by navigating to Mote Marine Laboratory's website (www.mote.org) and following the education links to the college intern page. Be sure to select "Center for Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Research" as your first choice; 2) Complete and provide to Mote's intern office all other application materials including: a statement of interest, current college transcript, letter of recommendation, and curriculum vitae. Be sure to mention which project(s) from the list below interest you and why; 3) Send a brief email to the SDRP's Lab Manager (Jason Allen, allenjb at mote.org) stating your name, contact information, which project(s) interest you, dates available (please be specific) and that you have provided all of your application materials to the Mote intern office, as detailed above. All applications will be reviewed; those received by March 15th will be given first priority. Applicants may contact Mote's intern office (941-388-4441, intern at mote.org) with questions regarding the application process and Jason Allen (941-388-4441 ext. 452, allenjb at mote.org) in the SDRP with any questions regarding specific projects. The four research projects include: Juvenile Dolphin Behavior Project (www.sarasotadolphin.org/Social/juvenile_2008.asp) Supervisors: Katie McHugh, Jason Allen Number of intern positions: 4 Dates of internship: 2 June - 29 August 2008 This research project will study the behavioral development and survival strategies of juvenile bottlenose dolphins in Sarasota Bay. While in the field, this work consists of boat based surveys for dolphin groups and detailed behavioral data collection on individual juvenile dolphins in our study population. While in the lab, work will mainly involve photo-identification of dolphins and data entry. Interns will also assist the Population Monitoring Project and Dolphin Prey and Habitat Use Project on a rotating basis (see below). Dolphin and Fisheries Interaction Project (www.sarasotadolphin.org/Human/depredation_2008.asp) Supervisors: Jessica Powell, Jason Allen Number of intern positions: 4 Dates of internship: 12 May - 18 July 2007 This research project will study fisheries interactions and depredation by bottlenose dolphins in Sarasota Bay. While in the field, this work consists of boat and land based surveys for dolphin groups, detailed behavioral data collection on specific individuals with the Sarasota Bay population. While in the lab, work will mainly involve photo-identification of dolphins sighted and data entry. Interns will also assist the Population Monitoring Project and Dolphin Prey and Habitat Use Project on a rotating basis (see below). Sea Bird Ecology Project (www.sarasotadolphin.org/Health/redtide_2008.asp) Supervisor: Deb Fauquier Number of intern positions: 1 Dates of internship: 16 June - 18 September 2007 This study will look at the abundance, distribution and habitat use of sea birds in Sarasota Bay and the effects of red tide on those sea bird communities. Interns will also assist the Population Monitoring Project and Dolphin Prey and Habitat Use Project on a rotating basis (see below). Population Monitoring Project (www.sarasotadolphin.org/Ecology/monitor_2008.asp) Supervisors: Jason Allen, Aaron Barleycorn, Robin Perrtree Number of intern positions: 2 Dates of internship: 2 June - 19 December 2007. This project will use interns from other projects on a rotating basis from 2 June - 29 August. However, it is accepting applications for all or part of 2 September - 19 December 2007 (eight weeks minimum). This study will continue to monitor the resident bottlenose dolphin population in Sarasota Bay. While in the field, this work consists of boat based surveys for dolphin groups along survey routes. Behavioral, location, individual, and environmental data will be recorded for each dolphin group. While in the lab, work will involve photo-identification of dolphins sighted, data entry, dolphin ID catalog maintenance and equipment maintenance. Dolphin Prey and Habitat Use Project (www.sarasotadolphin.org/Ecology/prey_2008.asp) Supervisors: Damon Gannon, Sandra Camilleri, Jason Allen Number of intern positions: 2 Dates of Internship: 2 June - 26 September. This project will use interns from other projects on a rotating basis. This study will use the Sarasota dolphin community and random sampling of fish population through purse seining techniques to study predator-prey interactions and bioacoustics, specifically helping us to understand relationships between distributions of dolphins and their prey, and factors that affect fish community ecology, such as red tide. -- Jason Allen Lab Manager Sarasota Dolphin Research Program Mote Marine Laboratory 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway Sarasota, FL 34236 Tel: 941.388.4441 ext. 452 Fax: 941.388.4223 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From julie.rivers at navy.mil Thu Jan 24 18:54:20 2008 From: julie.rivers at navy.mil (Rivers, Julie A CIV NAVFAC PAC ) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:54:20 -1000 Subject: [MARMAM] Small business sources sought for conducting Marine Species Monitoring for the Navy in the Pacific Message-ID: <02F846B94FEE814C803D82FAF9E09FF403CF5044@naweprlhez02.nadsuswe.nads.navy.mil> Posted by Julie Rivers, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific. Statements of interest should not be sent to me, but to the point of contact listed in the last paragraph below. ******************* THE PURPOSE OF THIS NOTICE IS TO SEEK POTENTIAL SMALL BUSINESS FIRMS AND TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE FOR THIS PROJECT. This is not a Request for Proposal, but a sources sought for information and planning purposes only. The proposed contract is a potential small business set aside procurement. The small business size standard classification is NAICS 541690, Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services, ($6.5million in annual receipts). The Government will first review Qualification Statements from small businesses, and if three highly qualified Small Business firms cannot be identified, then Qualification Statements from Large Businesses will also be reviewed. Therefore it is encouraged that both small and large businesses respond to the requirements of this notice. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific is conducting market research to identify interested sources for information and planning purposes only. We are seeking qualified and experienced sources to conduct marine mammal and sea turtle field research and implement a monitoring program for discreet oceanic areas where the U.S. Navy trains in the Hawaiian Islands, the Mariana Islands, and Southern California. Field work may also be required in the Pacific Northwest, Gulf of Alaska, Japan, Okinawa, and Atlantic Ocean training areas. All qualified and experienced contractors, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions are encouraged to respond. Each particular operational area/range has specific baseline and monitoring needs depending on the current level of knowledge and data availability. Monitoring plan implementation and research studies are anticipated to include aerial and small vessel surveys, passive acoustics in the form of autonomous devices and towed arrays, photo identification and behavioral studies. Monitoring may be implemented before, during, and after Navy training exercises. The candidate must provide or contract all equipment and research personnel for concurrent field studies in several geographical areas; and perform program administration, budgeting, data analysis and reporting of results. Program administration is anticipated to consist of, but not be limited to, coordination with Navy representatives on monitoring of training exercises, selection and oversight of field researchers in several geographical areas, analysis of field data, consolidation of field data to meet overall program goals, and preparation of monthly and annual reports. Successful candidates will possess high levels of experience in both program administration and field research and will have access to a pool of field researchers and equipment to meet the program needs. The resultant contract will be a Firm Fixed Price Indefinite Quantity/Indefinite Delivery type, where the work will be required on an as-needed basis during the life to the contract. The contract will be for a one year base period and the Government reserves the option to extend the contract for an additional four years, or to the extent that the determined maximum contract total is not exceeded. Interested firms are requested to submit their Qualification Statement addressing the following items: (1) Firm's capabilities and related experience in marine mammal and sea turtle research, field monitoring, and data analysis; (2) The qualifications and experience of the principal investigator(s), team leader(s), and key personnel in marine mammal and sea turtle research, field monitoring, and data analysis; (3) Any other specific or pertinent technical information that would enhance the understanding of your qualifications and abilities; (4) Company or organization name and address; point of contact name, telephone and facsimile number, email address; DUNS Number, Cage Code, and indicate whether you are a small business, small disadvantaged business, woman-owned business, etc; (5) Firm's number of employees; number of years in business; average annual revenue and total in-house workforce for the past 3 years; and firm's present workload. The Government utilizes the following software suite: Microsoft Office 2003 Professional (Word 2003, PowerPoint 2003, Excel 2003, Access 2003). In preparation of documents and correspondence, the contractor shall ensure compatibility with the government's software. Contractors should mark any data that is proprietary or has restricted data rights as appropriate. The Government will not pay for any effort or materials expended in response to this announcement. All information submitted shall become the property of the Government. This announcement does not obligate the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract for any items for which information is voluntarily submitted for assessment. Submit one hard copy of your Qualification Statement plus one electronic copy (CD-ROM) to the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific, Acquisition Department, Environmental Contracts Division (AQ12:VW), 258 Makalapa Drive, Suite 100, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 96860-3134, no later than 3:00 pm, (HST), February 6, 2008 and marked for N62742-08-R-1921, Marine Resources Compliance Support for Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific. Facsimile transmissions and late submissions of Qualification Statements will not be accepted. A forthcoming synopsis will indicate whether the project will be a restricted or unrestricted procurement action. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Katie.S.Moore at uscg.mil Fri Jan 25 14:00:34 2008 From: Katie.S.Moore at uscg.mil (Moore, Katie) Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:00:34 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] USCG- Marine Protected Species Program Manager Message-ID: <7F9AA03075FA2648BA368E1F755AA8908D4869@emo-exmb-m-303.main.ads.uscg.mil> The Coast Guard is hiring for its Marine Protected Species Manager position, based in DC. Please distribute to potential applicants. MARINE PROTECTED SPECIES MANAGER OPEN PERIOD: Friday, January 25, 2008 to Friday, February 15, 2008 SERIES & GRADE: GS-0401-14 POSITION INFORMATION: Full Time Career/Career Conditional DUTY LOCATIONS: 1 vacancy - Washington, DC WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED: Status Candidates (Merit Promotion Eligibles) JOB SUMMARY: Who May Apply: Open to all competitive status candidates, reinstatement eligibles, VEOA eligibles, and those qualifying under special appointing authorities or noncompetitive appointment authorities such as 30% or more compensably disabled veterans and persons with disabilities. This position is a Program Manager within the Coast Guard's Office of Fisheries and Marine Protected Species Enforcement (CG-5314). This position serves as the principal legal, policy, and biological expert regarding marine protected species (MPS) for the Coast Guard. This position will be responsible for program direction, oversight, administration, resource planning, technical leadership and execution of the MPS program within the Coast Guard. Additionally, the position includes establishing, developing and overseeing long-term national and regional partnerships and cooperative agreements for living marine resources with Department of State (DOS), Department of Defense (DOD), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW&S), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), international organizations, state and local governments, non-governmental organizations, industry, and research institutions. KEY REQUIREMENTS: U.S. Citizenship is required. Application procedures are specific to this announcement. Selectee(s) must be able to obtain a secret security clearance. Recruitment incentives may be paid. Moving expenses will be paid in accordance to appropriate regulations. http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=67787383&AVSDM=2008%2D01%2D25+08%3A54%3A49&Logo=0&lid=17514&FedEmp=Y&jbf574=HSAC&brd=3876&vw=d&ss=0&FedPub=Y&caller=/a9uscg.asp&SUBMIT1.x=80&SUBMIT1.y=31 -------------------------------------------------- Katie Moore USCG- Atlantic Area Katie.s.Moore at uscg.mil *Note- I am not the hiring specialist, and questions regarding the job should be directed to the POC's listed in the advertisement. From conference at estuaries.org Fri Jan 25 10:01:18 2008 From: conference at estuaries.org (conference at estuaries.org) Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 10:01:18 -0800 Subject: [MARMAM] Restore America's Conference Program Proposals due Jan 31 References: <0A77EA64-5BD5-4823-A429-700D4DAF322F@earthocean.tv> Message-ID: <0abf01c85f7c$4941c690$0701a8c0@RAEMain> Restore America's Estuaries - Conference Program Proposals Due January 31 The deadline for the Call for Proposals for Restore America's Estuaries' 4th National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration is quickly approaching! Download the Call for Dedicated Sessions, Presentations and Posters, or submit a proposal online, at http://www.program.estuaries.org. The Conference - Creating Solutions through Collaborative Partnerships - will be held October 11-15, 2008 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI. We anticipate 1,500 participants. The Conference will bring timely national attention to the challenges and opportunities to comprehensive coastal ecosystem restoration throughout the U.S. Habitat restoration at all scales is essential to the very fabric of our lives - the social, economic and ecological well being of humans in the coastal landscape. This Conference is the premiere nationwide forum focused solely on advancing the knowledge, pace, practice, scale and success of coastal and estuarine habitat restoration. Incorporating the non-profit, government, scientific, business, tribal and academic sectors, the Conference will enable networking and communication throughout this growing movement. We invite you to submit a proposal for a presentation or a dedicated session for this important National Conference. The deadline for proposals is Thursday, January 31st. If you would like to submit a proposal for a poster presentation, the deadline is Friday, February 29th. Please see the conference website ( http://www.estuaries.org/conference) for additional information regarding the Student Poster Contest. Please submit all proposals online at http://program.estuaries.org For more information, and to view the Call for Dedicated Sessions, Presentations and Posters, visit the conference website at http://www.estuaries.org/conference, or contact Steve Emmett-Mattox at program at estuaries.org or 303-652-0392. For information about exhibiting or sponsorships, please contact Harvey Potts at hpotts at estuaries.org or 206-624-9100 x2 From dodell at cfl.rr.com Fri Jan 25 12:36:44 2008 From: dodell at cfl.rr.com (Daniel K. Odell) Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:36:44 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] NOMINATIONS FOR THE ALDO LEOPOLD AND WILLIAM T. HORNADAY CONSERVATION AWARDS Message-ID: <005f01c85f91$ffb8fff0$6403a8c0@hswri.org> NOMINATIONS FOR THE ALDO LEOPOLD AND WILLIAM T. HORNADAY CONSERVATION AWARDS In 2002, the American Society of Mammalogists established 2 conservation awards to recognize outstanding contributions to the conservation of mammals and their habitats. The Aldo Leopold Award is awarded to a well-established individual who has made a lasting scientific contribution to the conservation of mammals and their habitats. Previous awardees are Edward O. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier, George B. Schaller, and Rodrigo A. Medell?n. The William T. Hornaday Award is awarded to a current undergraduate or graduate student who has made a significant scientific contribution as a student to the conservation of mammals and their habitats. Previous awardees are Brent Sewall and Isabel Beasley. Nominees should have contributed substantially to (1) the conservation of 1 or more mammalian species, subspecies, or populations, (2) the conservation of mammalian assemblages and communities, or (3) advancing the field of conservation biology through focal research on mammals. Persons contributing to the conservation of land or marine mammals are eligible for consideration. We interpret ''contribution'' broadly to include (1) scientific research or political activism that has resulted in the preservation of an imperiled species; (2) development of protective management recommendations; (3) acquisition of new knowledge regarding the conservation status or causes for declines of mammalian species or populations; (4) the protection of significant mammalian habitat; or (5) promotion of the conservation of mammals through public education. All persons are invited to submit nominations for these awards. For each award, the nomination packet should include: 1. A brief narrative (2 pages maximum) that introduces and describes the conservation accomplishments of the nominee; 2. As an addendum to this narrative, a list of relevant journal articles, government and NGO reports, newspaper clippings, and other materials that chronicle and corroborate the conservation-related accomplishments of the nominee; 3. A current CV or r?sum?; 4. Contact information for the nominator and nominee; 5. Supporting material: For the Aldo Leopold Award, include letters of recommendation from 3 individuals familiar with the nominee's contributions to mammalian conservation; one of the letters must be from the nominator. William T. Hornaday Award-include letters of recommendation from 2 individuals familiar with the nominee's conservation activities. One of these letters must be from the student's research advisor. Electronic submissions of nominations and supporting documents are strongly encouraged. Completed nomination packets should be sent to ThoringtonR at SI.EDU or Richard Thorington, Division of Mammals MRC 108, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012. The deadline for receipt of completed nominations is 14 March 2008. The recipients will be announced at the banquet at the ASM annual meeting in June 2008. ------------------- Submitted by: Daniel K. Odell, Ph.D. Senior Research Scientist Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute 6295 Sea Harbor Drive Orlando, FL 32821-8043 USA Phone: +407-370-1653 Fax: + 407-370-1659 Mobile: +321-480-6663 www.hswri.org "I am not at liberty to remember that at this point in time." From sh52 at st-andrews.ac.uk Fri Jan 25 08:04:07 2008 From: sh52 at st-andrews.ac.uk (Sonja Heinrich) Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:04:07 -0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Masters degree in Marine Mammal Science Message-ID: <001c01c85f6b$edebeba0$c0befb8a@stand.ac.uk> One-year Master of Research in Marine Mammal Science We are accepting applications for the 2008/09 entry into the Master of Research (MRes) course in Marine Mammal Science based at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. This is a unique, one-year course intended to prepare students for a professional career in marine mammal research and conservation. The programme is tailored to address the scientific challenges of marine mammal physiology, behaviour and population biology with strong components of analytical methodology, laboratory work, and field study. The course is being taught by members of the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU), with some modules jointly organised with the School of Biology and CREEM (Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling). Applications for the upcoming academic year (starting September 2008) must be received by Friday 4th April 2008. For further information on the course, entry requirements and how to apply see http://biology.st-andrews.ac.uk/courses/mres_mms/. Best wishes, Jason & Sonja Dr Jason Matthiopoulos (Course Coordinator) & Dr Sonja Heinrich (Teaching Fellow) Email for enquiries: smrumasters at st-andrews.ac.uk Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St.Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, Scotland, UK http://www.smru.st-and.ac.uk/ http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/ From science at whalewatch.com Wed Jan 23 09:38:51 2008 From: science at whalewatch.com (Dr. Carole Carlson) Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:38:51 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] FW: Request for data on whale watching sites Message-ID: <200801231746.m0NHkLmI3190806@cascara.comp.uvic.ca> Dr Carole Carlson Dir Research and Education Dolphin Fleet of Provincetown _____ From: Dr. Carole Carlson [mailto:science at whalewatch.com] Sent: 08.01.18 07:58 To: 'marmam-bounces at lists.uvic.ca' Subject: Request for data on whale watching sites Dear MARMAM Members, This spring an IWC-sponsored workshop will be held to develop a large-scale research design that considers multiple study areas and species in a comparable fashion. Helpful to this process would be a list of areas, with associated criteria, where whalewatching occurs, or is likely to develop in the near future. For those of you working in such areas, we would like to request that you review and fill out the questionnaire below (before 1 March) and email it to: Carole Carlson: science at whalewatch.com Or mail to: Carole Carlson PO Box 32 Provincetown MA USA 02657 We would greatly appreciate your help in this effort. Thank you, in advance for your consideration. Sincerely, Carole Carlson On behalf of the workshop steering committee AREAS WHERE WHALEWATCHING OCCURS * LOCATION: * START OF INDUSTRY: year * NUMBER OF VESSELS: current * VESSEL SIZE: <10m; <20m; <30m; >30 * NUMBER OF RECREATIONAL VESSELS (i.e. pleasure craft, sport fishing, jet skis):<25; <50; <100; >100 * SEASON: months * TARGET SPECIES: * HABITAT USE: feeding; breeding; migratory; resident * RESEARCH ON TARGET SPECIES: species studied * DURATION OF RESEARCH: years * CLOSE PROXIMITY TO A SANCTUARY OR NON-WHALEWATCHING AREA?: yes; no * CLOSE PROXIMITY TO AREA SUITABLE FOR LAND-BASED OBSERVATIONS?: yes; no * REGUALATIONS/GUIDELINES/CODES?; R; G; C * IF R, G OR C- APPROACH DISTANCES?: in meters * IF REGULATION, IS THERE AN ALLOWANCE FOR EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHES?: yes; no AREAS WITH POTENTIAL FOR WHALEWATCHING DEVELOPMENT * LOCATION: * OCCURRENCE OF NON-COMMERCIAL WHALEWATCHING?: yes; no * LIKELYHOOD OF INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT IN NEXT 5 YEARS: minimal; moderate; high * NUMBER OF RECREATIONAL VESSELS (i.e. pleasure craft, sport fishing, jet skis):<25; <50; <100; >100 * POTENTIAL TARGET SPECIES: species * HABITAT USE: feeding; breeding; migratory; resident * RESEARCH ON TARGET SPECIES?: species studied * DURATION OF RESEARCH: years * CLOSE PROXIMITY TO AREA SUITABLE FOR LAND-BASED OBSERVATIONS?: yes; no * IF INDUSTRY DEVELOPS, LIKELYHOOD OF NON-WHALEWATCHING AREA (OR SANCTUARY): minimal; moderate; high Dr Carole Carlson Dir Research and Education Dolphin Fleet of Provincetown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From reclella at coastal.edu Tue Jan 22 17:52:31 2008 From: reclella at coastal.edu (Robert Clelland) Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:52:31 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Question concering coastal Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin Morphology Message-ID: <000201c85d62$a1216e40$1a02800a@firekeeper> I am currently working on my master's thesis on "Differences in energy expenditures of oceanic and estuarine bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)" and I am trying to track down any papers that have been published concerning morphological difference between the sub-ecotypes of the coastal bottlenose dolphins (estuarine vs. nearshore coastal bottlenose dolphins). If anyone could point me in the direction of any papers on that topic then your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Robert Clelland Department of Marine Science, Coastal Carolina University reclella at coastal.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From L.Bejder at murdoch.edu.au Sun Jan 27 21:59:23 2008 From: L.Bejder at murdoch.edu.au (Lars Bejder) Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:59:23 +0900 Subject: [MARMAM] New publications (Higham and Bejder 2008) Message-ID: Dear MARMAM Readers, The following paper has just been published: Higham, J. and Bejder, L. 2008. Managing wildlife-based tourism: Edging slowly towards sustainability? Current Issues in Tourism 11(1): 75-83. Abstract: It is increasingly acknowledged that cetacean-based tourism may not be as low in impact as many hope or presume, and that any long term and systematic human interactions with populations of wild animals need to be rigorously monitored and carefully managed. This paper reviews a series of recent developments in the management of tourist interactions with dolphins at Shark Bay (Western Australia). We argue that collectively these developments represent a paradigmatic shift in the way commercial tourism encounters with dolphins are managed. If so, they represent an important and long overdue advance in the general direction of sustainable management. However, the paper also strikes a note of caution. Shark Bay, a well managed site of relatively low level commercial dolphin-watching activities, carries important insights and austere warnings for the many high-intensity/low visitor management dolphin-tourism sites around the world. A PDF of the paper is available from the following website: http://www.cffr.murdoch.edu.au/mucru/ All the best, Lars Bejder __________________________ Research Leadership Fellow Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit (MUCRU) Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research Murdoch University South Street, Murdoch, 6150 Western Australia Mob: ++ 61 0424 508 498 Fax: ++ 61 (0) 8 9360 6303 Email: l.bejder at murdoch.edu.au http://www.cffr.murdoch.edu.au/mucru/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Lori.Schwacke at noaa.gov Mon Jan 28 05:25:55 2008 From: Lori.Schwacke at noaa.gov (Lori Schwacke) Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 08:25:55 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] SEAMAMMS 2008 - Abstracts due February 1 Message-ID: <479DD7E3.3000606@noaa.gov> Don't miss out - abstracts for the16th Annual Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium (SEAMAMMS) are due this *Friday, February 1, 2008*. SEAMAMMS 2008 will be held March 28-30 in Charleston, South Carolina. Authors will be notified by February 15th regarding the status of their presentation. Abstracts should be submitted to : seamamms08 at noaa.gov . More information can be found at the SEAMAMMS website: http://www.musc.edu/mbes/seamamms/ Lori Schwacke Lori.Schwacke at noaa.gov -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lenah2o at hotmail.com Sun Jan 27 08:46:39 2008 From: lenah2o at hotmail.com (Lena Pettersson) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:46:39 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Need for information regarding practical use of carrying capacity estimations (ecological). Message-ID: Need for information regarding practical use of carrying capacity estimations (ecological). I am currently writing a master thesis with the preliminary title "Management tools to reduce direct environmental impact resulting from marine tourism. Case study: Con Dao, Vietnam". Within this topic I'm looking closer at the use of carrying capacity and also education (as an effecient way to increase the carrying capacity) as possible tools. It seems that carrying capacity estimations are seldom used in practical management plans (when focusing on marine mammals and tourism activities e.g. whale/seal-safari). Even after feedback from guides /managers, I have a problem finding locations that use limit in nr as a successful management tool. Is this the case? Or does anybody know of any marine reserve/MPA that actually incorporates cc estimations in their management plans, when conducting tourism activities focusing on marine mammals? If you have any kind of information/comments etc. ? all inputs are very much appreciated at this point. Sincerely /Lena Pettersson ------------ Lena Pettersson Norwegian College of Fishery Science International Fisheries Management Troms?, Norway Mail: lenah2o at hotmail.com lpe026 at mailbox.uit.no _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ecs.conference at gmail.com Tue Jan 29 13:56:32 2008 From: ecs.conference at gmail.com (ECS 2008) Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:56:32 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] 2008 Conference and AGM of the European Cetacean Society Message-ID: <479FA110.7030301@gmail.com> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jan.herrmann at cetacea.de Tue Jan 29 15:25:03 2008 From: jan.herrmann at cetacea.de (Jan Herrmann) Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:25:03 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] New publications week 01-02 Message-ID: Dear all, here are some new publications of week 01-02 / 2008, which haven't been announced on MARMAM earlier AFAIK. By clicking the following link you are guided to a website, where the following references are linked to their according journal homepages. There you can find abstracts and contact information: http://www.mmbib.com/news.php Please do not contact MARMAM, the MARMAM editors or me for reprints. Thank you. Thanks to all of you who sent in reprints to be included in the weekly announcements. Kindest Regards, Jan Herrmann CETACEA Birukawa, N. et al. (2008): Molecular cloning of urea transporters from the kidneys of baleen and toothed whales. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 149(2): 227-235. Capelli, R. et al. (2008): Distribution of trace elements in organs of six species of cetaceans from the Ligurian Sea (Mediterranean), and the relationship with stable carbon and nitrogen ratios. Science of the Total Environment 390(2-3): 569-578. Hemery, G. et al. (2008): Detecting the impact of oceano-climatic changes on marine ecosystems using a multivariate index: The case of the Bay of Biscay (North Atlantic-European Ocean). Global Change Biology 14(1): 27-38. Johnson, M. et al. (2007): Echolocation behaviour adapted to prey in foraging Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris). Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B-Biological Sciences 275(1631): 133-139. Langer, P. (2008): BOOK REVIEW: Shirihai, H.; Jarrett, B.: Whales, Dolphins, and Other Marine Mammals of the World. Princeton and Oxford, Princeton University Press (2006). 384pp., numerous colour figures. US$ 55.00, Hardback: ? 35.95, ISBN-13: 978-0-691-12756-9; US$ 24.95, Paperback: ?15.95, ISBN-13: 978-0-691-12757-6. Mammalian Biology: Zeitschrift f?r S?ugetierkunde 73(1): 81. Mendoza, L. et al. (2008): Use of Sera from Humans and Dolphins with Lacaziosis and Sera from Experimentally Infected Mice for Western Blot Analyses of Lacazia loboi Antigens. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology 15(1): 164-167. Paulos, R.D., K.M. Dudzinski, and S.A. Kuczaj (2008): The role of touch in select social interactions of Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus). Journal of Ethology 26(1): 153-164. Teloni, V. et al. (2008): Shallow food for deep divers: Dynamic foraging behavior of male sperm whales in a high latitude habitat. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 354(1): 119-131. PINNIPEDIA Brookens, T.J. et al. (2008): Total mercury body burden in Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardii, pups from central California. Marine Pollution Bulletin 56(1): 27-41. Goldstein, T. et al. (2008): Novel symptomatology and changing epidemiology of domoic acid toxicosis in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus): an increasing risk to marine mammal health. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B-Biological Sciences 275(1632): 267-276. Smodlaka, H. et al. (2007): Macroscopic Anatomy of the Heart of the Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida). Anatomia Histologia Embryologia 37(1): 30-35. Trillmich, F. and J.B.W. Wolf (2008): Parent-offspring and sibling conflict in Gal?pagos fur seals and sea lions. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 62(3): 363-375. Vergani, D.F. et al. (2008): The effects of El Nino-La Nina on reproductive parameters of elephant seals feeding in the Bellingshausen Sea. Journal of Biogeography 35(2): 248-256. OTHER MARINE MAMMALS -- --> jan.herrmann -at - cetacea.de From sh52 at st-andrews.ac.uk Sat Jan 26 11:10:00 2008 From: sh52 at st-andrews.ac.uk (Sonja Heinrich) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 19:10:00 -0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Masters in Marine Mammal Science- correction of URL Message-ID: <001601c8604f$0f9f4c40$c0befb8a@stand.ac.uk> Dear all, Apologies for the repeat posting. There are problems with the previously posted URL. Please try http://bio.st-andrews.ac.uk/mms. Many thanks, Sonja ************************************ One-year Master of Research in Marine Mammal Science We are accepting applications for the 2008/09 entry into the Master of Research (MRes) course in Marine Mammal Science based at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. This is a unique, one-year course intended to prepare students for a professional career in marine mammal research and conservation. The programme is tailored to address the scientific challenges of marine mammal physiology, behaviour and population biology with strong components of analytical methodology, laboratory work, and field study. The course is being taught by members of the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU), with some modules jointly organised with the School of Biology and CREEM (Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling). Applications for the upcoming academic year (starting September 2008) must be received by Friday 4th April 2008. For further information on the course, entry requirements and how to apply see http://bio.st-andrews.ac.uk/mms. Best wishes, Jason & Sonja Dr Jason Matthiopoulos (Course Coordinator) & Dr Sonja Heinrich (Teaching Fellow) Email for enquiries: smrumasters at st-andrews.ac.uk Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St.Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, Scotland, UK http://www.smru.st-and.ac.uk/ http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/ From Todd.Speakman at noaa.gov Mon Jan 28 08:21:21 2008 From: Todd.Speakman at noaa.gov (Todd Speakman) Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:21:21 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Dolphin Research Internship Message-ID: <479E0101.1030907@noaa.gov> The Marine Mammal and Protected Resources (MMPR) Program in Charleston, South Carolina is recruiting to fill two Dolphin Photo-identification Internship positions for the Summer of 2007. The MMPR is organized within NOAA?s National Ocean Service and is located at the Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research (CCEHBR) laboratory in Charleston, SC. The intern position involves a commitment of 20 hours per week extending over a 15 week period from Monday, May 5, 2008 to Friday, August 15, 2008. There is some flexibility in these start and end times, however, especially for applicants whose Spring semester would require a later start time. Interns will participate in the field and laboratory activities of the Charleston Dolphin Abundance and Distribution Project (CDAD). Three useful sources of information about the CDAD project are: 1) Zolman, E. 2002. Residence patterns of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Stono River estuary, Charleston County, South Carolina. Marine Mammal Science 18:879-892; and 2) The Charleston Dolphin Abundance and Distribution (CDAD) Project: Standard Operating Protocols (SOP) for Field and Photographic Analysis Procedures; and 3) Speakman, T., E. Zolman, J. Adams, R.H. Defran, D. Laska, L. Schwacke, J. Craigie, and P. Fair. 2006. Temporal and spatial aspects of bottlenose dolphin occurrence in coastal and estuarine waters near Charleston, South Carolina. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 37. You can download pdf versions of these documents at the web sites listed below. The CDAD project carries out boat-based photo-identification surveys in the coastal and inland waterways of the Charleston SC area. This research is designed to provide an understanding of the population characteristics, including temporal and spatial aspects, of the distribution of Charleston area Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. The internship offers an excellent opportunity for qualified and motivated individuals to obtain field and laboratory training in photo-identification methodology and analysis under the mentorship of experienced dolphin researchers. There is no compensation for this internship position and the successful applicant will be responsible for their living and transportation expenses during the time of the internship. During the internship interns must have a personal vehicle to allow them to travel to and from the laboratory and to some of the local field sites in the Charleston area. Ideal internship applicants will be advanced undergraduates or a recent graduate of a scientifically oriented university program in the behavioral or biological sciences. A typical applicant should have a strong interest in the scientific study of cetacean behavioral ecology, have potential interests in future graduate study in marine mammal science, and is an individual who seeks extensive and intensive exposure to the field work, data analysis techniques, and research literature in this field. Preference will be given to the selection of interns with well developed computer skills and boat-based field experience. The internship application will consist of a letter of interest, transcripts of university coursework and two letters of recommendation from professors or research supervisors who are familiar with your scholarship, research skills and work habits. Interested applicants should first correspond with Todd Speakman by email before preparing and submitting application materials. We anticipate filling this internship position by late March 2008. Interested applicants should correspond by email to Todd Speakman Email: Todd.Speakman at noaa.gov Zolman .pdf download: http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/classes/psychology/psy211/defran/CDAD/Zolman2002.pdf CDAD SOP .pdf download: http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/classes/psychology/psy211/defran/CDAD/CDAD_Internship_SOP.pdf Speakman et. al. pdf download: http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/classes/psychology/psy211/defran/CDAD/Speakman_et_al_2006a.pdf From dagmar_fertl at hotmail.com Wed Jan 30 07:08:50 2008 From: dagmar_fertl at hotmail.com (Dagmar Fertl) Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:08:50 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] NAFO/ICES Symposium - Role of Marine Mammals in the Ecosystem Message-ID: The following is information on the NAFO/ICES Symposium 'Role of Marine Mammals in the Ecosystem' that had fliers advertising it at the Cape Town conference. I had been unable to locate information online, and so I contacted the organizers. I thought I'd share what I found out. The symposium will be held 29 Sept-1 Oct 2008 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. Abstract submission deadline is 1 May 2008. For more details on the workshop: http://www.nafo.int/science/research/conferences/2008/body.html For registration information: http://www.nafo.int/science/research/conferences/2008/reg2.aspx Please do not contact me with any questions about the workshop, as I have no affiliation with the workshop in any form. I hope you will find the posted information useful, however. Regards, Dagmar Fertl Ziphius EcoServices8112 Springmoss DrivePlano, TX 75025 USAdfertl at gmail.com _________________________________________________________________ Shed those extra pounds with MSN and The Biggest Loser! http://biggestloser.msn.com/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lmarino at emory.edu Wed Jan 30 07:31:48 2008 From: lmarino at emory.edu (Lori Marino) Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:31:48 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] New interview on dolphin assisted therapy Message-ID: <47A09864.6000004@emory.edu> Dear Colleagues, This is to inform you of a recent interview I've given for The Dolphin Pod on dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT). If you are interested you can find it at: http://www.dolphincommunicationproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1201&Itemid=1 In it I discuss our recent methodological critique of the DAT literature and the serious implications for both human and dolphin welfare. There are also links to Marino and Lilienfeld (2007) and WDCS materials. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments on this issue. Thanks, Lori Marino -- Lori Marino, Ph.D. Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology Program 1462 Clifton Road, Suite 304 Emory University Atlanta, GA 30322 Phone: (404) 727-7582 Fax: (404) 727-7471 From info at cbmwc.org Tue Jan 29 03:38:15 2008 From: info at cbmwc.org (CBMWC) Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:38:15 -0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre's Bottlenose dolphin Photo-id Catalogue 2007 Message-ID: <003101c8626b$70325a70$4101a8c0@cbmwcpc2> The Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre?s 2007 Bottlenose dolphin Photo-id catalogue can be found in full on our website, www.cbmwc.org . To view, follow this link http://www.cbmwc.org/current_res/Photo-idcatalogue.htm, you will find a link at the bottom of the page where you can download the document or go to Research Projects. Please note that it is a rather large file even after compressing it (26mb) so it may take a few minutes to download. Copies on disc will be sent to those who require them. Please have a look; any constructive criticism would be appreciated. This catalogue is a summary of a long-term photo-identification study of the bottlenose dolphins of Cardigan Bay, and forms the basis of a readily accessible catalogue that can be used by relevant bodies, groups and individuals to ensure the long-term protection of these magnificent wild creatures that frequent our waters. Combining ecotourism with research helps to ensure the long-term sustainability of this photo-identification project; examples of similar approaches can be found throughout the world. Research funded by the paying public provides an important tool for environmental education and awareness. This approach is being used by the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre and Dolphin Survey Boat Trips to help ensure the long-term future of the bottlenose dolphins of Cardigan Bay. We would like to thank all those who have been involved in putting this catalogue and previous years catalogues together, particular thanks to all our volunteers over the past few years for all their hard work. All the best for now, Sarah Perry & Steve Hartley ______________________________________________ Sarah Perry Project Manager Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre Patent Slip Building Glanmor Terrace New Quay Ceredigion SA45 9PS www.cbmwc.org E-bost/E-mail: info at cbmwc.org Ff?n/Tel. 01545 560032 Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre is supported by the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Group, a Marine interest group of the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales Helping to conserve Cardigan Bay's Marine Wildlife through education and research Cynorthwyo i gadw Bywyd gwyllt Moral Bae Aberteifi trwy addysg ac ymchwil. ______________________________________________ The contents of this e-mail are confidential and are solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you receive this e-mail in error, please delete it and notify us either by e-mail or telephone. It is prohibited to copy, forward or otherwise disclose the content of the e-mail. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Katie.S.Moore at uscg.mil Tue Jan 29 06:12:47 2008 From: Katie.S.Moore at uscg.mil (Moore, Katie) Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:12:47 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] USCG- Marine Protected Species Program Manager Message-ID: <7F9AA03075FA2648BA368E1F755AA8909128FA@emo-exmb-m-303.main.ads.uscg.mil> Hi, The Coast Guard is hiring for its Marine Protected Species Manager position, based in DC. The eligibility criteria have been EXPANDED. Please distribute to potential applicants. MARINE PROTECTED SPECIES MANAGER OPEN PERIOD: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 to Monday, February 18, 2008 SERIES & GRADE: GS-0401-14 POSITION INFORMATION: Full Time Career/Career Conditional PROMOTION POTENTIAL: 14 DUTY LOCATIONS: 1 vacancy - Washington, DC WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED: US Citizens and Status Candidates JOB SUMMARY: Who May Apply: Open to all U.S. citizens and under merit promotion procedures to all competitive status candidates, reinstatement eligibles, VEOA eligibles, and to those eligible for special appointing or noncompetitive appointment authorities such as 30% or more compensably disabled veterans and persons with disabilities. This position is a Program Manager within the Coast Guard's Office of Fisheries and Marine Protected Species Enforcement (CG-5314). This position serves as the principal legal, policy, and biological expert regarding marine protected species (MPS) for the Coast Guard. This position will be responsible for program direction, oversight, administration, resource planning, technical leadership and execution of the MPS program within the Coast Guard. Additionally, the position includes establishing, developing and overseeing long-term national and regional partnerships and cooperative agreements for living marine resources with Department of State (DOS), Department of Defense (DOD), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW&S), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), international organizations, state and local governments, non-governmental organizations, industry, and research institutions. KEY REQUIREMENTS: U.S. Citizenship is required. Application procedures are specific to this announcement. Selectee(s) must be able to obtain a Top Secret security clearance. Recruitment incentives may be paid. Moving expenses will be paid in accordance with appropriate regulations. Shortcut to: http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=67885009&AVSDM=2008%2D01%2D29+00%3A03%3A03&Logo=0&lid=17514&FedEmp=N&jbf574=HSAC&brd=3876&vw=d&ss=0&FedPub=Y&caller=/a9uscg.asp&SUBMIT1.x=40&SUBMIT1.y=13 -------------------------------------------------- Katie Moore USCG- Atlantic Area Katie.s.Moore at uscg.mil *Note- I am not the hiring specialist, and questions regarding the job should be directed to the POC's listed in the advertisement. From sightings at hwdt.org Wed Jan 30 08:40:07 2008 From: sightings at hwdt.org (HWDT Sightings) Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:40:07 -0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Job Announcment: Science Director (Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust) Message-ID: <01f301c8635e$c657d620$0c01a8c0@sightings> The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) wishes to appoint a Science Director to manage its science programmes. The appointee will be a qualified marine scientist with a PhD in marine ecology or a related discipline and relevant field and programme management experience. Working as part of a team in a small but dynamic NGO, the Science Director will implement the Trust's multi-faceted programme of cetacean research, which emphasises long-term monitoring for cetaceans on the west coast of Scotland, investigation of cetacean habitats and matters of conservation concern. Location: HWDT is based on the Isle of Mull on the west coast of Scotland, and the Science Director will work from its offices in Tobermory. Salary: ?25,000 p/a. The post is anticipated to be a 3-year contract, contingent on current funding proposals. More information , including a detailed job description, is available at http://www.whaledolphintrust.co.uk/about_hwdt/documents/HWDTScienceDirectorJD2008.pdf or email biodiversityofficer at hwdt.org Laura Mandleberg Sightings Officer Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From steveinbox at yahoo.co.uk Wed Jan 16 06:53:48 2008 From: steveinbox at yahoo.co.uk (Steve Box) Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:53:48 +0000 (GMT) Subject: [MARMAM] Images and report of stranded beaked whales Message-ID: <122748.78822.qm@web25810.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> The below link has some images of the beaked whale mother and calf from the strandings on Utila, Honduras (reported on Marmam two weeks ago). There is also a downloadable version of a report on these strandings. Please feel free to disseminate this link to any interested parties. We will upload further images and information as it becomes available. The link: http://www.utilaecology.org/reports/strandings.php ------------------- Stephen Box Managing Director Utila Centre for Marine Ecology ------------------- Stephen Box Tel: +504 425 3026 Cel: +504 3303 6322 ___________________________________________________________ Support the World Aids Awareness campaign this month with Yahoo! For Good http://uk.promotions.yahoo.com/forgood/ From swilson at ocean-institute.org Tue Jan 29 10:53:42 2008 From: swilson at ocean-institute.org (Sarah Wilson) Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:53:42 -0800 Subject: [MARMAM] IMCC Conference Message-ID: The Marine Section of the Society for Conservation Biology is pleased to announce the International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC) - Making Marine Science Matter. Dates: May 20-24, 2009 Location: George Mason University, Washington DC The IMCC will be an interdisciplinary meeting that will engage natural and social scientists, managers, policy-makers, and the public. The goal of the IMCC is to put conservation science into practice through public and media outreach and the development of science-based deliverables (e.g., policy briefs, blue ribbon position papers) that will be used to drive policy change and implementation. Major themes that will be addressed include: - Global climate change - The land-sea interface - Ecosystem-based management - Poverty and globalization This meeting will serve as the 2nd International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC2) and will maintain the scope and vision of IMPAC1 (held in Geelong, Australia in October 2005). 1st call for symposia, workshops, break-out sessions: 1 April - 1 June 2008 1st call for contributed papers and posters: 1 September - 15 October 2008 A call for proposals will be sent out after March 1 with detailed instructions for abstract submittal and descriptions of requirements for Symposia, Workgroups, and contributed papers and poster. Please visit the conference website at www.conbio.org/imcc for more information. Sincerely, Sarah Wilson IMCC Communciations Committee Ocean Institute Manager, Cooperation in Research and Education (949) 496-2274 ext. 337 www.ocean-institute.org and Web Coordinator Thank You Ocean Campaign National Marine Sanctuaries Foundation sarahw-thankyouocean at hotmail.com www.thankyouocean.org P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From yvonnesmiles at googlemail.com Wed Jan 30 17:03:56 2008 From: yvonnesmiles at googlemail.com (Yvonne Miles) Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:03:56 +1000 Subject: [MARMAM] Experienced Marine Mammal Observers Required In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Scanning Ocean Sectors - Marine Mammal Observer Training Company - JNCC approved SOS train individuals to work as Marine Mammal Observers for industry. We are looking for a number of trained and experienced MMOs to give a talk to students about real life as an MMO at the end of each training course. The positions are available in the UK and Australia. For more information please contact us or If you are experienced and would like to put forward an application to work with us, please submit your details, including current CV and work experience to: info at scanningoceansectors.org Thanks Yvonne -- Yvonne Miles 9 Long Street Point Vernon Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Australia 0435 017 524 mob 07 4124 8320 land line www.scanningoceansectors.org info at scanningoceansectors.org -- Yvonne Miles 9 Long Street Point Vernon Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Australia 0435 017 524 mob 07 4124 8320 land line www.scanningoceansectors.org info at scanningoceansectors.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jeff at siphonophore.com Mon Jan 14 09:01:30 2008 From: jeff at siphonophore.com (Jeff Reynolds) Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:01:30 -0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Petersburg Marine Mammal Center Internship Opportunity In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <39A365F9-D962-43D4-AAB0-58D4840AA2A8@siphonophore.com> Petersburg Marine Mammal Center Internship Opportunity Located in Petersburg, Alaska?s Little Norway, this project takes place on Mitkof Island in the heart of the Tongass National Forest. Petersburg is also known as the Whale Research Capital of Alaska because of the many world renown marine mammal researchers who use Petersburg as a base of operation. PMMC is a non-profit organization formed in 1998 to ?assist research efforts and be a depository for information on research and sightings of marine mammals in Southeast Alaska?. We have a small center located in the Viking Travel Building Which is on Main Street in downtown Petersburg. The center is manned by interns during the summer months and the Board of Directors carries out the functions of PMMC year-round. This intern program allows students the opportunity to earn college credit while learning about marine mammals and serving the public. Indoor exhibits, including an interactive computer kiosk, focus on marine mammal life history and distribution. Two interns will be working at the Center staggered shifts for seven days out a week where the work includes, but is not limited to: ? Staff the Center during open hours. Manage operations, sales and petty cash. ? Interpret AK marine mammal information for Center visitors and public. ? Assist and help coordinate where possible with researchers using center. ? Prepare/deliver AK marine mammal presentations to visitors and small groups. ? Facilitate community outreach and public education of AK marine mammals. Project Duration Two 8-10 week Intern positions are available beginning mid-June through August 31st. Accommodation The volunteer will be accommodated in Forest Service housing near the center of town, making it easy to access to the community and to the Center. Internship Requirements ? must be in an internship program through an accredited university ? physically fit ? desire to gain skills in the environmental education field ? interested in working with visitors ? possess an interest in working on small projects for the Center ? possess a positive attitude! Compensation Travel (contingent/negotiable) to and from Petersburg to Seattle or Anchorage, lodging, and $300/ month (taxable stipend). Occasional trips to observe marine mammals and other trips with Board of Directors tour operators on a space and time available basis. Other perks are included in the prospectus. Application Deadline Applications deadline is February 29th, 2008. Positions will be filled quickly thereafter For More Information and Application: http://psgmmc.org/pages/involved/internships.html Petersburg Marine Mammal Center PO Box 1618 Petersburg, AK 99833 907.772.4170 info at psgmmc.org