From J.Tyne at murdoch.edu.au Fri Sep 2 12:36:52 2011 From: J.Tyne at murdoch.edu.au (Julian Tyne) Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2011 03:36:52 +0800 Subject: [MARMAM] SEEKING FIELD ASSISTANTS FOR RESEARCH ON HAWAIIAN SPINNER DOLPHINS Message-ID: PROJECT SUMMARY I am seeking experienced research assistants to join the existing team for my PhD field work that aims to a) quantify possible effects of human interactions on spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) in resting bays in Hawaii and b) assess the effectiveness of time-area closures as a proposed mitigation tool. This is the first stage of a long-term project on spinner dolphins along the west coast of the Island of Hawaii by Murdoch University, Western Australia (http://mucru.org/ ) and Duke University, North Carolina (http://nicholas.duke.edu/marinelab/ ). The project aims to collect baseline data on the local abundance, distribution and behaviour of spinner dolphins using a suite of modern visual and acoustic techniques in five spinner dolphin resting bays in Hawaii. These data will be used to determine residency and fidelity patterns and investigate the possible effects of human interactions on the spinner dolphins and to assess the effectiveness of time-area closures as a mitigation approach. This will assist in determining the long-term viability of the spinner dolphin population and the sustainability and management of the human interactions within the resting bays. FIELD WORK Boat based photo-identification surveys will be conducted in each of four resting bays off the west coast of the Big Island of Hawaii and at another control site, possibly off the island of Molokai, to evaluate abundance of spinner dolphins, in addition, group focal follows will be carried out on spinner dolphins both inside and outside the four resting bays. Where possible, the movements and behaviour of spinner dolphins and boats will be studied from local cliff tops overlooking spinner dolphin resting bays using a digital theodolite. Theodolite data will be used to derive time series of information on activity state, path sinuosity, speed, and synchronicity of schools. Bottom-mounted acoustic recorders will be deployed in two of the resting bays that will also be subject to photo-identification- and theodolite studies described above. Initially, acoustic survey periods will be continuous (no duty cycle) and will coincide with daily visual observations in order to link acoustic detections with the distribution and behaviour of dolphins. Field work will be physically and at times mentally demanding but you will have the opportunity to observe and gain hands-on experience and improve existing skills in relation to theodolite survey techniques, photo-identification, and behavioural observations. This experience will be most useful to students or anyone hoping to pursue a career in behavioural ecology or population biology. Research assistants I am seeking skilled research assistants to commence in Sept / Oct 2011. Assistants will help collect information on spinner dolphin abundance, distribution and behaviour off the west coast of the Island of Hawaii. The field season will last until Jan 15th 2012. Because of the training required, applicants must be willing to commit to the project fulltime for a minimum of two months. Applicants willing to participate until the end of the field season will be given preference. PREREQUISITES 1. Enrolled in or completed a degree in biology, marine science, animal behaviour or a related field 2. Previous field experience with marine wildlife (photo-identification, theodolite tracking and boat handling skills would be advantageous but not a prerequisite). 3. Be enthusiastic, team oriented, have a positive attitude and good sense of humour as well as a genuine interest in marine mammal science. 4. Be adaptable and patient as fieldwork is highly weather dependent. This means office based work during bad weather and long consecutive days in the field when weather permits. Fieldwork will vary between weekends and weekdays. 5. Be prepared to work long days in a small vessel in small team of three-five people 6. Be able to commit for a minimum of five days a week for two months (though applicants willing to commit for longer will be preferred) Unfortunately, I am unable to provide monetary compensation or living provisions and research assistants will be responsible for travel to Hawaii and their own living expenses. If you are interested, please provide a short CV and cover letter attention of Julian Tyne (j.tyne at murdoch.edu.au ). Julian Tyne, ______________________________________________________________ Julian Tyne * j.tyne at murdoch.edu.au PhD Candidate, Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit (MUCRU) Centre for Fish, Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystems Faculty of Sustainability, Environmental and Life Sciences Murdoch University South Street Murdoch WA 6150 http://mucru.org/group-members/julian-tyne/ http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/spinners http://www.facebook.com/MUCRU -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pirotts at libero.it Fri Sep 2 18:44:31 2011 From: pirotts at libero.it (pirotts at libero.it) Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2011 03:44:31 +0200 (CEST) Subject: [MARMAM] New paper on Mediterranean sperm whale habitat preference Message-ID: <16572368.2643511315014271694.JavaMail.defaultUser@defaultHost> Dear MARMAM members, We are pleased to announce that the following paper has been published on Marine Ecology Progress Series: Pirotta, E., Matthiopoulos, J., MacKenzie, M., Scott-Hayward, L., Rendell, L. 2011. Modelling sperm whale habitat preference: a novel approach combining transect and follow data. Marine Ecology Progress Series 436: 257-272. ABSTRACT: Sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus habitat preferences are still poorly understood in the Mediterranean, despite the population being classified as ?Endangered? by the IUCN. Techniques to make the best use of multiple data sources are important in improving this situation. This work provides a detailed evaluation of sperm whale distribution and habitat use around the Balearic Islands using a novel analytical framework that combines transect and follow data while accounting for any autocorrelation present. During dedicated research cruises (2003 to 2008), sperm whales were located by listening at regular intervals along a search track and subsequently followed acoustically. Sperm whales were encountered 56 times and followed for periods ranging from a few hours to 3 d. Logistic Generalized Additive Models were used to model the probability of whale presence across the study area as a function of environmental variables, and Generalized Estimating Equations were used to account for autocorrelation. The results suggest that sperm whales do not use the region uniformly and that topography plays a key role in shaping their distribution. Moreover, solitary individuals were found to use the habitat differently from groups. This segregation appeared to be driven by water temperature and might reflect different needs or intraspecific competition. By shedding light on sperm whale habitat preference in such a critical area, this study represents an important step towards the implementation of conservation measures for this population. KEY WORDS: Habitat modelling ? Cetacean ? Distribution ? Balearic Islands ? GAM ? GEE ? Multi-scale A PDF copy of the work can be downloaded from: http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v436/p257-272/ Please do not hesitate to contact me for any question regarding our work. Best Regards,Enrico Pirotta -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From srichardson at coastalstudies.org Fri Sep 2 12:14:29 2011 From: srichardson at coastalstudies.org (Stephanie Richardson) Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2011 15:14:29 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Senior Biologist-Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies Message-ID: *Senior Marine Biologist or Ecologist* * * **APPLICATION PERIOD EXTENDED TO 9/16/2011** The Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (PCCS) is seeking a senior level marine biologist or ecologist to direct an established research program and to develop new initiatives. PCCS undertakes conservation-oriented research in the marine environment, including longitudinal studies of endangered large whales. We are seeking a leader for our long-term demographic study of North Atlantic right whales in Cape Cod Bay, a critical habitat off the coast of Massachusetts. Since 1997, photo-identification has been performed annually from aerial survey platforms as part of research on population biology, ecology and human impacts. Responsibilities include: strengthening the existing program and developing new initiatives; supervising program staff (a flight coordinator and aerial observers); disseminating results through scientific publications, technical reports and meetings; writing research proposals and managing existing grants; interfacing with managers, the scientific community and the public. The successful candidate would also be encouraged to develop new research in other areas of their expertise. Candidates must have a doctoral degree in a relevant biological field and at least 5 years of comparable research and project management experience. Generous benefits package, salary commensurate with experience. Please submit cover letter, resume and two references by September 16, 2011 to: Stephanie Richardson Human Resource Manager 115 Bradford Street Provincetown, MA 02657 Email: srichardson at coastalstudies.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From K.Rankmore at massey.ac.nz Sun Sep 4 16:52:23 2011 From: K.Rankmore at massey.ac.nz (Rankmore, Krista) Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2011 11:52:23 +1200 Subject: [MARMAM] MARMAM advertisment - Common dolphin Photo-ID Volunteer Position in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand Message-ID: Common dolphin Photo-ID Internship Position in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand Positions are open for volunteers to assist with common dolphin research in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. PROJECT BACKGROUND: The Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, is an important habitat for common dolphins (Delphinus sp.). that are present in the Gulf all year and use the region extensively for foraging, and as a calving and nursery ground. Common dolphins have been found to consistently inhabit coastal waters making them vulnerable to the impacts of pollution, tourist interactions, recreational use and adjacent urban population growth. The aim of this project is to investigate the abundance, site fidelity and social structure of common dolphins in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. DATES: September 2011 ? April 2012 LOCATION: Auckland, New Zealand FIELDWORK: The volunteer position entails assisting during field surveys and analysis of common dolphin fin photo identification. The successful applicant will gain valuable experience in conducting marine mammal field research, identifying individual common dolphins based on dorsal fin characteristics, and the use of MS Access databases for archiving field data. Field work is physically and at times mentally demanding but it is a great opportunity to gain knowledge in visual cetacean surveying, to get hands-on field experience in relation to survey techniques, photo-identification, behavioural observations, and improve practical skills (data analysis, photo-ID). Due to the training required, applicants should be available for a minimum of 2 months, however all applicants will be considered. The placements commence in September 2011. Fieldwork is weather dependent and can vary between weekdays and weekends. Assistants need to be available full-time including weekends and be prepared to work long hours with early starts. RESPONSIBILITIES: . Photo-identification of dolphins in the lab, including photo sorting, grading, and matching, sighting data entry, assist in maintenance of long-term photo-id catalogue using the MS Access database FinBase. Research assistants should be prepared to work long days in the office analysing of photographs and matching them with the photo-identification catalogue (75% of the time). . Assisting with boat-based photo-identification surveys of common dolphins from a local dolphin watching vessel, collecting environmental, location, and behavioural data for dolphin groups (25% of the time). This is a volunteer position, so there is unfortunately no monetary compensation or living provisions. The successful candidate should arrange their own accommodation in Auckland, living expenses, travel costs and visa. PREREQUISITES: . Be reliable, adaptable, hardworking and patient as fieldwork is highly weather dependent. This means office based work during bad weather and long consecutive days in the field when weather permits. . Have a mature attitude towards marine mammal research . Speak fluent English . Be sociable, enthusiastic and have a positive attitude . Strong interest in the marine environment and conservation QUALIFICATIONS: . Minimum of 18 years of age. The project is well suited to upper level undergrads, recent grads and graduate students who have some background in Biology, Marine Biology, Ecology, Zoology or related fields . Basic computer proficiency in MS Office (especially Excel and Access) . Field research including photo-identification experience is preferred but not required . Previous experience in survey techniques and especially in marine mammal research is preferred but not required . Participants must be able to swim and should be comfortable working on boats . First AID/CPR certification preferred but not required APPLICATION PROCESS: Applicants should send a short email to k.rankmore at massey.ac.nz, using photo-id position? as the subject line. The email should include an outline of why you would like to work on this project, your qualifications and relevant experience. Please also attach a brief CV including at least one reference acknowledging your relevant experience. Early application is recommended as applications will be examined in order of reception. All the best, Krista From ross.compton at plymouth.ac.uk Mon Sep 5 07:51:35 2011 From: ross.compton at plymouth.ac.uk (Ross Compton) Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2011 15:51:35 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] Underwater Sound and Marine Life questionnaire Message-ID: <6CD19ED93A7A8F4593955A11621242C23757FB06F3@ILS133.uopnet.plymouth.ac.uk> Dear all, Respondents are sought for the completion of a questionnaire relating to Underwater Sound and Marine Life. It is intended to seek opinions relating to the scientific basis of guidelines for the mitigation of underwater sound, as well as issues relating to current practice. The questionnaire can be accessed via the following link; https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7W288R3 Many thanks for your time. Kind regards, Ross Ross Compton University of Plymouth ross.compton at plymouth.ac.uk From Thomas.Doniol-Valcroze at dfo-mpo.gc.ca Tue Sep 6 11:46:25 2011 From: Thomas.Doniol-Valcroze at dfo-mpo.gc.ca (Doniol-Valcroze, Thomas) Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2011 14:46:25 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper on optimal foraging in blue whales Message-ID: Dear MARMAM members, We are pleased to announce that the following paper has been published in Behavioral Ecology: Doniol-Valcroze T., Lesage V., Giard J. & Michaud R. (2011) Optimal foraging theory predicts diving and feeding strategies of the largest marine predator. Behavioral Ecology 22(4): 880-888. Abstract: Accurate predictions of predator behavior remain elusive in natural settings. Optimal foraging theory predicts that breath-hold divers should adjust time allocation within their dives to the distance separating prey from the surface. Quantitative tests of these models have been hampered by the difficulty of documenting underwater feeding behavior and the lack of systems, experimental or natural, in which prey depth varies over a large range. We tested these predictions on blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), which track the diel vertical migration of their prey. A model using simple allometric arguments successfully predicted diving behavior measured with data loggers. Foraging times within each dive increased to compensate longer transit times and optimize resource acquisition. Shallow dives were short and yielded the highest feeding rates, explaining why feeding activity was more intense at night. An optimal framework thus provides powerful tools to predict the behavior of free-ranging marine predators and inform conservation studies. Key words: aerobic dive limit; blue whale; central-place forager; dive-time budget; feeding behavior; optimal foraging. Links to the full text versions are available here: http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/content/22/4/880.abstract Questions and requests for PDF copies can be addressed to: thomas.doniol-valcroze at dfo-mpo.gc.ca Best regards, Thomas Doniol-Valcroze Biologist, Marine mammal section Fisheries and Oceans Canada Maurice-Lamontagne Institute 850, route de la mer Mont-Joli, QC, Canada G5H 3Z4 Telephone 418-775-0666 Facsimile 418-775-0740 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cgb8 at st-andrews.ac.uk Wed Sep 7 03:19:48 2011 From: cgb8 at st-andrews.ac.uk (Cormac Booth) Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2011 11:19:48 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] PhD: Harbour porpoise habitat preferences and distribution Message-ID: Dear MARMAMers, Last year, the following PhD thesis was completed investigating harbour porpoises habitat preferences and distribution using six years of visual and acoustic line-transect survey data west of Scotland. Habitat preferences and distribution were assessed at a range of temporal and spatial scales. In addition the PhD looks at the prevalence and received levels of Airmar seal scarers deployed and the potential for these sounds to impact porpoises via cumulative exposures. It is now publicly available for download from: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/handle/10023/1701 Thesis citation: Booth, 2010. Variation in habitat preference and distribution of harbour porpoises west of Scotland. PhD Thesis. Scottish Oceans Institute. University of St Andrews. pp264. Abstract: ?The waters off the west coast of Scotland have one of the highest densities of harbour porpoise (*Phocoena phocoena*) in Europe. Harbour porpoise are listed under Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive, requiring the designation of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for the species? protection and conservation. The main aim of this thesis is to identify habitat preferences for harbour porpoise, and key regions that embody these preferences, which could therefore be suitable as SACs; and to determine how harbour porpoise use these regions over time and space. Designed visual and acoustic line-transect surveys were conducted between 2003 and 2008. GAMs with Generalised Estimating Equations (GEEs) were used to determine relationships between the relative density of harbour porpoise and temporally and spatially variable oceanographic covariates. Predictive models showed that depth, slope, distance to land and spring tidal range were all important in explaining porpoise distribution. There were also significant temporal variations in habitat use. However, whilst some variation was observed among years and months, consistent preferences for water depths between 50 and 150 m and highly sloped regions were observed across the temporal models. Predicted surfaces revealed a consistent inshore distribution for the species throughout the west coast of Scotland. Regional models revealed similar habitat preferences to the full-extent models, and indicated that the Small Isles and Sound of Jura were the most consistently important regions for harbour porpoise, and that given this consistency; these regions could be suitable as SACs. The received levels and impacts of Airmar seal scarers on distribution and habitat use of porpoises were also investigated, and there were indications that these devices have the potential to displace harbour porpoise and that the potential for auditory injury should be considered in response to cumulative exposures. These results can be considered in the assessment of sites for SAC designation, and in implementing appropriate conservation measures for harbour porpoise.? Please contact me on cgb8 at st-andrews.ac.uk if you have any questions or would like to discuss the work in more detail. Best regards, Cormac Booth -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kdudzinski at dolphincommunicationproject.org Thu Sep 8 06:08:34 2011 From: kdudzinski at dolphincommunicationproject.org (Kathleen M. Dudzinski) Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2011 09:08:34 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] updated web links to AMJ Monk seal special issue articles Message-ID: <0057C286-7F92-4156-9B1F-D27EBE02F177@dolphincommunicationproject.org> Dear MARMAM and ECS-talk subscribers, In our posting to these lists last week, the year was inadvertently omitted from the links for each article in the special issue on Monk Seals (37.3 of Aquatic Mammals). Please use the corrected links per article below to access them. My apologies for this inconvenience. Thank you for your continued interest in the journal. With regards, Kathleen Dudzinski, Ph.D. Editor, Aquatic Mammals aquaticmammals at gmail.com ******************* Karamanlidis, A.A., Schofield, T.D. 2011. Foreword. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 225-226, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.225 Schultz, J.K. 2011. Population Genetics of the Monk Seals (Genus Monachus): A Review. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 227-235, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.227 Mo, G. 2011. Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) Sightings in Italy (1998-2010) and Implications for Conservation. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 236-240, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.236 Scheinin, A.P., Goffman, O., Elasar, M., Perelberg, A. & Kerem, D.H. 2011. Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) Resighted Along the Israeli Coastline After More than Half a Century. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 241-242, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.241 Gomer?i?, T., Huber, D., Gomer?i?, M.D. & Gomer?i?., H. 2011. Presence of the Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) in the Croatian Part of the Adriatic Sea. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 243-248, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.243 Mo, G., Bazairi, H., Bayed, A. & Agnesi, S. 2011. Survey on Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) Sightings in Mediterranean Morocco. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 248-255, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.248 Adamantopoulou, S., Androukaki, E., Dendrinos, P., Kotomatas, S., Paravas, V., Psaradellis, M., Tounta, E. & Karamanlidis, A. A. 2011. Movements of Mediterranean Monk Seals (Monachus monachus) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 256-261, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.256 Mu?oz, G., Karamanlidis, A.A., Dendrinos, P. & Thomas, J.A. 2011. Aerial Vocalizations by Wild and Rehabilitating Mediterranean Monk Seals (Monachus monachus) in Greece Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 262-279,http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.262 Karamanlidis, A.A., Kallianiotis, A., Psaradellis, M. & Adamantopoulou, S. 2011. Stomach Contents of a Subadult Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) from the Aegean Sea Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 280-283, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.280 Pierce, G.J., Hernandez-Milian, G., Santos, M.B., Psaradellis, M., Tounta, E., Androukaki, E. & Edridge, A. 2011. Diet of the Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) in Greek Waters. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 284-297, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.284 Hale, R., Pires, R., Santos, P. & Karamanlidis, A.A. 2011. Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus): Fishery Interactions in the Archipelago of Madeira.Aquatic Mammals 27 (3), 298-304, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.298 Trivourea, M.N., Karamanlidis, A.A., Tounta, E., Dendrinos, P. & Kotomatas, S. 2011. People and the Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus): A Study of the Socioeconomic Impacts of the National Marine Park of Alonissos, Northern Sporades, Greece Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 305-318, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.305 Brown, E., Hughes, G., Watanuki, R., Johanos, T.C. & Wurth, T.. 2011 The Emergence of an Important Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi) Pupping Area at Kalaupapa, Moloka?i, in the Main Hawaiian Islands. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 319-325, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.319 Gilmartin, W.G., Johanos, T.C., DeMaster, D.R. & Henderson, J.R. 2011. Hawaiian Monk Seals (Monachus schauinslandi) at Kure Atoll: Some Life History Effects Following Effort to Enhance Pup Survival. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 326-331, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.326 Gilmartin, W.G., Sloan, A.C., Harting, A.L., Johanos, T.C., Baker, J.D., Breese, M. & Ragen, T.J. 2011. Rehabilitation and Relocation of Young Hawaiian Monk Seals (Monachus schauinslandi). Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 332-341, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.332 Norris, T.A., Littnan, C.L. & Gulland, F.M.D. 2011. Evaluation of the Captive Care and Post-Release Behavior and Survival of Seven Juvenile Female Hawaiian Monk Seals (Monachus schauinslandi). Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 342-353, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.342 Schofield, T.D., Levine, G., Gulland, F.M.D., Littnan, C.L. & Colitz, C.M.H. 2011. The First Successful Hand-Rearing of a Neonate Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi) and Post-Release Management Challenges. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 354-359, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.354 Curtice, C., Schick, R.S., Dunn, D.C. & Halpin, P.N. 2011. Home Range Analysis of Hawaiian Monk Seals (Monachus schauinslandi) Based on Colony, Age, and Sex. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 360-371, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.360 Williams, T.M., Richter, B., Kendall, T. & Dunkin, R. 2011. Metabolic Demands of a Tropical Marine Carnivore, the Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi): Implications for Fisheries Competition. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 372-376, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.372 Kissel, L.N., Bankowski, M.J., Koyamatsu, T.L.S., Nagai, R.Y., Seifried, S.E. & Crow, G.L. 2011. Aerobic Microorganisms Identified Over a Fourteen-Month Period from the Upper Respiratory Tract of Captive Hawaiian Monk Seals (Monachus schauinslandi). Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 377-385, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.377 Watson, T.K., Kittinger, J.N., Walters, J.S. & Schofield, T.D. 2011. Culture, Conservation, and Conflict: Assessing the Human Dimensions of Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 386-396, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.386 Lowry, L.F., Laist, D.W., Gilmartin, W.G. & Antonelis, G.A. 2011. Recovery of the Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi): A Review of Conservation Efforts, 1972 to 2010, and Thoughts for the Future. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 397-419, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.397 Historical Perspectives Essay Holt, S. 2011. Science, Politics, and Economics in the International Whaling Commission. Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 420-430, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.420 Book Review Lowry, L.F. 2011. Caribbean Monk Seals: Lost Seals of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. J. Hairr, Aquatic Mammals 27(3), 431, http://dx.doi.org/10.1578/AM.37.3.2011.431 *********************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From delphine.chabanne at gmail.com Thu Sep 8 20:05:00 2011 From: delphine.chabanne at gmail.com (Delphine Chabanne) Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2011 11:05:00 +0800 Subject: [MARMAM] INDO-PACIFIC BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN RESEARCH ASSISTANT / INTERNSHIP POSITION IN PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA Message-ID: INDO-PACIFIC BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN RESEARCH ASSISTANT / INTERNSHIP POSITION IN PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA Positions are open for volunteers to assist with Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin research in Perth, Western Australia. PROJECT BACKGROUND: Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops aduncus*) have been found to inhabit the Swan-Canning Estuary and adjacent waters of Perth, Western Australia. Estuarine ecosystems experience substantial environmental change, geographical isolation and adjacent urban population growth that influence various aspects of the socioecology of dolphins. The aim of this project is to investigate the abundance, distribution, behaviour and social structure of Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins in the metropolitan waters of Perth, Western Australia. This will assist in assessing the conservation status of dolphin communities, the biological significance of human impacts, and the effectiveness of different management options. DATES: Commencing September/October 2011 (minimum three months commitment, full-time). LOCATION: Perth, Western Australia FIELDWORK: Boat-based photo-identification surveys will be conducted in the Swan-Canning Estuary and three offshore areas. Assistants will help collect information on bottlenose dolphin abundance, distribution and behaviour during field surveys and analysis of common dolphin fin photo identification. The successful applicant will gain valuable experience in conducting marine mammal field research, identifying individual bottlenose dolphins based on dorsal fin characteristics. Field work can be physically but it is an opportunity to gain experience and improve your skills in relation to visual cetacean survey techniques, photo-identification, behavioural observations, data entry and fin-matching. RESEARCH ASSISTANT DUTIES: - Photo-identification of dolphins in the lab, including photo sorting, grading, and matching, sighting data entry - Assisting with boat-based photo-identification surveys of bottlenose dolphins, including operating small vessel during surveys, collecting environmental, location, and behavioural data for dolphin groups PREREQUISITES: . Be reliable, adaptable, hardworking and patient as fieldwork is highly weather dependent. . Be sociable, enthusiastic and have a positive attitude and mature attitude towards marine mammal research Due to the training required, applicants should be available for a minimum of 3 months. Applicants with biology, marine science or animal behaviour background and/or small boat operation experience are preferred but not required. The placements commence in September/October 2011. Assistants need to be available full-time including weekends and be prepared to work long hours with early starts. Applications are also open for next year (from January to December 2012). There is unfortunately no monetary compensation or living provisions. The successful candidate will be responsible for travel costs and visa, accommodation and living expenses. APPLICATION PROCESS: If you are interested, please provide a short email to D.Chabanne at murdoch.edu.au. The email should include a cover letter and a short CV. Regards, Delphine* * ** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From srichardson at coastalstudies.org Fri Sep 9 13:24:40 2011 From: srichardson at coastalstudies.org (Stephanie Richardson) Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2011 16:24:40 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Right Whale Aerial Survey Observer - Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies Message-ID: RIGHT WHALE AERIAL SURVEY OBSERVER The Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (PCCS) is seeking a right whale aerial survey observer for the 2012 winter/spring season (January 4ththrough May 15 th 2012). The selected candidate will participate in an on-going long term study of North Atlantic right whales in Cape Cod Bay and the adjacent waters. Responsibilities include taking part in marine mammal aerial surveys, photo analysis, assisting with maintenance of the in-house catalog, and data processing. Previous experience as a marine mammal aerial survey observer and photo-identification (right whales or other large cetaceans) is strongly desired. Applicants must have at least a B.S. with courses in biology and the ability to live and work well in a team environment. This is a full-time seasonal position. Shared housing will be provided at no cost. General information about the Right Whale Studies Program at PCCS is available at: http://www.coastalstudies.org/what-we-do/right-whales/fieldnotesintro.htm Please submit cover letter, resume, and two references by September 30th 2011 to: Stephanie Richardson Human Resource Manager 115 Bradford Street Provincetown, MA 02657 Email: srichardson at coastalstudies.org -- Stephanie Richardson Human Resource Manager Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies 115 Bradford Street Provincetown, MA 02652 t. (508) 487-3622 Ext. 113 f. (508) 487-4495 Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From simon.berrow at shannondolphins.ie Fri Sep 9 07:02:24 2011 From: simon.berrow at shannondolphins.ie (Simon Berrow) Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2011 15:02:24 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] 26th European Cetacean Society Conference Message-ID: <0F197523A66E441285B4C243963C741C@simon> 26th European Cetacean Society Conference Galway Ireland, 26-28 March 2012 First announcement of the 26th European Cetacean Society Conference, which will be held in Galway, Ireland from 26-28 March 2012; hosted by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group and the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). The conference will be held at the Galway Bay Hotel (www.galwaybayhotel.com) and workshops held over the weekend 24-25 March at GMIT (www.gmit.ie). The theme of the conference is Communication: information and ideas worth sharing. We hope to explore communication across and between marine mammals, scientists, policy-makers and the public. The conference will be wrapped up in music, dancing, stories and chat. A chance to exchange ideas and experiences and meet old and new friends alike, because after all that is what conferences should be about ! We look forward to seeing you in Galway. Website details to follow. Abstract deadline mid-November. Conference email ECS2012 at gmit.ie or follow us on twitter @ECS2012Galway. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bm8 at st-andrews.ac.uk Mon Sep 12 01:39:07 2011 From: bm8 at st-andrews.ac.uk (Bernie McConnell) Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2011 08:39:07 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Live Catching Techniques Workshop Message-ID: <4F6ADB7E3988A54A8ED667FD02ED89F43485BB97@uos-dun-mbx2> Are you having problems capturing your target species? Do you spend cold, wet days sitting in a small boat cursing the fact that you are being out-smarted by a marine critter, and that there must be better way of earning a living? Then share you experiences and new ideas at the Live Catching Techniques Workshop at Tampa. Details at: http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=591&Itemid=336&workshop=6 Bernie McConnell, Sea Mammal Research Unit University of St Andrews, Scotland. bm8 at st-andrews.ac.uk -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From JAschettino at cascadiaresearch.org Tue Sep 13 17:35:52 2011 From: JAschettino at cascadiaresearch.org (Jessica Aschettino) Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:35:52 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper: Multiple populations of melon-headed whales in the Hawaiian Archipelago Message-ID: <97EEB27129689C4AB0328F320AB9FC9901060EFE23BF@SERVERBLUE.cascadia.local> Dear MARMAM list members, The following paper is now available in Early View from Marine Mammal Science. Aschettino, J.M., R.W. Baird, D.J. McSweeney, D.L. Webster, G.S. Schorr, J.L. Huggins, K.K. Martien, S.D. Mahaffy, and K.L. West. 2011. Population structure of melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra) in the Hawaiian Archipelago: evidence of multiple populations based on photo-identification. Marine Mammal Science doi: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00517.x Abstract: Despite the presence of melon-headed whales in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, little is known about this species. To assess population structure in Hawai'i, dedicated field efforts were undertaken from 2000 to 2009. Using only good quality photographs, there were 1,433 unique photo-identified individuals, of which 1,046 were distinctive. Of these, 31.5% were seen more than once. Resighting data combined with social network analyses showed evidence of two populations-a smaller, resident population, seen exclusively off the northwest region of the island of Hawai'i, and a larger population, seen throughout all the main Hawaiian Islands (hereafter the "main Hawaiian Islands" population). A Bayesian analysis examining the probability of movements of individuals between populations provided a posterior median dispersal rate of 0.0009/yr (95% CI = 0-0.0041), indicating the populations are likely demographically independent. Depth of encounters with the Hawai'i Island resident population was significantly shallower (median = 381 m) than those with the main Hawaiian Islands population (median = 1,662 m). Resightings of individuals have occurred up to 22 yr apart for the Hawai'i Island resident population and up to 13 yr apart for the main Hawaiian Islands population, suggesting long-term residency to the islands for both populations. Key words: melon-headed whale, Peponocephala electra, Hawai'i, site fidelity, population structure, movements. Jessica ------------------------------------------ Jessica Aschettino, MSc Research Associate Cascadia Research Collective www.cascadiaresearch.org jaschettino at cascadiaresearch.org Follow Cascadia on facebook -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From JAschettino at cascadiaresearch.org Tue Sep 13 18:22:54 2011 From: JAschettino at cascadiaresearch.org (Jessica Aschettino) Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:22:54 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] Correction - Link to new paper - Multiple populations of melon-headed whales in the Hawaiian Archipelago Message-ID: <97EEB27129689C4AB0328F320AB9FC9901060EFE23C5@SERVERBLUE.cascadia.local> Apologies, a link to this paper should have been included in the original message. The paper can be downloaded at www.cascadiaresearch.org or from the journal's web site at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00517.x/abstract Dear MARMAM list members, The following paper is now available in Early View from Marine Mammal Science. Aschettino, J.M., R.W. Baird, D.J. McSweeney, D.L. Webster, G.S. Schorr, J.L. Huggins, K.K. Martien, S.D. Mahaffy, and K.L. West. 2011. Population structure of melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra) in the Hawaiian Archipelago: evidence of multiple populations based on photo-identification. Marine Mammal Science doi: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00517.x Abstract: Despite the presence of melon-headed whales in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, little is known about this species. To assess population structure in Hawai'i, dedicated field efforts were undertaken from 2000 to 2009. Using only good quality photographs, there were 1,433 unique photo-identified individuals, of which 1,046 were distinctive. Of these, 31.5% were seen more than once. Resighting data combined with social network analyses showed evidence of two populations-a smaller, resident population, seen exclusively off the northwest region of the island of Hawai'i, and a larger population, seen throughout all the main Hawaiian Islands (hereafter the "main Hawaiian Islands" population). A Bayesian analysis examining the probability of movements of individuals between populations provided a posterior median dispersal rate of 0.0009/yr (95% CI = 0-0.0041), indicating the populations are likely demographically independent. Depth of encounters with the Hawai'i Island resident population was significantly shallower (median = 381 m) than those with the main Hawaiian Islands population (median = 1,662 m). Resightings of individuals have occurred up to 22 yr apart for the Hawai'i Island resident population and up to 13 yr apart for the main Hawaiian Islands population, suggesting long-term residency to the islands for both populations. Key words: melon-headed whale, Peponocephala electra, Hawai'i, site fidelity, population structure, movements. Jessica ------------------------------------------ Jessica Aschettino, MSc Research Associate Cascadia Research Collective www.cascadiaresearch.org jaschettino at cascadiaresearch.org Follow Cascadia on facebook -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ctaylor at sea2shore.org Tue Sep 13 11:03:55 2011 From: ctaylor at sea2shore.org (Cynthia Taylor) Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:03:55 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] REQUEST FOR ARTICLES - SIRENEWS Message-ID: <002801cc723f$81e24ea0$85a6ebe0$@org> The editors of Sirenews, the newsletter of the IUCN Sirenia Specialist Group, would like to request articles for the upcoming edition. Updates on manatee and dugong research, management, education, and conservation activities from around the world are encouraged. The deadline for submissions is OCTOBER 1, 2011. Please submit articles to ctaylor at sea2shore.org. Thank you - Cynthia Taylor and James Powell, Sea to Shore Alliance Cynthia R. Taylor Research Scientist Sea to Shore Alliance 941-232-4587 ctaylor at sea2shore.org www.sea2shore.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Jolie.Harrison at noaa.gov Tue Sep 13 23:04:31 2011 From: Jolie.Harrison at noaa.gov (Jolie.Harrison) Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2011 02:04:31 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Job Announcement: NMFS MMPA Incidental Take Program, Silver Spring MD Message-ID: <4E7043EF.3050809@noaa.gov> The following job announcement is listed on _www.usajobs.gov_ */for 14 days/* (through Sept 27th) under the following announcement #s: NMFS-PIR-2011-0059 (federal status) NMFS-PIR-2011-0060 (public) This position is located in the Office of Protected Resources, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, at Silver Spring, MD. The incumbent will perform review, research, analyses, and writing required to process applications for Incidental Take Authorizations (ITAs) under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and to assess the environmental impacts of ITA issuance under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). ITAs authorize the incidental take of marine mammals by non-fishing activities including, but not limited to, activities related to military readiness (e.g., U.S. Navy training) and the national energy mandate (oil/gas activities including seismic surveys, exploration and production.) The individual selected for this position will: * Process incidental take authorization requests pursuant to Marine Mammal Protection Act mandate and NMFS' policies, including: reviewing applications; coordinating with applicants; responding to public comments; and drafting all necessary documents. * Evaluate, conduct, and draft National Environmental Policy Act analyses. * Critically analyze scientific literature, agency documents, and other applicable information to assess impacts of activities on marine mammals and develop/evaluate mitigation and monitoring to support agency findings under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. * Support program planning, monitoring, improvement, and policy development. * Communicate program policies, requirements, and issues to the public and other Federal Agencies, as well as to other NOAA programs and leadership. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Jolie_Harrison.vcf Type: text/x-vcard Size: 206 bytes Desc: not available URL: From eduardo.morteo at gmail.com Tue Sep 13 20:59:18 2011 From: eduardo.morteo at gmail.com (Eduardo Morteo) Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:59:18 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Papers on bottlenose dolphins from Mexican waters Message-ID: <30A3E409-5F5C-413A-AC7D-233A14F61C34@gmail.com> Below you will find two papers on bottlenose dolphins from Mexican waters. Both can be downloaded from the web. For PDF copies please mail: emorteo at gmail.com. PAPER 1: Morteo, E., G. Heckel, R.H. Defran y Y. Schramm. 2004. Distribution, movements and group size of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) to the south of San Quint?n, Baja California, Mexico. Ciencias Marinas, 30(1A): 35?46. ABSTRACT: Twelve boat-based photoidentification surveys were carried out along the coast south of San Quintin Bay, in Baja California, Mexico from July 1999 to June 2000; effort was 276.76 km and 31.7 h at sea. Twenty-two schools were encountered and 12.9 h of total observation were spent with 242 dolphins in these schools. School size averaged 11 (S.D.=8) dolphins, although it is possible that groups are actually smaller; nursing groups were significantly larger (p<0.05), with frequent membership exchanges occurring among schools. Dolphins preferred a coastal strip between 250 and 500 m offshore (p<0.05), at depths below 7 m, and with sandy substrates (p<0.05). Greater sighting frequencies occurred in two coastal zones (p<0.05) and feeding was common around the mouth of the bay. Dorsal fin photographs led to the identification of 169 dolphins, and 124 were different individuals. During the study period the coast south of San Quintin was a pass zone for transient dolphins, since most of these animals (>70%) were sighted one time or stayed for short periods. A total of 220 different dolphins have been identified in the San Quintin area when these data are combined with those gathered by Caldwell (1992) in 1990; these dolphins probably represent a small part of a larger population. More research on bottlenose dolphins? population biology in this and adjacent geographic areas is needed to develop better conservation and management strategies for this important natural resource. KEYWORDS: Distribution, movements, ecology, Tursiops truncatus, San Quint?n. PAPER 2: Morteo E., A. Rocha-Olivares, P. Arceo-Brise?o, y L.G. Abarca-Arenas. 2011. Spatial analyses of bottlenose dolphin-fisheries interactions reveal human avoidance off a productive lagoon in the western Gulf of Mexico. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. doi: 10.1017/S0025315411000488. ABSTRACT: Studying interactions between cetaceans and humans is fundamental to assess their ecological significance and the impact of human activities on marine wildlife. Delphinids have historically been associated with human maritime activities, and while evidence suggests that such interactions are becoming more frequent worldwide, these remain poorly studied. Areas of potential interaction and differences in dolphin affinity to interact with humans were used to test hypotheses about the spatial distribution and temporal variation in dolphin-fisheries interactions off the highly productive Alvarado lagoon, in the western Gulf of Mexico. Line-transect surveys yielded 928 dolphin, 980 vessel, and 320 fishing gear target records, the latter involving mostly the shrimp fishery. No temporal differences were found in daily relative abundance of dolphins (average=8.1 h-1, sd=9.7), vessels (average=7.8 h-1, sd=5.9) or fishing gear (average=2.4 h-1, sd=2.6) between two consecutive years. Non-random spatial distributions indicated higher target concentrations at the lagoon entrance; however, dolphins and fishers were found to evade each other, possibly to prevent competition. Dolphins only interacted with gillnets (28.6% of vessels and 22.6% of fishing gear). We observed small areas of potentially intentional and random encounters outside the entrance of the lagoon and low or null potential for interactions elsewhere. Only 18.9% of dolphin schools (44.8% of the 172 photo-identified animals) interacted with fisheries mostly by chance. Resident individuals (n= 23) tended to avoid humans, likely in response to negative reinforcement caused by aggressions from fishers. Hence, the potential intentionality of a few individuals to interact with fisheries, show they bare higher risks while attempting to benefit from gillnetted prey. This research unveils the chronic and acute exposure of the dolphin community to artisanal fisheries within the area, having important reciprocal consequences on their distributions and activities. KEYWORDS: Abundance, Distribution, Dolphin-fisheries interactions, Coastal bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus Cheers! Eduardo Morteo, PhD Head Researcher Marine Mammal Laboratory Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries Universidad Veracruzana 617 Calle Hidalgo, Col. R?o Jamapa, Boca del R?o, Veracruz, Mexico. CP 94290 Ph: +52 (229) 956 72 27 Ext. 114 Fax: +52 (229) 956 70 70 E-mail: emorteo at uv.mx http://www.uv.mx/icmp http://www.labmmar.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lmarino at emory.edu Tue Sep 13 09:14:21 2011 From: lmarino at emory.edu (Marino, Lori) Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:14:21 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Announcement of New Paper exploring Research with Non-Captive Cetaceans Message-ID: <4ED5B1B055C37D40BC9086485FA2D2F91AA5F765@e14mbx22n.Enterprise.emory.net> Dear Colleagues, Toni Frohoff and I would like to announce the publication of a new paper in the open-access scientific journal PLoS One entitled Towards a New Paradigm of Non-Captive Research on Cetacean Cognition. In our paper we present the ethical and scientific arguments for phasing out cognitive research with captive dolphins and replacing it with a new paradigm of collaborative research with cetaceans in their natural habitat. Abstract Contemporary knowledge of impressive neurophysiology and behavior in cetaceans, combined with increasing opportunities for studying free-ranging cetaceans who initiate sociable interaction with humans, are converging to highlight serious ethical considerations and emerging opportunities for a new era of progressive and less-invasive cetacean research. Most research on cetacean cognition has taken place in controlled captive settings, e.g., research labs, marine parks. While these environments afford a certain amount of experimental rigor and logistical control they are fraught with limitations in external validity, impose tremendous stress on the part of the captive animals, and place burdens on populations from which they are often captured. Alternatively, over the past three decades, some researchers have sought to focus their attention on the presence of free-ranging cetacean individuals and groups who have initiated, or chosen to participate in, sociable interactions with humans in the wild. This new approach, defined as Interspecies Collaborative Research between cetacean and human, involves developing novel ways to address research questions under natural conditions and respecting the individual cetacean's autonomy. It also offers a range of potential direct benefits to the cetaceans studied, as well as allowing for unprecedented cognitive and psychological research on sociable mysticetes. Yet stringent precautions are warranted so as to not increase their vulnerability to human activities or pathogens. When conducted in its best and most responsible form, collaborative research with free-ranging cetaceans can deliver methodological innovation and invaluable new insights while not necessitating the ethical and scientific compromises that characterize research in captivity. Further, it is representative of a new epoch in science in which research is designed so that the participating cetaceans are the direct recipients of the benefits. You can download the entire article here: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0024121 The citation is as follows: Marino L, Frohoff T, 2011 Towards a New Paradigm of Non-Captive Research on Cetacean Cognition. PLoS ONE 6(9): e24121.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0024121 And please note that this article is part of a Special Collection entitled: Animals, Research and Alternatives: Measuring Progress 50 Years Later. Thank you very much. Lori Marino Lori Marino, PhD Senior Lecturer Psychology and Interdisciplinary Sciences Building, Room 488 36 Eagle Row Emory University Atlanta, Georgia 30322 (404) 727-7582 ________________________________ This e-mail message (including any attachments) is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this message (including any attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender by reply e-mail message and destroy all copies of the original message (including attachments). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kate.charlton at monash.edu Wed Sep 14 23:10:26 2011 From: kate.charlton at monash.edu (Kate Charlton-Robb) Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:10:26 +1000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication of a New dolphin species, Tursiops australis, endemic to southern Australian coastal waters Message-ID: <4E7196D2.1040406@monash.edu> Dear colleagues, We are very pleased to announcethe publication of the following paper in PLoS ONE "A New Dolphin Species, the Burrunan Dolphin /Tursiops australis/ sp. nov., Endemic to Southern Australian Coastal Waters" Kate Charlton-Robb*, Lisa-ann Gershwin, Ross Thompson, Jeremy Austin, Kylie Owen & Stephen McKechnie The paper can be downloaded directly from the PLoS ONE (http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024047) otherwise you can email me at katecr at bigpond.com or kate.charlton at monash.edu All the best, Kate Charlton-Robb Abstract Small coastal dolphins endemic to south-eastern Australia have variously been assigned to described species /Tursiops truncatus/, /T. aduncus /or/T. maugeanus/; however the specific affinities of these animals is controversial and have recently been questioned. Historically 'the southern Australian /Tursiops/' was identified as unique and was formally named /Tursiops maugeanus/ but was later synonymised with /T. truncatus/.**Morphologically, these coastal dolphins share some characters with both//aforementioned recognised /Tursiops /species/,/ but they also possess unique characters not found in either.Recent mtDNA and microsatellite genetic evidence indicates deep evolutionary divergence between this dolphin and the two currently recognised /Tursiops /species. However, in accordance with the recommendations of the Workshop on Cetacean Systematics, and the Unified Species Concept the use of molecular evidence alone is inadequate for describing new species. Here we describe the macro-morphological, colouration and cranial characters of these animals, assess the available and new genetic data, and conclude that multiple lines of evidence clearly indicate a new species of dolphin. We demonstrate that the syntype material of /T. maugeanus/ comprises two different species, one of which is the historical 'southern form of /Tursiops/' most similar to /T. truncatus/, and the other is representative of the new species and requires formal classification. These dolphins are here described as/Tursiops australis/ sp. nov., with the common name of 'Burrunan Dolphin' following Australian aboriginal narrative. The recognition of /T. australis/ sp. nov. is particularly significant given the endemism of this new species to a small geographic region of southern and south-eastern Australia, where only two small resident populations incloseproximity to a major urban and agricultural centre are known, giving them a high conservation value and making them susceptible to numerous anthropogenic threats. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Kate_Charlton.vcf Type: text/x-vcard Size: 165 bytes Desc: not available URL: From shauna.mcbride at eagles.usm.edu Thu Sep 15 08:25:26 2011 From: shauna.mcbride at eagles.usm.edu (Shauna Mcbride) Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 10:25:26 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Marine Mammal Behavior and Cognition Spring Internship Message-ID: The Marine Mammal Behavior and Cognition Labat the University of Southern Mississippi offers an internship to college juniors, seniors and recent graduates. There are three available internship periods each year: Spring, Summer, and Fall. Interns work on research projects being conducted by faculty members and graduate students, and will gain experience in both behavioral and acoustic data collection and analyses. Specific experiences depend on the research projects that are ongoing at the time of the internship. Spring 2012 Internship: The primary research being conducted at this time involves field surveys and photo-identification of bottlenose dolphins in Mississippi Sound. Applications are due November 1st. Anticipated start date is in early January and will last until mid to late May. This internship is an unpaid voluntary position, and interns are responsible for arranging their own transportation and housing. Interns are also required to receive college credit for the internship; enrollment may be with The University of Southern Mississippi or an academic institution of their choice. Students interested in applying for the internship are required to send: - Completed application - CV - Personal statement describing your career goals, reason(s) for wanting the internship, and what you expect to contribute to and gain from the internship - Unofficial or official copy of your transcripts - At least two letters of recommendation (preferably from those who can attest to your academic and scientific abilities) *International applicants have a more intensive application process and are required to obtain a visa if selected. Please contact the intern coordinator for more information. All materials should be sent to the internship coordinator: Shauna McBride Marine Mammal Behavior and Cognition Internship Department of Psychology The University of Southern Mississippi 118 College Drive, # 5025 Hattiesburg, MS 39406-5025 Materials may arrive separately or together, all materials must be postmarked by the pertinent deadline: Fall - June 1st; Spring - November 1st; Summer - March 1st Please direct all information requests and related materials to Shauna McBride at shauna.mcbride at eagles.usm.edu . -- Shauna McBride MA/PhD Student,Internship Coordinator Marine Mammal Behavior and Cognition Laboratory Department of Psychology The University of Southern Mississippi 118 College Drive, # 5025 Hattiesburg, MS 39406-5025 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From chsalvadeo at yahoo.com.mx Fri Sep 16 15:22:29 2011 From: chsalvadeo at yahoo.com.mx (christian salvadeo) Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:22:29 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [MARMAM] Multi-decadal climate change and cetaceans In-Reply-To: <1316197759.13211.YahooMailNeo@web125714.mail.ne1.yahoo.com> References: <1316197759.13211.YahooMailNeo@web125714.mail.ne1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1316211749.57803.YahooMailNeo@web125717.mail.ne1.yahoo.com> Hello to all? ? The following book chapterjust being published Salvadeo C., Lluch-Belda D., Lluch-Cota S.?and M. Mercuri (2011). Review of Long Term Macro-Fauna Movement by Multi-Decadal Warming Trends in the Northeastern Pacific. Climate Change - Geophysical Foundations and Ecological Effects, Juan Blanco and Houshang Kheradmand (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-307-419-1, Abstract: Worldwide marine ecosystems are continuously responding to changes in the physical environment at diverse spatial and temporal scales. In addition to the seasonal cycle, other natural patterns occur at the interannual scale, such as El Ni?o-La Ni?a Southern Oscillation (ENSO) with a period of about three to seven years. When ocean conditions stay above or below the long-term average for periods of 10 to 20 years we recognize decadal fluctuations, and those with periods longer than 50 years are known as regime. In this work we review published reports on long term macro-fauna (nekton) movements as related to multi-decadal temperature trends in the Northeastern Pacific. Two well defined long term climate warming trends were observed in the sea surface temperature anomalies, these appear to be part of cyclical changes that include cooling trends over the California Current System. Changes in the sea surface temperature are indicators of more complex ocean processes related to alterations in oceanic and atmospheric circulations, which ultimately affect the enrichment of superficial waters. The biological responses to those ocean processes are complex and not well understood. There are evidences which indicate that distribution shifts related to long term ocean warming had occurred for some species, including poleward shifts (gray whale and Pacific white-sided dolphin), range expansions (California sardine and jumbo squid) and redistribution (sperm whale). ? Make all requests to: chsalvadeo at yahoo.com.mx ? If you want to download the entire book: ? http://www.intechopen.com/books/show/title/climate-change-geophysical-foundations-and-ecological-effects ? Greetings ? Christian Salvadeo CICIMAR-IPN La Paz, B.C.S. M?xico -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From akkayaaylin at yahoo.com Thu Sep 15 23:57:19 2011 From: akkayaaylin at yahoo.com (aylin akkaya) Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 23:57:19 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [MARMAM] Research assistants are needed on a behavioural study of dolphins in the Istanbul Striat Message-ID: <1316156239.32870.YahooMailClassic@web161605.mail.bf1.yahoo.com> Dear Marmam readers, I am seeking enthusiastic research assistants to help a PhD thesis on a behavioural study of dolphins in the Istanbul Strait. The project aims to determine the critical habitats and investigate the interactions between cetaceans and marine traffic. In the Istanbul Strait, there are three different species of dolphins which are common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin and harbour porpoise. The strait is one of the narrowest straits in the world and has a vital importance on the international marine transportation (around 50.000 transit ships uses this passage annually). During the project, theodolite will be used for the purpose of determining the travel speed and diving interval as well as the distance between the dolphins and vessels. Moreover we will collect various behavioural data. Computer based photo-id studies will also be carried out. The research assistants will have the opportunity to take part in data collection during the land and boat based fieldwork in the Istanbul Strait.?Research assistants should be prepared to long working days in the field under the hot and cold weathers. The field work will take 2-3 days in a week and office work will take a day. So you will have heaps of time for seeing around in Turkey as well. ? Successful applicants will be responsible for their own transportation to and from Istanbul-Turkey. I know most of the students are short of money but applicants should contribute 400$ to the project. I will provide free accommodation but food will be at your own expenses. Commitment is required for a period of 2 months. ? Successful applicants will: - be able to live and work with others in a team - be available for at least 2 months -and most important should have a strong desire to work with marine mammals under the difficult conditions. ? This project provides an excellent opportunity for students and individuals interested in getting more experience in the field of marine mammal research. ? Applicants should send a short email introducing themselves to?akkayaaylin at yahoo.com.? The email should include an outline of why you would like to work on this project. Please also attach a brief CV.? ? There is no deadline to apply. However, approved applications are accepted on a first-come, first serve basis. Start and end dates are flexible. ? All the best, Aylin AKKAYA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From =?utf-8?B?TcOzbmljYSBDb3JkZWlybyBkZSBBbG1laWRhIGUgU2ls?= Mon Sep 19 05:01:57 2011 From: =?utf-8?B?TcOzbmljYSBDb3JkZWlybyBkZSBBbG1laWRhIGUgU2ls?= (=?utf-8?B?TcOzbmljYSBDb3JkZWlybyBkZSBBbG1laWRhIGUgU2ls?=) Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:01:57 -0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper on diet of Sowerby's beaked whales (Mesoplodon bidens) Message-ID: Dear MARMAM members, We are pleased to announce that the following paper has been published in Deep-Sea Research Part I Oceanographic Research Papers: J.N. Pereira, V.C. Neves, R. Prieto, M.A. Silva, I. Casc?o, C. Oliveira, M.J. Cruz, J.V. Medeiros, J.P. Barreiros, F.M. Porteiro, D. Clarke (2011) Diet of mid-Atlantic Sowerby's beaked whales Mesoplondon bidens. Deep Sea Research Part I, Volume 58, Issue 11, November 2011, Pages 1084-1090 Abstract: The first mid-Atlantic diet of Mesoplodon beaked whales is presented, from ten Sowerby's Mesoplodon bidens stranded in the Azores region between 2002 and 2009. This doubles the worldwide number of stomachs sampled, and reveals new feeding habits for this species. The mean number of prey items per stomach was 85?89 (range: 12?238), with fish accounting for 99.3% and cephalopods contributing less than 1% of total prey. Fish otoliths from 15 families and cephalopod lower mandibles from three families were identified, representing 22 taxa. The diet consisted mainly of small mid-water fish, the most numerous being Diaphus sp., Lampanyctus sp. and Melamphaidae species. Myctophids were present in all stranded individuals, followed by Diretmidae, Melamphaidae and Opisthoproctus soleatus, while the remaining fish species were scarce or single occurrences. Consistency of diet in four different years reveals a divergence from all previous records in continental areas, where mainly neritic and shelf-break benthopelagic fish species have been reported. Mid-Atlantic Sowerby's beaked whales' showed dietary plasticity, feeding on the most abundant mid-water groups occurring between 0 and750 m. Trophic level from prey numerical frequency was estimated at 4.4?0.46. Highlights: ? First insight on the diet of Mesoplodon beaked whales' from the mid-North Atlantic area. ? Ten M. bidens stranded in the Azores, doubles the number of records worldwide. ? The beaked whales M. bidens are piscivorous marine mammals, in accordance to all previous studies. ? Diet consisted on the most abundant mid-water groups between 0 and 750 m, no larger than 15 cm. ? A shift from benthopelagic fish on continental slopes and lower shelf areas, reveals dietary plasticity. Keywords: Azores; Sowerby's beaked whales; Strandings; Diet; Mesopelagic fish Links to the full text versions are available here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967063711001403 Questions and requests for PDF copies can be addressed the first author: josenunopereira at uac.pt Best regards, M?nica M?nica Almeida e Silva Post Doctoral Fellow ------------------------------------------------------------------- Centro do IMAR da Universidade dos A?ores Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas 9901-862 Horta, Portugal Tel: (351) 292207800 Fax: (351) 292207811 E-mail: monica at uac.pt http://www.horta.uac.pt/projectos/cetamarh/ http://www.portulano.org/wkit/index.html ---------------------------------------------------------------- Biology Department, MS#33 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA E-mail: msilva at whoi.edu http://www.whoi.edu/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ericr at mcs.st-and.ac.uk Mon Sep 19 08:30:08 2011 From: ericr at mcs.st-and.ac.uk (Eric Rexstad) Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:30:08 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] Introductory distance sampling workshop 3-6 December in Tampa Florida following Marine Mammal Conference Message-ID: <4E776000.7040405@mcs.st-and.ac.uk> Places are still available for an introductory distance sampling workshop to be held at the Tampa Marriott Westshore 3-6 December 2011. The workshop will immediately follow the conclusion of the Marine Mammal Conference being held in Tampa and will be presented by Dr. Len Thomas along with others from the Univ. of St. Andrews. Please consult the website (http://www.ruwpa.st-and.ac.uk/distance.workshops/floridaoverview.html) for a description of the workshop content and the registration process. Registration is a five step process: 1) visit http://www.ruwpa.st-and.ac.uk/distance.workshops/floridaoverview.html and click on the 'Registration' menu option, there you will find a link to the 'registration form.' 2) complete the registration form and email or fax it back to Rhona (as described on the form), 3) follow the link on the Word registration form (page 2) to go to the St. Andrews on-line shop to make payment, 4) return to the Registration page in your browser and complete the questionnaire at the bottom of the page to provide us with additional information about you so we can organise our materials to suit, and finally 5) optionally return to the "Florida overview" web page and near the bottom of that page you will find a link to the hotel hosting the workshop where you can make room reservations. -- Eric Rexstad Research Unit for Wildlife Population Assessment Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling University of St. Andrews St. Andrews Scotland KY16 9LZ +44 (0)1334 461833 The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland : No SC013532 -- Eric Rexstad Research Unit for Wildlife Population Assessment Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling University of St. Andrews St. Andrews Scotland KY16 9LZ +44 (0)1334 461833 The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland : No SC013532 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From will.rayment at otago.ac.nz Tue Sep 20 14:47:42 2011 From: will.rayment at otago.ac.nz (Will Rayment) Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:47:42 +1200 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication - passive acoustic detection of dolphins at low densities Message-ID: <4E7909FE.6050504@otago.ac.nz> The following article concerning passive acoustic detection of Maui's dolphins has recently been published. PDFs are available from will.rayment at otago.ac.nz Rayment W, Dawson S, Scali S and Slooten E. 2011. *Listening for a needle in a haystack: passive acoustic detection of dolphins at very low densities*. Endangered Species Research 14: 149-156. ABSTRACT: Passive acoustic surveys have potential for detecting trends in abundance and habitat use by rare cetaceans. We deployed commercially available acoustic data loggers (T-PODs) in 4 harbours on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island between 2005 and 2008 to investigate the distribution of Maui's dolphin /Cephalorhynchus hectori maui/ and assess whether current protection measures are sufficient. A set of decision rules was developed to minimise the potential for false positive detections. Over 3211 'T-POD days' of acoustic monitoring, 39 click trains which satisfied all of our decision rules were detected, indicating the presence of Maui's dolphins in Manukau and Kaipara Harbours. Data from the site with the most detections were fitted to 3 models, showing that the number of detections varied temporally (p < 0.001). The models were also used to show to what degree dolphins could have been present at monitored locations yet remain undetected. The study highlighted the challenges of passive acoustic monitoring of rare species, particularly of small delphinids in an environment which is both physically and acoustically challenging. Nonetheless, we demonstrated that T-PODs are effective in studies of Maui's dolphin distribution, that Maui's dolphins are found in North Island harbours and remain at risk from gillnet bycatch. We make a number of recommendations concerning acoustic monitoring studies of rare cetaceans, principally that a thorough understanding of the target signals and the acoustic environment being monitored is essential for maximising acoustic detection rates. The following articles using T-PODs with Hector's dolphins are also available as PDFs: Rayment W, Dawson S and Slooten E. 2009. *Trialling an automated passive acoustic detector (T-POD) with Hector's dolphins (/Cephalorhynchus hectori/)*. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK 89: 1015-1022. Rayment W, Dawson S and Slooten E. 2010. *Use of T-PODs for acoustic monitoring of /Cephalorhynchus/ dolphins: a case study with Hector's dolphins in a marine protected area*. Endangered Species Research 10: 333-339. -- Will Rayment FRST Post-doctoral Research Fellow Marine Mammal Research Group Marine Science Department University of Otago PO Box 56 Dunedin New Zealand phone: +64 3 4798304 (w) +64 21 488961 (mob.) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From footead at gmail.com Wed Sep 21 02:52:04 2011 From: footead at gmail.com (Andy Foote) Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:52:04 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper on killer whale evolution Message-ID: Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce the recent publication of the following paper on killer whale evolution. PLoS one is an open access journal and so the paper is available to anyone interested via the following link: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0024980 Foote AD, Morin PA, Durban JW, Willerslev E, Orlando L, Gilbert MTP (2011) Out of the Pacific and Back Again: Insights into the Matrilineal History of Pacific Killer Whale Ecotypes. PLoS ONE 6(9): e24980. Abstract Killer whales (*Orcinus orca*) are the most widely distributed marine mammals and have radiated to occupy a range of ecological niches. Disparate sympatric types are found in the North Atlantic, Antarctic and North Pacific oceans, however, little is known about the underlying mechanisms driving divergence. Previous phylogeographic analysis using complete mitogenomes yielded a bifurcating tree of clades corresponding to described ecotypes. However, there was low support at two nodes at which two Pacific and two Atlantic clades diverged. Here we apply further phylogenetic and coalescent analyses to partitioned mitochondrial genome sequences to better resolve the pattern of past radiations in this species. Our phylogenetic reconstructions indicate that in the North Pacific, sympatry between the maternal lineages that make up each ecotype arises from secondary contact. Both the phylogenetic reconstructions and a clinal decrease in diversity suggest a North Pacific to North Atlantic founding event, and the later return of killer whales to the North Pacific. Therefore, ecological divergence could have occurred during the allopatric phase through drift or selection and/or may have either commenced or have been consolidated upon secondary contact due to resource competition. The estimated timing of bidirectional migration between the North Pacific and North Atlantic coincided with the previous inter-glacial when the leakage of fauna from the Indo-Pacific into the Atlantic via the Agulhas current was particularly vigorous. cheers, Andy Foote (FooteAD at gmail.com) -- *Dr Andrew Foote* *Centre for GeoGenetics* The Natural History Museum of Denmark ?ster Voldgade 5 - 7 1350 Copenhagen K -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From s.d.twiss at durham.ac.uk Wed Sep 21 04:07:51 2011 From: s.d.twiss at durham.ac.uk (TWISS S.D.) Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:07:51 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication - Experimental test of pinniped personality Message-ID: Dear colleagues, The following article was recently published in Marine Mammal Science Online: Twiss, S. D., Culloch, R. and Pomeroy, P. P. (2011), An in-field experimental test of pinniped behavioral types. Marine Mammal Science. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00523.x http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00523.x/abstract Abstract There has been extensive recent interest in the concepts of behavioral types, behavioral syndromes, and personalities in nonhuman animal species. Evidence for behavioral types now exists from a wide range of taxa, from mollusks to mammals. However, marine mammals are poorly represented in this literature. Here, we describe an in-field experimental test of behavioral types in breeding gray seals, using a remotely controlled vehicle to deliver a standardized test stimulus to target individuals. We report on the design and implementation of this test and on the behavioral responses of individuals. Analysis of behavioral responses from both males and females revealed consistent individual differences across tests, suggesting that this is a practical and viable technique for determining individual variation in behavioral type in the field. Despite extensive literature on behavioral types, studies of behavioral types in wild populations remain rare. It is, therefore, important to develop ways to identify and quantify the existence of behavioral types in natural populations, because only by doing this, can we hope to ascertain the ecological and evolutionary relevance of behavioral types. A copy is available via the journal website or upon request. Best wishes, Sean _________________________________ Dr. Sean Twiss, Lecturer in Behavioural Ecology, Zoology Degree Route Coordinator, School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, South Road, The University of Durham, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK. E-mail: s.d.twiss at durham.ac.uk Web-site: http://www.dur.ac.uk/s.d.twiss/ Tel: +44 (0)191 334 1350 (office) Tel: +44 (0)191 334 1247 (lab) Fax: +44 (0)191 334 1201 _________________________________ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From caryns at sirenian.org Wed Sep 21 14:36:48 2011 From: caryns at sirenian.org (caryns at sirenian.org) Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:36:48 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] Survey regarding the Searchable Online Sirenian Bibliography Message-ID: <1B.EC.00477.7E85A7E4@wdcprdmta02>

Dear Marmam Subscribers,

If you do any work with manatees or dugongs, you are hereby invited to participate in this survey regarding the Searchable Online Bibliography of the Sirenia and Desmostylia, which came online in April 2010. You can view this resource at http://sirenian.org/biblio

Your feedback is important and will be used to make decisions regarding the future of this searchable online bibliography at the 5th International Sirenian Workshop in Tampa just prior to the SMM Biennial Meetings.

Please click the link below to begin the survey.  Thanks, Caryn Self-Sullivan, Daryl P. Domning, and Michael Bragg



http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/U2KXZNAPD9ZF



OPT OUT | Learn More

If you do not wish to receive further survey invitations from this sender, click the link below.
Zoomerang will permanently remove you from this sender's survey invitation mailing list.


I do not want to receive any more Zoomerang survey invitations from this sender. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ctaylor at sea2shore.org Thu Sep 22 02:38:52 2011 From: ctaylor at sea2shore.org (Cynthia Taylor) Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 05:38:52 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Right Whale Aerial Survey Observers - Job Announcement Message-ID: <001601cc790b$720393e0$560abba0$@org> Sea to Shore Alliance Right Whale Aerial Survey Observers Job Announcement Sea to Shore Alliance, a non-profit international research and conservation organization, is seeking temporary, seasonal aerial observers for marine mammal surveys from December 2010 through March 2011. These positions are in anticipation of research activities to be conducted in the southeastern United States, contingent upon funding. Responsibilities will include participating in aerial flights up to four days per week, data processing, and photo analysis. Observers are required to complete an aviation and marine safety/survival training course. Housing is provided. Qualifications: Previous aerial or marine mammal survey experience, as well as experience in photo-identification of large cetaceans, is strongly desired. Applicants should be skilled in database entry and other computer applications including photo processing software. The ability to live and work well in a team environment and withstand up to eight hours per day in a small aircraft is required. We are currently accepting applications from U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Please submit cover letter, resume, and three references to ctaylor at sea2shore.org by October 7, 2011. Cynthia R. Taylor Research Scientist Sea to Shore Alliance ctaylor at sea2shore.org 941-232-4587 www.sea2shore.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From gaileyg at tamug.edu Thu Sep 22 07:46:02 2011 From: gaileyg at tamug.edu (Glenn Gailey) Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:46:02 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Workshop Announcement: Discovery: Photo-Identification Data Management System Workshop Message-ID: <000001cc7936$5a385d60$0ea91820$@edu> Workshop: Discovery: Photo-Identification Data Management Software System Date: Sunday, 27 Nov. 2011 Location: Tampa Bay Convention Center, Tampa, Florida (Room #20) Registration Fee: $50 US Register A software system, named DISCOVERY, was developed to provide a comprehensive approach to processing, storage, management, and variety of analyzes of photo-identification data and other associated information. As there are many non-standard data types of information being collected across a variety of projects, discovery was designed to be extremely customizable and dynamic in its ability to store all information for a any photo-identification project. Photo-Identification processing tools allows users to filter and manipulate their "incoming" data efficiently and provides within-group matching tools to identify the best representative image to be matched to the catalog of previously identified individuals. Matching to the catalog can be filtered by user-defined categories, sub-categories, and descriptors to narrow the list of potential matches in the defined catalog of individuals. Forms to store standard as well as user-defined sighting parameters are provided along with survey effort and GPS waypoint and track storage capabilities. GIS components allow visualization of individual, group sighting, and survey information. Discovery also provides import/export of ESRI shapefiles of geographic information to/from other GIS software tools. Analytical tools were developed to provide summary information, such as discovery curves, sighting/re-sighting histories, group size frequencies, behavioral frequencies, etc. Existing data can be easily imported into Discovery due to a dynamic import tool and data stored in Discovery's Access database can be exported into Excel, Access, SocProg, Mark, and GIS software for further processing and analyses of photo-identification information. We believe that Discovery provides a dynamic tool that facilitates easy integration of all collected photo-identification and sighting data; a tool that efficiently stores, visualizes, processes, and maintains these data and allows export to and from other tools. The system can be particularly useful for maintaining a centralized database for research projects that maintain multiple-species data on a large geographic scale with multiple research teams working with different databases and species. The flexible capabilities of Discovery allows the system to be adaptable to suit project-specific requirements and user-specific needs. This workshop will provide an introduction to DISCOVERY and will point out the system's primary components and the dynamic nature of the software, from the initial download of survey images to storing associated information, processing data, to the visualization and analyses of the data. All workshop participants will be provided with the software prior to the workshop and a hands-on component of the workshop will provide a means to illustrate the adaptability of the software for each participant's project. If you would like to participate in the workshop, please Register here (or email Discovery.smm.2011 at gmail.com). With kind regards and be well, Glenn Gailey Institute of Marine Life Sciences Marine Mammal Research Program Texas A&M University, Galveston and Leszek Karczmarski The Swire Institute of Marine Science School of Biological Sciences The University of Hong Kong -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From p.j.palsboll at rug.nl Thu Sep 22 01:22:42 2011 From: p.j.palsboll at rug.nl (Per J Palsboll) Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:22:42 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] Postdoctoral fellowship opportunities in the Netherlands for marine mammal population/evolutionary/conservation genetics Message-ID: <4E7AF052.9060501@rug.nl> I would like to draw recent and soon-to-graduate PhDs' attention to the Rubicon Postdoctoral Programme under the Dutch National Research Funding Agency. We would be more than delighted to host an imaginative and self-driven post doctorate in our lab under this programme. The fellowship is open to all nationalities and awarded based upon research excellence. The proposal is relatively short. For more information see: http://www.nwo.nl/nwohome.nsf/pages/NWOP_6H2G7R_ENG. The next (and possibly last deadline for this program is December 1st, 2011) Our main focus area is the application of genetic methods to study the ecology and evolution of marine mammals. We are currently (in collaboration with UC Santa Cruz as well as UC San Francisco) sequencing the genome of the humpback whale and the harbor porpoise but we have also large collections of samples from many marine mammal species and populations, and plenty of data awaiting analysis. If you are interested please write to Per Palsboll (p.j.palsboll at rug.nl) and Martine Berube (m.berube at rug.nl). Cheers, -- Per J. Palsboll, Professor Marine Evolution and Conservation Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies University of Groningen Nijenborgh 7 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands Office phone: +31 50 363 9882 Mobile +31 64 870 3295 Mail address: PO Box 11103 9700 CC Groningen The Netherlands From yvonne at scanningoceansectors.org Fri Sep 23 01:31:17 2011 From: yvonne at scanningoceansectors.org (Yvonne Miles - Scanning Ocean Sectors) Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:31:17 +1000 Subject: [MARMAM] Marine Mammal Observer Course - JNCC approved - October - Poole Dorset UK Message-ID: <009401cc79cb$2a217720$7e646560$@scanningoceansectors.org> Hi All Scanning Ocean Sectors are holding an MMO course in Poole Dorset UK at the The RNLI Lifeboat College West Quay Road Poole Dorset BH15 1HZ England Tel: 0870 833 2000 The dates for the MMO Course 3rd to 5th October 2011 Please register at the Scanning Ocean Sectors website http://www.scanningoceansectors.org/training-courses/mmo-register/ immediately if you wish to attend the course, the registration is open at standard payment rate for a period of one week and places are limited We look forward to seeing you on this course in POOLE, Dorset, UK Scanning Ocean Sectors - Is a Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) training company and Joint Nature Conservation Committee - JNCC, recognised course for industry and research. We have years of research behind the EFFECTIVE training of MMOs with courses adapted to the requirements of the clients, and taught by professionals in their specialised fields. With fully trained and experienced MMOs facilitating. Our training is to ensure INDUSTRY gets the MMOs they require, that they are PROFESSIONALLY trained, EFFICENT and EFFECTIVE in the job, and are prepared for all necessary actions. Each student is graded in their certificates to ensure the quality standard of the MMO industry is gaining. Yvonne Miles Managing Director Scanning Ocean Sectors E: yvonne at scanningoceansectors.org W: www.scanningoceansectors.org W: www.marinemammaljobs.com Description: scanning-ocean-sectors-logo-email-signature -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: Scanning Ocean Sectors_Brochure Web.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1138205 bytes Desc: not available URL: From yvonne at scanningoceansectors.org Fri Sep 23 01:44:39 2011 From: yvonne at scanningoceansectors.org (Yvonne Miles - Scanning Ocean Sectors) Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:44:39 +1000 Subject: [MARMAM] Marine Mammal Observer and Passive Acoustic Monitor Observer course in South Africa - Cape Town - October 2011 Message-ID: <000701cc79cd$0886a480$1993ed80$@scanningoceansectors.org> Hi All Scanning Ocean Sectors are holding an MMO and PAMO course in South Africa at the: Training Location Atlantic Beach Hotel Melkbosstrand, Cape Town Contact Details Cnr of Commaille Rd & 13Th Avenue Melkbosstrand PO BOX 780, Melkbosstrand 7441 South Africa Tel: +27 (0) 21 553 1800 Fax: +27 (0) 21 553 1822 Email: atlanticbeach at africanskyhotels.com http://www.africanskyhotels.com/hotels/the-atlantic-beach-hotel The dates for the MMO Course 17th to 19th October 2011 The dates for the PAMO Course 20th October 2011 Please register at the Scanning Ocean Sectors website http://www.scanningoceansectors.org/training-courses/mmo-register/ For MMO http://www.scanningoceansectors.org/training-courses/pam-register/ For PAMO Scanning Ocean Sectors - Is a Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) training company and Joint Nature Conservation Committee - JNCC, recognised course for industry and research for UKCS area. We have years of research behind the EFFECTIVE training of MMOs with courses adapted to the requirements of the clients, and taught by professionals in their specialised fields. With fully trained and experienced MMOs facilitating. Our training is to ensure INDUSTRY gets the MMOs they require, that they are PROFESSIONALLY trained, EFFICENT and EFFECTIVE in the job, and are prepared for all necessary actions. Each student is graded in their certificates to ensure the quality standard of the MMO industry is gaining. Yvonne Miles Managing Director Scanning Ocean Sectors E: yvonne at scanningoceansectors.org W: www.scanningoceansectors.org W: www.marinemammaljobs.com Description: scanning-ocean-sectors-logo-email-signature -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 4452 bytes Desc: not available URL: From cristina.brito at escolademar.pt Mon Sep 26 02:42:45 2011 From: cristina.brito at escolademar.pt (Escola de Mar - Cristina Brito) Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:42:45 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] The Environmental History of Cetaceans in Portugal Message-ID: <20110926114245.11763dby9lu35vdh@webmail.escolademar.pt> Dear all, I would like to draw your attention to the recently published paper: Brito C, Sousa A (2011) The Environmental History of Cetaceans in Portugal: Ten Centuries of Whale and Dolphin Records. PLoS ONE 6(9): e23951. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0023951 It was published under the HMAP Collection. The History of Marine Animal Populations is a global research initiative to study the past ocean life and human interaction with the sea, and is part of the global Census of Marine Life. The HMAP Collection draws together representative examples of the results of this initiative. Follow the link: http://www.ploscollections.org/article/browseIssue.action?issue=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fissue.pcol.v02.i10 If you have any comments or questions, feel free to get in touch with me. Regards from sunny Lisbon, Cristina Brito. -- Escola de Mar Edif?cio ICAT - Campus da FCUL Campo Grande 1749-016 Lisboa Portugal +351966552928 From kacevedow at gmail.com Mon Sep 26 10:09:04 2011 From: kacevedow at gmail.com (Karina Acevedo) Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:09:04 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] PhD Studentship - immunology of California sea lions Message-ID: Ontogeny of the immune system in the California sea lion (CONACYT funded project) The California sea lion is an ideal model to address issues on ontogeny and evolutionary ecology of the immune system. The species displays high polygyny and marked sexual dimorphism once reaching sexual maturity. Furthermore, mortality and growth rates vary between sexes. In this sense, they allow testing hypotheses on early immune tradeoffs and differential maternal investment. We recently found that Galapagos sea lion pups are significantly affected by living close to urban settlements in terms of their immune activity, and that this in turn has an impact on their survival (Brock et al. in prep). As part of a wider project on Ecoimmunology of California sea lions, this doctoral project will describe the ontogeny of the immune system in the California sea lion, a species closely related to the Galapagos sea lion, but whose sexual dimorphism is more marked and has higher differential growth rates and is subjected to distinct pathogenic pressures. This PhD project will rely on molecular genetic and ecoimmunology techniques to describe the changes and maturation of pup and juvenile immune respones as well as the cost of its activation with respect to growth and steroidogenesis. Together with other parts of the larger project, this study will help identify key components of early immunity. In a broader sense, this project will add to our understanding of evolutionary ecology of vertebrate immunity. The candidate should have a solid background in biological or biomedical sciences, a good level of english and spanish, some field experience and a good physical condition as the work will involve several periods working in harsh conditions in the Gulf of California. In order to be successful, the candidate must also fulfil the requirements for the Doctoral Program in Biological Sciences of the Autonomous University of Queretaro (UAQ, Mexico) (http://www.uaq.mx/FCN/fcn_DCB.html ) Applicants should send their CV, three academic letters of recommendation and a letter explaining their interest in the project before 15 November 2011. Selected candidates will be contacted by email and interviewed end of November. The doctoral position will start anytime after February 2012. Please send complete application to Dr. Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse ( karina.acevedo.whitehouse at uaq.mx) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From b_d_r_i at yahoo.com Mon Sep 26 13:08:54 2011 From: b_d_r_i at yahoo.com (Bruno Diaz) Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:08:54 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [MARMAM] New article about dolphins and acoustic deterrent devices Message-ID: <1317067734.28659.YahooMailClassic@web161423.mail.bf1.yahoo.com> Dear colleagues,?I am pleased to inform you of my last publication on bottlenose dolphins and acoustic deterrent devices. The following paper is now available online which describes the first practical attempt to assess the influence of an AHD on the behaviour of common bottlenose dolphins in association with a marine fin fish farm.?Article title: A trial of acoustic harassment device efficacy on free-ranging bottlenose dolphins in Sardinia, Italy Journal title: Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology Authorr: Mr. Bruno Diaz Lopez & Fernando Mari?oDOI:10.1080/10236244.2011.618216 Abstract Acoustic harassment devices (AHDs) have been deployed to reduce the interaction between different marine mammals and fisheries in many areas. Despite field studies on some marine mammal species, there is a lack of information about their effectiveness on common bottlenose dolphins. The controlled exposure experiment described here is the first practical attempt to assess the influence of an AHD on the behaviour of free-ranging common bottlenose dolphins in association with a marine fin-fish farm. A total of 90.7?h were spent in direct observation of 55 groups of bottlenose dolphins along the north-eastern coast of Sardinia (Italy). Activation of the AHD did not have a significant and immediate effect on bottlenose dolphins? presence, distance from the AHD, group size or time spent in the fish farm area. The AHD alone did not effectively deter bottlenose dolphins, particularly when other motivating factors, such as food, were present. Thus, prior to further employment of AHDs, additional research in their effects on the marine environment is essential for coastal conservation and aquaculture management. If you are interested in a reprint, please email Bruno Diaz Lopez at bruno at thebdri.com?This article is now published online at:? http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10236244.2011.618216 Best regards, Bruno Diaz Lopez?Chief Researcher / Marine Zoologist?Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute BDRI?V.Armando Diaz N?4 07020 Golfo Aranci (SS) Italy?www.thebdri.com?info at thebdri.com ?tel.+ 39 346 081 5414tel. + 0789 183 11978 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From smmconferencevideo at gmail.com Mon Sep 26 15:31:44 2011 From: smmconferencevideo at gmail.com (SMM Video Night) Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:31:44 -1000 Subject: [MARMAM] SMM Conference Video Expression of Interest REOPENED til Oct 7 Message-ID: Greetings Marine Mammal Colleagues- Due to several requests from interested people, we are re-opening submissions for videos for the SMM Conference Video Night. We already have some amazing footage so you definitely do not want to miss this event. We are looking for more footage of some of the experiences you have had or discoveries you have made in your research with marine mammals. *Expression of Interest - DUE BY OCT 7* If you THINK YOU WILL LIKELY HAVE VIDEO TO SUBMIT then please send an email with your expression of interest to the SMMconferencevideo at gmail.com with the following information: 1. Subject line of email should be Your Last Name ? Subject Species 2. Your name 3. Your Affiliation and contact info 4. A brief description of what the video will contain 5. Approximate duration 6. File Format and Size 7. Are you willing to have your video be viewable, but not downloadable, on the Society?s webpage before and after the conference? *YouTube Submission and Review of Video - DUE BY OCT 15 (unless you arrange something else with us) - Acceptance notification by OCT 31* If you already have your video, then please upload it to youtube for us to review. This must be done by Oct 15! If you don't want it accessible to the general public you can select for your video to be "UNLISTED" under the PRIVACY options in the Broadcasting and Sharing options. Then just send us the link for viewing. If this option doesn't work for you let us know and we can work it another way. - We would like to allow as many videos as possible so please try to keep your video as brief as possible. We will not accept videos longer than 5 minutes without prior approval. - This is a venue to share videos covering a variety of species and topics: natural history, research discoveries, extraordinary interactions, etc. We do not want videos that are political/polarizing/controversial in nature. *Submission of the actual video footage- BY NOV 11* Will advise all selectees how to submit video. If you are participating in the Heroes in Marine Mammal Science video project, we will be working with you separately. Looking forward to seeing all the great footage. Cheers, The Conference Video Team -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From janiger at cox.net Wed Sep 28 06:20:31 2011 From: janiger at cox.net (David S. Janiger) Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 06:20:31 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] New Articles Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.20110928062031.016a5f60@pop.west.cox.net> Hi, All Here's the latest posting of new PDF's that are available. File sizes have been included. Abstracts also available on request. Make all requests to: janiger at cox.net 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 cox.net djaniger at nhm.org Janiger Journals ABRAMSON, JOSE Z.; VICTORIA HERNANDEZ-LLOREDA; JOSEP CALL and FERNANDO COLMENARES. ANIMAL COGNITION 14(5):695-706. 2011. Relative quantity judgments in South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens). 0.311 MB BAKER, J. D.; B. L. BECKER; T. A. WURTH; T. C. JOHANOS; C. L. LITTNAN and J. R. HENDERSON. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 144(11):2692-2701. 2011. Translocation as a tool for conservation of the Hawaiian monk seal. 0.467 MB BEARZI, GIOVANNI; NINO PIERANTONIO; MARCO AFFRONTE; DRASKO HOLCER; NICOLA MAIO and GIUSEPPE NOTARBARTOLO DI SCIARA. MAMMAL REVIEW 41(4):276-293. 2011. Overview of sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus mortality events in the Adriatic Sea, 1555-2009. 0.641 MB BECHSHOFT, T. O.; J. JAKOBSEN; C. SONNE and R. DIETZ. SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 409(18):3508-3511. 2011. Distribution of vitamins A (retinol) and E (alpha-tocopherol) in polar bear kidney: Implications for biomarker studies. 0.554 MB BLICKLEY, JESSICA L. and GAIL L. PATRICELLI. JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE LAW AND POLICY 13(4):274-292. 2010. Impacts of anthropogenic noise on wildlife: Research priorities for the development of standards and mitigation. 0.127 MB CANNING, CLAIRE; DANIELLE CRAIN; T. SCOTT EATON JR.; KATHRYN NUESSLY; ARI FRIEDLAENDER; TOM HURST; SUSAN PARKS; COLIN WARE; DAVID WILEY and MASON WEINRICH. ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR 82(4):901-909. 2011. Population-level lateralized feeding behaviour in North Atlantic humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae. 0.641 MB FAHLKE, JULIA M.; PHILIP D. GINGERICH; ROBERT C. WELSH and AARON R. WOOD. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 108(35):14545-14548. 2011. Cranial asymmetry in Eocene archaeocete whales and the evolution of directional hearing in water. 0.472 MB FITZGERALD, ERICH M. G. JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY 31(4):929-931 2011. A fossil sperm whale (Cetacea, Physeteroidea) from the Pleistocene of Nauru, equatorial southwest Pacific. 0.658 MB FOOTE, ANDREW D.; PHILLIP A. MORIN; JOHN W. DURBAN; ESKE WILLERSLEV; LUDOVIC ORLANDO and THOMAS P. GILBERT. PLOS ONE 6(9) e24980. 7pp. 2011. Out of the Pacific and back again: Insights into the matrilineal history of Pacific killer whale ecotypes. 0.462 MB FRIE, ANNE K.; KJELL-ARNE FAGERHEIM; MIKE O. HAMMILL; FINN O. KAPEL; CHRISTINA LOCKYER; GARRY B. STENSON; AQQALU ROSING-ASVID and VLADISLAV SVETOCHEV. ICES (INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE EXPLORATION OF THE SEAS) JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE 68(9):1942-1953. 2011. Error patterns in age estimation of harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus): Results from a transatlantic, image-based, blind-reading experiment using known-age teeth. 0.534 MB GAYDOS, JOSEPH K. and SCOTT F. PEARSON. NORTHWESTERN NATURALIST 92(1):79-94. 2011. Birds and mammals that depend on the Salish Sea: A compilation. 0.132 MB GENDE, SCOTT M.; A. NOBLE HENDRIX; KARIN R. HARRIS; BILL EICHENLAUB; JULIE NIELSEN and SANJAY PYARE. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 21(6):2232-2240. 2011. A Bayesian approach for understanding the role of ship speed in whale-ship encounters. 0.545 MB HABRAN, SARAH; CATHY DEBIER; DANIEL E. CROCKER; DORIAN S. HOUSER and KRISHNA DAS. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION 159(10):2523-2529. 2011. Blood dynamics of mercury and selenium in northern elephant seals during the lactation period. 0.363 MB HOFFMAN, J. I.; S. M. GRANT; J. FORCADA and C. D. PHILLIPS. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 20(19):3989-4008. 2011. Bayesian inference of a historical bottleneck in a heavily exploited marine mammal. 0.988 MB HORTON, TRAVIS W.; RICHARD N. HOLDAWAY; ALEXANDRE N. ZERBINI; NAN HAUSER; CLAIRE GARRIGUE; ARTUR ANDRIOLO and PHILLIP J. CLAPHAM. BIOLOGY LETTERS 7(5):674-679. 2011. Straight as an arrow: Humpback whales swim constant course tracks during long-distance migration. 0.464 MB HUANG, JING; LIGUANG SUN; XINMING WANG; YUHONG WANG and TAO HUANG. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES 23(9):1431-1436 2011. Ecosystem evolution of seal colony and the influencing factors in the 20th century on Fildes Peninsula, West Antarctica. 0.611 MB ISOMURSU, MARJA and MERVI KUNNASRANTA. JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 97(4):735-736. 2011. Trichinella nativa in grey seal Halichoerus grypus: Spill-over from a highly endemic terrestrial ecosystem. 0.052 MB JENSEN, FRANTS H.; JACOBO MARRERO PEREZ; MARK JOHNSON; NATACHA AGUILAR SOTO and PETER T. MADSEN. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES B BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 278(1721):3017-3025. 2011. Calling under pressure: Short-finned pilot whales make social calls during deep foraging dives. 0.488 MB LYONS, EUGENE T.; R. L. DELONG; S. A. NADLER; J. L. LAAKE; A. J. ORR; B. L. DELONG and C. PAGAN. PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH 109(3):581-589. 2011. Investigations of peritoneal and intestinal infections of adult hookworms (Uncinaria spp.) in northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) and California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) pups on San Miguel Island, California (2003). 0.193 MB LYSSENKO, NIKITA and ROBERTO MARTINEZ-ESPINEIRA. APPLIED ECONOMICS 44(15):1911-1930. 2012. Respondent uncertainty in contingent valuation: The case of whale conservation in Newfoundland and Labrador. 0.201 MB MANGOTT, ARNOLD HUBERT; ROBERT ALASTAIR BIRTLES and HELENE MARSH. JOURNAL OF ECOTOURISM 10(1):64-76. 2011. Attraction of dwarf minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata to vessels and swimmers in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area - the management challenges of an inquisitive whale. 0.269 MB MARTINEZ-CACERES, MANUEL and CHRISTIAN DE MUIZON. COMPTES RENDUS PALEVOL 10(7):517-526. 2011. A new basilosaurid (Cetacea, Pelagiceti) from the Late Eocene to Early Oligocene Otuma Formation of Peru. 0.970 MB MOLLER GABRIELSEN, KRISTIN; GRO DEHLI VILLANGER; ELISABETH LIE; MAHIN KARIMI; CHRISTIAN LYDERSEN; KIT M. KOVACS and BJORN MUNRO JENSSEN. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM) 105(3-4):482-491. 2011. Levels and patterns of hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (OH-PCBs) and their associations with thyroid hormones in hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) mother-pup pairs. 0.526 MB NYMO, INGEBJORG H.; MORTEN TRYLAND and JACQUES GODFROID. VETERINARY RESEARCH (PARIS) 42(93). 13pp. 2011. A review of Brucella infection in marine mammals, with special emphasis on Brucella pinnipedialis in the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata). 0.363 MB PEREIRA, J. N.; V. C. NEVES; R. PRIETO; M. A. SILVA; I. CASCAO; C. OLIVEIRA; M. J. CRUZ; J. V. MEDEIROS; J. P. BARREIROS; F. M. PORTEIRO and D. CLARKE. DEEP SEA RESEARCH PART I: OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH PAPERS 58(11):1084-1090. 2011. Diet of mid-Atlantic Sowerby's beaked whales Mesoplondon bidens. 0.451 MB POISSANT, J. and C. S. DAVIS. CONSERVATION GENETICS RESOURCES 3(4):637-639. 2011. Isolation and characterization of ten polar bear (Ursus maritimus) microsatellite loci and cross-amplification in other Ursidae. 0.128 MB POLANOWSKI, A. M.; N. T. SCHMITT; M. C. DOUBLE; N. J. GALES and S. N. JARMAN. CONSERVATION GENETICS RESOURCES 3(4):645-649. 2011. TaqMan assays for genotyping 45 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the humpback whale nuclear genome. 0.156 MB POMPA, SANDRA; PAUL R. EHRLICH and GERARDO CABALLOS. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 108(33):13600-13605. 2011. Global distribution and conservation of marine mammals. 1.075 MB ROBERTSON, BRUCE C. and B. LOUISE CHILVERS. MAMMAL REVIEW 41(4):253-275. 2011. The population decline of the New Zealand sea lion Phocarctos hookeri: a review of possible causes. 0.337 MB ROUTTI, HELI; ROBERT J. LETCHER; ERIK W. BORN; MARSHA BRANIGAN; RUNE DIETZ; THOMAS J. EVANS; AARON T. FISK; ELIZABETH PEACOCK and CHRISTIAN SONNE. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING 13(8):2260-2267. 2011. Spatial and temporal trends of selected trace elements in liver tissue from polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Alaska, Canada and Greenland. 0.312 MB ST. LEGER, JUDY; GUANG WU; MARK ANDERSON; LES DALTON; ERIKA NILSON and DAVID WANG. EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES 17(8):1531-1533. 2011. West Nile Virus infection in killer whale, Texas, USA, 2007 0.234 MB STRANDBERG, URSULA; TERO SIPILA; JOUNI KOSKELA; MERVI KUNNASRANTA and REIJO KAKELA. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY 407(2):256-265. 2011. Vertical fatty acid profiles in blubber of a freshwater ringed seal - Comparison to a marine relative. 1.363 MB SUPIN, ALEXANDER YA.; PAUL E. NACHTIGALL and MARLEE BREESE. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 130(3):1711-1720. 2011. Interaction of emitted sonar pulses and simulated echoes in a false killer whale: An evoked-potential study. 0.676 MB VAN BONN, W.; E. MONTIE; S. DENNISON; N. PUSSINI; P. COOK; D. GREIG; J. BARAKOS; K. COLEGROVE and F. GULLAND. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 96(2):89-96. 2011. Evidence of injury caused by gas bubbles in a live marine mammal: Barotrauma in a California sea lion Zalophus californianus. 1.109 MB WEGE, MIA; MARTHAN N. BESTER; DEREK S. VAN DER MERWE and MARTIN POSTMA. JOURNAL OF ETHOLOGY 29(3):505-507. 2011. Oedipus complex in an Antarctic fur seal pup? 0.379 MB WEIJS, LIESBETH; ADRIAN COVACI; RAYMOND S. H. YANG; KRISHNA DAS and RONNY BLUST. TOXICOLOGY AND APPLIED PHARMACOLOGY 256(2):136-145. 2011. A non-invasive approach to study lifetime exposure and bioaccumulation of PCBs in protected marinemammals: PBPK modeling in harbor porpoises. 1.659 MB WIEDENMANN, JOHN; KATHERINE A. CRESSWELL; JEREMY GOLDBOGEN; JEAN POTVIN and MARC MANGEL. ECOLOGICAL MODELLING 222(18):3366-3379. 2011. Exploring the effects of reductions in krill biomass in the Southern Ocean on blue whales using a state-dependent foraging model. 1.047 MB XIANHUA GUO; SHENGHUI CUI; TAO LIN and YU SONG. AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM HEALTH & MANAGEMENT 14(3):298-304. 2011. The ecological risk assessment of the Chinese white dolphins in Xiamen coastal waters. 0.195 MB XUMING ZHOU; SHIXIA XU; YUNXIA YANG; KAIYA ZHOU and GUANG YANG. MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION 61(2):255-264. 2011. Phylogenomic analyses and improved resolution of Cetartiodactyla. 0.548 MB From Jonathan.Shannon at noaa.gov Fri Sep 30 13:33:05 2011 From: Jonathan.Shannon at noaa.gov (Jonathan Shannon) Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:33:05 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Public Comments on Draft 2011 Marine Mammal SARs due by 11/22/11 Message-ID: <4E862781.4070107@noaa.gov> As a reminder, NOAA Fisheries is accepting public comments on the Draft 2011 Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports until November 22, 2011. NOAA Fisheries reviewed the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regional marine mammal stock assessment reports (SARs) in accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and revised them according to new information. PDF's of the Federal Register Notice, Draft Summary Tables, and Draft Reports are available at: http://go.usa.gov/8HL Additionally, all NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources actions currently open for public comment are listed at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/comment.htm, with links to more information. Best Regards, Jonathan Shannon -- Jonathan Shannon NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr Outreach Specialist * (301) 427-8431 * New phone number jonathan.shannon at noaa.gov From B.J.Godley at exeter.ac.uk Thu Sep 29 11:02:12 2011 From: B.J.Godley at exeter.ac.uk (Godley, Brendan) Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:02:12 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] Papers in ESR Message-ID: <298090EB4920AF4EA276FB25E2CF14EA8DCAB6B1@EXCHMBS05.isad.isadroot.ex.ac.uk> Dear All There is a marmam bias in the most recent issue of Endangered Species Research. With kind regards Brendan ________________________________ Hamer DJ, Ward TM, Shaughnessy PD, Clark SR Assessing the effectiveness of the Great Australian Bight Marine Park in protecting the endangered Australian sea lion Neophoca cinerea from bycatch mortality in shark gillnets ESR 14:203-216 | Full text in pdf format Witteveen BH, Straley JM, Chenoweth E, Baker CS, Barlow J, Matkin C, Gabriele CM, Neilson J, Steel D, von Ziegesar O, Andrews AG, Hirons A Using movements, genetics and trophic ecology to differentiate inshore from offshore aggregations of humpback whales in the Gulf of Alaska ESR 14:217-225 | Full text in pdf format [cid:part1.05000805.05030405 at int-res.com] Loi P, Wakayama T, Saragustry J, Fulka Jr J, Ptak G REVIEW: Biological time machines: a realistic approach for cloning an extinct mammal ESR 14:227-233 | Full text in pdf format [cid:part1.05000805.05030405 at int-res.com] Wiig ?, Heide-J?rgensen MP, Lindqvist C, Laidre KL, Postma LD, Dueck L, Palsb?ll PJ, Bachmann L Recaptures of genotyped bowhead whales Balaena mysticetus in eastern Canada and West Greenland ESR 14:235-242 | Full text in pdf format *********************************************************** This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to the mailing list esr-contents at int-res.com. To unsubscribe, E-mail to: esr-contents at int-res.com Send administrative queries to webmaster at int-res.com To change your email address, first unsubscribe from your old email address, then subscribe from your new email address. *********************************************************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: oa.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 17475 bytes Desc: oa.jpg URL: From jamie at imms.org Tue Sep 20 07:56:10 2011 From: jamie at imms.org (Jamie Klaus) Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:56:10 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Marine Mammal Research Internship Message-ID: <000501cc77a5$6fa671b0$4ef35510$@org> Marine Mammal Research Internship at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) Program Description The IMMS Research Internship Program is designed as a way for students interested in a career in marine mammal science to gain valuable research experience in a real-world setting. Interns will be trained in all aspects of dolphin photo-id research and will participate in other current research projects at IMMS. Interns will also participate in other operations at IMMS including stranding response, education, and animal care. Our goal is to give Interns a well-rounded experience in a variety of areas while providing expert training and experience in marine mammal research. Principle Duties and Requirements Interns must: * Commit to a minimum of at least 12 weeks. * Be available to work Mon-Fri from 8:30 AM to 4 PM and must be available for all boat trips. * Have strong sense of responsibility, work ethic, attention to detail, and ability to admit mistakes. * Produce high quality research efforts and exhibit strong interpersonal skills. * Principle Duties include: data entry, searching and cataloging journal articles, learning all research protocols, cropping and sorting photo-id fin images, learning to use photo-id programs such as Darwin (fin matching software), and FinBase (Microsoft Access), and boat based field research. * Secondary Duties involve: Working with animal care staff, attending marine mammal and sea turtle necropsies, responding to strandings, assisting with educational tours. * Field days: Interns must be able to spend many hours on the water in sometimes extreme seasonal conditions. Seasonal temperatures range from over 100 ?F in summer to 30 ?F in winter. Field days typically exceed eight hours and occur once or twice a week. May include overnight trips. Eligibility Requirements Applicants must be 18 or older and must have a genuine interest in marine research. Applicants should be actively pursuing a college degree or be a recent graduate in oceanography, marine science/biology, biology, or a related field. Previous research experience in any capacity is a plus. Applicants must be able and willing to fulfill all duties outlined for this Internship Program. This is an unpaid position and Interns are responsible for their own housing and transportation. Once accepted, IMMS staff will be able to assist Interns in suggesting suitable housing options and locations. To Apply Please visit our website at http://imms.org/internship.php Jamie Klaus Research Assistant Institute for Marine Mammal Studies P.O. Box 207 Gulfport, MS 39502 Phone: (228) 701-1761 Fax: (228) 896-9183 Email: jamie at imms.org http://www.imms.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From nicola.clark at gardline.com Fri Sep 30 05:56:07 2011 From: nicola.clark at gardline.com (Nicola Clark) Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:56:07 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] MMO Workshop Announcement at WhaleFest 2011 Message-ID: <0C12D9846D7A29448E6CA5B25618BCF195D2AC0516@MBOX.gardline.co.uk> Dear All, Gardline Environmental Ltd are hosting an introduction being a Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) at WhaleFest 2011 on the 5th and 6th November in Brighton. The workshop is an introduction to the full 3 day, JNCC approved, Pro-MMO and will demonstrate what MMOs do, identification of marine mammals, how they aid in the conservation of whales and dolphins and what it's like to work offshore? If you are interested in an exciting career looking for whales and dolphins all over the world with lots of travel and adventure, come and learn more! Workshops are free for all WhaleFest participants. For more information on this and other workshops at WhaleFest that offer key knowledge and skills in the field of marine mammals please follow the link http://www.planetwhale.com/WhaleFest-Workshops or contact nicola at planetwhale.com. Hope to see you there. Nicola Nicola Clark Marine Wildlife Project Team Manager Gardline Environmental ________________________________ Tel: +44(0)1493 845600 Mobile: +44(0) 7815 312237 Fax: +44(0)1493 852106 http://www.gardlinemarinesciences.com Gardline Environmental Limited Registered in England No 4589816 Registered office: Endeavour House, Admiralty Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 3NG Visit us 5-6th Nov 2011 at [cid:138555212 at 30092011-3162] ________________________________ CONFIDENTIALITY - This e-mail and any attached files contain information that is confidential and/or may be subject of legal privilege, intended only for use by the addressee(s). If you are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, please be advised that you have received this message in error and that any dissemination, copying or use of this message or attachment is strictly forbidden, as is the disclosure of the information therein. If you have received this message in error please notify the sender immediately and preserve this confidentiality by deleting the message. No binding contract will result from this e-mail until and unless an officer, on behalf of the sender, signs a written document. Sender accepts no responsibility for the completeness or accuracy of this message as it has been transmitted over public networks. Unless otherwise specifically stated any views or opinions are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the sender Company. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System, on behalf of the Gardline Group of Companies. For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: att25f46.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 4503 bytes Desc: att25f46.jpg URL: From nicola.clark at gardline.com Fri Sep 30 06:23:55 2011 From: nicola.clark at gardline.com (Nicola Clark) Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:23:55 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] Photo-Identification Workshop Announcement at WhaleFest 2011 Message-ID: <0C12D9846D7A29448E6CA5B25618BCF195D2AC052A@MBOX.gardline.co.uk> Introductory Workshop on Photo-Identification MARINElife are hosting an introductory workshop on Photo-Identification at WhaleFest 2011 on Sunday 6th November in Brighton. Individual dolphins can be recognised through the marks on their fins which act much like a human fingerprint - this is known as photo-identification. This is one of the most commonly used research techniques for many marine mammal studies throughout the world. In this Introduction to Photo-Identification Workshop, the charity MARINElife will teach you this valuable skill, from its uses and application through to practical demonstrations as you attempt to identify the individual animals in the group and piece together their story so we can better protect them. Workshops are free for all WhaleFest participants. For more information on this and other workshops at WhaleFest that offer key knowledge and skills in the field of marine mammals please follow the link http://www.planetwhale.com/WhaleFest-Workshops or contact nicola at planetwhale.com. Hope to see you there. Nicola Nicola Clark Marine Wildlife Project Team Manager Gardline Environmental ________________________________ Tel: +44(0)1493 845600 Mobile: +44(0) 7815 312237 Fax: +44(0)1493 852106 http://www.gardlinemarinesciences.com Gardline Environmental Limited Registered in England No 4589816 Registered office: Endeavour House, Admiralty Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 3NG Visit us 5-6th Nov 2011 at [cid:435252013 at 30092011-3170] ________________________________ CONFIDENTIALITY - This e-mail and any attached files contain information that is confidential and/or may be subject of legal privilege, intended only for use by the addressee(s). If you are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, please be advised that you have received this message in error and that any dissemination, copying or use of this message or attachment is strictly forbidden, as is the disclosure of the information therein. If you have received this message in error please notify the sender immediately and preserve this confidentiality by deleting the message. No binding contract will result from this e-mail until and unless an officer, on behalf of the sender, signs a written document. Sender accepts no responsibility for the completeness or accuracy of this message as it has been transmitted over public networks. Unless otherwise specifically stated any views or opinions are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the sender Company. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System, on behalf of the Gardline Group of Companies. For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: attb8459.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 4503 bytes Desc: attb8459.jpg URL: From dylan at planetwhale.com Wed Sep 28 03:05:03 2011 From: dylan at planetwhale.com (Dylan Walker) Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:05:03 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] Whale Watch Workshop announcement: Measuring sustainability Message-ID: Dear Marmamers, Planet Whale is pleased to announce a forthcoming workshop that will look at the sustainability of whale watching based on data gathered by the public under a new online ethical rating system. The workshop, which is supported by World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), will take place in Brighton, near London, UK, all day on the 4th November (the day before Europe's largest Whale Festival at the same location), and will review early results from an online database in which the public rate whale and dolphin watching trips from around the world based on five ethical questions: 1. How well did the trip publicise and use guidelines for safe approach to whales / dolphins? 2. How valuable was the trip as a learning experience? 3. How well did the trip meet your expectations? 4. How well did the trip minimise its impact on the marine environment? 5. Emphasis on the trip operator?s own research or support for conservation? These questions, defined as being the most important in developing a sustainable whale watching industry by a team of ethical whale watch operators and marine conservation charities (OceanCare, Dolphin-Care Africa, Australian Whale & Dolphin Watch Association, Sealife Surveys, and Whale Watch West Cork), will be used by whale watchers across the world to measure the sustainability of trips on www.PlanetWhale.comin the coming years. We would like to invite whale and dolphin watch operators and other stakeholders working closely with the industry to attend the workshop. For more information about the workshop and how to attend, please follow this link: http://www.planetwhale.com/WhaleFest-Whale-Dolphin-Watch-Operators-Workshop Regards, *Dylan Walker* ***______________________ **Co-Founder* *Planet Whale **www.planetwhale.com * Office: +44 (0)1273 355011 Planet Whale, 2a Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FL, UK This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. Please note that any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. Registered Office: Woodridge House, Earlsbrook, Bacton, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 4UA, UK. Company No. 06971130 Please consider the environment - think before you print. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: