From olivia_harries at hotmail.com Tue Oct 1 03:35:47 2013 From: olivia_harries at hotmail.com (Olivia Harries) Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2013 10:35:47 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Job announcement: Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, Marine Biodiversity Officer Message-ID: Marine Biodiversity Officer The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (www.hwdt.org) wishes to appoint a Marine Biodiversity Officer, based in Tobermory, Isle of Mull. Working as a member of the Trust?s small, dynamic research team, the Marine Biodiversity Officer is primarily responsible for maintaining HWDT?s Science Programme. Job description HWDT?s Marine Biodiversity Officer will work on its boat and land based projects and will undertake the running of the Science Programme. A substantial part of the job involves being the main monitoring officer onboard ?Silurian?: conducting a variety of marine mammal surveys. He/she will work with and supervise volunteers on most projects. An additional role involves representing the Trust on local and regional forums. The appointee must be a qualified marine biologist with appropriate field and analytical experience. The Marine Biodiversity Officer will be responsible to the Chair and Trustees of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, the Head of the Science Committee/Senior Scientist and must work closely with other members of the team. This may include supervision of other science staff. This post holder will split his/her time between land and boat-based activities and office-based data entry and analysis tasks. Key Tasks Primary Science Officer onboard Silurian during 7-12 day monitoring trips; Train and guide volunteers in marine mammal survey techniques; Supervise the correct collection, entry and storage of visual and acoustic survey data, and ensure the smooth functioning of onboard computer hardware and software; Operation of hydrophone and acoustic monitoring system on boat including troubleshooting and running repairs if necessary and where possible; Work with scientific team to deliver agreed monitoring outputs; As part of the Silurian crew, participate fully in the domestic, sailing and social aspects of monitoring trips; Train other staff members/capable cover for relief work; Equipment maintenance including repairs, loan agreements and purchasing, in particular the computer and acoustic equipment on Silurian; Undertake science administration, dealing with general science-related enquiries, correspondence and consultations; Analysis and report writing; Management of volunteers on office-based research projects; Run boat-based element of field courses for students/general public; Representative on local marine stakeholder groups; Work with the science team on ongoing development of research and conservation strategy; Work with the science team to deliver commissioned research as appropriate; Work with other academic institutions in research collaborations and data sharing; Maintain and develop relationships with key local and regional marine stakeholders, organisations and operators; Work closely with education and sightings teams in developing and delivering a programme of public talks and presentations; Work closely with the education team providing input into education programmes and work with universities; Media work including radio and TV interviews; Assisting in funding applications (including funding for the Marine Biodiversity Officer post) and supporting the education, finance and administrative staff; Assist with fundraising events when necessary, and Promote the Trust wherever possible, in particular recruiting new supporters and sponsors. Desirable skills Extensive knowledge and experience of marine mammal surveys techniques including visual and acoustic methods. Knowledge of, and experience in IFAW LOGGER and PAM software (e.g. PAMGUARD); Computer proficient including Access, and GIS programs; Offshore sailing/boating experience (formal qualifications are not necessary); Excellent communication skills; both written and oral; Knowledge of Scottish marine biology and nature conservation legislation; Experience of volunteer and project management; Full driving licence; Experience of partnership working and working in a team; Experience of working independently; Knowledge of the West Coast and islands and their communities beneficial. This is full time salaried post at ?18,000 per year. Application Procedure: Send CV and Covering Letter with the names of two referees by e-mail to admin at hwdt.org or post to HWDT, Clydesdale Bank Buildings, Tobermory, Isle of Mull, PA75 6NU. Further information on HWDT and on this post (including conditions of the post) are to be found on the HWDT website www.hwdt.org, or telephone 01688 302 620. Applications should be made by 1st November 2013. Please note: candidates will only be contacted if short-listed. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From emmaforrester at hydenlyne.com Tue Oct 1 07:31:14 2013 From: emmaforrester at hydenlyne.com (Emma Forrester) Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2013 15:31:14 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] Wanted: experienced FLOs - particularly Greek speaking Message-ID: <01c801cebeb2$e26be120$a743a360$@hydenlyne.com> Good afternoon everyone, Hydenlyne is currently looking to expand their database of FLOs, particularly Greek speaking individuals. You must have seismic experience and valid offshore certificates. Other applications for MMO/PAM are welcomed but may not be replied to with urgency. Please send your CV to emmaforrester at hydenlyne.com Kind regards, Emma Forrester Project Manager (MMO/PAM) UK Mobile +44 (0)7730222001 Office +44 (0)1202 900078 Hydenlyne 1 Princes Court Princes Road Ferndown Dorset England BH22 9JG -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From vhoward at imms.org Tue Oct 1 08:08:44 2013 From: vhoward at imms.org (Victoria Howard) Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2013 10:08:44 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Internship Message-ID: <007a01cebeb8$2069d630$613d8290$@imms.org> Winter/Spring 2014 Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Internship The IMMS Research Internship Program is designed as a way for students interested in a career in marine science to gain valuable research experience in a real-world setting. Interns will participate with multiple projects involving bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles and diamondback terrapins. As an intern, you will be trained in all aspects of dolphin photo-id research, sea turtle satellite tracking, and 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 science research. Interns must: * Commit to a minimum of at least 12 weeks. The internship can be extended depending on work performance. * Be available to work Mon-Fri and must be available for all boat trips. Some field days may fall on the weekends. * 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), boat based field research (21? and 31? boats), and learn how to use ArcGIS * Secondary Duties involve: Assisting with animal care staff, attending marine mammal necropsies, responding to marine mammal and sea turtle strandings, and assisting with educational tours. * Field days: Interns must be able to spend many hours on the water and on shore 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 at least two or three times a week. 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. Deadline to Apply for the Winter/Spring Session (1/6/14 - 3/2/14 and 3/10/14 - 5/6/14) is November 1, 2013 Please visit http://imms.org/internship.php for application and full details -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danni at graywhalescount.org Tue Oct 1 15:27:51 2013 From: danni at graywhalescount.org (Danielle Storz) Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2013 15:27:51 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] Internship Announcement - Please Post Message-ID: RESEARCH ASSISTANT POSITION AVAILABLE - seeking volunteer Research Assistants for research on Gray whales migrating northbound through the nearshore of the Santa Barbara Channel. Gray Whales Count (GWC) is seeking two Research Assistants (RA) to assist in the annual survey, conducted from shore at the Coal Oil Point Reserve, Goleta, California, adjacent to the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara. The 2014 survey begins February 10 and continues every day through May 18, from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Sunday. We are looking for interested individuals who would be available to begin at the start of the survey and commit the entire length, fourteen weeks, of the 2014 Count. GWC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization for research and education. The primary goal of research is to estimate the number of Gray whales and Gray whale calves migrating northbound through our corridor and to share our data to complement similar sampling-studies along the California coast. A secondary goal is to document the variety and quantity of other marine mammals in the ocean area around our site, which is now a Marine Protected Area. We are able to monitor human activity, including interactions with marine mammals, including Gray whales. Goals of education are to teach the process of scientific research to Counters and to give them the opportunity to conduct a meaningful study, to experience marine mammals in their natural environment, and to share this process and their enthusiasm with publics through direct interchange, outreach, and various media. The Research Assistants will be trained by the Project Coordinator and, in-turn, share the responsibility of conducting research and education. Applicable skills learned and achieved include: 1. Process, concepts, and protocols of the survey 2. Ability to identify a multitude of marine mammal species from a distance, including but not limited to: Gray whales, Humpback whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Common dolphins, Pacific white-sided dolphins, Harbor seals, California Sea lions, Sea otters, etc. 3. Identify behaviors of these marine mammals 4. Distinguish calves from juveniles and adults 5. Identify vessels and vessel operations 6. Detailed data entry 7. Learn about marine mammals in their natural environment and the forces that affect them, both natural and anthropogenic 8. Personnel (volunteer and staff) interaction Because of the training required, applicants must be willing to commit full-time to the project for the time period involved (minimum of 14 weeks, which can be extended if the applicant desires to be involved with data entry and analysis). This will entail up to 8 - 9 hours of work a day for at least 5 days a week. The Count is 7 days per week and the RA may commit more time to the Count as desired. The more time you can put in, the more you will get out of your experience. Priority will be given to those candidates with associative career goals and are able to participate for an extended period of time. This is a unique opportunity to gain extensive experience in scientific fieldwork in an environment rich with diverse populations of marine mammals. You will work with equally diverse individuals who are caring, attentive, and curious. Gray whales are a sentinel species traveling from temperate lagoons in Mexico, along the dynamic California Current at the eastern edge of the North Pacific Ocean to the Arctic waters of northern Alaska in one of the longest marine mammal migrations. There are boundless avenues of exploration, and Gray Whales Count can begin your journey. Requirements: 1. Even though this is situated in Southern California, you must be able to withstand harsh weather conditions. Fieldwork can be physically and mentally demanding at times 2. Willingness to work long hours. 3. Experience with a camera and digital asset management a plus. 4. Commit for a minimum of fourteen weeks, full time (minimum five days per week). 5. Enrolled in or completed a degree in biology, marine science, zoology, environmental science, animal behavior or a related field. 6. Previous field experience with marine wildlife and observation is highly recommended but not required to apply. 7. Ability to work in a team environment. Cannot stress this enough. You will be trained to be a leader of an operation with people of differing experience and dedication. 8. Be enthusiastic and possess a positive attitude and a desire to learn. 9. Be adaptable and patient. The migration is characterized by pulses rather than a steady stream; and weather is the unknown factor: wind, rain, and fog can shut us down. 10. We strive for a perfection that cannot be attained. We are forgiving and learn from experience. This is a volunteer position. The selected RAs will be responsible for his or her own transportation to and from Santa Barbara/Goleta, California. Recognizing that living costs are high in this area, Gray Whales Count will award a $500 stipend to assist with expenses upon successful completion of the RA position. The RAs will be responsible all for living expenses while volunteering for Gray Whales Count. To apply: Please send a cover letter and resume to the Project Coordinator, Michael Smith at michael at graywhalescount.org. We strongly recommend you look over our website: graywhalescount.org to familiarize yourself with our operation. In the cover letter, please address why you wish to participate with Gray Whales Count and what you hope to achieve in your experience. There is no deadline to apply. The position will remain open until it is filled. Please consider applying early in order to arrange travel plans and to secure room and board. ----- Danielle Scott Operations Manager Gray Whales Count nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation for research and education 1 Fellowship Circle Santa Barbara, CA 93109 USA (805) 698-9462 mobile danni at GrayWhalesCount.org project-collaborators include: Cascadia Research Collective, Olympia, Washington Journey North, Norwich, VT NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla Scripps Whale Acoustic Lab, SIO / UCSD, La Jolla UCSB's Coal Oil Point Reserve, Goleta -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lmduffy1023 at gmail.com Wed Oct 2 08:06:21 2013 From: lmduffy1023 at gmail.com (Laura Duffy) Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2013 08:06:21 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] Volunteer Program in SF Bay Message-ID: Please Post -- Thanks! The San Francisco Bay Chapter of the American Cetacean Society is working in conjunction with San Francisco State University (SFSU) Masters Candidates to initiate a citizen science program to help increase field efforts for Golden Gate Cetacean Research?s Harbor Porpoise Program. Golden Gate Cetacean Research (GGCR) began observing *Phocoena phocoena* in SF Bay in 2008, after they had not been sighted in the Bay since before World War II. This study seeks to identify specific environmental parameters of the Golden Gate that affect porpoises in respect to temporal and spatial aspects of habitat use, distribution, and behavior, to understand why these animals are now highly frequenting a new area of Northern California coast, and what it may mean for the population dynamics of *Phocoena *in the Pacific. The offered positions are volunteer; participants will be responsible for their own housing and transportation to field sites (potential for carpooling will be established after the first meeting with new volunteers). Volunteers will be asked to help perform point count surveys from two land-based observation stations on either side of the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as conduct transects across the Golden Gate Bridge to collect porpoise aggregation and activity. The weather at the Golden Gate is unpredictable and can be harsh with highly variant wind, precipitation, temperatures. Volunteers should be prepared to withstand these conditions; they should be able to stand and walk for a minimum of two hours; and they should be able to clearly see a distance of at least 100 meters. Volunteers need to be at least 18 years of age; the ideal participants will be those who have prior experience in marine field observations, a firm understanding of the scientific method, and a strong interest in marine ecology. Please submit a letter of interest and resume. The letter of interest should be one page, single spaced, and include a brief biography. Please include a description of academic history, skills, experiences, and objectives that explain your interest and participation in this project. On the resume, please include an education section with science courses, GPA, and an experience section including volunteer positions, internships, and professional positions that relate to environmental science and/or conservation biology. Application materials may be sent to Divya Sivaraman at divyadipti at gmail.combefore October 24 th to be considered in the first month?s volunteer list; ask for the PDF file with a more detailed description of the project. Thank you for your time! -- Laura Duffy *Masters Candidate, Marine Ecology* Golden Gate Cetacean Research, San Francisco State University cell: 609-784-3303 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Andrew.Lowther at npolar.no Tue Oct 1 05:39:15 2013 From: Andrew.Lowther at npolar.no (Andrew Lowther) Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2013 14:39:15 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] new Australian sea lion publications Message-ID: <4D405B4872E4E54A95966E6CF909E7F343F8D1DA7B@ANTON.nett.npolar> Hi all, two new publications on Australian sea lions; one using animal-borne sensors to map oceanographic conditions during a seasonal upwelling event and how these conditions impact on adult male foraging behaviour, the other at gross differences in trophic ecology of adult females between regions using stable isotopes. Any questions, dont hesitate to ask. Lowther AD, Harcourt RG, Page B, Goldsworthy SD (2013) Steady as He Goes: At-Sea Movement of Adult Male Australian Sea Lions in a Dynamic Marine Environment. PLoS ONE 8(9): e74348. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0074348 Abstract The southern coastline of Australia forms part of the worlds' only northern boundary current system. The Bonney Upwelling occurs every austral summer along the south-eastern South Australian coastline, a region that hosts over 80% of the worlds population of an endangered endemic otariid, the Australian sea lion. We present the first data on the movement characteristics and foraging behaviour of adult male Australian sea lions across their South Australian range. Synthesizing telemetric, oceanographic and isotopic datasets collected from seven individuals enabled us to characterise individual foraging behaviour over an approximate two year time period. Data suggested seasonal variability in stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes that could not be otherwise explained by changes in animal movement patterns. Similarly, animals did not change their foraging patterns despite fine-scale spatial and temporal variability of the upwelling event. Individual males tended to return to the same colony at which they were tagged and utilized the same at-sea regions for foraging irrespective of oceanographic conditions or time of year. Our study contrasts current general assumptions that male otariid life history strategies should result in greater dispersal, with adult male Australian sea lions displaying central place foraging behaviour similar to males of other otariid species in the region. A. D. Lowther , R. G. Harcourt and S. D. Goldsworthy. Regional variation in trophic ecology of adult female Australian sea lions inferred from stable isotopes in whiskers. Wildlife Research 40(4), 303-311 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WR12181 Abstract Context: The primary selective forces responsible for shaping life-history traits come from the physical and biological environment in which a species resides. Consequently, the limits of a species range may provide a useful measure of adaptive potential to environmental change. The proximity of foraging grounds to terrestrial nursing habitat constrains central-place foragers such as otariid seals in selecting breeding locations. The Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) is an endangered otariid endemic to Australia, whose northern-range extent occurs at a temperate?tropical transition zone on the western coast of Western Australia (WA). Aims: Currently, there is a complete absence of data on the foraging ecology of Australian sea lions in WA. We sought to address this critical knowledge gap and provide data on the foraging ecology of adult female Australian sea lions at three isolated breeding colonies in western WA. Methods: We used stable-isotope ratios of carbon (?13C) and nitrogen (?15N) in the whiskers of pups as proxies to characterise feeding behaviour of 10?28% of all adult female Australian sea lions at each colony. We then compared these geographic data to (1) conspecifics at similar latitude in South Australia (SA) and (2) isotopic data collated from other studies on seabirds that inhabit the region, to place foraging behaviour of adult female Australian sea lions into context. Key results: At the southernmost colonies in WA, individual animals were members of one of two distinct isotopic clusters that could be described by differences in ?15N and ?13C values. Individuals at the northernmost colony displayed ?15N values similar to those of seabirds in the same region. Across the study, isotope ratios of adult female Australian sea lions in western WA were between 3? and 5? lower than those observed at a colony at similar latitude in SA. Conclusions: Gross differences in the physical oceanography between WA and SA may in part explain the differences in isotope ratios of individuals between the regions, with lower ?15N and ?13C values in WA probably reflecting the relatively depauperate conditions of the Leeuwin Current. Implications: Potential regional differences in trophic structure should be considered when developing appropriate management plans for Australian sea lions and regional variation in the diet of Australian sea lion warrants further investigation. Andy Lowther Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Biodiversity Section Norwegian Polar Institute tel: +47 77 75 05 44 e: andrew.lowther at npolar.no From dave.wall at iwdg.ie Tue Oct 1 01:06:06 2013 From: dave.wall at iwdg.ie (Dave wall) Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2013 09:06:06 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] New Atlas of Marine Mammals in Irish Offshore Waters Message-ID: Dear Colleagues, I would like to inform you that the following report was recently published: Wall D., Murray C., O'Brien J., Kavanagh L., Wilson C., Ryan C., Glanville B., Williams D., Enlander I., O'Connor I., McGrath D., Whooley P. and Berrow S. (2013). Atlas of the distribution and relative abundance of marine mammals in Irish offshore waters 2005 - 2011. Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Merchants Quay, Kilrush, Co Clare. ISBN 0-9540552-7-6. This Atlas presents data collected during the IWDG ISCOPE I and II projects, the IWDG/GMIT Marine Mammals and Megafauna in Irish waters project, the IWDG Ferry Surveys Programme and the IWDG casual and effort-based sightings scheme between January 2005 and January 2011. Distribution and relative abundance data are presented on a European Environment Agency 50 km2 reference grid and where sufficient data existed, seasonal distribution and relative abundance maps are presented. The report may be downloaded at the following link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/21374026/Marine%20Atlas%20Med%20Res.pdf For additional information please contact: dave.wall at iwdg.ie Best regards Dave Wall Ship Surveys Officer Irish Whale and Dolphin Group Tel UK: +44 77 717 62355 Tel Ireland: +353 87 2977931 Email: dave.wall at iwdg.ie Web: www.iwdg.ie 22 Martello Park | Holywood | BT180DG | Northern Ireland -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: sigpic.gif Type: application/octet-stream Size: 4902 bytes Desc: not available URL: From monica at uac.pt Wed Oct 2 06:30:08 2013 From: monica at uac.pt (=?iso-8859-1?Q?M=F3nica_Cordeiro_de_Almeida_e_Silva?=) Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2013 13:30:08 -0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on distribution of cetaceans in the mid-Atlantic waters around the Azores References: <55D549D7C0D7494BBE5C232194CFEAE5C313D2@PDLEXCH.uac.pt> Message-ID: Dear Colleagues, The following paper was recently published in Marine Biology Research. The article is available from the publisher website (http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/f24uYWV4sSib3F9X49vt/full) or by request to me. Kind regards, M?nica Silva Silva MA, Prieto R, Casc?o I, Seabra MI, Machete M, Baumgartner MF, Santos RS (2013). Spatial and temporal distribution of cetaceans in the mid-Atlantic waters around the Azores. Marine Biology Research, 10(2): 123-137. DOI: 10.1080/17451000.2013.793814. Cetaceans living in offshore waters are under increasing pressure from anthropogenic activities. Yet, due to the lack of survey effort, relatively little is known about the demography or ecology of these populations. Spatial and temporal distribution of cetaceans in mid-Atlantic waters were investigated using a long term dataset collected from boat surveys and land-based observations around the Azores. From 1999 to 2009, 7307 cetacean schools were sighted during 271,717 km of survey effort. In 4944 h of land-based observations, 2,968 cetacean groups were detected. Twenty-four species were recorded: seven baleen whales, six beaked whales, eight dolphin species, Physeter macrocephalus, Kogia breviceps and Kogia sima. Overall, Delphinus delphis was the most frequently sighted species, but its encounter rate decreased in June-November, coinciding with the presence of Stenella frontalis in the region. Tursiops truncatus, P. macrocephalus and Grampus griseus were frequently encountered year-round, whereas large baleen whales showed a distinct peak in encounter rates in March-May. Mesoplodonts were fairly common and appear to be present throughout the year. These findings fill in a significant gap in the knowledge of cetaceans occurring in a poorly studied region of the North Atlantic, providing much needed data to inform management initiatives. 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 Phone: (+351) 292200400 Direct phone: (+351) 292200430 Fax: (+351) 292200411 Email: monica at uac.pt http://www.whales.uac.pt/ http://portulano.org/wkit/index.html ----------------------------------------------------- Biology Department, MS#33 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA Email: msilva at whoi.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From silvia.bonizzoni at gmail.com Thu Oct 3 02:32:22 2013 From: silvia.bonizzoni at gmail.com (Silvia Bonizzoni) Date: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 11:32:22 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] Fish farming and its appeal to common bottlenose dolphins In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Dear colleagues, the following article has just been published online: Bonizzoni S., Furey N., Pirotta E., Valavanis V.D., W?rsig B., Bearzi G. 2013. Fish farming and its appeal to common bottlenose dolphins: modelling habitat use in a Mediterranean embayment. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems DOI: 10.1002/aqc.2401. ABSTRACT 1. Common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus interact with fish farms in the Mediterranean Sea. These interactions were investigated in a Greek bay by incorporating multiple geographic, bathymetric, oceanographic, and anthropogenic variables. 2. Generalized additive modelling (GAMs) and generalized estimation equations (GEEs) were used to describe dolphin presence. Visual surveys were conducted over 2909 km under favourable viewing conditions that included 54 dolphin group follows for 457 km. Sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) data were obtained from remote sensing imagery, and distances to sources of human influences including fish farms, a ferro-nickel plant, and a slag disposal area were calculated within a geographic information system (GIS). 3. Bottlenose dolphins were encountered mainly in the south-eastern portion of the study area, and occurrence was not clearly related to SST and Chl-a, nor the ferro-nickel plant or nearby slag disposal area. 4. Dolphin occurrence generally increased within 20 km of fish farms, with four farms and dolphins displaying a positive relationship, seven no clear relationship, and two a negative one. 5. While it is likely that uneaten food and other detritus attract dolphin prey, individual farms (or clusters of farms) clearly had a different appeal. The proximity of the ferro-nickel plant and slag disposal area to 'attractive' fish farms could compromise dolphin health, but physiological data are unavailable. 6. The modelling of multiple variables allowed for a description of dolphin habitat use and attraction to some fish farms. More such data and analysed in similar manner would be instructive for other areas where marine mammals and fish farms co-occur. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.2401/abstract If you are unable to download the article from the journal's site, please send a request to: - - - - - - - Silvia Bonizzoni Dolphin Biology & Conservation http://www.dolphinbiology.org/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From yeaterd at sacredheart.edu Wed Oct 2 07:08:39 2013 From: yeaterd at sacredheart.edu (Yeater, Prof. Deirdre M.) Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2013 14:08:39 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Study Abroad in Bimini, The Bahamas Message-ID: STUDY ABROAD PS 299 - Special Topics in Psychology (3 Credits) - or - BI 199/299 - Special Topics in Biology for Non-Majors/Majors(3 Credits) Summer 2014: May 27-June 8, 2014 Led by Dr. Deirdre Yeater in the Sacred Heart University Psychology department in collaboration with Dolphin Communication Project, this course will examine the behavioral and social ecology of coastal cetaceans, particularly Atlantic spotted and bottlenose dolphins. You will enjoy a hands-on learning experience with wild dolphins, in the beautiful waters surrounding the island of Bimini in the Bahamas. On the program, you will earn three credits while learning to record and analyze dolphin behaviors. You will also learn about ecotourism and human impacts on the marine environment. The field work at Bimini will consist of 4 to 5 hour boat surveys. If the group is able to make underwater observations, you will be assisting in the use of underwater slates, video cameras, and digital still cameras. The number of students accepted will be limited by the size of the research vessel. Therefore, you should apply as soon as possible. You MUST be able to swim and snorkel as part of the program. Apply by December 15th For more information, contact: Sacred Heart University Office of Global Affairs (203) 396-8028 studyabroad at sacredheart.edu www.sacredheart.edu/studyabroad or Dolphin Communication Project http://www.dolphincommunicationproject.org/ Program Highlights Study Dolphins Dolphins are long-lived and social! Yet, we know little about their social relationships. Study dolphins in their natural habitat. Bimini, The Bahamas Less than 7 mile long and only a few hundred yards wide, Bimini is known for big game fishing, SCUBA diving, mangroves, and of course, wild dolphins. Application Requirements Students majoring/minoring in Psychology, Biology, or a related discipline Minimum GPA of 3.0 Visiting students accepted Deirdre Yeater, Ph.D Assistant Professor Sacred Heart University 5151 Park Avenue Fairfield, CT 06825 Phone: 203-365-4870 Fax: 203-371-7998 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Tom.Reinert at MyFWC.com Mon Oct 7 08:42:16 2013 From: Tom.Reinert at MyFWC.com (Reinert, Tom) Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2013 11:42:16 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: Right Whale/Manatee GIS/spatial and mathematical modeling specialist; St. Petersburg, FL Message-ID: JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: ASSOCIATE RESEARCH SCIENTIST-FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION Position Number: 77071804-51197197 Annual Salary Range: $50,000-52,045 City: SAINT PETERSBURG Facility: FISH AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH INSTITUTE Closing Date: 10/23/2013 The State Personnel System is an E-Verify employer. For more information click on our E-Verify website. FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: http://jobs.myflorida.com/viewjob.html?optlink-view=view-653944&ERFormID=newjoblist&ERFormCode=any Anticipated Vacancy (11/1/2013) JOB DESCRIPTION Designs and conducts scientific research and monitoring programs that address management concerns for marine mammal conservation. Integrates GIS methods and analytical techniques with spatial databases resulting in spatially-explicit models and analyses of marine mammals including North Atlantic right whales and Florida manatees. Conducts statistical analyses and builds mathematical and spatial models of right whale and manatee populations. Provides statistical inference from existing databases, and assists in the development of efficient sampling designs for the collection of future data. Develop models of marine mammal movements, distributions, risk assessments, and effectiveness of proposed management strategies using empirical data on distribution, habitat variables, and vessel traffic patterns. Consults with and advises government agencies in evaluation of marine mammal information collected by FWC and other agencies. Prepares and administers grant proposals, contracts, and agreements needed to achieve research objectives. Seeks extramural funding. Prepares reports and manuscripts of findings from above studies for Florida's wildlife resource managers and for publication in refereed scientific literature. Responsible for the supervision of assigned personnel with duties including but not limited to: recruitment, training, planning and directing work, reviewing performance. Maintains a professional working environment that promotes teamwork within working units and with other sections in the Institute. EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS A Master's degree in a physical or life science and 3 yrs. of professional experience as described above; or a Doctorate with 1 year of experience. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES Knowledge of wildlife ecology, terminology, principles and techniques used in research of marine mammals or other wildlife species; statistical, spatial, and simulation modeling methods. Ability to collect and maintain scientific data related to population and ecological research, biology and modeling; to perform quantitative analysis and modeling of scientific data; to publish manuscripts in refereed scientific journals; recent demonstrated experience effectively supervising assigned personnel; advanced use of statistical analysis and GIS software; use of word processing, spreadsheet and database software. Skill in use of ARCGIS including programming (such as Python or other scripting languages) and Model builders. TO APPLY Submit a complete an up-to-date State of Florida employment application form electronically in People First, by midnight on the closing date listed. Go to: http://peoplefirst.myflorida.com. You may also submit a resume and cover letter in People First as an attachment. Note that supporting documentation does not replace the requirement for a completed State of Florida employment application form. If you experience technical difficulties during the application process or when attaching documents, call People First staffing at 1-877-562-7287. If unable to attach supporting documents to your application, they may be faxed to the People First Service Center at 1-888-403-2110. Be sure to include the Requisition number for the position to which you are applying on each page of your faxed documents. The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or the People First Service Center (1-877-562-7287). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation. The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act. Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, eligible veterans and spouses of veterans will receive preference in employment and are encouraged to apply. For applicants claiming Veterans' Preference, please attach supporting documentation that includes character of service (for example, DD form 214 Member Copy #4) when you apply for a vacancy. Applicants may also fax their supporting documentation to People First at 1-888-403-2110. All documentation is due by the closing date of the job announcement. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From leslemos at hotmail.com Mon Oct 7 09:59:43 2013 From: leslemos at hotmail.com (Leila Lemos) Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2013 13:59:43 -0300 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper in toxicology of small cetaceans from north coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear colleagues, the following paper was recently published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety: Small cetaceans found stranded or accidentally captured in southeastern Brazil: Bioindicators of essential and non-essential trace elements in the environment (Leila Soledade Lemos, Jailson Fulgencio de Moura, Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis, Reinaldo Calixto de Campos, Salvatore Siciliano) It can be found on the link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651313003370 or it can be requested to me (leslemos at hotmail.com) Abstract:Essential (Cu, Mn, Se and Zn) and non-essential (Cd and Hg) elements were analyzed in the hepatic tissue of 22 individuals of seven different species of small cetaceans (Feresa attenuata; Orcinus orca; Pontoporia blainvillei; Sotalia guianensis; Stenella frontalis; Steno bredanensis; Tursiops truncatus) accidentally caught in fishing nets or found stranded along the northern coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between 2001 and 2010. Atlantic spotted dolphin (S. frontalis) showed the highest levels of Cd (20.23 ?g g 1, dry weight), while rough-toothed dolphin (S. bredanensis) showed the highest levels of Hg (825.9 ?g g  1 dw) and Se (221.9 ?g g  1 dw). Killer whale (O. orca) presented the highest levels of Cu (64.80 ?g g  1 dw) and Zn (2220?gg1 dw), and Guiana dolphin (S. guianensis), the highest level of Mn (13.05?gg1 dw). Cu, Hg, Mn and Zn in the hepatic tissue of killer whale (O. orca), Cu, Hg, Mn, Se and Zn in the hepatic tissue of rough-toothed dolphin (S. bredanensis) and Cd and Zn in the hepatic tissue of Guiana dolphin (S. guianensis) were significantly higher when compared to other studies with these species around the world. No significant correlations were observed between element accumulation and sex, sexual maturity and body length. An analysis of the interelemental relationships in the Guiana dolphin specimens showed strong positive correlations between Cd and Se, Cu and Zn, and Hg and Se. Differences were observed in the bioaccumulation of elements between the analyzed species, probably related to each species feeding habit, and differences between different element concentrations in the different dolphin species were probably due to the preference for certain preys and their bioavailability in the environment. Thus, the bioavailability of the analyzed elements in the marine environment should also be taken in consideration. This study also presents the first data ever reported for pygmy killer whale(F. attenuata) regarding trace element concentrations in hepatic tissue. Kind regards,Leila Lemos +55 21 81088524 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Carol.Scarpaci at vu.edu.au Mon Oct 7 15:57:33 2013 From: Carol.Scarpaci at vu.edu.au (Carol Scarpaci) Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2013 22:57:33 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] PhD and Masters Opportunities in Marine Mammal Science Message-ID: PhD and Masters Opportunities in Marine Mammal Science Victoria University has PhD scholarships available for 2014 for Australian Citizens. Eligible candidates that are interested in pursuing marine mega fauna (marine mammals, sharks, turtles) research in context to anthropogenic pressures (tourism predominantly) please contact Dr Carol Scarpaci (carol.scarpaci at vu.edu.au) to discuss these research options with a brief CV. Applications close on the 30th of October and further information can be found on the following link http://www.vu.edu.au/research/graduate-research-studies/scholarships-for-research-students Dr Carol Scarpaci (PhD) Senior Lecturer - BSc (Specialisations in Biotechnology, Chemistry or Environmental Management) Stream Course Co-ordinator -Ecology and Environmental Management College of Engineering and Science Victoria University PO Box 14428 (Werribee Campus) MCMC 8001 Vic Australia Office: 2207 Werribee Campus Telephone: 61 3 9919 2571 Fax 61 3 9919 8284 [Logo-intranet] This email, including any attachment, is intended solely for the use of the intended recipient. It is confidential and may contain personal information or be subject to legal professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use, disclosure, reproduction or storage of it is unauthorised. If you have received this email in error, please advise the sender via return email and delete it from your system immediately. Victoria University does not warrant that this email is free from viruses or defects and accepts no liability for any damage caused by such viruses or defects. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 18711 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From j.gardiner at oceanscienceconsulting.com Tue Oct 8 02:18:46 2013 From: j.gardiner at oceanscienceconsulting.com (Jane Gardiner) Date: Tue, 08 Oct 2013 10:18:46 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: Marine Mammal Observer and Passive Acoustic Monitoring Handbook Message-ID: <5253CDF6.7000401@oceanscienceconsulting.com> Dear MARMAM Colleagues, We are pleased to announce that our book is now available for pre-order: Todd, VLG, Todd, IB, Gardiner, JC, and Morrin, ECN (2014): Marine Mammal Observer and Passive Acoustic Monitoring handbook. Pelagic Publishing Ltd, UK. The 'Marine Mammal Observer and Passive Acoustic Monitoring Handbook' is the ultimate instruction manual for mitigation measures to minimise man-made acoustical and physical disturbances to marine mammals from industrial and defence activities. Based on more than two decades of offshore experience, and a decade of supplying MMO and PAM services (commercial and scientific), the Handbook is a long-overdue reference guide that seeks to improve standards worldwide for marine operations such as seismic and drilling exploration, wind farm piling, civil engineering, dredging, rock-dumping, and hydrographical surveys. By popular request, this manual will also form an accompaniment to MMO and PAM courses. The Handbook consolidates all aspects of this discipline into one easily accessible resource, to educate all stakeholders (e.g. MMOs, PAM operators, suppliers, recruitment agencies, clients, contractors, regulators, NGOs, consultants, scientists, academia and media), regardless of experience. Topics include worldwide legislation, compliance, anthropogenic noise sources and potential effects, training, offshore life, visual and acoustic monitoring (theory and practice), marine mammal distribution, hearing and vocalisations, and report writing. Advice is provided on implementing sensible and practical mitigation techniques, appropriate technologies, data collection, client and regulator liaison, and project kick-off meetings. A foreword is provided by Dr Phillip J. Clapham. The book is available now for pre-order from the links below. If ordering from Pelagic Publishing before the 31^st March, enter this coupon code (MMOP20) to receive a 20% pre-publication discount. Pelagic publishing: http://www.pelagicpublishing.com/the-marine-mammal-observer-and-passive-acoustic-monitoring-handbook.html NHBS: http://www.nhbs.com/the_marine_mammal_observer_and_passive_acoustic_monitoring_tefno_193944.html Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Observer-Passive-Acoustic-Monitoring-Handbook/dp/1907807667/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381135696&sr=8-1&keywords=marine+mammal+observer Kind Regards, Jane Gardiner -- Jane Gardiner Research Assistant Ocean Science Consulting Ltd Spott Road Dunbar, East Lothian Scotland EH42 1RR T: +44 (0)1368 865 722 F: +44 (0)1368 865 729 W: www.osc.co.uk -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From peter.madsen at biology.au.dk Tue Oct 8 04:12:47 2013 From: peter.madsen at biology.au.dk (Peter Teglberg Madsen) Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2013 11:12:47 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Functional convergence of echolocation in bats and toothed whales Message-ID: <3380BCF6ABCABA478C953F2463C3011545297EBF@SRVUNIMBX02.uni.au.dk> Dear All, Sorry for cross posting. We have published a recent review in Physiology that reveals a remarkable functional convergence in the way bats and toothed whales independently have evolved to echolocate with ultrasound. Physiology. 2013 Sep;28(5):276-83. doi: 10.1152/physiol.00008.2013. Functional convergence in bat and toothed whale biosonars. Madsen PT, Surlykke A. Abstract Echolocating bats and toothed whales hunt and navigate by emission of sound pulses and analysis of returning echoes to form a self-generated auditory scene. Here, we demonstrate a striking functional convergence in the way these two groups of mammals independently evolved the capability to sense with sound in air and water. The paper can be found here: http://physiologyonline.physiology.org/content/28/5/276.long Or pdf request can be made to me peter.madsen at biology.au.dk or Annemarie Surlykke ams at biology.sdu.dk Best Peter Peter T. Madsen Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience Aarhus University, Build. 1131, CF Mollers Alle 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark Phone: 0045 8715 6501 email: peter.madsen at biology.au.dk Web: www.marinebioacoustics.com [sender_logo] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 6187 bytes Desc: image001.jpg URL: From Ingebjorg.Nymo at nvh.no Wed Oct 9 02:01:12 2013 From: Ingebjorg.Nymo at nvh.no (=?iso-8859-1?Q?Nymo_Ingebj=F8rg_Helena?=) Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2013 09:01:12 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] PhD-thesis on Brucella pinnipedialis in hooded seals (Cystophora cristata): infection biology and effect of PCB 153 exposure under experimental conditions Message-ID: <4C83AC498DD9394896032F7792BCCB9419A8CB00@nvhexmdb1> PhD-thesis title: Brucella pinnipedialis in hooded seals (Cystophora cristata): infection biology and effect of PCB 153 exposure under experimental conditions. Author: Ingebj?rg Helena Nymo (ingebjorg.nymo at nvh.no) Institution: The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Section for Arctic Veterinary Medicine, Troms?, Norway ISSN: 1890-0364 ISBN: 978-82-7725-254-4 SUMMARY The overall aim of the thesis was to study the infection biology of B. pinnipedialis in hooded seals and its relationship to the possible immunosuppressive effect of PCB 153. Although the infection biology in vivo in the hooded seal is still unclear, the results suggest that B. pinnipedialis is not able to cause the pathology we associate with pathogenic Brucella spp. in other hosts, and it seems unlikely that B. pinnipedialis is affecting hooded seal health under natural conditions. This conclusion is in line with the general lack of Brucella-associated gross pathology when isolating B. pinnipedialis from any pinniped species, including hooded seals. Whether in utero exposure of hooded seals to PCBs, and PCB 153 in particular, is affecting hooded seals to a degree where the outcome of an infection with B. pinnipedialis is altered, is still unknown and warrants further investigation. If anyone is interested in a copy of the thesis they may contact Nymo at ingebjorg.nymo at nvh.no Ingebj?rg Helena Nymo DVM PhD Post Doctoral Researcher Norwegian School of Veterinary Science Section of Arctic Veterinary Medicine Stakkevollveien 23b 9010 Troms? Norway Tlf: +47 77 66 54 00/+47 77 66 54 13 Mob: +47 918 38 421 Skype: ingebjorg.helena.nymo http://scholar.google.no/citations?user=p6qrTTkAAAAJ&hl=no&oi=ao ? https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/312107208925825/ The new e-mail domain name for The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science is @nvh.no. The former domain address @veths.no will still be in use, but it will be discontinued within 1-2 years. Please update your e-mail records. This message verifies that the e-mail has been scanned for virus, and deemed virus-free according to our scanengines. From K.A.Stockin at massey.ac.nz Wed Oct 9 15:53:27 2013 From: K.A.Stockin at massey.ac.nz (Stockin, Karen) Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2013 22:53:27 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publications In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce a selection of new 2013 publications from the Coastal-Marine Research Group, Massey University. PDFs can be downloaded directly from our website http://cmrg.massey.ac.nz under 'publications' Dwyer SL, Kozmian-Ledward L & Stockin KA. In press. Short-term survival of severe propeller strike injuries and observations on wound progression in a bottlenose dolphin. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research Filby NE, Bossley M & Stockin KA. 2013. Behaviour of free-ranging short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in Gulf St. Vincent, South Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology (http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ZO12033) Martinez E & Stockin KA. 2013. Blunt trauma observed in a common dolphin (Delphinus sp.) likely caused by a vessel collision in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. Pacific Conservation Biology 19: 19-27 Stockin KA, Amaral AR, Latimer J, Lambert DM & Natoli A. 2013. Population genetic structure and taxonomy of the common dolphin (Delphinus sp.) at its southernmost range limit: New Zealand waters. Marine Mammal Science (DOI: 10.1111/mms.12027) Zaeschmar JR, Visser IN, Fertl D, Dwyer SL, Meissner AM, Halliday J, Berghan J, Donnelly D & Stockin KA. 2013. Occurrence of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) and their associations with common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) off north-eastern New Zealand. Marine Mammal Science (DOI: 10.1111/mms.12065) Best wishes, Karen Karen A Stockin, PhD Director, Coastal-Marine Research Group Institute of Natural & Mathematical Sciences Massey University Private Bag 102 904 North Shore City 0745 Auckland New Zealand Tel: +64 (0) 9 414 0800 EXT 41127 Mob: +64 (0) 21 423 997 Fax: +64 (9) 443 9790 Email: k.a.stockin at massey.ac.nz http://cmrg.massey.ac.nz [Description: Massey University logo] Courier Address: Coastal-Marine Research Group, Massey University, Building 5, Gate 4, Eastbourne Road, Old Albany Highway, North Shore, Auckland -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 13242 bytes Desc: image001.jpg URL: From monica at uac.pt Wed Oct 9 09:21:12 2013 From: monica at uac.pt (=?iso-8859-1?Q?M=F3nica_Cordeiro_de_Almeida_e_Silva?=) Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2013 16:21:12 -0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on movements and behaviour of North Atlantic blue and fin whales during spring migration Message-ID: Dear Colleagues, The following paper entitled "North Atlantic Blue and Fin Whales Suspend Their Spring Migration to Forage in Middle Latitudes: Building up Energy Reserves for the Journey? "was recently published in PLOS ONE and is available online at http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0076507 . Kind regards, M?nica Silva MA, Prieto R, Jonsen I, Baumgartner MF, Santos RS (2013) North Atlantic Blue and Fin Whales Suspend Their Spring Migration to Forage in Middle Latitudes: Building up Energy Reserves for the Journey? PLoS ONE 8(10): e76507. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0076507. Abstract The need to balance energy reserves during migration is a critical factor for most long-distance migrants and an important determinant of migratory strategies in birds, insects and land mammals. Large baleen whales migrate annually between foraging and breeding sites, crossing vast ocean areas where food is seldom abundant. How whales respond to the demands and constraints of such long migrations remains unknown. We applied a behaviour discriminating hierarchical state-space model to the satellite tracking data of 12 fin whales and 3 blue whales tagged off the Azores, to investigate their movements, behaviour (transiting and area-restricted search, ARS) and daily activity cycles during the spring migration. Fin and blue whales remained at middle latitudes for prolonged periods, spending most of their time there in ARS behaviour. While near the Azores, fin whale ARS behaviour occurred within a restricted area, with a high degree of overlap among whales. There were noticeable behavioural differences along the migratory pathway of fin whales tracked to higher latitudes: ARS occurred only in the Azores and north of 56?N, whereas in between these areas whales travelled at higher overall speeds while maintaining a nearly direct trajectory. This suggests fin whales may alternate periods of active migration with periods of extended use of specific habitats along the migratory route. ARS behaviour in blue whales occurred over a much wider area as whales slowly progressed northwards. The tracks of these whales terminated still at middle latitudes, before any behavioural switch was detected. Fin whales exhibited behavioural-specific diel rhythms in swimming speed but these varied significantly between geographic areas, possibly due to differences in the day-night cycle across areas. Finally, we show a link between fin whales seen in the Azores and those summering in eastern Greenlandwestern Iceland along a migratory corridor located in central Atlantic waters. 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 Phone: (+351) 292200400 Direct phone: (+351) 292200430 Fax: (+351) 292200411 Email: monica at uac.pt http://www.whales.uac.pt/ http://portulano.org/wkit/index.html ----------------------------------------------------- Biology Department, MS#33 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA Email: msilva at whoi.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ruth at circe.info Tue Oct 8 22:18:28 2013 From: ruth at circe.info (Ruth Esteban) Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2013 07:18:28 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper on killer whales of the Strait of Gibraltar Message-ID: Dear Colleagues, The following paper was recently published in Journal of Marine Biological Association of the UK "Identifying key habitat and seasonal patterns of a critically endangered population of killer whales" . *Abstract* Killer whales have been described in the Gulf of Cadiz, southern Spain, in spring and in the Strait of Gibraltar in summer. A total of 11,276 cetaceans sightings coming from different sources (dedicated research surveys, whale watching companies and opportunistic observations) were used to create two presence??pseudo-absence? predictive generalized additive models (GAM), where presence data were defined as sightings of killer whales and ?pseudo-absence? data as sightings of other cetacean species. One model was created using spring data when killer whales? main prey, Atlantic bluefin tuna, enter the Mediterranean Sea, and the other model used summer data when Atlantic bluefin tuna return to the Atlantic Ocean. Both model predictions show that killer whales are highly associated with a probable distribution of bluefin tuna during their migration throughout the study area, constraining their distribution to the Gulf of Cadiz in spring and the Strait of Gibraltar in spring and summer. Knowledge of the distribution of killer whales in the study area is essential to establish conservation measures for this population. It is available from publisher website ( http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9016084) or by request to this email. Kind Regards Ruth Esteban. -- *Ruth Esteban* *CIRCE (Conservation Information and Research on Cetaceans)* *C/Cabeza de Manzaneda 3* *C.P. Pelayo-Algeciras (Cadiz) Spain* *+34675837508* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From alebritogs at gmail.com Tue Oct 8 13:13:17 2013 From: alebritogs at gmail.com (=?ISO-8859-1?Q?Alejandra_Brito_G=F3mez=2DSilva?=) Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2013 15:13:17 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Request for information about stable isotopes to assess diet on whales Message-ID: Hi everyone! My name is Alejandra Brito, I'm a marine biology student in Per?. I'm thinking in doing my thesis in Humpback whales, using stable isotopes to assess their diet. Does anyone has information about studies on carbon and nitrogen isotopes on skin samples of humpback whale in breeding season? And if someone has information about techniques and prosecution of skin samples, I would be very grateful! I know humpback whales are supose not to feed on breeding season, but probably someone has evaluated a possible diet at that season. If anyone can help me with this, you can e-mail me at: alebritogs at gmail.com Thanks! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rossiter at csiwhalesalive.org Thu Oct 10 12:26:13 2013 From: rossiter at csiwhalesalive.org (William Rossiter) Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 15:26:13 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Marine mammal stranding course in Costa Rica Message-ID: <5256FF55.7020400@csiwhalesalive.org> Posted on behalf of Dr. Gabriela Hernandez, , Microbiolog?a Medica Veterinaria Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal (SENASA) Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganader?a Heredia, Costa Rica This is a request for donated materials for a Costa Rican course for veterinarians on marine mammals, with an emphasis on strandings, to be held 6-7 November 2013. The course will be taught by Dr. Fernando Alegre, veterinarian in charge of the Rescue Center Marine Animals (CRAM) in Barcelona, Spain, and Costa Rican veterinarians Dr. Danilo Leandro, Dr. Gabriela Hernandez, Dr. Roc?o Gonzalez and marine biologist Jose David Palacios from Keto Foundation. Attendees include 56 veterinarians from agencies, univerities, and private practices in Costa Rica and Honduras. Requested materials include marine mammal guides, the CRC Handbook of Marine Mammal Medicine, brochures and protocols for strandings network participants, and information of necropsy of cetaceans. Materials and shipping costs by US citizens could be considered tax deductible donations through Cetacean Society International (CSI), after a bit of paperwork. In addition to a small grant Cetacean Society International is sending the last four "Marine Mammals Ashore" field guides and several older CDs graciously donated by Dr. Valerie Lounsbury of the National Aquarium. If too many resources are received CSI will facilitate the dispersal of extras through Latin America and the Caribbean. Please send materials to arrive by October 21st, with your contact information enclosed, to: Gabriela Hern?ndez Mora 6703 NW 7th St SJO 69429 Miami, Florida 33126-6007 Thank you, Bill William W. Rossiter President Cetacean Society International 65 Redding Road-0953 Georgetown, CT 06829-0953 t/c: 203.770.8615, f: 860.561.0187 rossiter at csiwhalesalive.org www.csiwhalesalive.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From nikki.zanardo at flinders.edu.au Tue Oct 8 20:27:03 2013 From: nikki.zanardo at flinders.edu.au (Nikki Zanardo) Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2013 03:27:03 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] VOLUNTEER RESEARCH ASSISTANT POSITION for research on southern Australian bottlenose dolphins in South Australia Message-ID: <7B9FFA8AD6509B418137C8D60986F55321BCEE5B@SINPRD0310MB393.apcprd03.prod.outlook.com> SEEKING FIELD ASSISTANTS FOR RESEARCH ON SOUTHERN AUSTRALIAN BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS IN METROPOLITAN ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA Fieldwork dates: Volunteers are needed beginning the 15th December 2013 until the 31st of August 2014. Application deadline: 28th October 2013 Project title: Ecology of the endemic southern Australian bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops australis) in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia. Institution: Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL); Flinders University; South Australia www.cebel.org.au / www.facebook.com/CEBELresearch Overview: I am seeking experienced field assistants to assist with boat-based photo-ID and biopsy sampling of bottlenose dolphins in metropolitan Adelaide in South Australia, beginning the 15th of December 2013 until the 31st of August 2014. * Commitment to the full duration, or large periods, of this time will be highly favoured. This project aims to collect baseline information on the abundance, habitat use and social structure of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops australis) in metropolitan Adelaide to improve the scientific basis for their conservation and management. This is an opportunity to gain experience in field techniques for small cetacean research and contribute to a project with very high conservation and management value. Duties: Searching for dolphins, driving of the boat, photo identification, assistance in biopsy sampling, recording field observations, equipment cleaning and, data entry (incl. fin matching). Expectations: Field assistants need to be adaptable and patient as weather is highly dependent. Field work will vary between weekdays and weekends, and assistants will need to be prepared for early morning departures (6-7AM) and long days (6-8 hours) on the water for multiple consecutive days. Expect up to a week between days off, as field work is weather dependent. If the weather isn't right we will NOT be conducting the surveys and will be postponed. Between field days there will be the opportunity for data entry and fin matching of identified individuals. Prerequisites: * Experience of working on a small boat (highly desirable, Coxswain certificate will be highly favoured); * Experience of photo-ID survey techniques (highly desirable); * Experience of field research on small cetaceans (highly desirable); * Enrolled in or completed a degree in biology, marine science, animal behaviour or a related field (desirable) * No history of debilitating seasickness (essential); * Be team-oriented, patient, and have an enthusiastic attitude to hard work, long hours and collecting data on the natural environment (essential); * Fluent in English (highly desirable). Unfortunately, we are unable to provide monetary compensation or living provisions, and research assistants will be responsible for their own travel to South Australia and their living expenses. If you are interested, please send a CV, a brief covering letter outlining your relevant experience, and contact details of two relevant referees to nikki.zanardo at flinders.edu.au by Monday 28th October 2013. Kind Regards, Nikki ------------------------------------------------------------------- Nikki Zanardo PhD Candidate Cetacean, Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab & Molecular Ecology Lab School of Biological Sciences Flinders University * Tel +61 8 8201 2357 | * nikki.zanardo at flinders.edu.au * www.cebel.org.au | * www.molecularecology.flinders.edu.au My Page: http://www.flinders.edu.au/people/nikki.zanardo [ZA102637861] [ZA102637858] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 1317 bytes Desc: image001.gif URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.gif Type: image/gif Size: 1351 bytes Desc: image002.gif URL: From B.J.Godley at exeter.ac.uk Tue Oct 8 07:09:18 2013 From: B.J.Godley at exeter.ac.uk (Godley, Brendan) Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2013 14:09:18 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Lectureship in Conservation Biology (University of Exeter) Message-ID: <4F6381C006A376409224CACE9A3105354BEB41A2@VMEXCHANGEMBS6A.isad.isadroot.ex.ac.uk> Dear Colleagues Advertisement for Lectureship in Conservation Biology is now live http://bit.ly/1aiGstW Please disseminate far and wide. This would be to work here at the Centre http://biosciences.exeter.ac.uk/cec/ And, the candidate would fit within this group http://biosciences.exeter.ac.uk/cec/research/ecology/members/ We have quite a number of us working on marine vertebrates. With kind regards Brendan Prof. Brendan J. Godley Chair in Conservation Science Centre for Ecology & Conservation University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus TR10 9EZ, UK Tel: +44 1326 371 861 Twitter: @BrendanGodley http://biosciences.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=brendan_godley http://www.seaturtle.org/mtrg/ [Description: Description: cid:image003.gif at 01CE0AA5.105E7330] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 46499 bytes Desc: image001.gif URL: From ehogan at wspausa.org Wed Oct 9 12:22:27 2013 From: ehogan at wspausa.org (Elizabeth Hogan) Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2013 19:22:27 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Request for entangling material Message-ID: I am currently working on an initiative with the American Chemistry Council to test for commonalities in the types of plastics (particularly packing bands) removed from rescued marine wildlife. Do any rescue/stranding groups have plastic material that they have removed from an entangled mammal, seabird or sea turtle that they could send to me for testing purposes? We will be testing for data including resin type, product type, company of origin, manufacturer, regional degradability standards, and potential re-formulation for the product that would allow it to carry out its' intended consumer purpose. If you have a sample from an actual entanglement (it cannot be just a debris sample that *could* entangle an animal, but must have actually caused entanglement, per the testing agreement), please contact me and I will cover the shipping costs and return the sample once testing is complete. Please note that you wouldn't need to send the entire piece of material, a portion of it would be fine. Thank you! Elizabeth Hogan Campaign Manager for Oceans & Wildlife World Society for the Protection of Animals Washington, DC Direct Line: 202-374-7068 Skype: hogan.elizabeth WSPA on Facebook WSPA on Twitter -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pamtech.acoustics at gmail.com Thu Oct 10 09:37:01 2013 From: pamtech.acoustics at gmail.com (Jamie Macaulay) Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 17:37:01 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] PAM course, Scotland Message-ID: *Introduction and Advanced courses in Passive Acoustic Monitoring using PAMGuard* Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) is a key survey and mitigation tool in cetacean research. PAMTech (pamtech.eu) is offering introduction and advanced courses in PAM, teaching the use of acoustic hardware and the leading research and industry software, PAMGuard (pamguard.org). We are a small UK-based company made up of PAMGuard developers and experienced field acousticians who can enable you to get the most out of PAM applications. A high tutor-to-student ratio on our courses ensures participants can get individual assistance with their training requirements. Our next courses are running on: 22/10/2013: Introduction to PAMGuard. This one-day classroom-based course provides the essentials you need to get going with PAMGuard. Cost:?200 23/10/2013 and 24/10/2013: PAMGuard Advanced: This two-day classroom-based course allows those with previous PAM experience to get to grips with the more advanced features of PAMGuard, in particular offline analysis and data management. The course will include some core analysis modules, but participants will also be able to tailor training to their particular needs by selecting from a range of optional modules (including Whistle Detection and Classification, High Resolution Localisation, Target Motion Localisation, Data Management, Viewer Mode, Noise Monitoring, MATLAB library (participants must MATLAB installed on their laptop)). Cost ?300 The courses will take place in St Andrews, Scotland. Participants need to bring their own laptops running Ubuntu, Windows XP,7 or 8. Course costs do not include accommodation, travel or food. To find out more, contact: pamtech.acoustics at gmail.com To book go to: http://pamtechintro.eventzilla.net/ or http://pamtechadvanced.eventzilla.net/ (50% non-refundable deposit required) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rwbaird at cascadiaresearch.org Fri Oct 11 13:35:53 2013 From: rwbaird at cascadiaresearch.org (Robin Baird) Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2013 13:35:53 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: False killer whales in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Message-ID: <97EEB27129689C4AB0328F320AB9FC99019173B61DF4@SERVERBLUE.cascadia.local> New publication available Baird, R.W., E.M. Oleson, J. Barlow, A.D. Ligon, A.M. Gorgone, and S.D. Mahaffy. 2013. Evidence of an island-associated population of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Pacific Science 67:513-521 Abstract: Two populations of false killer whales, Pseudorca crassidens, are recognized from Hawaiian waters: the Hawaiian insular population, an island-associated population found around the main Hawaiian Islands; and the Hawai'i pelagic population, found in offshore waters. This species has not been previously documented near the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. During a 2010 large-vessel survey throughout the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surrounding the Hawaiian Islands, false killer whales from 11 encounters were individually photo-identified, and photos were compared among encounters and with a catalog of false killer whales from the main Hawaiian Islands. Individuals from three of the encounters, all in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands within the eastern part of the Papah?naumoku?kea Marine National Monument, were the only ones documented that matched with false killer whales previously seen around the main Hawaiian Islands, and the matches were to individuals documented off Kaua'i in 2008 that were of unknown population membership. Two individuals from one of these three 2010 encounters were instrumented with satellite tags attached to dorsal fins, and their movements were documented over 4.6 and 52 days. Movements of the tagged individuals ranged from French Frigate Shoals to Middle Bank ( between N?hoa and Ni'ihau) and included shallow nearshore waters and deep waters to 147 km from land. Combined, the photo-identification and satellite-tagging results suggest that there is a second island-associated population of this species in Hawai'i that primarily uses the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, with a range that overlaps with that of the main Hawaiian Islands insular population. A pdf can be downloaded from http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/hawaii/BairdetalPacSci2013.pdf and more information is available on false killer whales in Hawai'i at http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/hawaii/falsekillerwhale.htm Robin P.S., we will have a field project off Hawai'i Island starting later this month and will be posting updates on sightings etc at http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/hawaii/OctNov2013.htm =============================================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Research Biologist Cascadia Research Collective 218 1/2 W. 4th Avenue Olympia, WA 98501 USA Follow us on Facebook http://www.cascadiaresearch.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lreeve at hawaii.edu Sat Oct 12 13:50:15 2013 From: lreeve at hawaii.edu (Lora Reeve) Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2013 10:50:15 -1000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: Whales, noise, and international law Message-ID: New publication: ** Lora L. Nordtvedt Reeve, *Of Whales and Ships: Impacts on the Great Whales of Underwater Noise Pollution from Commercial Shipping and Proposals for Regulation under International Law*, 18 Ocean & Coastal L.J. 127 (2012). Abstract: In the aftermath the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the sea off the eastern coast of the United States nearly emptied of ships and, consequently, of the underwater noise pollution the ships generate, thus opening the opportunity for a unique scientific study of how marine mammals are affected by the noise. By comparing the stress on North Atlantic right whales caused by underwater noise pollution from commercial shipping before and after September 11, scientists were able to demonstrate the significant adverse impact of shipping noise on these critically endangered marine mammals. The findings add to a growing body of literature that provides the scientific basis for emerging global efforts to regulate underwater noise pollution and manage its impact on the great whales. The International Maritime Organization is the primary global agency with the authority to regulate most other pollutants that are discharged from commercial vessels and could therefore regulate underwater noise as a new category of pollutant. Alternatively, other international treaties and regional agreements offer persuasive authority for a new convention dedicated to managing all types of underwater noise, including the noise from shipping activities. Whether through a new convention or revised regulations under the International Maritime Organization, the issue is urgent and requires action now by the international community. Download a pdf at http://mainelaw.maine.edu/academics/oclj/vol-18-no-1.html or request from the author at lorareeve at mac.com. Lora L. Nordtvedt Reeve, J.D., M.S., M.B.A. Independent Consultant Ocean Law and Policy Document Preparation Marine Environmental Impact Assessment Hawai`i U.S.A. +1 808 756 1877 lorareeve at mac.com lreeve at hawaii.edu http://www.linkedin.com/in/loralnordtvedtreeve -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pamtech.acoustics at gmail.com Sat Oct 12 00:51:44 2013 From: pamtech.acoustics at gmail.com (Jamie Macaulay) Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2013 08:51:44 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] Correction: PAM course, Scotland Message-ID: Regards dates for our next PAM courses: the Intro course is 22/11/2013 and our advanced course will be held 23-24/11/2013. Previous dates indicated that courses are being held this month instead of November. Apologies for any confusion. Pamtech. On 10 Oct 2013 17:37, "Jamie Macaulay" wrote: > *Introduction and Advanced courses in Passive Acoustic Monitoring using > PAMGuard* > > Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) is a key survey and mitigation tool in > cetacean research. PAMTech (pamtech.eu) is offering introduction and > advanced courses in PAM, teaching the use of acoustic hardware and the > leading research and industry software, PAMGuard (pamguard.org). We are a > small UK-based company made up of PAMGuard developers and experienced field > acousticians who can enable you to get the most out of PAM applications. A > high tutor-to-student ratio on our courses ensures participants can get > individual assistance with their training requirements. > > Our next courses are running on: > > 22/10/2013: > > Introduction to PAMGuard. This one-day classroom-based course provides the > essentials you need to get going with PAMGuard. > > Cost:?200 > > 23/10/2013 and 24/10/2013: > > PAMGuard Advanced: This two-day classroom-based course allows those with > previous PAM experience to get to grips with the more advanced features of > PAMGuard, in particular offline analysis and data management. The course > will include some core analysis modules, but participants will also be able > to tailor training to their particular needs by selecting from a range of > optional modules (including Whistle Detection and Classification, High > Resolution Localisation, Target Motion Localisation, Data Management, > Viewer Mode, Noise Monitoring, MATLAB library (participants must MATLAB > installed on their laptop)). > > Cost ?300 > > The courses will take place in St Andrews, Scotland. > > Participants need to bring their own laptops running Ubuntu, Windows XP,7 > or 8. > > Course costs do not include accommodation, travel or food. > > To find out more, contact: pamtech.acoustics at gmail.com > > To book go to: > > http://pamtechintro.eventzilla.net/ > > or > > http://pamtechadvanced.eventzilla.net/ > > (50% non-refundable deposit required) > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From andreassalling at gmail.com Thu Oct 10 07:18:28 2013 From: andreassalling at gmail.com (Andreas Salling) Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 16:18:28 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] Request about information on video camera gear for recording wild seals Message-ID: Dear marmam subscribers, My name is Andreas Salling, and I'm doing my master thesis in biology at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, with collaboration from Aarhus University, Institute of BioScience, also in Denmark. I seek any information, tips and/or experience regarding the use of camera equipment to record video footage of seals in their natural habitat. I am interested in the conflict with seals and fisheries, and I am particularly curious about details in the act of stealing fish from gill nets, and hope that experiments with stationary video recording gear can answer some of our questions. I find myself particularly constrained by the relatively short-lived batteries found in widely popular cameras such as the GoPro series. I wish to record longer than the mere couple of hours which seem to be the limit of a GoPro. Any suggestions or tips on solving the battery-life problem will be greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone has knowledge on *marine camera traps*, this too will be incredibly helpful. Replies are welcomed at: andreassalling at gmail.com Hopeful regards, Andreas. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bruno at thebdri.com Sun Oct 13 02:56:12 2013 From: bruno at thebdri.com (Bruno Diaz Lopez) Date: Sun, 13 Oct 2013 02:56:12 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [MARMAM] Dolphin research Internship and Masters opportunities In-Reply-To: <1381656026.17425.YahooMailNeo@web1212.biz.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> References: <1381656026.17425.YahooMailNeo@web1212.biz.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1381658172.41009.YahooMailNeo@web1212.biz.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Could you please post the following. Hi everyone, On behalf of?the Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute (BDRI), I am pleased to announce that we are currently accepting internship applications for Winter-Spring term 2014 (a minimum of 60 days of participation from March 2014) for our new research project along the North-western coast of the Iberian Pensinsula (Galician waters, Spain).?The BDRI offers the interns the chance to work during many steps of the research. Your participation means that you will not only be observing the studied animals at sea, but you will also be collecting different types of data, using various scientific methods, and helping on board the research vessel in general. When back in the lab, you will participate in the transcription of the collected data, with the database work, you will use various software?s, perform photo-identification analysis, use of GIS and more. As an internship, you will be encouraged to work hard and gain an insight of what it is actually like to work as a marine mammal researcher. An academic background in biology or natural science, coupled with motivation, willingness to work hard and interest in marine mammal?s research make the most qualified individuals. Undergraduate and postgraduate students could, as a part of one of BDRI?s projects, present a personal research project as their thesis work. In order to do so, this is requested within your internship application.? The BDRI is a private and self-funded centre, hence, there is no compensation for the internship positions. This means that in order for you to come and take a part of the project you will have to pay for a part of the expenses that are derived from your participation (the internship fee). The fee includes the accommodation, and a small part of other expenses derived of your participation (use of equipment, use of boats). Successful applicants will be responsible for their own transportation expenses to and from the research centre (O Grove, Galicia, Spain).? There is no deadline to apply. However, approved applications are accepted on a first-come, first serve basis. Apply early! Start and end dates are flexible. Positions are open until filled. Prior field research experience is recommended but not required. Please download the internships general information and application form at: www.thebdri.com/resources/downloads/internships.pdf www.thebdri.com/resources/downloads/applicationinternships.doc Send the application form, resume, recommendation letters, and cover letter by email to the email: info at thebdri.com.? See you on site! ? Bruno Diaz Lopez Chief Biologist & Director The Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute BDRI Via A. Diaz 4. Golfo Aranci 07020, Sardinia, Italy www.thebdri.com tel. 0039 3460815414 Recent scientific articles by the BDRI: 1. Diaz Lopez B., 2012. Bottlenose dolphins and aquaculture: interaction and site fidelity on the north-eastern coast of Sardinia (Italy). Marine Biology, DOI 10.1007/s00227-012-2002-x 2. Diaz Lopez B. ?Mari?o, F., 2011. A trial of acoustic harassment device efficacy on free-ranging bottlenose dolphins in Sardinia, Italy. Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology 2011, pp 44(4):197-208. 3. Diaz Lopez B., 2011. Aquaculture systems. In: Handbook of Models used in Ecosystem and Environmental Management, Sven Erik J?rgensen (Ed.), CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, FL.pp 241-256. 4. Diaz Lopez B., 2011. Whistle characteristics in free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Mediterranean Sea: influence of behaviour. Mammalian Biology 76: 180-189. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From elsvermeulen5 at gmail.com Sun Oct 13 15:00:19 2013 From: elsvermeulen5 at gmail.com (Els Vermeulen) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2013 09:00:19 +1100 Subject: [MARMAM] Bottlenose dolphins of North Patagonia Message-ID: Dear colleagues, Between 2006 and 2012 I have been researching a population of bottlenose dolphins in North Patagonia, Argentina. After years of data gathering and analysis, I am currently finishing up my PhD at the University of Li?ge, Belgium, and publishing the final results of these years of investigation. The most important outcome of this research is that there is an increasing concern on the conservation status of these dolphins in Argentina. It is therefore that I have the aim to share results of my research as much as possible, especially with the local communities in Argentina, to increase the awareness around this population and highlight its vulnerability. Hence with the help of two professionals of Argentina, I have written a children?s book with the title *?Las Toninas de la Bahia, Descubriendo a los Delfines de Patagonia Norte?*. Free translation of this title is *?The bottlenose dolphins of the Bay, Discovering the Dolphins of North Patagonia?*. In this book we offer general information on cetaceans, on the various dolphin species of North Patagonia and especially on the studied population of bottlenose dolphins. Several pages are dedicated to the most important research results, the possible threats this population faces locally and suggestions on why and how to improve their conservation in this region. For the distribution of this book we are organizing an educational project in Patagonia during which we will offer 3000 printed copies to the local schools. Furthermore, I created a facebook group where a pdf version of the book is free to download, and through which I aim to further increase the interest of the people to learn about bottlenose dolphins and their conservation issues, to share their experiences and to create a platform where they are free to ask questions to each other and professionals. Up to now the book is only available in Spanish, but the facebook group will function both in Spanish and English as we are convinced that the use of social networking is essential in the increasing awareness of environmental issues (https://www.facebook.com/groups/157084411154762). For questions or further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Kind regards, Els Els Vermeulen, MSc Doctorandus Laboratory of Oceanology - MARE Research Centre University of Liege, Belgium www2.ulg.ac.be/oceanbio -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From L.Bejder at murdoch.edu.au Mon Oct 14 19:10:59 2013 From: L.Bejder at murdoch.edu.au (Lars Bejder) Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 02:10:59 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: Use of the Robust Design to estimate abundance and demographic parameters for a coastal bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) population Message-ID: Dear MARMAM readers, We are pleased to announce a recent publication in PLoS ONE entitled: Title: Use of the Robust Design to estimate abundance and demographic parameters for a coastal bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) population Authors: Smith, H.C., Pollock, K., Waples, K., Bradley, S. and Bejder, L. Abstract: As delphinid populations become increasingly exposed to human activities we rely on our capacity to produce accurate abundance estimates upon which to base management decisions. This study applied mark-recapture methods following the Robust Design to estimate abundance, demographic parameters, and temporary emigration rates of an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) population off Bunbury, Western Australia. Boat-based photo-identification surveys were conducted year-round over three consecutive years along pre-determined transect lines to create a consistent sampling effort throughout the study period and area. The best fitting capture-recapture model showed a population with a seasonal Markovian temporary emigration with time varying survival and capture probabilities. Abundance estimates were seasonally dependent with consistently lower numbers obtained during winter and higher during summer and autumn across the three-year study period. Specifically, abundance estimates for all adults and juveniles (combined) varied from a low of 63 (95% CI 59 to 73) in winter of 2007 to a high of 139 (95% CI 134 to148) in autumn of 2009. Temporary emigration rates (?') for animals absent in the previous period ranged from 0.34 to 0.97 (mean = 0.54; ?SE 0.11) with a peak during spring. Temporary emigration rates for animals present during the previous period (?'') were lower, ranging from 0.00 to 0.29, with a mean of 0.16 (? SE 0.04). This model yielded a mean apparent survival estimate for juveniles and adults (combined) of 0.95 (? SE 0.02) and a capture probability from 0.07 to 0.51 with a mean of 0.30 (? SE 0.04). This study demonstrates the importance of incorporating temporary emigration to accurately estimate abundance of coastal delphinids. Temporary emigration rates were high in this study, despite the large area surveyed, indicating the challenges of sampling highly mobile animals which range over large spatial areas. Full citation details: Smith HC, Pollock K, Waples K, Bradley S, Bejder L (2013). Use of the Robust Design to Estimate Seasonal Abundance and Demographic Parameters of a Coastal Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) Population. PLoS ONE 8(10): e76574. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0076574. The paper is freely downloadable from PLoS ONE: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0076574;jsessionid=A60164419B7B03CB6ABA05CC3C9A1B3C **Please note: Unfortunately, the journal has duplicated Figure 1 in the compiled PDF version and therefore Figure 2 is missing in the PDF. However, the online HTML version of Figure 2 is correct. We are hoping the journal will rectify this soon. If you have any questions, please contact Holly Raudino (h.smith at murdoch.edu.au) or Lars Bejder (l.bejder at murdoch.edu.au). Kind regards, Lars Bejder Head, Cetacean Research Unit School of Veterinary and Life Sciences Murdoch University South Street Murdoch WA 6150 Website: www.mucru.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mps.rsmas at gmail.com Tue Oct 15 13:15:46 2013 From: mps.rsmas at gmail.com (Mps Rsmas) Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 16:15:46 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Masters Degree: Marine Mammal Science (UM/RSMAS) Message-ID: Hello! The Master of Professional Science degree, offered at University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, is intended for students who want to generate innovative solutions to marine, coastal and climate related issues. Our students are exposed to a unique, multidisciplinary and applied curriculum, including science theory, field and laboratory training, legal and regulatory knowledge, communication and media training, and the development of business savvy. We prepare our students for science careers in industry, government, and non-profit organizations, where employment demands are growing. The curriculum is structured to allow students to complete their degree in as little as 12 months, with the training and real-world experience necessary to prepare them for careers in today?s professional science job market. With growing access to marine mammals in the wild and at managed care facilities, the need for animal care and management staff is increasing. As the potential for employment grows, there is a greater focus on employees with strong educational and applied backgrounds. Advancements in the care and conservation of marine mammals have progressed dramatically over the last decade with the development of a greater understanding of marine mammal biology, behavior, and physiology, as well as improved diagnostic and assessment tools and techniques. Students in this degree track will be part of one of the select programs in the nation designed to prepare them for employment in marine mammal management (including associated ecosystems) and care. Coursework will integrate topics such as marine mammal medicine and pathology, medical diagnostics and laboratory analysis, population assessment and management, state and federal regulations, research, education, and applied behavior analysis. Students will have the opportunity to interact with medical, training, and research experts in our community, as well as conduct an internship at one of many marine mammal rehab, managed care, or research facilities. As part of the practical training incorporated into the Marine Mammal Science curriculum, most students will participate in mark-recapture surveys, public education, wild health assessments, behavior analysis and modification studies, learning field techniques, animal care, necropsies, and regional and national conferences. Other degree programs offered in Fall 2014 include: *Marine & Coastal Science* * Aquaculture * Coastal Sustainability ? with a semester abroad in the Bahamas! * Coastal Zone Management * Exploration Science * Fisheries Management and Conservation * Marine Conservation * Tropical Marine Ecosystem Management * Joint JD/MPS *Meteorology and Climate Science* * Broadcast Meteorology * Computational Meteorology and Oceanography * Weather, Climate and Society * Weather Forecasting Applications for fall 2014 will be accepted starting February 1st, 2014 and will be evaluated on a rolling basis until June 1st, 2014. *For more information regarding coursework, pre-requisites and much more, *please visit the program website - http://mps.rsmas.miami.edu/, visit us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/Rosenstiel.ScienceMasters , and download the attachment. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: MPS Program RSMAS 1.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 175053 bytes Desc: not available URL: From cdmacleod at gisinecology.com Mon Oct 14 02:03:14 2013 From: cdmacleod at gisinecology.com (Colin D. MacLeod) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2013 10:03:14 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] Course Announcement: An Introduction To Using GIS In Marine Biology - Glasgow, UK, 22-24 January 2014 Message-ID: Course Announcement: An Introduction To Using GIS In Marine Biology GIS In Ecology will be holding an introductory training course on using GIS for marine biological research in Glasgow, Scotland, on the 22nd to 24th of January 2014. It will be taught by Dr. Colin D. MacLeod, the author of ?An Introduction To Using GIS In Marine Biology? (Pictish Beast Publications). It is aimed at those just starting to use GIS in their research and who have little or no existing knowledge of this subject area. More information about this course can be found at: http://www.gisinecology.com/Training_Course_Glasgow_January_2014.htm. All the practical exercises will be done using a standard data set so you do not need to have your own data to do this course. Attendance will be limited to a maximum of 12 people. The course will cost ?395 per person (?300 for students, the unwaged and those working for registered charities). To book a place, or for more information, contact: info at GISinEcology.com. At the end of the course, all attendees will receive a certificate of attendance and completion. Each certificate is embossed with the GIS In Ecology official stamp to prevent its fraudulent reproduction. In addition, each certificate has its own unique identification number that we will record, along with your name, meaning that we can verify the authenticity of the certificates we issue (and the course you have completed) on request. To attend this course, you must bring your own laptop computer and have a fully licensed copy of ArcGIS 9.3, 10, 10.1, 10.2 software (ArcGIS 10.2 is the preferred software), and a licence for the ArGIS Spatial Analyst extension pre-installed on it. You can find information about how to get this software package by clicking here. It addition, you will also need to have spreadsheet software, such as Excel, on your computer. Glasgow has great transport links and is within half a days travel by car or by fast train links from most cities in the UK. For example, it can be reached in as little as 4h 30mins from London by train. It can also be reached by direct flights from many European cities and the flight time is generally under four hours. The course will be held in central Glasgow at the IET Glasgow Teacher Building (14 St Enoch Square, Glasgow, G1 4DB, UK). Attendees will be responsible for their own accommodation. However, Glasgow provides a wide range of accommodation options to fit most budgets. Information on hotels and hostels in Glasgow can be found by visiting the webpage for the course. This course will be followed by a second course running from the 27 ? 28th January at the same venue titled ?An Introduction To Species Distribution Modelling In The Marine Environment?. For more information on this course, visit http://www.gisinecology.com/Training_Course_SDM_January_2014.htm. All the best, Colin ================================================================================== GIS IN ECOLOGY - Providing Training, Advice And Consultancy On The Use Of GIS In Ecology To help the environment, please do not print out this email unless it is unavoidable. ================================================================================== -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cdunn at bahamaswhales.org Wed Oct 16 01:25:00 2013 From: cdunn at bahamaswhales.org (Charlotte Dunn) Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 09:25:00 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper on killer whales of the Bahamas Message-ID: <35BF4508-8B28-4F4B-99FE-10F1A38D1491@bahamaswhales.org> All the following paper was recently published in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK Killer whale (Orcinus orca) occurrence and predation in the Bahamas by, Charlotte Dunn and Diane Claridge Abstract: Killer whales (Orcinus orca) have a cosmopolitan distribution, yet little is known about populations that inhabit tropical waters. We compiled 34 sightings of killer whales in the Bahamas, recorded from 1913 to 2011. Group sizes were generally small (mean 4.2, range 1?12, SD 2.6). Thirteen sightings were documented with photographs and/or video of sufficient quality to allow individual photo-identification analysis. Of the 45 whales photographed, 14 unique individual killer whales were identified, eight of which were re-sighted between two and nine times. An adult female (Oo6) and a now-adult male (Oo4), were first seen together in 1995, and have been re-sighted together eight times over a 16-yr period. To date, killer whales in the Bahamas have only been observed preying on marine mammals, including Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis), Fraser?s dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei), pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima), all of which are previously unrecorded prey species for Orcinus orca. Full citation details: Charlotte Dunn and Diane Claridge. Killer whale (Orcinus orca) occurrence and predation in the Bahamas. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, available on CJO2013. doi:10.1017/S0025315413000908. it is available here: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8966150 or pdf requests can be made to myself cdunn at bahamaswhales.org kind regards Charlotte Charlotte Dunn Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation www.bahamaswhales.org http://biology.st-andrews.ac.uk/staffProfile.aspx?sunID=cw246 +1 242 366 4155 +1 242 577 0655 (cell) +44 7789 097029 (UK cell) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jdavis at marineaffairs.org Sun Oct 13 18:36:20 2013 From: jdavis at marineaffairs.org (John Davis) Date: Sun, 13 Oct 2013 18:36:20 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] =?windows-1252?q?Oct_29=3A_Interactive_Q=26A_on_Marine_M?= =?windows-1252?q?ammals_and_Debris_Entanglement_=97_Scott_Landry?= =?windows-1252?q?=2C_Lauri_Jemison=2C_and_Sue_Goodglick_Will_Answe?= =?windows-1252?q?r_Your_Questions=2E?= Message-ID: *Interactive Q&A on Marine Mammals and Debris Entanglement ? Scott Landry, Lauri Jemison, and Sue Goodglick Will Answer Your Questions* Hosted by MarineDebris.Info *Date: *Tues, Oct 29, 2013 *Time:* 1 pm US EDT / 10 am US PDT / 5 pm GMT To join the chat on Oct 29: http://marinedebris.info/events/interactive-qa-marine-mammals-and-debris-entanglement-scott-landry-lauri-jemison-and-sue In this interactive ?Office Hour? chat, three experts on marine mammal entanglement and disentanglement will take your questions: * Scott Landry is director of the Marine Animal Entanglement Response team at the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies in Massachusetts. Over the past 30 years, the Center has freed more than 100 large whales from life-threatening entanglements, as well as dozens of smaller cetaceans, seals, and other marine animals. * Lauri Jemison is a biologist who has studied pinnipeds in Alaska for the past 25 years, and worked since 1997 with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game?s Marine Mammal Program. She has studied sea lion entanglement in marine debris and ingestion of fishing gear for the past decade. Packing bands, used in the shipping and fishing industries, and large rubber bands, used for many purposes including holding crab pots closed, are two of the most common neck-entangling materials. * Sue Goodglick is a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game?s Steller sea lion research program and member of the multi-agency Pinniped Entanglement Group. As part of her job, she helps develop and disseminate outreach materials for the group's ?Lose the Loop!? campaign, an effort to help reduce animal entanglements in marine debris. *About the Office Hour format:* This Office Hour will take place at www.marinedebris.info, the knowledge-sharing forum for marine debris researchers, managers, and activists. The event will be a live interactive chat conducted by typing and reading text - there is no audio component. Office Hour chats provide an opportunity for audience members to ask questions to our guests; audience members may also share their own experiences and insights with the guests and other participants. All participants are able (and encouraged) to post, and all participants are able to view all posts. Inappropriate or off-topic content will be controlled. You do not need to be logged into the MarineDebris.Info site to participate in the chat, but you are encouraged to create a user account and log in so you do not need to type your name in every post. To join the chat on Oct 29: http://marinedebris.info/events/interactive-qa-marine-mammals-and-debris-entanglement-scott-landry-lauri-jemison-and-sue _______________ John B. Davis, President MARE (Marine Affairs Research and Education) Woodinville, WA 98077 USA +1 425 788 8185 jdavis at marineaffairs.org marineaffairs.org / openchannels.org / mpanews.org / meam.net / marinedebris.info -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sarah at seiche.eu.com Wed Oct 16 04:53:58 2013 From: sarah at seiche.eu.com (Sarah Hancock) Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 12:53:58 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] FW: Passive Acoustic Monitoring training course by Seiche Measurements Ltd In-Reply-To: <014701ceca61$02520050$06f600f0$@seiche.eu.com> References: <006601ceca58$b08b8730$11a29590$@seiche.eu.com> <014701ceca61$02520050$06f600f0$@seiche.eu.com> Message-ID: <00bd01ceca66$663fb850$32bf28f0$@seiche.eu.com> The Seiche Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) course provides comprehensive training for personnel new to the offshore industry who are interested in passive acoustic monitoring. The 3 day course is aimed at delegates with a scientific background, preferably in biology and marine sciences who have completed the JNCC marine mammal observer course. There are 2 days of classroom sessions with lectures on sound in water, marine mammal evolutionary biology and sound production, anthropogenic noise sources and their effect on marine mammals. PAM principles and the role of the PAM operator, Seiche PAM hardware with deployment and operations, PAM software and an introduction to PAMguard. There are hands on sessions in the classroom to reinforce the lectures and encourage the delegates to get to grips with the system, it?s set up and operation and troubleshooting. The final classroom session is an interactive PAMguard workshop where delegates work with the instructor to build a functioning PAMguard data model. Simulated sources and recordings are used to show how the effective use of detectors enables PAM operators to detect and localise vocalising marine mammals. Day 3 is a practical session on a vessel where delegates use what they have learned to take an active role in set up, deployment and operation of the Seiche PAM system at sea and run through troubleshooting scenarios. We do encourage all delegates to bring their own laptops to the course. Lunch is provided within the course costs for the 2 days you are in the classroom, however not for the practical day on board the boat. Travel and accommodation are not provided in the course fee. The next courses will take place at Plymouth Aquarium on the 10 ? 12th February 2014 Cost ?450 To find out more about this course or to book this course please contact: Sarah Hancock sarah at seiche.eu.com Sarah Hancock Training Co-Ordinator Description: cid:3383135004_1047591 Seiche Measurements Limited Bradworthy Industrial Estate, Langdon Road, Bradworthy, Holsworthy, Devon, EX22 7SF, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1409 404050 Fax: +44 (0)1409 240276 Mob: +44 7825544436 http://www.seiche.eu.com Registered in England & Wales No. 3475558, Registered Office: The Custom House, The Strand, Barnstaple, Devon -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 4478 bytes Desc: not available URL: From jason.roberts at duke.edu Wed Oct 16 08:00:13 2013 From: jason.roberts at duke.edu (Jason Roberts) Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 11:00:13 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Workshop: Species Distribution Modeling with MGET, following the SMM Biennial Conference, 14 December, Dunedin, NZ Message-ID: <029001ceca80$6b836180$428a2480$@duke.edu> We cordially invite you to attend a 1-day workshop on species distribution modeling (SDM) with Marine Geospatial Ecology Tools (MGET), on Saturday, 14 December in Dunedin, New Zealand, following the conclusion of the Society for Marine Mammalogy's Biennial Conference. MGET is a free, open source geoprocessing toolbox that plugs into ArcGIS and contains over 250 tools that are useful in a variety of research and spatial planning problems. MGET can help you with scenarios as simple as easily acquiring oceanographic data in GIS-compatible formats, to more complicated problems such as simulating the dispersal of larvae by ocean currents. To learn more about MGET, please go to http://mgel.env.duke.edu/mget. The workshop will be a mixture of presentations and practical exercises. Attendees will be seated at ArcGIS workstations provided by the University of Otago and over the course of the day we will work though the steps of an SDM example. Starting with records of sightings of a marine animal, we will build up a geoprocessing workflow that links the sightings to oceanographic observations, explores statistical properties of the data, fits a multivariate statistical model relating the animal's distribution to oceanographic covariates, evaluates the model's performance, and predicts the animal's distribution across the seascape using remote sensing imagery. This example will take heavy advantage the interoperation MGET establishes between ArcGIS and the popular statistics program R, which will be used to perform the statistical operations. The specific model we will build depends on attendee interests, but likely to be either models of cetacean habitat suitability and density from line transect survey data (using distance sampling techniques), models of fish habitat suitability and CPUE from fishery catch data, or a model of seabird habitat use or possibly behavior from telemetry data. Regardless of which example we select, the overall workflow will cover many of the steps needed for all of them, and we'll discuss important difference between them. The cost will be NZ$25-35 per person (we are still working out the exact amount), plus lunch unless you bring your own. Space is limited. To register, or if you have any questions, please contact Judy Rodda (hamrodda at yahoo.com) and myself. We hope to see you there. Best regards, Jason Roberts jason.roberts at duke.edu Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University http://mgel.env.duke.edu From nicoleadimey at gmail.com Thu Oct 17 06:41:43 2013 From: nicoleadimey at gmail.com (Nicole Adimey) Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 09:41:43 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] The Sixth International Sirenian Symposium-Abstract Submission Extended Message-ID: *The Sixth International Sirenian Symposium* The Sixth International Sirenian Symposium will be held on Saturday, December 7, 2013 in conjunction with the 20th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Dunedin, New Zealand. This symposium will be kindly sponsored by the Secretariat of the Dugong MOU*, Convention on Migratory Species Office - Abu Dhabi. The aim of this full-day symposium, in collaboration with the IUCN Sirenian Specialists Group, is to foster communication between researchers, managers, and policy makers. Scientists and managers representing countries from all over the globe are invited to present new information on Sirenian conservation and management, stranding response and medical assessment, monitoring applications, and general biology and research. A special session will be devoted to Dugong conservation efforts in the Indo-Pacific. The symposium will include presentations, a poster session, and a Q & A session. Sirenian items will be available for purchase to raise funds for future student travel scholarships. The cost of this workshop is $10.00. Space is limited, so please register at: http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=591&Itemid=336&workshop=39 . If you would like to submit a presentation or poster please send an electronic copy of your abstract (300 word limit) to Nicole Adimey (* nicoleadimey at gmail.com*) by *October 31, 2013*. *MOU: "The Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs (Dugong dugon) and their Habitats throughout their Range" -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From gisli at hafro.is Thu Oct 17 07:49:23 2013 From: gisli at hafro.is (Gisli Vikingsson) Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 14:49:23 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on potential climate change effects on the diet of minke whales Message-ID: <525FF8F3.5060806@hafro.is> Dear colleagues We are pleased to announce the publication of the following article on potential effects of climate change on the feeding ecology of common minke whales: V?kingsson, G.A., Elvarsson, B.?, ?lafsd?ttir, D., sigurj?nsson, J., Chosson, v. and Galan, A. 2013. Recent changes in the diet composition of common minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in Icelandic waters. A consequence of climate change? Marine Biology Research, 10:2, 138-152, DOI: 10.1080/17451000.2013.793812 Abstract The common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) is the most abundant mammalian top predator in Icelandic continental shelf waters. Here, an account is given on the first systematic research programme into the feeding ecology of common minke whales in Icelandic waters based on an analysis of minke whale stomach contents data collected in Icelandic waters during 20032007. The results show pronounced spatial and temporal variation in the diet. The temporal changes include a decrease in the proportion of sandeel in the diet over the study period and a corresponding increase in herring (Clupea haerengus) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), particularly in the southern area. The diet also differed markedly from the previously available, limited data from Icelandic waters with less krill and the cold water species capelin (Mallotus villosus) and more gadoids and herring in the more recent period. These changes in diet composition are consistent with recent changes in the Icelandic continental shelf ecosystem, including increased sea surface and bottom temperatures and changes in distribution and abundance of several fish species, including sandeel (Ammodytidae) and capelin. Although natural fluctuations cannot be ruled out at this stage, these dietary changes, together with decreased abundance in coastal waters, may reflect the responses of minke whales to a changed environment possibly driven by global warming. The article can be obtained at the Journal website http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/smar20#.Ul_4YlMshDI or by a request for a pdf to gisli at hafro.is Regards -- G?sli A. V?kingsson Head of Whale Research Marine Research Institute Skulagata 4 PO Box 1390 121 Reykjav?k Iceland Tel. +354 575 2000 Fax +354 575 2001 Email: gisli at hafro.is www.hafro.is If you experience difficulties with this email, please try: gisliviking at gmail.com From lighthouse at abdn.ac.uk Mon Oct 21 03:02:38 2013 From: lighthouse at abdn.ac.uk (Thompson, Professor Paul M.) Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 10:02:38 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] FW: New Publication on cetacean responses to sesimic surveys Message-ID: <41d0d30dd940406e84bca9c7fa81d6cc@DB3PR04MB027.eurprd04.prod.outlook.com> Our new paper on responses of harbour porpoises to a seismic survey is now available via Open Access at: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/280/1771/20132001.full.pdf+html Thompson, P.M., Brookes, K.L., Graham, I.M., Barton, T.R., Needham, K., Bradbury, G. & Merchant, N.D. (2013) Short-term disturbance by a commercial two-dimensional seismic survey does not lead to long-term displacement of harbour porpoises. Proceedings of the Royal Society, B. 280 20132001; doi:10.1098/rspb.2013.2001 Abstract Assessments of the impact of offshore energy developments are constrained because it is not known whether fine-scale behavioural responses to noise lead to broader-scale displacement of protected small cetaceans. We used passive acoustic monitoring and digital aerial surveys to study changes in the occurrence of harbour porpoises across a 2000 km2 study area during a commercial two-dimensional seismic survey in the North Sea. Acoustic and visual data provided evidence of group responses to airgun noise from the 470 cu inch array over ranges of 5?10 km, at received peak-to-peak sound pressure levels of 165?172 dB re 1 ?Pa and sound exposure levels (SELs) of 145?151 dB re 1 ?Pa2 s?1. However, animals were typically detected again at affected sites within a few hours, and the level of response declined through the 10 day survey. Overall, acoustic detections decreased significantly during the survey period in the impact area compared with a control area, but this effect was small in relation to natural variation. These results demonstrate that prolonged seismic survey noise did not lead to broader-scale displacement into suboptimal or higher-risk habitats, and suggest that impact assessments should focus on sub-lethal effects resulting from changes in foraging performance of animals within affected sites. The University of Aberdeen is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013683. From mgilbert at hemmera.com Thu Oct 17 17:21:39 2013 From: mgilbert at hemmera.com (Marianne Gilbert) Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 00:21:39 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Senior Marine Mammal Specialist/Marine Biologist Position at Hemmera Message-ID: <736F697F08F6424FB8AA713564BB684E4D7D8CD7@VAN-MAIL.hemmera.com> Hemmera is looking for an exceptional candidate to fill a Senior Marine Mammal Specialist position. Position overview: We are looking for a Senior Leader and expert in Marine Mammals based in British Columbia, Canada, to be the technical lead for our team of marine specialists, leading, directing and managing highly technical studies on exciting projects in BC. Through this role you will also help Hemmera build long-term capacity and opportunity for further marine mammal related work in BC, Canada and the US. Ideally you will be well published, possess highly effective team and communication skills as well as knowledge and experience in environmental assessment, and recent experience providing technical solutions to industry that may affect marine mammals. To learn more, please visit Hemmera's career page: http://www.hemmera.com/careers/career-opportunities Marianne Gilbert Marine Ecologist and Planner HEMMERA Suite 250 - 1380 Burrard Street Vancouver, British Columbia V6Z 2H3 tel: 604.669.0424 ext. 507 mobile: 778.886.1373 web: www.Hemmera.com Hemmera is Creating Opportunities through responsive client service and environmental expertise. PPlease consider the environment before printing this e-mail. Read Hemmera's newsletter -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From footead at gmail.com Thu Oct 17 12:28:20 2013 From: footead at gmail.com (Andy Foote) Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 21:28:20 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] Marine Mammal Genomes Message-ID: Dear colleagues, The first high coverage genome sequences of marine mammal species are now publicly available: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/170427 This data has been generated at significant cost and effort by a collaboration between the University of Copenhagen and Baylor College for Medicine. The decision to make the data public prior to publication was based on the lack of a high quality reference genome that would aid other genomic studies, for example by providing a mapping reference for RADseq data. This is in keeping with principles set out in the Toronto, Bermuda and Ft. Lauderdale meetings/reports: http://www.genome.gov/pages/research/wellcomereport0303.pdf We hope that resource users will also respect and follow these principles and would contact us before publishing any large-scale analyses of the data, so that we can coordinate with our own publication of the data we have generated. Andrew Foote From bob.small at alaska.gov Mon Oct 21 07:49:35 2013 From: bob.small at alaska.gov (Small, Robert J (DFG)) Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 14:49:35 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Analyst/Programmer Position in Alaska Message-ID: The Marine Mammals Research Program of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is recruiting for an Analyst-Programmer position. The position is full-time and permanent, and the selected candidate will aid in the management, storage, access, and analysis of marine mammal research data. The ADF&G Marine Mammals Research Program is a research team currently focused on ice seals, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, walruses, belugas, and bowhead whales; additional information may be found on the program's website: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=marinemammalprogram.main A significant portion of the near-term data management tasks for this Analyst-Programmer position will involve designing a data management system and consolidating and migrating these data into SQL Server and creating user interfaces using Access or web-based programming languages. The incumbent will also conduct analyses independently and with staff biometricians and biologists; as such, there will be opportunities to be involved in scientific publications and field work. In addition to solid technical skills, the ideal applicant for this position will have a biological background (or experience working with biological data), excellent analytical skills, and interest in facilitating research on Alaska's marine mammals. The incumbent should have a strong interest in ecology, dedication to developing and delivering datasets with high integrity, and have experience working in a collaborative environment. Full details about the recruitment for this position may be found here: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/alaska/default.cfm?action=viewJob&jobID=744869 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From oswald.jn at gmail.com Mon Oct 21 16:41:59 2013 From: oswald.jn at gmail.com (Julie Oswald) Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 16:41:59 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] Bio-Waves Passive Acoustic Technician training course, Feb 2014 Message-ID: Bio-Waves, Inc. is pleased to announce that registration ( www.bio-waves.com/education) is now open for our Passive Acoustic Technician training course scheduled to occur Monday, February 10th through Friday February 14th, 2014. This 4.5 day course combines lectures covering concepts, theory and methods with hands-on demonstrations and computer training. The aim of the course is to give participants a working knowledge of passive acoustic hardware, software and methods used to monitor marine mammals. The training course will familiarize individuals with passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) equipment and best practices, as well as offer instruction for troubleshooting and field repairs. We will teach the basic skills required to prepare individuals for work as passive acoustic field and post processing technicians. It will be held at the San Diego Supercomputer Center on the University of California, San Diego campus in La Jolla, California. The training course will include the following: ? An introduction to the physics of underwater sound (lectures) ? An introduction to marine mammal acoustics (lectures) ? An introduction to PAM hardware such as hydrophones, sonobuoys and autonomous recorders (lectures and demo) ? Instruction on the design, setup, troubleshooting and repair of towed hydrophone array systems (Demo and hands-on training) ? Training in software used to detect, localize, and classify sounds produced by marine mammals (lectures, computer laboratory work and demos) ? Training in software used to review and post-process acoustic data (lectures and computer laboratory work) ? Lectures on the role of passive acoustic methods in mitigation and marine mammal monitoring ? Lectures on best practices for effective acoustic data collection and management ? Guest lectures from subject area experts (e.g., scientists from local research institutes such as UCSD?s Scripps Institution of Oceanography presenting current research projects) At the conclusion of the course, participants will have gained a working knowledge of the theoretical and practical aspects of passive acoustic system design, operations, and maintenance. They will have had hands-on experience with a variety of software programs commonly used during real-time field operations and for data review and analysis. Additionally, participants will have performed specific tasks (e.g. repairing cables, troubleshooting acoustic systems etc.), and will receive a set of materials for reference in the field. For those participants that are interested, we are pleased to offer course credit for the training course through the University of California, San Diego's Extension Program. Four quarter units are available to those who are interested via a separate UCSD application and fees. To register or obtain more information about the course please visit ( www.bio-waves.com/education). A $300 non-refundable deposit towards $1,450 total fee will be required to secure your position in the course, and a minimum number of participants must be registered by Wednesday, January 8th, 2014 (deposits will be refunded if the minimum is not met prior to this date and we will notify all registrants). Limited space is available at a discounted rate for groups or graduate students; discounts are available on a first come, first serve basis. Please contact education at bio-waves.net with any questions. We look forward to seeing you this coming winter! -- "If you have the desire for knowledge and the power to give it physical expression, go out and explore" -Apsley Cherry-Garrard -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rossiter at csiwhalesalive.org Tue Oct 22 13:13:24 2013 From: rossiter at csiwhalesalive.org (William Rossiter) Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 16:13:24 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] World Cetacean Alliance Conference, 6-7 November 2013 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <5266DC64.7010005@csiwhalesalive.org> The World Cetacean Alliance's first conference will convene in Gloucester. Massachusetts, USA, on 6-7 November 2013. The Alliance's purpose is to work collectively to protect whales, dolphins, and porpoises and their habitats. For further information please visit the conference website at: http://www.planetwhale.com/conferences-2013-home World Cetacean Alliance Agenda /Wednesday 6th November DAY 1 Funding, Science, and Governance SESSION 1. WELCOME 9:00 -- 10:00. Refreshments. 9:30 -- 10:00. Welcome and thanks. Speakers Dylan Walker (WCA Secretariat), Bill Rossiter (co-hosts Cetacean Society International) and Keith Takaoka (Conference supporter BiLLe Fund Ltd) introduce the conference 10:00 -- 10:30. WORKSHOP ACTIVITY: How much do we really know about cetaceans? 10:30 -- 11:00. PRESENTATION. WCA and a crowdsourcing future for whales and dolphins. Speaker Dylan Walker, WCA Secretariat 11:00 -- 11:30. Refreshments break SESSION 2. PUTTING CETACEANS ON THE MAP! 11:30 -- 12:00. PRESENTATION: Putting cetaceans on the map. Setting our global and regional priorities. Speaker Thorsten Lisker, WCA individual partner 12:00 -- 13:00. WORKSHOP ACTIVITY. Putting cetaceans on the map -- delivering a programme for global change 13:00 -- 14:00. Lunch SESSION 3. FUNDING 14:00 -- 14:45. PRESENTATION: Hitting the jackpot! How the BiLLe Fund Ltd plans to provide vital funding support for the WCA and its partners through a unique donations-based strategy. Q& A to follow. Speaker Keith Takaoka, BiLLe Fund Ltd 14:45 -- 15:15. PRESENTATION: WhaleFest -- global platform of the World Cetacean Alliance and fund-raising opportunity. Q&A to follow. Speaker Ian Rowlands, WhaleFest co-founder SESSION 4. GOVERNANCE: HOW THE WORLD CETACEAN ALLIANCE WILL WORK? 15:15 -- 15:45. PRESENTATION. Developing the roles, responsibilities, and workings of a global partnership. Advice from BirdLife International -- the world's largest partnership of conservation organizations. Speaker John Fanshawe, BirdLife International 15:45 -- 16:00. Refreshments break 16:00 -- 16:15. PRESENTATION. Current structure of the WCA and intro to the workshop. Speaker Dylan Walker, WCA Secretariat 16:15 -- 17:30. Discussion and workshop activities to determine the working framework for the World Cetacean Alliance. 17:30. Close Evening cinema outing -- BlackFish Movie plus Q&A 19:30pm -- 21:30. See the movie BlackFish at the Gloucester Community Cinema followed by a Q&A with experts and contributors to the film, Dr Ingrid N. Visser and Dr Naomi Rose Thursday 7th November DAY 2 Campaigns SESSION 1: Issues from around the world 9:00 -- 9:30 Refreshments 9:30 -- 10:45. Short talks and discussions on the issues that matter to you This series of short presentations and discussions will highlight the campaigns of the partners and other delegates, followed by a discussion on how the WCA and the partnership intends to provide support for these and other campaigns. Speakers will include: ? Patricia Sullivan talks cetaceans in the Middle East. Endangered humpback whales plus captivity ? Michael Fishbach (The Great Whale Conservancy) talks blue whales and ship strikes in the USA ? Sami Mhenni (Houtiyat) talks interactions between dolphins and purse seine nets and the implementation of dolphin watching in Tunisia ? Dr Ingrid N. Visser (Orca Research Trust) talks about the Trust's work in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Antarctica, plus Punta Norte Orca Research's work in Argentina ? Floppy (Jo) Halliday (Whale Rescue) talks about the work of the organization in New Zealand More short talks will be announced shortly... 10.45 -- 11.15. Drinks refreshments 11.15 -- 11.45. PRESENTATION AND MAJOR CAMPAIGN FOCUS: Maui's dolphin campaign update Speaker Barbara Maas, Nabu International (via video recording) SESSION 2: Free the Captive Orca -- major campaign focus 11:45 -- 12:00. PRESENTATON: Introducing the captive orca issue and activity Speaker Dylan Walker, WCA Secretariat 12:00 -- 13:15. KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: David Kirby, author of 'Death at SeaWorld', talks about the lives of captive killer whales. Includes Q&A Speaker David Kirby, author 13:15 -- 14:00. Lunch and book signing by David Kirby 14:00 -- 14:05. Activity review 14:05 -- 15:10. PRESENTATION: Freeing Morgan and the WCA orca campaign, including current progress, anticipated impact, and support required. Includes Q&A Speaker Dr Ingrid N. Visser, Orca Research Trust 15:10 -- 15:15. Activity review 15:15 -- 15:30. Refreshment break 15:30 -- 16:30. WORKSHOP. Your thoughts and ideas on how to run the most effective campaign possible. Any resolutions will be passed at the AGM at 17:30. 16:30 -- 17:00. World Orca Day and the Orca Awards! Presented by Dr Ingrid N. Visser 17:00 -- 17:30. Closing session 17:30 -- 18:30. AGM, election of trustees and the interim Global Council, and the passing of resolutions discussed during conference./ * * -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From f.robertson at fisheries.ubc.ca Wed Oct 23 09:04:49 2013 From: f.robertson at fisheries.ubc.ca (Robertson, Frances) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 16:04:49 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] 21st Annual BC Marine Mammal Symposium In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear List Members, We are pleased to announce that registration for the 21st Annual BC Marine Mammal Symposium is now open. Specifics of the meeting are detailed below and may also be found on the following webpage http://www.marinemammal.org/2013/10/21st-annual-b-c-marine-mammal-symposium-saturday-november-23rd-2013/ We look forward to seeing you on the 23 November. 21st Annual B.C. MARINE MAMMAL SYMPOSIUM Saturday, November 23, 2013 ? 9:30am ? 5:00pm UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH LABORATORY GROUND FLOOR, AERL, 2202 MAIN MALL VANCOUVER, B.C. V6T 1Z4 Registration Fee: Advanced: $0 (pre-register by Nov 15) Late: $5 (cash only at the door) Join us for presentations as well as discussion on issues that concern us all. This meeting is open to researchers, educators and businesses involved with marine mammals and anyone in one or more of these categories is welcome to attend. Please email bc.symposium at fisheries.ubc.ca before November15, 2013, to indicate that you plan to attend. Lunch and refreshments will be provided, but we need to know how many people to plan for. There will also be a social evening (6:00-9:00 pm) where beer and pizza can be purchased. The Agenda will be distributed at the meeting. Please email bc.symposium at fisheries.ubc.ca before November 15, 2013 if you would like to make a five minute presentation about your research. Longer presentations on topics of general interest are welcomed. We would also like to know if there are any issues that should be discussed by the group at large. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at: 9:30 am on Saturday, November 23, 2013 Telephone: (604) 822-8181 Email: bc.symposium at fisheries.ubc.c Frances C. Robertson PhD Candidate Marine Mammal Research Unit Fisheries Centre University of British Columbia Canada: 604 339 4967 US: 360 420 4403 www.distantfin.net http://www.marinemammal.org/MMRU2/personnel/frances-robertson/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From erin at oceansinitiative.org Wed Oct 23 21:43:12 2013 From: erin at oceansinitiative.org (Erin Ashe) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 21:43:12 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] SMM workshop -- Rethinking Lagenorhynchus: Taxonomy, genetics, acoustics, morphology, stock structure, status and conservation status Message-ID: <982E9A32-D108-4AA8-926E-A4BE9FF38351@oceansinitiative.org> Dear Marmam members, We wish to draw your attention to the following workshop, to be held immediately prior to the SMM biennial, titled "Rethinking Lagenorhynchus: Taxonomy, genetics, acoustics, morphology, stock structure, status and conservation status." We delayed announcing the workshop on Marmam until we could find sponsors to underwrite workshop registration fees. Thanks to the generosity of the Animal Welfare Institute, Cetacean Society International and Society for Conservation Biology (Marine Section), we are pleased to announce that we can underwrite the registration fees for at least the first 10 attendees, and possibly as many as 30. Unfortunately, the delay in finding funding has created a crunch in terms of getting at least 10 people to register for the workshop to avoid having the workshop cancelled due to lack of interest. If you plan to attend this workshop, please register before 30 Oct at http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=358&Itemid=65&workshop=40 Please e-mail me at ea84 at st-andrews.ac.uk if you have any questions. With the other organizers, I am currently drafting an agenda, which we will circulate in advance of the workshop for feedback. A full description of the workshop follows. Thank you very much for spreading the word about this workshop, particularly among researchers working on southern hemisphere Lagenorhynchus species, researchers whose first language is not English, or early-career researchers (like me) whose work hasn't made it into a Google Scholar search yet & who I may not have known to invite. We hope to see you there. Sincerely, Erin Ashe On behalf of workshop proposers: Frank Cipriano, Bill Perrin, Randall Reeves, Barbara Taylor and Rob Williams Erin Ashe PhD Candidate Sea Mammal Research Unit Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews St Andrews KY16 8LB Scotland Workshop Description All research and management efforts in marine mammal conservation hinge on a definition of the biological unit to conserve, whether that is a population, a subspecies or species. Our statistical power to detect declines in oceanic dolphins like Lagenorhynchus is generally poor. In recent years, acousticians and geneticists have been developing independent lines of evidence that suggest that it may be time to consider reclassification of the dolphin species in the genus. Both acoustic and genetic information suggest that the taxonomy of the genus as a whole may warrant reclassification, and that some Lagenorhynchus species belong in the genus Sagmatias. The relationship between Lagenorhynchus and Cephalorhynchus is currently under debate. At a finer scale, there is little information on stocks, populations or any other biological units to conserve within a species, but there is acoustic, genetic and morphological evidence emerging to suggest that population structure can be found within Pacific white-sided dolphins in waters off Mexico, US and Canada and within dusky dolphins between New Zealand and South Africa. The SMM conference in New Zealand presents a valuable opportunity for Lagenorhynchus researchers to compare lessons learned and to build new collaborations with southern hemisphere colleagues who have experience studying Cephalorhynchus. New Zealand is home to excellent long-term studies on dusky, Hector's and Maui's dolphins, which would provide useful templates for studies on Sagmatias. Our target audience is researchers working on Lagenorhynchus (especially the species that may be redesignated as Sagmatias) and Cephalorhynchus, including scientists with expertise in taxonomy, molecular genetics, conservation, demography and acoustics. The aim is to get all of the experts in a room and pull together the "little truths" to get a sense of where we stand with respect to reclassification of Lagenorhynchus, population structure within species, and the implications that this new information carries for conservation status. The morning will be allocated to approximately 5 speakers who will each give a brief (15-20 minute) presentation to share the current state of knowledge on the key themes: genetics, acoustics, morphology, taxonomy etc. The remaining time will be allocated to discussion to identify research questions, next steps, and partnerships/collaborations, and assess whether a topic worthy of publication has emerged from the workshop. The afternoon would be focused on identifying regional and international experts in these disciplines, and develop a global research plan to reevaluate using multiple lines of evidence. Outputs of the workshop identify where samples and other data are held, partnerships, expertise and potential funding sources to conduct analyses where needed, present current state of knowledge with respect to taxonomy, genetics, acoustics, morphology, and conservation status, workshop report summarizing state of the science, future research directions, and collaborations, if an output from the workshop or from follow-up work emerges that is worthy of publication, we aim to submit a paper to a peer-reviewed journal. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lass at st-and.ac.uk Thu Oct 24 02:39:13 2013 From: lass at st-and.ac.uk (Lindesay Scott-Hayward) Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 10:39:13 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] COURSE: Introduction to Statistical Modelling 21-24 Jan 2014 Message-ID: *Introduction to statistical modelling *Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling *21-24 January 2014*, University of St. Andrews The Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM) at the University of St. Andrews will be running a 4 day ?Statistical Modelling? workshop to introduce basic statistical modelling techniques. The workshop will cover Linear Models and Generalized Linear Models to help participants analyse continuous, presence/absence and count data. The course will be heavily data-based and presented using a marine mammal case study and workshop practicals will be based around an impact assessment analysis. The R software package will be used for workshop-based practicals and no prior experience with the R package is assumed. Computer sessions take place in our computer classroom (attached to the seminar room) and participants can use our computers or bring their own laptops. For more information and registration, please visit the webpage: http://www.ruwpa.st-and.ac.uk/workshops/statsmodelling2014/statsmodelling2014.html ------------------------------------------------------------------- Lindesay Scott-Hayward Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM), The Observatory, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9LZ Scotland Tel: +44 (0) 1334 461824 The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland : No SC013532 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From AJohnson at mbayaq.org Fri Oct 25 03:16:48 2013 From: AJohnson at mbayaq.org (Andrew Johnson) Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 03:16:48 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] Sea Otter Care Internship at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Message-ID: Sea Otter Research and Conservation-Animal Care Internship The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Sea Otter Research and Conservation program is seeking enthusiastic and motivated individuals to assist staff with the care and release of live-stranded sea otters. Project responsibilities include, but are not limited to, daily care and feeding of ill, injured and orphaned sea otters, maintenance and cleaning of animal tanks and enclosures, and computer data entry. Interns may also assist with rescues of live-stranded otters, tracking of released otters, administration of medication to sick otters, and managing otters in research projects. Qualified applicants must be able to work in a team environment, must be able to work independently without direct supervision, and must have good communication skills. To apply, please register at the Aquarium's Snaphire site at https://montereybayaquarium.snaphire.com/jobdetails?ajid=hSGC7. Requirements * At least 18 years of age * Current undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited college or university * Must be a student during the term immediately preceding the internship * Must submit a resume of courses and/or experience related to position applying * Must provide a minimum of 2 letters of recommendation from college/university professors or faculty staff * 3.0 minimum cumulative GPA * 3-month commitment of 24 hours each week (extension beyond the first 3 months dependent upon performance review by staff: 6-month potential max internship) * Proof of current tetanus vaccination * Valid driver's license * Project task assignments may include weekends and holidays as assigned Desired Skills * Strong Interest in and awareness of animal husbandry and marine science / ecology * Willingness to get wet and dirty * Attention to detail * Ability to handle live animals and plants * Able to lift up to 50 pounds * Ability to multi-task * Demonstrable research, writing, academic literature and organizational skills * Interpersonal skills and proven ability to work effectively with colleagues * Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PPT * Proficiency with SharePoint a plus All internship opportunities are Unpaid or STEM Internships (STEM may include funding provided through your educational institution). College credit may be available. Please refer to your College/University's student services division. Thanks! Andy Andrew Johnson Sea Otter Research and Conservation Manager P 831-648-7934 M 831-402-1851 [cid:image001.gif at 01CED17C.12D630A0] Monterey Bay Aquarium 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940 www.montereybayaquarium.org Our mission is to inspire conservation of the oceans. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 1079 bytes Desc: image001.gif URL: From jdavis at marineaffairs.org Mon Oct 28 10:46:59 2013 From: jdavis at marineaffairs.org (John Davis) Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 10:46:59 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] =?windows-1252?q?Reminder=3A_Oct_29_Interactive_Q=26A_on?= =?windows-1252?q?_Marine_Mammals_and_Debris_Entanglement_=97_Scott?= =?windows-1252?q?_Landry=2C_Lauri_Jemison=2C_and_Sue_Goodglick_Wil?= =?windows-1252?q?l_Answer_Your_Questions?= Message-ID: *Interactive Q&A on Marine Mammals and Debris Entanglement ? Scott Landry, Lauri Jemison, and Sue Goodglick Will Answer Your Questions* Hosted by MarineDebris.Info *Date: *Tues, Oct 29, 2013 *Time:* 1 pm US EDT / 10 am US PDT / 5 pm GMT To join the chat on Oct 29: http://marinedebris.info/events/interactive-qa-marine-mammals-and-debris-entanglement-scott-landry-lauri-jemison-and-sue *Transcript: *If you miss the live event, a transcript of the Q&A will be available afterward at the above URL. In this interactive ?Office Hour? chat, three experts on marine mammal entanglement and disentanglement will take your questions: * Scott Landry is director of the Marine Animal Entanglement Response team at the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies in Massachusetts. Over the past 30 years, the Center has freed more than 100 large whales from life-threatening entanglements, as well as dozens of smaller cetaceans, seals, and other marine animals. * Lauri Jemison is a biologist who has studied pinnipeds in Alaska for the past 25 years, and worked since 1997 with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game?s Marine Mammal Program. She has studied sea lion entanglement in marine debris and ingestion of fishing gear for the past decade. Packing bands, used in the shipping and fishing industries, and large rubber bands, used for many purposes including holding crab pots closed, are two of the most common neck-entangling materials. * Sue Goodglick is a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game?s Steller sea lion research program and member of the multi-agency Pinniped Entanglement Group. As part of her job, she helps develop and disseminate outreach materials for the group's ?Lose the Loop!? campaign, an effort to help reduce animal entanglements in marine debris. *About the Office Hour format:* This Office Hour will take place at www.marinedebris.info, the knowledge-sharing forum for marine debris researchers, managers, and activists. The event will be a live interactive chat conducted by typing and reading text. There is no audio component. Repeat: there will be no sound - this is not a webinar. Office Hour chats provide an opportunity for audience members to ask questions to our guests; audience members may also share their own experiences and insights with the guests and other participants. All participants are able (and encouraged) to post, and all participants are able to view all posts. Inappropriate or off-topic content will be controlled. You do not need to be logged into the MarineDebris.Info site to participate in the chat, but you are encouraged to create a user account and log in so you do not need to type your name in every post. To join the chat on Oct 29: http://marinedebris.info/events/interactive-qa-marine-mammals-and-debris-entanglement-scott-landry-lauri-jemison-and-sue _______________ John B. Davis, President MARE (Marine Affairs Research and Education) Woodinville, WA 98077 USA +1 425 788 8185 jdavis at marineaffairs.org marineaffairs.org / openchannels.org / mpanews.org / meam.net / marinedebris.info -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From L.Bejder at murdoch.edu.au Thu Oct 24 15:57:13 2013 From: L.Bejder at murdoch.edu.au (Lars Bejder) Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 22:57:13 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Publication: Northernmost record of Shepherd's beaked whale Message-ID: Dear Marmam readers, We'd like to draw your attention to a recent publication entitled: Northernmost record of Shepherd's beaked whale (Tasmacetus shepherdi) - a morphological and genetic description from a stranding from Shark Bay, Western Australia. The full citation details are: Holyoake, C., Holley, D., Spencer, P.B.S., Salgado-Kent, C, Coughran, D. and Bejder, L. 2013. Northernmost record of Shepherd's beaked whale (Tasmacetus shepherdi) - a morphological and genetic description from a stranding from Shark Bay, Western Australia. Pacific Conservation Biology. 19(2): 169-174. If this paper is of interest to you, please email Carly Holyoake (c.holyoake at murdoch.edu.au) or Lars Bejder (l.bejder at murdoch.edu.au) for PDFs. Kind regards, Lars -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sclymene at aol.com Fri Oct 25 16:19:00 2013 From: sclymene at aol.com (Thomas Jefferson) Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 19:19:00 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [MARMAM] MARINE MAMMAL BOOKS, JOURNALS, AND REPRINTS AVAILABLE Message-ID: <8D09FEFB866FFED-239C-180CA@webmail-m291.sysops.aol.com> MARINE MAMMAL BOOKS,JOURNALS, AND REPRINTS AVAILABLE Amounts listed are suggested minimum donations. All funds raised go to ?VivaVaquita! (a collaboration of five 501(3)c non-profits), forresearch and conservation of the World?s most endangered marine mammal species,the vaquita (Phocoena sinus). Go to www.vivavaquita.orgfor more details. Requst full list ofbooks available from Tom Jefferson sclymene at aol.com. Preference will be given to domestic USA orders. Donations can be made in cash or with checksin US dollars made payable to ?Thomas Jefferson?. Email Tom Jefferson thelist of items you want and your postal address for the items to be sent to(please type your name and address as they would appear on a mailinglabel). Shipping within the USA is included. Orders will only be sent out after donationand ?mailing label? are received. Highlights: Brown, S.G., Brownell, R.L., Erickson, A.W., Hofman, R.J.,Llano, G.A. & Mackintosh, N.A. (1974) Antarctic Mammals. Antarctic MapFolio Series, 18, pp. + oversize plates. $22. FAO. 1978. Mammals in the seas: Volume I. Report of the FAOAdvisory Committee on Marine Resurces Research. $25. FAO. 1979. Mammals in the seas: Volume II. Pinniped speciessummaries and report on sirenians. $25. FAO. 1981. Mammals in the seas: Volume III. General papersand large cetaceans. $35. FAO. 1982. Mammals in the seas: Volume IV. Small cetaceans,seals, sirenians and otters. $35. Fay, F. H. 1982. Ecology and biology of the Pacific walrus, Odobenus rosmarus divergens Illiger.North American Fauna 74: 279 pp. $18. Fraser, F.C. (1945) On a specimen of the southernbottlenosed whale, Hyperoodon planifrons.Discovery Reports, 23, 19-36. $14. Gaskin, D. E. 1972. Whales, Dolphins, and Seals, WithSpecial Reference to the New Zealand Region. Heineman Educational Books. $28. Harrison, R.J. (1977) Functional Anatomy of Marine Mammals,Volume 3. 428 pp. Academic Press. $32. Hoelzel, A.R. (1991) Genetic ecology of whales and dolphins.In: Reports of the International Whaling Commission, p. 311 pp. Reports of theInternational Whaling Commission. $18. International Whaling Commission (1964-1998) Annual Reportof the International Whaling Commission. Complete, 35-year run. Report of the International WhalingCommission, 14-48. $600. Jonsgard, A. (1966) Biology of the North Atlantic fin whale Balaenoptera physalus (L.): taxonomy,distribution, migration and food. Hvalradets Skrifter, 49, 62 pp. $22. Journal of Mammalogy (1981-2011) 31-year run (complete).Journal of Mammalogy, 62-92. $175. Laurie, A.H. (1937) The age of female blue whales and theeffect of whaling on the stock. Discovery Reports, 15, 223-284. $35. Marine Mammal Science (1985-2008) 24-year run (complete).Marine Mammal Science, 1-24. $200. Mitchell, E.D. (1975) Porpoise, dolphin and small whalefisheries of the world. IUCN Monograph, 3, 129 pp. $15. Mitchell, E.D., Reeves, R.R. & Evely, A. (1986)Bibliography of Whale Killing Norris, K.S., editor. (1966) Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises. 789 pp. University of CaliforniaPress, Berkeley. 1st Printing. $48. Packard, E.L. & Kellogg, R. (1934) A new cetothere fromthe Miocene Astoria Formation of Newport, Oregon. In: Contributions toPaleontology: Marine Mammals (ed. by E.L. Packard, R. Kellogg & E. Huber),pp. 1-62. Carnegie Institution of Washington. $18. Rice, D.W. & Wolman, A.A. (1971) The life history andecology of the gray whale (Eschrichtiusrobustus). American Society of Mammalogists, Special Publication, 3, 142 pp.(paperback). $10. Ridgway, S.H. (1972) Mammals of the Sea: Biology andMedicine. 812 pp. Charles C. Thomas (signed by Sam Ridgway). Rare. $165. Ruud, J.T. (1965) Essays in Marine Physiology. HvalradetsSkrifter, p. 238 pp. Universitetsforlaget. $22. Schevill, W. E. 1974. The Whale Problem: A Status Report.Pages 419 pp. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. $24. Scientific Reports of the Whales Research Institute. (1948-1986). Vols. 1-37, 37-year run, complete, except for missing Vol. 13. Most bound in handsome blue buckrambindings. Very Rare. $850. Truitt, D. 1974. Dolphins and Porpoises: A ComprehensiveAnnotated Bibliography of the Smaller Cetacea. Gale Research Co. $34. Twiss, J.R. & Reeves, R.R. (1999) Conservation and Managementof Marine Mammals. 471 pp. Smithsonian Institution Press. $28. Wheeler, J.F.G. (1930) The age of fin whales at physicalmaturity with a note on multiple ovulations. Discovery Reports, 2, 403-434. $25. W?rsig, B., Jefferson, T.A. & Schmidly, D.J. (2000) TheMarine Mammals of the Gulf of Mexico, Texas A&M University Press. $12. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From anna.meissner at gmail.com Wed Oct 23 17:36:00 2013 From: anna.meissner at gmail.com (Anna Meissner) Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 13:36:00 +1300 Subject: [MARMAM] Research assistant position NEW ZEALAND - common dolphin photoID Message-ID: Enthusiastic individuals with a keen interest in dolphin studies are invited to assist with a PhD study investigating common dolphin ecology (* Delphinus* sp.) in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. This PhD project is part of the ongoing research of the New Zealand Common Dolphin Project (NZCDP) and the Coastal-Marine Research Group (C-MRG) at Massey University Albany, Auckland. (http://cmrg.massey.ac.nz). PROJECT BACKGROUND: This project aims to explore the distribution, habitat use and site fidelity of common dolphins (*Delphinus* sp.) in an oceanic environment: the East Coast Bay of Plenty, and assess the effects of local tourism on dolphin population. Photo-identification is used to assess common dolphin abundance and site fidelity in the region. DATES: November 2013 ? February 2014. A minimum commitment of 2 months is requested. Priority will be given to candidates who can commit for longer periods. LOCATION: Tauranga, New Zealand RESPONSIBILITIES & FIELD WORK OPPORTUNITY: Analysis of photo-identification data, including assistance with photo sorting, grading, and matching, sighting data entry, maintenance of long-term photo-id catalogue using a MS Access database. Research assistants should be prepared to work long days analysing photographs and matching them with the existing photo-identification catalogue. PREREQUISITES: . Be meticulous, reliable, adaptable, hardworking and patient. . Have a mature and independent attitude towards marine mammal research. . Speak fluent English . Be sociable, enthusiastic and have a positive attitude . Strong interest in the marine environment and conservation . Previous experience in photo-ID on small cetaceans will be considered. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS but no required: . Photo-identification experience APPLICATION PROCESS: This is a volunteer position, so there is unfortunately no monetary compensation or living provisions. However, help can be provided to find accommodation. Assistants will be responsible for travel to Tauranga and their own living expenses. Applicants should email a letter of interest outlining relevant experience and motivation for participation, as well as a CV and the contacts for referees to Anna Meissner a.m.meissner at massey.ac.nz Early application is recommended as applications will be examined in order of reception. Kindest regards, Anna Meissner ------------------------------------------------- Anna M. Meissner PhD student Coastal-Marine Research Group Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences Massey University Private Bag 102 904 North Shore City, 0745 Auckland, New Zealand Tel: +64 9 414 0800 ext 41520 Cell: +64 22 603 6646 Fax: +64 9 443 9790 Email: a.m.meissner at massey.ac.nz Web: http://cmrg.massey.ac.nz ------------------------------------------------- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From recruitment at osc.co.uk Wed Oct 23 03:16:44 2013 From: recruitment at osc.co.uk (Recruitment) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 11:16:44 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] MMO & PAM positions in NZ waters Message-ID: <5267A20C.80503@osc.co.uk> Dear MMOs and PAM operators, We invite applications for a seismic survey in New Zealand waters, for the first quarter of 2014. Please specify your availability. For this particular contract, applicants must have experience in NZ waters (ideally 12 weeks); however, Ocean Science Consulting Ltd (www.osc.co.uk) operates worldwide and always welcomes applicants for work elsewhere. Positions: 2 x MMOs & 2 x PAM operators Platform: seismic vessel Duration: 5/7 week rotations (tbc) Location: New Zealand Subject to suitable qualifications and experience, work is typically awarded on a first-come-first-served basis. Due to volume of recruitment mail, we are unable to respond to all applicants, sorry, so please do not expect an acknowledgement. We also cannot respond to specific questions about contracts, as this information is reserved for successful applicants only. Please apply by email only to recruitment at osc.co.uk; recruitment enquiries to other OSC email addresses will be deleted. Please feel free to circulate this email amongst colleagues looking for work. If the applicant is not already on our database, we will require a CV (Word format) that includes, inter alia, a current phone number, with copies (ideally JPEGs) of offshore survival and medical certs including any vaccinations (all of which should be listed on CVs along with expiry details for quick reference), passport, any resident permit(s), any visa(s), driver's licence(s), and degree certs. Note that only a CV is required in the first instant for short-listing candidates, so the rest is optional. Clients are increasingly requesting evidence of any science / engineering degrees (e.g. marine biology, oceanography, acoustics, signal processing), so be prepared to follow up immediately with necessary documents in the event that you receive a phone call. If you've provided documents previously, rest assured they are already on file and you should not resend them; be aware that when the same applicants regularly bombard us with the same attached documents, we have no choice but to delete their emails as they otherwise clog up our inbox/server; however, we do encourage all applicants to send us updated CVs or replacement scans for expired offshore survival/medical certs, or simply contact us to provide an update on your availability. Thanks and kind regards, Recruitment Team -- Recruitment Dept OSC Limited Ocean House 4 Brewery Lane Belhaven, Dunbar East Lothian, Scotland EH42 1PD T: +44 (0)1368 865 722 W: www.osc.co.uk From lauren.saez at noaa.gov Tue Oct 29 14:36:23 2013 From: lauren.saez at noaa.gov (Lauren Saez - NOAA Affiliate) Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 14:36:23 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] Publication announcement: NOAA-TM-NMFS-SWR-044 Message-ID: On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to announce the publication of* NOAA-TM-NMFS-SWR-044: Understanding the co-occurrence of large whales and commercial fixed gear fisheries off the west coast of the United States. * Large whale entanglement in commercial fishing gear in the Pacific Ocean off the U.S. west coast has been identified as an issue of concern by NOAA Fisheries because of the potential impacts to both large whales (individually and at a stock/population level) and the commercial fishing industry. An average of 10 large whales were reported per year as entangled off California, Oregon, and Washington from 2000 to 2012. This is likely an underestimate of total entanglements since sightings are opportunistic. Because so little is known about the origin of and identification of entangling gear types, an investigation of large whale entanglements was warranted. As a result, we developed a model to analyze the co-occurrence of fishing gear and whales. Fixed gear commercial fishery effort was modeled for 11 fixed gear fisheries in the off the U.S. west coast based on reported landings. Fishery effort was overlapped with previously published whale density* *models to identify timing and areas of low and elevated co-occurrence, and consequently entanglement risk, for five species of large whales across the U.S. west coast. This effort represents the first assessment of whale entanglement risk on the U.S. west coast across all of these fixed gear fisheries, describing the necessary assumptions and limitations of the available data and analysis. Our expectation is that research on the elevated risk areas identified by this paper should inform any future efforts to minimize or mitigate the risk of large whale entanglements in the future. The NOAA technical memorandum and appendices can be accessed at: http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/protected_species/marine_mammals/fisheries_interactions_assess_risk.html If you have any questions or would like a PDF of the report, please feel free to contact me. Have a wonderful day. -- Lauren Saez Contractor with Ocean Associates, Inc. NMFS West Coast Region Protected Resources Division Phone: 562-980-3561 Email: Lauren.Saez at noaa.gov -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ctaylor at sea2shore.org Wed Oct 30 07:22:07 2013 From: ctaylor at sea2shore.org (Cynthia Taylor) Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 10:22:07 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Sirenews 60 Message-ID: <003901ced57b$6a250db0$3e6f2910$@org> Sirenews 60, October 2013, is now available online at http://sea2shore.org/publications/sirenews/ Sirenews is the newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Sirenia Specialist Group. The IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) is a science-based network of volunteer experts working together towards achieving the vision of "A world that values and conserves present levels of biodiversity." The Sirenia Specialist Group is focused on the conservation of manatee and dugong populations around the world. Cynthia Taylor and James Powell, co-editors Sea to Shore Alliance www.sea2shore.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ukrsc at st-andrews.ac.uk Wed Oct 30 07:27:11 2013 From: ukrsc at st-andrews.ac.uk (UK Regional Student Chapter for the Society of Marine Mammals) Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 14:27:11 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] {Disarmed} Annual UKRSC conference (March 2014) Message-ID: Dear all students in the UK. We would like to announce that the annual meeting of the UK Regional Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy will be held at the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU), St. Andrews from the 27-28th March. An Icebreaker will be held on the evening of the 26th March. We encourage all students registered in Universities across the UK and Ireland that are interested in marine mammal research to attend. The atmosphere of the conference is relatively informal, giving students a platform to discuss their research with other students. Postgraduate students are invited to submit abstracts for oral presentations and posters. For planning purposes, we have divided presentations into 5-minute speedtalk and 15 minute slots. We encourage new postgraduate students to talk about their future research plans using the 5-minute slots and for those further along in their studies to present for 15 minutes. Undergraduates with an interest in the field are also welcome to attend. The talks traditionally vary in content: from talks by new students discussing their future plans or the basis of their project, to students whose Ph.D?s are near completion. Our guest speakers include Dr. Dominic Mccafferty (Senior Lecturer, Honorary Senior Research Fellow (Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, Glasgow)) and Dr. Sean Twiss (Lecturer in the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham). Dr Vincent Janik (Reader in Biology) will have an workshop about how to write project funding proposal. SMRU's GIS expert Clint Blight will talk about making "useful" maps with free software. There will also be a guided tour around the SMRU facilities. The final deadline for presentation abstracts (max 300 words) will be the 5th of February 2014. There is no registration fee and you don?t need to be an existing member of the Chapter. You can register for the Chapter at the same time as registering for the conference. This year students outside St. Andrews can apply for a Student Travel Grant (amount given will depend on where you are coming from). Registration forms can be downloaded from our website. Please visit our website for regular updates http://synergy.st-andrews.ac.uk/ukrsc/ or visit our facebook page UKrsc - the Society of Marine Mammalogy http://www.facebook.com/UKRSC Please submit your registration form by e-mail attachment to ukrsc at st-andrews.ac.uk by 5th February 2014. If you have any further questions regarding the meeting, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Hope to see you all in St. Andrews in March 2014. With best wishes, The committee of the UK Regional Student Chapter for the Society for Marine Mammalogy This year meeting will be kindly sponsored by Chelonia Limited, http://www.chelonia.co.uk/ and SMRU Marine, http://www.smru.co.uk -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From georgina.wildoceans at gmail.com Mon Oct 28 21:09:45 2013 From: georgina.wildoceans at gmail.com (Georgie Gemmell) Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 04:09:45 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Orca Project Sri Lanka, Photo ID and Record Keeping of Killer Whales off Sri Lanka Message-ID: Dear Marmamers Orca Project Sri Lanka (OPSL) is the first citizen-science project centred on studying orcas (Killer Whales) sighted off Sri Lanka. The initiative collects and compiles orca sightings records and publishes them in a public-access log that is viewable online in a downloadable PDF as well as the project social media pages. In addition to the sightings log, there is also a photo ID component that aims to identify and catalogue the orcas seen off Sri Lanka from images submitted by the public. So far there have been 9 individual orcas identified and catalogued, these consist of 4 males, 1 likely male, 2 females and 2 possible female or juveniles; with images being submitted from all 3 locations in the whale-watching triangle. OPSL has already produced some interesting results in the form of ID matches for 3 individuals, including the first confirmation of some orca moving all around the island, being sighted in Kalpitya (North west), Mirissa (south) and Trincomalee (North east). The orcas are thought to be of a mammal eating eco-type with documented predation and attempted predation towards Sperm and Blue whale. The catalogue is included in the official *project information PDF* that can be viewed and downloaded from this link. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzRJAIq7VT1Ia3VJdm5wS3p5OGs/edit?usp=sharing The public-access sightings log can be viewed and downloaded in PDF form https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzRJAIq7VT1Id0VmbUhZb2pqdTA/edit?usp=sharing With the support of the public, sharing of images and information, together we can lean more about these enigmatic predators and help raise awareness of their presence in our waters, laying a foundation for further studies in the future. The initiative functions as a library of information, collecting and compiling information that can be accessed by anyone, whether for general interest or to supplement further studies. We would be very interested to hear from other researchers who may have catalogued orcas from the surrounding nations. If you would like to know more about Orca Project Sri Lanka, please contact the project administrator at georgina.wildoceans at gmail.com or reply to this post. All the best -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Edita.Magileviciute at fauna-flora.org Thu Oct 31 06:49:19 2013 From: Edita.Magileviciute at fauna-flora.org (Edita Magileviciute) Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 13:49:19 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] job posting: marine programme assistant in Maio, Cape Verde Message-ID: <9878648167848D4790855A6A105F7A52419AB04A@FFICL-EXCH01.FaunaFlora.internal> Maio Biodiversity Foundation (FMB) in collaboration with Fauna & Flora International (FFI) are looking for an intern/marine programme assistant to support the development of marine conservation programme on the island of Maio, Cape Verde. S/he must have a degree in Marine Biology, Coastal Resource Management or similar who is keen to gain experience working for local and international NGOs and develop their skills and experience. Tasks are varied and the individual must be adaptable and a team player. Good working knowledge in English and Portuguese is essential whilst willingness to interact with Cape Verdeans in Creole language would be an advantage. Star date: January 2014 End date: June 2014 (extension possible depending on funding availability) Salary: 400 EUR/month (NB: applicant is responsible for travel, subsistence and insurance costs) Location: Maio Island, Cape Verde Deadline: 6th November, 2013 (NB: only short listed candidates will be contacted) For more information on requirements, duties and application process please follow the link on FMB website: http://www.maioconservation.org/index.php/en/what-we-do-menu/job-offers-and-volunteering Good luck, Edita Magileviciute Programme Development Officer, Eurasia (Marine Conservation and Ecosystem Services) Fauna & Flora International ________________________________ Fauna & Flora International is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, registration number 2677068. Registered address, 4th Floor, Jupiter House, Station Road, Cambridge, CB1 2JD, and a registered charity, registration number 1011102. This e-mail is confidential and may be subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, you are not authorised to copy, distribute, disclose or use this e-mail or any part of its contents for any purpose. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify us immediately via e-mail. We cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage arising from the use of this e-mail or attachments and therefore recommend that you subject these to your virus checking procedures prior to use. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From emma.betty at aut.ac.nz Thu Oct 31 17:33:55 2013 From: emma.betty at aut.ac.nz (Emma Betty) Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2013 00:33:55 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] SMM Workshop Announcement - Mass Stranding Response 2: Rescue and Research (PLUS Marine Mammal Medic Training Opportunity) Message-ID: <86D840B7CF67754D9E79A354FE9342DB44479023@Lewis.autuni.aut.ac.nz> Dear colleagues, The Institute for Applied Ecology New Zealand (Auckland University of Technology) and the Coastal-Marine Research Group (Massey University) are pleased to announce that they will sponsor the first 20 student member placements for the workshop "Mass Stranding Response 2: Rescue and Research" which will take place on Sunday 8 December, 9am-5pm - immediately prior to the SMM biennial. The first 20 students members to register will be able to do so at a reduced rate of US$10. Please contact emma.betty at aut.ac.nz for further details. Workshop description Mass strandings of cetaceans occur in many locations around the world, with varying frequency and levels of response. Response goals, protocols and outcomes are often dependent upon the species involved, existing stranding response infrastructure, and resources available. At the 2011 SMM biennial conference in Tampa, the 'Cetacean Mass Stranding Response' workshop provided a forum for mass stranding responders and researchers to share information that was otherwise available only anecdotally. An important outcome of this workshop was establishing relationships between mass stranding responders around the world to facilitate on-going data sharing and support. It was agreed among participants that the SMM conference presents a great opportunity for mass stranding responders and researchers to network and disseminate current protocols/ research findings on a biennial basis. This workshop is therefore intended as a follow-on session from the 2011 workshop. As a full day workshop, the morning will be dedicated to selected speakers presenting on their agencies and/or groups response protocols and outcomes, and mass-stranding-related research. In the afternoon, we will switch to a discussion format to allow greater networking and information sharing between attendees. Outputs of the workshop will be to: 1) continue to build relationships between mass stranding responders around the world to facilitate on-going data sharing and support, 2) compile existing response protocols and related results (for those willing to share) into a centralised reference repository and 3) potentially develop working groups to address the more pressing or complex problems faced by mass stranding responders. Registration is now open on the conference website: http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=591&Itemid=336&workshop=49 Standard registration fee (in US dollars): $50 student members, $100 members, $100 student non-members, $150 non-members. Fees cover the cost of space, audio-visual equipment, catering (lunch and coffee breaks), etc. and will be collected directly by the workshop organisers. For further information, please contact Emma Betty emma.betty at aut.ac.nz On behalf of workshop organisers: Emma Betty (Auckland University of Technology), Karen Stockin (Massey University), Daren Grover (Project Jonah) and Laura Boren (Department of Conservation) Marine Mammal Medic Training Opportunity!!! On Saturday 14 December, Project Jonah will be running a public session of their Marine Mammal Medic training in Dunedin. All conference participants are welcome to attend, to learn stranded whale and dolphin first aid skills and use their floatation equipment. The course has been developed over 25 years and the skills developed have been used internationally. Places are selling fast so book your place today for $120 here: http://www.projectjonah.org.nz/Get+Involved/Become+a+Marine+Mammal+Medic.html -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From austen.thomas at gmail.com Thu Oct 24 09:33:39 2013 From: austen.thomas at gmail.com (Austen Thomas) Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 09:33:39 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] New publications on DNA diet analysis methods Message-ID: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.12523/abstract Thomas AC, Jarman SN, Haman KH, Trites AW, Deagle BE (2013) Improving accuracy of DNA diet estimates using food tissue control materials and an evaluation of proxies for digestion bias. Molecular Ecology, Early View article. Ecologists are increasingly interested in quantifying consumer diets based on food DNA in dietary samples and high-throughput sequencing of marker genes. It is tempting to assume that food DNA sequence proportions recovered from diet samples are representative of consumer's diet proportions, despite the fact that captive feeding studies do not support that assumption. Here, we examine the idea of sequencing control materials of known composition along with dietary samples in order to correct for technical biases introduced during amplicon sequencing and biological biases such as variable gene copy number. Using the Ion Torrent PGM?, we sequenced prey DNA amplified from scats of captive harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) fed a constant diet including three fish species in known proportions. Alongside, we sequenced a prey tissue mix matching the seals? diet to generate tissue correction factors (TCFs). TCFs improved the diet estimates (based on sequence proportions) for all species and reduced the average estimate error from 28 ? 15% (uncorrected) to 14 ? 9% (TCF-corrected). The experimental design also allowed us to infer the magnitude of prey-specific digestion biases and calculate digestion correction factors (DCFs). The DCFs were compared with possible proxies for differential digestion (e.g. fish protein%, fish lipid%) revealing a strong relationship between the DCFs and percent lipid of the fish prey, suggesting prey-specific corrections based on lipid content would produce accurate diet estimates in this study system. These findings demonstrate the value of parallel sequencing of food tissue mixtures in diet studies and offer new directions for future research in quantitative DNA diet analysis. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1755-0998.12103/abstract Deagle BE, Thomas AC, Shaffer AK, Trites AW, Jarman SN (2013) Quantifying sequence proportions in a DNA-based diet study using Ion Torrent amplicon sequencing: which counts count? Molecular ecology resources 13, 620-633. A goal of many environmental DNA barcoding studies is to infer quantitative information about relative abundances of different taxa based on sequence read proportions generated by high-throughput sequencing. However, potential biases associated with this approach are only beginning to be examined. We sequenced DNA amplified from faeces (scats) of captive harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) to investigate whether sequence counts could be used to quantify the seals? diet. Seals were fed fish in fixed proportions, a chordate-specific mitochondrial 16S marker was amplified from scat DNA and amplicons sequenced using an Ion Torrent PGM?. For a given set of bioinformatic parameters, there was generally low variability between scat samples in proportions of prey species sequences recovered. However, proportions varied substantially depending on sequencing direction, level of quality filtering (due to differences in sequence quality between species) and minimum read length considered. Short primer tags used to identify individual samples also influenced species proportions. In addition, there were complex interactions between factors; for example, the effect of quality filtering was influenced by the primer tag and sequencing direction. Resequencing of a subset of samples revealed some, but not all, biases were consistent between runs. Less stringent data filtering (based on quality scores or read length) generally produced more consistent proportional data, but overall proportions of sequences were very different than dietary mass proportions, indicating additional technical or biological biases are present. Our findings highlight that quantitative interpretations of sequence proportions generated via high-throughput sequencing will require careful experimental design and thoughtful data analysis. -- Austen Thomas, MSc, PhD Candidate University of British Columbia Marine Mammal Research Unit Room 247, AERL, 2202 Main Mall Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6T 1Z4 Phone: (604) 837-4399, Fax (604) 822-8180 Email: austen.thomas at gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From peter.madsen at biology.au.dk Thu Oct 31 03:02:04 2013 From: peter.madsen at biology.au.dk (Peter Teglberg Madsen) Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 10:02:04 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Paper on dolphin sound production Message-ID: <3380BCF6ABCABA478C953F2463C30115452A62D4@SRVUNIMBX01.uni.au.dk> Dear All, For those of you intrigued by how the nose of dolphins produce sound this paper may be interest to you: Nasal sound production in echolocating delphinids (Tursiops truncatus and Pseudorca crassidens) is dynamic, but unilateral: clicking on the right side and whistling on the left side 1. Peter T. Madsen1,*, 2. Marc Lammers2, 3. Danuta Wisniewska1 and 4. Kristian Beedholm1 + Author Affiliations 1. 1Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark 2. 2Marine Mammal Research Program, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Kailua, HI 96734, USA 1. ?*Author for correspondence (peter.madsen at biology.au.dk) SUMMARY Toothed whales produce sound in their nasal complex by pneumatic actuation of phonic lip pairs within the blowhole. It has been hypothesized that dual actuation of the phonic lip pairs can generate two pulses that merge to form a single echolocation click with a higher source level, broader bandwidth and larger potential for beam steering than if produced by a single pair of phonic lips. Here, we test that hypothesis by measuring the sound production of five echolocating delphinids using hydrophones around the animals and imbedded in on-animal suction cups. We show that the studied animals click with their right pair of phonic lips and whistle with their left pair. We demonstrate that, with just a single pair of phonic lips, they can change the click energy levels over five orders of magnitude, change the click centroid frequencies over more than two octaves, and modulate the sound radiation from the melon for beam steering. We conclude that all of the click dynamics ascribed to dual actuation of two phonic lip pairs can be achieved with actuation of just the right pair of phonic lips, and we propose that the large dynamic range of source outputs is achieved by highly controlled modulation of the pneumatic driving pressure, the tension of the phonic lip labia and the conformation of the fatty melon and associated air sacs. doi: 10.1242/?jeb.091306 November 1, 2013 J Exp Biol216, 4091-4102. The paper can be found here: http://jeb.biologists.org/content/216/21/4091.abstract Or requests for reprints can be made to: peter.madsen at biology.au.dk Best Peter Peter T. Madsen Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience Aarhus University, Build. 1131, CF Mollers Alle 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark Phone: 0045 8715 6501 email: peter.madsen at biology.au.dk Web: www.marinebioacoustics.com [sender_logo] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 6187 bytes Desc: image001.jpg URL: From AJohnson at mbayaq.org Thu Oct 31 11:06:54 2013 From: AJohnson at mbayaq.org (Andrew Johnson) Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 11:06:54 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] Sea Otter Research Internship at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Message-ID: Sea Otter Research and Conservation-Research Internship The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Sea Otter Research and Conservation program is seeking enthusiastic and motivated individuals to assist staff with field observations and data collection of wild sea otters in the Monterey Peninsula, Elkhorn Slough and Moss Landing areas of coastal California. Project responsibilities include, but are not limited to, data collection in the field from shore and on a small boat using radio telemetry equipment and making visual observations with spotting scopes. Interns will record re-sights, movement patterns, and foraging and activity-budget data on marked individual wild sea otters. Qualified applicants must be able to work in a team environment, must be able to work independently without direct supervision, and must have good communication skills. To apply, please register at the Aquarium's Snaphire site at https://montereybayaquarium.snaphire.com/jobdetails?ajid=hSGC7. Requirements * At least 18 years of age * Current undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited college or university * Must be a student during the term immediately preceding the internship * Must submit a resume of courses and/or experience related to position applying * Must provide a minimum of 2 letters of recommendation from college/university professors or faculty staff * 3.0 Minimum cumulative GPA * 3-month commitment of 24 hours each week (extension beyond the first 3 months dependent upon performance review by staff: 6-month potential max internship) * Valid driver's license * Personal vehicle to use while in the field * Cell phone * Willingness to perform project task assignments on a flexible schedule, including weekends and late nights Desired Skills * Strong Interest in and awareness of animal husbandry and marine science / ecology * Willingness to get wet and dirty * Attention to detail * Able to lift up to 50 pounds * Ability to multi-task * Demonstrable research, writing, academic literature and organizational skills * Interpersonal skills and proven ability to work effectively with colleagues * Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, PPT and Microsoft Access software * Proficiency with SharePoint a plus * Boat handling skills appreciated but not necessary All internship opportunities are Unpaid or STEM Internships (STEM may include funding provided through your educational institution). College credit may be available. Please refer to your College/University's student services division. Thanks! Andy Andrew Johnson Sea Otter Research and Conservation Manager P 831-648-7934 M 831-402-1851 [cid:image001.gif at 01CED17B.06BA2C50] Monterey Bay Aquarium 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940 www.montereybayaquarium.org Our mission is to inspire conservation of the oceans. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 1079 bytes Desc: image001.gif URL: From phillip.clapham at noaa.gov Tue Oct 29 08:41:56 2013 From: phillip.clapham at noaa.gov (Phillip Clapham - NOAA Federal) Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 08:41:56 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] New book on humpback whales Message-ID: I'm happy to announce the publication (officially on the 31st) of a new book on humpback whales. *Winged Leviathan: The Story Of The Humpback Whale * is a coffee-table book that combines an overview of the biology and behavior of this, my favorite species, with numerous images by wildlife photographer Colin Baxter. It's (inevitably) available on Amazon, where you can see an image of the cover... Alternatively, I have a limited number of pre-release copies available for $22 plus postage (and yes, I can inscribe some suitably cheery or amusing message over my signature for anyone who'd like a signed copy). Publisher blurb given below. Phil Clapham phillip.clapham at gmail.com *Winged Leviathan: The Story of the Humpback Whale* Few animals inspire such wonder as the great whales, and the humpback whale can stake a fair claim to being the most beloved of all. Known for its spectacular breaching displays, ingenious feeding methods and its haunting song, the humpback is today a staple of the whale-watching industry in many countries. Yet for centuries humpback whales enjoyed no such relationship with humans, and were instead the focus of a relentless commercial hunt that almost rendered them extinct. Whale biologist Phil Clapham s detailed insight into the world of this remarkable animal tells of the humpback s extraordinary seasonal migrations, which are among the longest of any mammal. We learn how they cleverly use bubbles to trap schools of fish, are introduced to the mystery of the male humpback s beautiful song, and discover that during the winter breeding season males are anything but gentle giants. The book also traces the history of whaling for this species, and explains the threats to recovery faced by remaining humpback whale populations today. Winged Leviathan is a comprehensive and passionate account of one of the world s most fascinating animals, told by a biologist who has spent much of his life in their company, and sensitively portrayed by a photographer who has followed these magnificent animals around the earth?s oceans. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From loos.philip at googlemail.com Sun Oct 27 08:08:41 2013 From: loos.philip at googlemail.com (Philip Loos) Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2013 16:08:41 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] Acoustic monitoring of bottlenose dolphins with C-PODs (or T-PODs) Message-ID: <4c3001ced326$6d47c0c0$47d74240$@googlemail.com> Dear MarMam members, For an upcoming graduation thesis I am searching information about acoustic monitoring of bottlenose dolphins with C-PODs (or T-PODs). Especially any information on usage and results in the Mediterranean Sea is of interest. Many thanks in advance! Kind regards Philip Msc. Student University of Hamburg (Germany) Department : Animal Ecology and Conservation email: loos.philip at googlemail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: