From kburton at imms.org Sun Oct 2 13:47:16 2016 From: kburton at imms.org (Katherine Burton) Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2016 20:47:16 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] IMMS Animal Training Internship (Spring) Message-ID: IMMS Animal Training Internship Spring: February - April 2017 Deadline: December 1, 2016 The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies ("IMMS") is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1984 for the purposes of public education, conservation, and research on marine mammals in the wild and under human care. Located in Gulfport, Mississippi, IMMS has been an active participant of the National Stranding Network since its inception. IMMS is the premier stranding organization in the Mississippi-Louisiana-Alabama region of the Gulf Coast with the capability and expertise to care for sick and injured marine mammals. IMMS serves as an important educational outlet for the Mississippi Gulf Coast, incorporating programs for conservation, education and research of marine mammals and their environment. Program Description The IMMS Animal Training Internship Program is designed as a way for students/individuals interested in a career in animal care and training to gain valuable experience in a real-world setting. Interns will primarily be trained in aspects of animal care, but will also participate in other activities at IMMS. Our goal is to give interns a well-rounded experience in a variety of areas while providing expert training and experience. This is an unpaid position and all interns are responsible for their own housing and transportation. Duties The IMMS animal care and training staff is in charge of caring for Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, California sea lions, and large parrots. Interns will work directly with animal care staff and be exposed to all aspects of the daily routine. Heavy emphasis is placed on basic tasks such as food preparation, and daily cleaning and facility maintenance. Interns will learn how to train animals with operant conditioning through observation and may assist during sessions. Enrichment is very important to the well-being of our animals and interns will be asked to design and implement an enrichment device for our dolphins and/or birds. Interns will also give educational presentation to guests before they interact with our animals, as well as help staff with daily water quality. Because we want interns to have a well-rounded experience, they will also be asked to assist in other departments. Interns may participate as 1) environmental educators and assist in giving presentations to the public, 2) research assistants that help with our many wild dolphin based research studies, or 3) emergency responders as IMMS is part of the Southeast Regional Marine Mammal Stranding Network and responds to stranded marine mammals and sea turtles. Eligibility Requirements Interns must be: * 18 years or older. * A recent graduate or actively pursuing a college degree in the sciences. * Willing to accept the internship as an unpaid position. * Able to commit to a minimum of at least 12 weeks, 40 hours a week. The internship can be extended depending on work performance. * Available to work weekdays, weekends, and holidays. * Able to lift 50 lbs, work long hours on your feet, and work outside in extreme conditions. * Able to maintain a positive attitude, good work ethic, sense of responsibility, and a strong willingness to learn. * Financially stable enough to obtain housing and transportation, though IMMS staff will do their best to assist you in making arrangements. * Able to comply with IMMS rules and regulations. To Apply Please send the following documents to: kburton at imms.org with "Animal Training Internship" in the subject line. * IMMS Animal Training Internship Application * Resume with cover letter. * Two letters of recommendation - Provide at least one academic, and one work/volunteer- related reference if applicable. Letters may be emailed from the applicant or the person providing the recommendation letter. * A copy of your current official college transcript. Applicants may submit an unofficial copy. * Full photograph Documents must be in one of the following formats - PDF, .doc, .docx, and must be submitted together with your first and last name and the date in the file name. Ex) 2013Aug_Jane_Doe_Resume, 2013Aug_Jane_Doe_Application, 2013Aug_Jane_Doe_Transcript. Katherine Burton Marine Mammal Trainer Rescue and Rehab Specialist Animal Training Internship Coordinator Institute for Marine Mammal Studies 10801 Dolphin Lane Gulfport, MS 39503 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From victoria.angeline13 at gmail.com Mon Oct 3 08:16:35 2016 From: victoria.angeline13 at gmail.com (Victoria Howard) Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2016 10:16:35 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Winter/Spring 2017 Marine Mammal Research Internship Message-ID: *Winter/Spring 2017 Marine Mammal Research Internship* The IMMS Research Internship Program located in Gulfport, MS 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 (1/2/17 - 3/24/17 and 3/6/17 - 5/26/17) is November 1, 2016* *Please visit **http://imms.org/internship.php* * for application and full details* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From abostwick at psocertifications.com Wed Oct 5 14:07:07 2016 From: abostwick at psocertifications.com (abostwick) Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2016 16:07:07 -0500 (EST) Subject: [MARMAM] PSO / MMO Training in Galveston, TX Nov 18-19 at Moody Gardens Aquarium Message-ID: <1820162143.206013.1475701627653.JavaMail.open-xchange@bosoxweb01.eigbox.net> MPSC is holding Protected Species Observer (also known as Marine Mammal Observer) training on November 18-19 in Galveston, TX at the Moody Gardens Aquarium. This class will also be visiting the NOAA Sea Turtle Facility. This BOEM/BSEE-compliant PSO certification course covers the regulations for reducing seismic survey impacts to marine mammals and sea turtles, documenting animal behavior, and how to visually locate and identify the animals. Course comprehension is measured with examinations on regulations and animal identification. Successful completion of this course provides professional Protected Species Observer Certification. Lunch is provided and included in the course fee (college/graduate/government discounts available), along with various identification guides and regulatory documents (which will be yours to keep), admission to Moody Gardens, the tour, and advice on applying to PSO positions. MPSC is also holding PSO training in Florida in Spring of 2017. For more information, please contact Angela at ABostwick at PSOCertifications.com, by phone at 832-523-2402 , or visit the website at http://www.protectedspeciesobservers.com/. Thank you, Angela Bostwick / Founder Marine Protected Species Consulting ProtectedSpeciesObservers.com https://Facebook.com/ProtectedSpeciesObservers/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From chapmanl at TMMC.org Mon Oct 3 14:05:34 2016 From: chapmanl at TMMC.org (Laura Chapman) Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2016 21:05:34 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Rescue & Response Apprenticeship - The Marine Mammal Center Message-ID: EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Rescue & Response Apprenticeship Mission The Marine Mammal Center's mission is to expand knowledge about marine mammals-their health and that of their ocean environment-and to inspire their global conservation. Our core work is the rescue and rehabilitation of sick and injured marine mammals, supported by state-of-the-art animal care and research facilities, a corps of dedicated volunteers, and an engaged community. About the Organization The Marine Mammal Center is the largest facility of its kind in the world. Founded in 1975, The Center has grown into an internationally renowned and state-of-the art marine mammal hospital, research center and educational organization. Each year, The Center treats 600 - 800 sick, injured and orphaned marine mammals, with the goal of rehabilitation and release. Its professional staff collaborates with over 30 different scientific, educational, federal, state and non-profit organizations from around the world. Marine mammal scientists and veterinarians from across the globe visit The Center and shadow its staff and volunteers to learn from the hundreds of animals treated each year, and from its acclaimed veterinary, scientific, and research staff. By collaborating with leading scientists and researchers to learn from the patients in their care, The Center expands and advances science to increase understanding of the health of the ocean and highlights implications for human health. In addition to its work within the scientific community, The Center's formal and informal education programs reach 100,000 children and adults ever year. Ultimately, The Center's work inspires action and fosters stewardship toward the care of our environment. Overlooking the ocean in the Marin Headlands, in Sausalito, CA, The Center operates three field stations in its 600-mile rescue range on the California coastline from San Luis Obispo through Mendocino County. Simultaneous to the construction of its new Kona, Hawaii facility, The Center's rescue range has increased to include the entire Hawaiian archipelago. With an annual operating budget of almost $9M, 60 to 70 staff depending on the time of year, and 1,200 actively engaged volunteers, The Center operates 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. About the Opportunity The Rescue & Response Apprenticeship is a temporary (12 month), full time, non-exempt paid position based out of the Sausalito Hospital. The position is designed to afford candidates new to the marine mammal field, the opportunity to work full-time alongside experienced marine mammal stranding responders. The apprentice will train directly with TMMC's marine mammal rescue and veterinary science staff, reporting directly to the Northern Range Operations Manager as a part of the Rescue & Response Team. Through practical experience, the apprentice will develop skills in the marine mammal stranding profession, including stranding preparedness, hotline coverage, volunteer coordination, marine mammal handling, assessment, transport, release, data collection, data entry, report writing, and other related responsibilities. This position serves the following primary functions: * Assist in the day to day operations of rescue and response central dispatch * Answer the Stranded Animal Hotline, communicating with concerned members of the public with empathy and understanding, and educating the public about marine mammals * Act as a mentor to Rescue & Response Interns and Volunteer Dispatchers, providing support and instruction as needed * Assist in a variety of tasks, including equipment maintenance, supply inventory and data entry * Adhere to and promote safety standards and protocols * Rotate after hours on-call, evening, weekend and holiday coverage Qualifications * 21 years of age or older * Four year college degree in the study of biology, zoology, ecology, marine or environmental studies (or a related field) * Legally eligible to work in the U.S. * Maintain a valid California Driver's License, with a clean driving record, and provide valid proof of insurance * Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with individuals, various sized groups and the general public * Enthusiastic, energetic, self-motivated individual, able to work in office as well as field environments * Computer proficient with basic Microsoft programs * Comfortable lifting 40+ pounds Preferred * New to the marine mammal field, looking to gain further experience in stranding response coordination * Customer service background, or hotline coverage experience All applications due by October 14th , 2016 Click Here to Apply -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From denupplyste at hotmail.com Wed Oct 5 20:02:52 2016 From: denupplyste at hotmail.com (Fredrik) Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2016 03:02:52 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New study measuring the body condition of humpback whales using drones Message-ID: Dear MARMAM colleagues, My co-authors and I are happy to announce the publication of the following paper in Ecosphere: Christiansen, F., A. M. Dujon, K. R. Sprogis, J. P. Y. Arnould, and L. Bejder. 2016. Noninvasive unmanned aerial vehicle provides estimates of the energetic cost of reproduction in humpback whales. Ecosphere 7(10):e01468. 10.1002/ecs2.1468 Abstract: An animal's body condition will affect its survival and reproductive success, which influences population dynamics. Despite its importance, relatively little is known about the body condition of large whales and its relationship to reproduction. We assessed the body condition of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) at a breeding/resting ground from aerial photographs recorded using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Photogrammetry methods were used to measure the surface area of individual whales, which was used as an index for body condition. Repeated measurements of the same individuals were not possible; hence, this study represents a cross-sectional sample of the population. Intraseasonal changes in the body condition of four reproductive classes (calves, immature, mature, and lactating) were investigated to infer the relative energetic cost that each class faces during the breeding season. To better understand the costs of reproduction, we investigated the relationship between female body condition (FBC) and the linear growth and body condition of their dependent calves (CBC). We documented a linear decline in the body condition of mature whales (0.027 m2/d; n = 20) and lactating females (0.032 m2/d; n = 31) throughout the breeding season, while there was no change in body condition of immature whales (n = 51) and calves (n = 32). The significant decline in mature and lactating female's body condition implies substantial energetic costs for these reproductive classes. In support of this, we found a positive linear relationship between FBC and CBC. This suggests that females in poorer body condition may not have sufficient energy stores to invest as much energy into their offspring as better conditioned females without jeopardizing their own body condition and survival probability. Measurement precision was investigated from repeated measurements of the same animals both from the same and different photographs, and by looking at residual errors in relation to the positioning of the whales in the photographs. The resulting errors were included in a sensitivity analysis to demonstrate that model parameters were robust to measurement errors. Our findings provide strong support for the use of UAVs as a noninvasive tool to measure the body condition of whales and other mammals. A copy of the paper can be downloaded for free from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.1468/full For more information about the project, please visit our project webpage: http://mucru.org/our-research/research-projects/baleen-whale-body-condition/ http://mucru.org/our-research/research-projects/humpback-condition-on-breeding-ground/ Also check out our blog: http://mucru.org/new-publication-estimating-cost-of-reproduction-in-humpback-whales-using-uavs/ Best regards, Fredrik Christiansen Postdoctoral Research Fellow Cetacean Research Unit, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia +61 417 502 098, f.christiansen at murdoch.edu.au http://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=vkA5Y3EAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fredrik_Christiansen3/?ev=hdr_xprf -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From info at geo-mar.com Mon Oct 3 03:32:59 2016 From: info at geo-mar.com (info at geo-mar.com) Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2016 13:32:59 +0300 Subject: [MARMAM] NIGERIAN MMO/PAM Message-ID: <69167A3F-C1D1-47EF-9502-7BD084FC25C1@geo-mar.com> Dear All, GMC is looking for two qualified Marine Mammal Observes (MMO) and Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) operators of Nigerian nationality, for an upcoming seismic project offshore Nigeria, Q4 2016. Please send your updated CV with relevant certificates asap. to info at geo-mar.com Thank you The GMC Recruiting Team From k.indeck at uq.edu.au Thu Oct 6 16:36:13 2016 From: k.indeck at uq.edu.au (Katherine Indeck) Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2016 23:36:13 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] ANZSCSMM: Final Call for Abstracts Message-ID: Dear ANZSCSMM members, This is a friendly reminder that the third Australia/New Zealand Student Chapter Meeting of the Society for Marine Mammalogy will take place on November 24th and 25th, 2016, starting at 9 AM at Flinders University (South Australia). There will be an optional half-day workshop (Introduction to DISCOVERY: Photo-Identification Data-Management System for Individually Recognisable Animals) on Wednesday afternoon, November 23rd, which will be run by our colleagues from the University of Hong Kong. This opportunity will be free, and open to all interested conference participants. The Chapter has funding to provide meals during the two days of the conference, as well as the opportunity to cover most, if not all, accommodation costs for those traveling from outside of Adelaide (3 nights; depending upon need). We would therefore like to reiterate that all university students (undergraduates to postdocs) from Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, and Southeast Asia are welcome to attend. We encourage attendees to give an oral presentation (15 minutes) or to present a poster about their current (or planned) work on marine mammals. Participants wishing to present must submit an abstract (max. 300 words) by Friday October 21st. Please send an email as soon as possible to anzscsmm at gmail.com with the subject 'ANZSCSMM Abstract', along with your presentation preference, abstract, name, affiliation, the state/country you'll be traveling from, any dietary requirements, and a request for accommodation (if applicable). If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us! We will be sending out a schedule and an abstract book two weeks prior to the conference. We look forward to meeting you all, ANZ Student Chapter Heads ?___________________________________________________________________________ Kate Indeck The Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory, University of Queensland Cecilia Passadore Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Laboratory, Flinders University Jessica Pati?o P?rez Ecology, Behaviour and Conservation Group, Massey University Katherine Indeck PhD Candidate Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory School of Veterinary Science University of Queensland Gatton Campus QLD 4343, Australia Phone: (07) 5460 1877 Mob: 0413 933 922 Email: k.indeck at uq.edu.au CEAL website: https://ceal.lab.uq.edu.au/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From felix.marx at monash.edu Wed Oct 5 23:20:38 2016 From: felix.marx at monash.edu (Felix Marx) Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2016 17:20:38 +1100 Subject: [MARMAM] New fossil rorqual from Peru Message-ID: Dear colleagues, please find below the abstract and link to our recently published, open access paper on a new fossil species of rorqual from the Miocene of Peru: Marx, F.G. and Kohno, N. 2016. A new Miocene baleen whale from the Peruvian desert. Royal Society Open Science 3: 160542 Link: http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/3/10/160542 Abstract: The Pisco-Ica and Sacaco basins of southern Peru are renowned for their abundance of exceptionally preserved fossil cetaceans, several of which retain traces of soft tissue and occasionally even stomach contents. Previous work has mostly focused on odontocetes, with baleen whales currently being restricted to just three described taxa. Here, we report a new Late Miocene rorqual (family Balaenopteridae), *Incakujira anillodefuego* gen. et sp. nov., based on two exceptionally preserved specimens from the Pisco Formation exposed at Aguada de Lomas, Sacaco Basin, southern Peru. *Incakujira* overall closely resembles modern balaenopterids, but stands out for its unusually gracile ascending process of the maxilla, as well as a markedly twisted postglenoid process of the squamosal. The latter likely impeded lateral (omega) rotation of the mandible, in stark contrast with the highly flexible craniomandibular joint of extant lunge-feeding rorquals. Overall, *Incakujira *expands the still meagre Miocene record of balaenopterids and reveals a previously underappreciated degree of complexity in the evolution of their iconic lunge-feeding strategy. Kind regards, Felix Marx _____________________________ *Felix G. Marx* PhD Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow *Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium *Monash University, Melbourne, Australia *Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Australia Address: School of Biological Sciences, Monash University 25 Rainforest Walk, VIC 3800, Australia Tel. +61 (0)3 9905 1190 (Monash University) or +61 (0)3 8341 7733 (Museum Victoria) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From felix.marx at monash.edu Fri Oct 7 05:54:57 2016 From: felix.marx at monash.edu (Felix Marx) Date: Sat, 8 Oct 2016 01:54:57 +1300 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper on the phylogeny of the pygmy right whale (Caperea) Message-ID: Dear colleagues, please find below the abstract and link to our recently published, open access paper on a re-interpretation of the only known fossil pygmy right whale, Miocaperea pulchra, and the status of the living pygmy right whale as the last survivor of the otherwise extinct family Cetotheriidae: Marx, F.G. and Fordyce, N. 2016. A link no longer missing: new evidence for the cetotheriid affinities of Caperea. PLoS ONE 11: e0164059 Link: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0164059 Abstract: The origins of the enigmatic pygmy right whale Caperea marginata, the only living member of its subfamily (Neobalaeninae), are an outstanding mystery of cetacean evolution. Its strikingly disparate morphology sets Caperea apart from all other whales, and has turned it into a wildcard taxon that holds the key to understanding modern baleen whale diversity. Morphological cladistics generally ally this species with right whales, whereas molecular analyses consistently cluster it with rorquals and grey whales (Balaenopteroidea). A recent study potentially resolved this conflict by proposing that Caperea belongs with the otherwise extinct Cetotheriidae, but has been strongly criticised on morphological grounds. Evidence from the neobalaenine fossil record could potentially give direct insights into morphological transitions, but is currently limited to just a single species: the Late Miocene Miocaperea pulchra, from Peru. We show that Miocaperea has a highly unusual morphology of the auditory region, resulting from a?presumably feeding-related?strengthening of the articulation of the hyoid apparatus with the skull. This distinctive arrangement is otherwise only found in the extinct Cetotheriidae, which makes Miocaperea a ?missing link? that demonstrates the origin of pygmy right whales from cetotheriids, and confirms the latter?s resurrection from the dead. Kind regards, Felix Marx _____________________________ *Felix G. Marx* PhD Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow *Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium *Monash University, Melbourne, Australia *Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Australia Address: School of Biological Sciences, Monash University 25 Rainforest Walk, VIC 3800, Australia Tel. +61 (0)3 9905 1190 (Monash University) or +61 (0)3 8341 7733 (Museum Victoria) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jeremy.kiszka at gmail.com Wed Oct 5 04:33:18 2016 From: jeremy.kiszka at gmail.com (Jeremy KISZKA) Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2016 07:33:18 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: genetic population structure of spinner dolphins in the SW Indian Ocean Message-ID: Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the following publication: Viricel, A., Simon-Bouhet, B., Ceyrac, L., Dulau-Drouot, V., Berggren, P., Amir, O.A., Jiddawi, N., Mongin, P. & Kiszka, J. Habitat availability and geographic isolation as potential drivers of the population structure in an oceanic dolphin in the Southwest Indian Ocean. Marine Biology 163:219 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00227-016-2999-3 Abstract Delphinid populations show highly variable patterns of genetic diversity and population structure. Previous studies indicate that habitat discontinuities and geographic isolation are major drivers of population division in cetaceans. Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) are distributed in all tropical oceans, but they are particularly common around islands and atolls. This species occurs in shallow waters at daytime to rest and socialise, and feeds on offshore mesopelagic prey overnight. Here, we investigated the genetic population structure of spinner dolphins in the Southwest Indian Ocean along a west?east geographic gradient, from eastern Africa to the Mascarene archipelago. We combined analyses of 12 microsatellite loci, mtDNA control region sequences, and sighting data to assess genetic differentiation and characterise habitat preferences of these populations. Significant genetic structure among the three sampled sites (Zanzibar, Mayotte and La R?union) was observed using both types of molecular markers. Overall, our results indicate that geographic isolation and potentially other factors, such as shallow-water habitats to rest and socialise, may be important drivers of the genetic population structure of insular spinner dolphins in this region. Please contact me (jeremy.kiszka at gmail.com) if you have any question. Cheers, Jeremy -------------------------------------------- Jeremy Kiszka (PhD) Research Assistant Professor Florida International University Department of Biological Sciences Tel. (305) 919 4104 (office) Mobile. (786) 717 9797 (cell) Visit Global FinPrint Project https://globalfinprint.org -------------------------------------------- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kjr33 at st-andrews.ac.uk Fri Oct 7 04:20:59 2016 From: kjr33 at st-andrews.ac.uk (Kelly Robinson) Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2016 11:20:59 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on sources of individual variation in aggression in Grey Seals Message-ID: Dear MARMAM subscribers, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce a new publication exploring the ontogeny of aggressive behaviour in young grey seals: Robinson, K.J., Pomeroy, P.P. , Hazon, N., Moss, S. & Twiss, S.D. (2016). Individual size, sex and rearing environment impact on aggression in newly weaned seals. Marine Mammal Science, DOI: 10.1111/mms.12367 Summary: Aggressive behavior is an important part of how animals interact with each other. Aggressiveness enables individuals to defend themselves or to exploit opportunities to obtain resources from others. We investigated which physical and environmental factors affect how aggressive gray seal pups are towards each other once weaned from their mothers on the Isle of May breeding colony in Scotland. We found that pups raised on crowded areas of the colony were more aggressive than pups from areas with few seals, and that physical characteristics (sex and size) also influence how aggressive individuals of this seal species are. Males showed a postive correlation between aggression and size, while the relationship female size and aggression showed a non-linear relationship. Further research is needed to determine whether heightened aggressiveness in large or high density reared infants persists into adulthood, whether it is consistent throughout an individual's lifetime, or if this relationship is present in other age groups or species. The article can be found at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12367/full The article will soon be open access; so anyone who is interested in the manuscript should be able to download a pdf of it once this has gone through. However if you have any problems getting a copy please email kjr33 at st-andrews.ac.uk. Kind regards, Dr Kelly Robinson Research Fellow Sea Mammal Research Unit Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews KY16 8LB Tel: +44(0)1334 462635 Twitter: @_SMRU_ For more information about my research please visit: https://kellyrobinsonscience.wordpress.com/ *********************************************** The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland : No SC013532 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ler4 at st-andrews.ac.uk Tue Oct 4 04:45:06 2016 From: ler4 at st-andrews.ac.uk (Luke Rendell) Date: Tue, 4 Oct 2016 11:45:06 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: "Mediterranean Sperm Whales, Physeter macrocephalus: The Precarious State of a Lost Tribe" Message-ID: Colleagues, The following article has been published online: Rendell, L. & Frantzis, A. 2016. Mediterranean Sperm Whales, Physeter macrocephalus: The Precarious State of a Lost Tribe. Advances in Marine Biology Volume 75. Editors: Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara, Michela Podest?, Barbara E. Curry. DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2016.08.001 Abstract First observed in the classical era, a population of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) persists to this day in the deep waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Genetic and observational evidence support the notion that this is an isolated population, separated from its Atlantic neighbours. These whales depend on mesopelagic squid for food, and appear to occupy a very similar ecological niche to sperm whales in the open oceans. Recent evidence proving that individuals can pass between the eastern and western deep water basins confirms that this is a single population, not isolated into western and eastern stocks. We lack robust information on their population status, but they could number in the hundreds rather than thousands, and current densities appear to be much lower than those reported in the 1950s, suggesting that we should be very concerned about the conservation status of this population. This makes it vitally important to address the serious threats posed by ship strikes and entanglement in fishing nets, especially driftnets, and to carefully monitor other potential sources of anthropogenic impact. A step change in funding to collect better data and a clear shift in policy priorities are needed if we are to be serious about conserving this population. It is available here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065288116300128 Alternatively, email ler4 at st-andrews.ac.uk for a PDF. Best wishes, Luke & Alexandros -- Dr. Luke Rendell MASTS (masts.ac.uk) Reader in Biology Tel: (44)(0)1334 463499 E-mail: ler4 at st-andrews.ac.uk WWW: http://bio.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/ler4.htm School of Biology, University of St. Andrews Sir Harold Mitchell Building, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH U.K. The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland (SC013532) From manateeaging at gmail.com Thu Oct 6 20:40:01 2016 From: manateeaging at gmail.com (Katie Brill) Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2016 23:40:01 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on manatee aging Message-ID: My co-authors and I are pleased to announce a new publication published in NAMMCO Scientific Publications. Brill, K., Marmontel, M., Bolen-Richardson, M., & Stewart, R. (2016). *Inter-lab comparison of precision and recommended methods for age estimation of Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) using growth layer groups in earbones*. *NAMMCO Scientific Publications, 10*. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7557/3.3786 Abstract: Manatees are routinely aged by counting Growth Layer Groups (GLGs) in periotic bones (earbones). Manatee carcasses recovered in Florida between 1974 and 2010 provided age-estimation material for three readers and formed the base for a retrospective analysis of aging precision (repeatability). All readers were in good agreement (high precision) with the greatest apparent source of variation being the result of earbone remodelling with increasing manatee age. Over the same period, methods of sample preparation and of determining a final age estimate changed. We examined the effects of altering methods on ease of reading GLGs and found no statistical differences. Accurate age estimates are an important component for effective management of the species and for better models of population trends and we summarize the currently recommended methods for estimating manatee ages using earbones. Feel free to contact me for any inquiries at ManateeAging at gmail.com Thanks, Katie Brill -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From srullman at earthwatch.org Fri Oct 7 11:01:25 2016 From: srullman at earthwatch.org (Stan Rullman) Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2016 18:01:25 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Earthwatch announcing RFP for Marine Multitrophic Ecology Youth Program, for projects to begin in 2018 Message-ID: [EW-logo-K] Dear MARMAM scientists, Earthwatch is pleased to announce a request for proposals for the Earthwatch Marine Multitrophic Ecology Youth Research Program, for field research projects to begin in 2018. PDFs of this announcement and details on the submission process are available here: http://earthwatch.org/scientific-research/apply-for-funding/working-with-earthwatch. Request for Proposals for Field Research: Earthwatch Marine Multitrophic Ecology Youth Research Program Oceans cover 71 percent of the earth's surface area and produce some of humanity's most important resources. They play an integral role in regulating many of the earth's systems, such as climate, and provide food for billions of people and other vital ecosystem services. Yet ocean ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to global change. Historical and ongoing shifts to marine food webs have resulted in loss of biodiversity, extinction, and economic loss. Restoring resiliency to marine ecosystems requires multitrophic, data-rich research that examines marine megafaunal impacts on whole food webs. Effectively addressing global change and sustainability issues in the marine environment and beyond also necessitates a multi-generation approach that incorporates STEM practices and aligns with Next Generation Science Standards. Authentically engaging youth in research may also fulfill many of the broader impacts targets associated with other sources of funding. In order to mentor and encourage the next generation of environmental scientists and leaders, Earthwatch is inviting proposals for marine multitrophic ecology projects based in North America, Central America, Europe, and the Caribbean that actively engage youth in conducting field research. We are seeking research proposals from scientists for projects that will engage with young volunteers in order to address global change in ocean ecosystems by: * Conducting novel multitrophic marine research utilizing principles of chemistry, biology, ecology and engineering; * Assessing and/or addressing human-wildlife conflict between humans and marine animals; * Mitigating the impacts of unsustainable resource extraction (both biotic and abiotic) in a manner that maintains native biodiversity and productivity; * Directly informing management plans and environmental policies; and * Relating the research to multi-generational solutions that are actionable by youth volunteers. All proposed projects must study high-trophic level megafauna that potentially function as keystone species (e.g., Chelonioidea, Elasmobranchii, Sirenia and Cetacea) and have an overarching research theme directly related to global change. All must enable participation of young citizen scientists (15-18 years old). Projects must have the flexibility to allow participation by community members and adults as needed. All projects must have a research administrator to manage field and data logistics. We strongly welcome proposals for projects that will improve the livelihoods of human communities and help develop scientists in emerging nations. Harnessing the Power of Citizen Science to Address Global Change: For 45 years, in order to find sustainable solutions to global change, Earthwatch has sent scientists into the field assisted by citizen-scientist volunteers. Collectively, our goal is to support projects that produce rigorous, relevant, and impactful science. Participation by volunteers increases the broader impacts of the research we support. Citizen scientists return home with a deeper awareness of what is at stake and greater commitment to address conservation challenges. To fit the citizen-science model of this RFP, all proposed projects must: * Have a 3-year or longer duration (longer-term research may receive priority support); * Incorporate field-based research; * Have data gathered primarily by citizen-scientist volunteers recruited by Earthwatch; * Field 4 to 10 teams annually that span 7 to 14 days, each team accommodating up to 20 volunteers; * Incorporate high-school student participation; * Field in the summer, or in alignment with spring academic break (i.e. April, March); * Provide housing for volunteers within a reasonable distance from the research site; * Be run in English, with all communications and supporting documents in English; * Give equal emphasis to education and data collection; and * Share project data with managers and if possible contribute to open-source datasets. Grants: Annual grants cover project expenses while in the field including: equipment (limited), tools, and supplies; research permits; scientist transport to the field; support staff; food and housing for principal investigators, staff, and Earthwatch volunteers. Grants do not cover scientist salaries, student tuition, overhead, capital equipment, or post-fielding data analysis. Typical annual budgets average between US $20,000-$80,000, with approximately half covering project volunteer expenses. Final grants are based on the number of volunteers participating. We provide funding for 3 years, subject to passing an annual performance review. Funding is renewable, upon submitting a research renewal proposal. Additional Support: All youth groups will be accompanied by 1-2 adult chaperones provided through Earthwatch. These adults are typically teachers, Earthwatch staff, and trained field techs from other projects. They provide additional support for the team on the ground, and manage youth after hours and during free time. We typically have a 6:1 ratio of youth to chaperones. We are happy to facilitate peer-to-peer sharing by connecting new PIs with PIs who have previously fielded youth teams through Earthwatch. Principal Investigator Requirements: All proposals must be submitted by the PI with a PhD, an affiliation with a university, government agency, or NGO, who can pass a background check. We encourage graduate student participation in projects. Scientists must be interested in working with 15-18 year old students. We encourage PIs and support staff with relevant experience to highlight this experience in their proposal. We particularly are interested in helping support developing scientists from emerging nations. Submitting a Pre-Proposal: All pre-proposals and supporting documents must be in English. Earthwatch will select pre-proposals for development into full research proposals based on quality and relevance of the project proposed, PI qualifications, and goodness of fit for citizen science. Due to safety concerns, we are unable to support projects in the following areas: Earthwatch No Go List. To submit a pre-proposal, visit earthwatch.org/scientific-research/scientist-opportunities/working-with-earthwatch. Pre-Proposals for projects beginning in 2018 will be accepted through 11:59 PM (EDT) November 6, 2016. Please direct inquiries to: research at earthwatch.org ****************************** Stan Rullman, PhD Research Director Earthwatch Institute 114 Western Ave, Boston, MA 02134 T: +1-978-450-1228 | www.earthwatch.org Fax : +1-978-461-2332 Skype: stan.rullman [cid:image003.png at 01D2209A.7B43F7B0] - Connect on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Earthwatch Video -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 633873 bytes Desc: image001.jpg URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 3879 bytes Desc: image002.jpg URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.png Type: image/png Size: 7329 bytes Desc: image003.png URL: From craniata at gmail.com Sat Oct 8 00:48:39 2016 From: craniata at gmail.com (Cheng-Hsiu Tsai) Date: Sat, 8 Oct 2016 16:48:39 +0900 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication - Tsai and Kohno 2016 early gigantism in Mysticeti Message-ID: Dear colleagues We are pleased to announce a new article, considering the early gigantism in baleen whales. The full text could be viewed and/or downloaded here: http://rdcu.be/kMlY or http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00114-016-1417-5 Alternatively, please email me: craniata at gmail.com or cheng-hsiu.tsai at otago.ac.nz Abstract Living baleen whales (Mysticeti) include the world?s largest animals to have ever lived?blue whales (*Balaenoptera musculus*) can reach more than 30 m. However, the gigantism in baleen whales remains little explored. Here, we compiled all published stem mysticetes from the Eocene and Oligocene and then mapped the estimated body size onto different phylogenies that suggest distinct evolutionary histories of baleen whales. By assembling all known stem baleen whales, we present three novel findings in early mysticete evolution. Results show that, regardless of different phylogenetic scenarios, large body size (more than 5-m long) evolved multiple times independently in their early evolutionary history. For example, the earliest known aetiocetid (*Fucaia buelli*, 33?31 Ma) was small in size, about 2 m, and a later aetiocetid (*Morawanocetus*-like animal, 26?23 Ma) can reach 8-mlong?almost four times the size of *Fucaia buelli*?suggesting an independent gigantism in the aetiocetid lineage. In addition, our reconstruction of ancestral state demonstrates that the baleen whales originated from small body size (less than 5 m) rather than large body size as previously acknowledged. Moreover, reconstructing the evolution of body size in stem baleen whales suggests that the initial pulse of mysticete gigantism started at least back to the Paleogene and in turn should help to understand the origin, pattern, and process of the extreme gigantism in the crown baleen whales. This study illustrates that Cope?s rule is insufficient to explain the evolution of body size in a group that comprises the largest animals in the history of life, although currently the lack of exact ancestor-descendant relationships remains to fully reveal the evolutionary history of body size. Regards and all the best, Tsai -- ????Cheng-Hsiu Tsai ?? ????) JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellow (JSPS: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science ???????) Department of Geology and Paleontology, National Museum of Nature and Science (Tsukuba Research Center) 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-0005, Japan Email: cheng-hsiu.tsai at otago.ac.nz; craniata at gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mikafontaine at gmail.com Sat Oct 8 03:55:51 2016 From: mikafontaine at gmail.com (Michael GMAIL) Date: Sat, 8 Oct 2016 12:55:51 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: "Harbour porpoises, Phocoena phocoena, in the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent regions: biogeographic relicts of the last glacial period Message-ID: <3A95D642-0822-490A-8B49-54BC18FB515F@gmail.com> Dear colleagues, I am delighted to announced the publication of this new review paper about the harbour porpoises: Fontaine M. C., 2016 Harbour porpoises, Phocoena phocoena, in the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent regions: biogeographic relicts of the last glacial period. In: Notarbartolo di Sciara G, Podest? M, Curry BE (Eds.), Advances in Marine Biology v. 75. Mediterranean Marine Mammal Ecology and Conservation, Elsevier, p. in press. DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2016.08.006 Abstract The harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena, is one of the best studied cetacean species owing to its common distribution along the coastal waters of the Northern Hemisphere. In European waters, strandings are common and bycatch mortalities in commercial fisheries reach alarming numbers. Lethal interactions resulting from human activities together with ongoing environmental changes raise serious concerns about population viability throughout the species? range. These concerns foster the need to fill critical gaps in knowledge of harbour porpoise biology, including population structure, feeding ecology, habitat preference and evolutionary history, that are critical information for planning effective management and conservation efforts. While the species is distributed fairly continuously in the North Atlantic Ocean, it becomes fragmented in the south-eastern part with isolated populations occurring along the Atlantic coasts of the Iberian Peninsula, Northwest Africa and the Black Sea. The latter population is separated from Atlantic populations by the Mediterranean Sea, where the species is almost entirely absent. Understanding the evolutionary history of these populations occurring in marginal habitats holds the potential to reveal fundamental aspects of the species' biology such as the factors determining its distribution, ecological niche, and how past and recent environmental variation have shaped the current population structure. This information can be critical for understanding the future evolution of the species in consideration of ongoing environmental changes. This chapter summarizes the recent advances in our knowledge regarding the populations bordering the Mediterranean Sea with a special emphasis on their ecological and evolutionary history, which has recently been reconstructed from genetic analyses. It is available here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065288116300311 You can also contact me too, Best regards Michael -- ><((((?>`?.??.???`?.?.???`?...?><((((?>?. `?.??.???`?.?????`?.. ><((((?>`?.??.???`?.?.???`?...?><((((?> Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Nijenborgh 7 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands Email: m.c.fontaine at rug.nl Researcher-ID (G-5350-2011) Professional webpage: www.rug.nl/staff/m.c.fontaine/ Personal webpage: michaelcfontaine.wordpress.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From PSOeTraining at rpsgroup.com Fri Oct 7 13:18:08 2016 From: PSOeTraining at rpsgroup.com (PSO Training) Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2016 20:18:08 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Online PSO / MMO Training Message-ID: <996B45FB47063246B2581BCE2AADCE30D9A6A9@EXCH-MBX-09.eur.rpsgroup.com> Become a Protected Species Observer/Marine Mammal Observer at any time through PSOeTraining, the first U.S. regulatory-compliant online PSO/MMO training course. The course is offered for $395 and consists of 12 graded lessons, a practical species identification quiz designed to simulate real in-field detection events, and a comprehensive final exam. The training program was created by instructors whom are accepted trainers by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), in collaboration with experienced PSOs, degreed biologists, educators, and industry professionals. Successful completion of the program results in a professional certification that distinguishes you as a PSO. Whether you are looking to work in the field as a PSO, to expand your knowledge of protected species regulations, marine environmental issues, and/or geological and geophysical regulations, or enhance your skillset, this course has something to offer you! Register today at PSOeTraining.com! RPS Group has been the leading provider for PSO services in the Gulf of Mexico for over a decade and we are proud to present this high-quality, convenient, and effective online certification program. Doctors, engineers, pilots, and other professionals complete certification and/or degree programs that are available online, and now PSOs join the ranks of those benefiting from online learning! Our intensive e-training program will engage and instruct you with informative videos, interactive quizzes, and stimulating content. The combination of a fun, interesting program and self-paced learning has been proven to facilitate learning and increase retention of the material-leading to better, more qualified PSOs! Learn more at PSOeTraining.com! This e-mail message and any attached file is the property of the sender and is sent in confidence to the addressee only. Internet communications are not secure and RPS is not responsible for their abuse by third parties, any alteration or corruption in transmission or for any loss or damage caused by a virus or by other means. Any advice contained in this e-mail is for information purposes only. RPS Group Plc, company number: 208 7786 (England). Registered office: 20 Western Avenue Milton Park Abingdon Oxfordshire OX14 4SH. RPS Group Plc web link: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From shane.gero at bios.au.dk Fri Oct 7 12:26:54 2016 From: shane.gero at bios.au.dk (Shane Gero) Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2016 19:26:54 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Critical Decline of the Eastern Caribbean Sperm Whale Population [NEW PUBLICATION] Message-ID: Dear all, It is unfortunate that we must announce the publication of the following in PLoS ONE: Critical Decline of the Eastern Caribbean Sperm Whale Population By: Shane Gero and Hal Whitehead The paper is OPEN ACCESS and available here: HTML Full Text: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0162019 PDF: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/asset?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0162019.PDF Abstract: Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) populations were expected to rebuild following the end of commercial whaling. We document the decline of the population in the eastern Caribbean by tracing demographic changes of well-studied social units. We address hypotheses that, over a ten-year period of dedicated effort (2005-2015), unit size, numbers of calves and/or calving rates have each declined. Across 16 units, the number of adults decreased in 12 units, increased in two, and showed no change in two. The number of adults per unit decreased at -0.195 individuals/yr (95% CI: -0.080 to -0.310; P = 0.001). The number of calves also declined, but the decline was not significant. This negative trend of -4.5% per year in unit size started in about 2010, with numbers being fairly stable until then. There are several natural and anthropogenic threats, but no well-substantiated cause for the decline. Citation: Gero S, Whitehead H (2016) Critical Decline of the Eastern Caribbean Sperm Whale Population. PLoS ONE 11(10): e0162019. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0162019 My very best Shane **************************** Shane Gero VILLUM Research Fellow Marine Bioacoustics Lab Institute for Bioscience Aarhus University Denmark Learn more about The Dominica Sperm Whale Project at http://www.thespermwhaleproject.org Find us on Facebook or Follow @DomWhale -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Barbara.Linnehan at vanaqua.org Sat Oct 8 15:55:41 2016 From: Barbara.Linnehan at vanaqua.org (Barbara Linnehan) Date: Sat, 8 Oct 2016 22:55:41 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Veterinary Fellowship- Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver, BC, Canada Message-ID: <772810214d8447ce95c6ee3667654839@va-ex01.vanaqua.local> EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Job title: Vancouver Aquarium Veterinary Fellow Application deadline: December 1, 2016 ROLE OVERVIEW Reporting to the Staff Veterinarian, the Veterinary Fellow will assist the veterinary staff in providing medical management for a large captive display collection that includes marine mammals, terrestrial mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and a large variety of native and tropical fish as well as approximately 150 live-stranded marine mammals (mostly harbour seals) which are cared for by the Vancouver Aquarium. This is a one-year position beginning in summer 2017 for a veterinarian interested in pursuing specialized training in aquatic animal medicine. As part of the application process, please email: cover letter, CV, three letters of reference, and veterinary transcripts to Demash Kristanto, HR Coordinator, at demash.kristanto at vanaqua.org. Application deadline: December 1st, 2016. Decisions will be made by Jan 20th , 2017 KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES Responsible for providing medical management for the captive display collection and live stranded marine mammals by: * Conducting veterinary duties such as examinations, blood sampling, parasite screening, diagnostic imaging, anesthesia, vaccinations and surgeries; * Assisting in the development of the health management program, treatment regimens and emergency medical procedures; * Taking responsibility for treatment of hospital cases; * Keeping up to date records. Assist the veterinary staff in providing a comprehensive animal health program to the Vancouver Aquarium by: * Completing regular veterinary rounds; * Conducting regular physical examinations; * Managing and encouraging routine communication between the veterinary and staff/researchers. Participates in post mortem examinations of stranded marine mammals under the supervision of a board-certified veterinary pathologist at the provincial Animal Health Centre. Oversee veterinary externship program * Assist in the selection and scheduling of visiting externs, researchers, interns and residents; * Mentor and teach visiting veterinary students (12-15 per year). Complete and assist with research papers or case report by: * Developing a research proposal; * Taking samples for various research projects; * Completing research paper for scientific publication. QUALIFICATIONS Education and Experience * DVM degree or equivalent; * Previous marine mammal or wildlife experience is a plus; * Individuals must be eligible for licensing in the Province of British Columbia; * At least one year of clinical veterinary experience is required and a small animal internship is preferred. SKILLS: * Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) and ability to work in a complex team; * Ability to complete tasks and make sound decisions; * Excellent problem solving skills; ability to think quickly under pressure and high stress; * Strong organization skills (scheduling procedures, examinations, planning logistics for off-site procedures). WORKING CONDITIONS: * Job involves constant attention while working with animals for personal safety and the safety of others; * Exposure to animal bites, animal pathogens and chemicals; * Requires lifting medical equipment; * Requires ability to gain access to all animal holding areas some of which are difficult to enter and require ladders and walking on slippery surfaces; * Requires working rotating shifts, weekends, and holidays and may be on call 24 hours per day. For further information, please feel free to e-mail Barbara.Linnehan at vanaqua.org Please visit www.vanaqua.org to submit your online application. Martin Haulena, DVM, MSc, Dipl. ACZM Head Veterinarian martin.haulena at vanaqua.org Barbara Linnehan, DVM Veterinary Fellow Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre Barbara.Linnehan at vanaqua.org ________________________________ CONFIDENTIALITY WARNING - THIS MESSAGE IS INTENDED ONLY FOR THE ADDRESSEE, IT MAY CONTAIN PRIVILEGED OR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. ANY UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED THIS MESSAGE IN ERROR, PLEASE NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY SO THAT WE MAY CORRECT OUR INTERNAL RECORDS. PLEASE THEN DELETE THE ORIGINAL MESSAGE. THANK YOU ________________________________ We enjoy talking to you - If you do not wish to receive further information from us (where applicable), please email PRIVACY at VANAQUA.ORG or write to our policy officer at Vancouver Aquarium, PO Box 3232 Vancouver, BC V6B 3X8 For more information about our privacy or anti-spam policies, please visit www.vanaqua.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kit.kovacs at npolar.no Sat Oct 8 11:26:00 2016 From: kit.kovacs at npolar.no (Kit Kovacs) Date: Sat, 8 Oct 2016 18:26:00 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] FW: MSc and PhD Course offering in Biotelemetry Message-ID: Spring 2017 (03 April - 08 may) an MSc and PhD (several additional work elements for PhDs) course offering in Biotelemetry and Biologging will be held at UNIS in Svalbard. This course is taught at the High Arctic Campus in Longyearbyen with field elements in the surrounding area (Isfjorden, Templefjorden etc.). The course will start with Arctic safety training. Academic topics in the course will include the following. 1) Basic principles for radio signal transmission & antenna theory 2) Telemetric technology, regulations and management of frequencies 3) Ethics (animal welfare) in biotelemetry/biologging 4) Introduction to VHF-based telemetry andGPS-positioning systems in biotelemetry -transmitters applications and limitations 5) Telemetry & biologging equipment - a manufacturers perspective 6) User "issues" - another manufacturer's perspective - trouble shooting 7) Maps, mapping and GPS technology - Practical applications 8) Acoustic telemetry - Methods & Science questions 9) Range size, habitat use etc. (Storage, and retrieval of data and the integration of animal tracks and terrestrial environmental data) 10) An introduction to GIS tools 11) Design considerations/limitations in marine mammal biotelemetry 12) Biotelemetry and biologging with Svalbard's marine mammals - case studies 13) Linking marine mammal telemetry & the environment - MAMVIS & statistical tools 14) Remote methods in sea bird research - transponders, photographic systems & tracking case studies 15) Fish tracking 16) Physiological telemetry -applications and potential 17) Looking into the future.... Marine mammals will be featured heavily - though not exclusively - in this course offering. For applications details see below (late applicants are very unlikely to get placements). Applications due 15 October (Norwegian time). Prof. Kit M. Kovacs Course co-ordinator [http://www.unis.no/99_SYSTEM_STUFF/graphical_elements_for_template_and_css/background_elements/spacer.gif] UNIS offers internationally recognized research- and field-based education in Arctic sciences, and provide students with modern research infrastructure. Student evaluations indicate that students rate their UNIS experience as "awesome". The application deadline is October 15 2016, and you will find information on how to apply here If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the student advisors at UNIS directly: study at unis.no -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 168 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From disciara at gmail.com Sun Oct 2 04:23:22 2016 From: disciara at gmail.com (Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara) Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2016 13:23:22 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] Advice concerning "swim with marine mammals" Message-ID: <7551F4F8-ED63-42D8-84D5-FD2605FC8704@gmail.com> Dear Marmam-ers, I am writing in the hope that someone will be able to help me with advice as I am addressing the conservation implications of swimming with aquatic mammals. This is an issue which raises increasing concerns for the potential or actual disturbance that tourist swimming schemes infer on cetaceans in many locations around the world, which can have conservation implications. Having been tasked within the CMS Scientific Council to come up with a briefing background paper on the issue and possibly with a draft resolution to be tabled at the next Conference of Parties, and being only familiar with cases involving dolphins or whales, I am writing with the hope of obtaining information on cases involving "swimming with pinnipeds?, ?swimming with sirenians?, or swimming with any other non-cetacean marine mammal, anywhere in the world. The above considered, here are my questions: a) are you aware of ?swim with pinnipeds? or ?swimming with sirenians? schemes being organised for tourists anywhere in the world, and if yes where and with which species? b) if the answer to a) is yes, would you kindly send me the name and address of one or more persons who could serve as referents for particular cases? Thanking you in advance for any information and your advice you might have on this issue. Best wishes, Giuseppe Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara CoP-appointed Councillor for Aquatic Mammals Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals disciara at gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jonathan.shannon at noaa.gov Thu Oct 6 10:37:34 2016 From: jonathan.shannon at noaa.gov (Jonathan Shannon - NOAA Federal) Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2016 13:37:34 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] NOAA Marine Debris Program Research Grants, deadline 12/19 (U.S. only) Message-ID: Good afternoon MarMam, ?T? he NOAA Marine Debris Program ?is ? soliciting project proposals ? from U.S.-based organizations? to conduct marine debris research activities ? in ?U.S. waters through Grants.gov . The deadline for submission is December 19, 2016. Projects awarded through this grant competition may address one or more of the the following research priorities: ?- ? exploring the ecological risks associated with marine debris ? ?- ? determining debris exposure levels ? ?- ? examining the fate and transport of marine debris in nearshore, coastal environments Through this solicitation NOAA aims to advance the state of marine debris science by funding original, hypothesis-driven research projects to enhance resource management objectives and contribute to the overall understanding of the impacts marine debris can have. Typical awards will range from $150,000 to $250,000. Funding for this purpose comes through the NOAA Marine Debris Program. This opportunity is open to U.S. based organizations only. The due date for proposals is December 19, 2016. To learn more about this funding opportunity, please see the opportunity posting on Grants.gov ?.? If you have any questions, contact Amy.Uhrin at noaa.gov Thank you, Jonathan Shannon *Outreach Specialist* NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources U.S. Department of Commerce Office: 301-427-8431 jonathan.shannon at noaa.gov *Webhttp://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pr/ Facebookwww.facebook.com/noaafisheries Twitterwww.twitter.com/noaafisherie sYouTubewww.youtube.com/usnoaafisheriesgov The views expressed in this message are my own and do not necessarily reflect any position of NOAA, the Department of Commerce, or the government of the United States.* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From candace.nachman at noaa.gov Tue Oct 11 10:04:29 2016 From: candace.nachman at noaa.gov (Candace Nachman - NOAA Federal) Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2016 13:04:29 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] NMFS Releases Final EIS on the Effects of Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic Ocean Message-ID: All, The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is pleased to announce the availability of the Effects of Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic Ocean Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS). The Final EIS is now available on the project website: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/eis/arctic.htm. The purpose of the EIS is to evaluate, in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of implementing the alternative approaches for authorizing the take of marine mammals incidental to oil and gas exploration activities in the Arctic Ocean pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) was a cooperating agency on this EIS, and as such, this EIS also evaluates the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of implementing the alternative approaches for authorizing geological and geophysical surveys and ancillary activities under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act in the Arctic Ocean. The North Slope Borough was also a cooperating agency on this EIS. NMFS approved the Final EIS for publication, and the Notice of Availability (NOA) will publish in the *Federal Register* on Friday, October 21, 2016. Once published, a link to the NOA will be available on the project website listed above. Thank you for your interest and participation in the Effects of Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic Ocean EIS. Candace -- Candace Nachman HQ Arctic Liaison NOAA Fisheries Office of Policy 1315 East West Highway, Rm 14530 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Ph: (301) 427-8031 Fax: (301) 713-1940 Web: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From hwhitehead at tmmsn.org Mon Oct 10 08:00:41 2016 From: hwhitehead at tmmsn.org (hwhitehead at tmmsn.org) Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2016 15:00:41 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network Employment Opportunity- Assistant Stranding Coordinator Message-ID: Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network Employment Opportunity Announcement - Assistant Stranding Coordinator (Full-time) October 10, 2016: The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network (TMMSN) is a non-profit 501C3 organization dedicated to the conservation of marine mammals through rescue and rehabilitation, research and education, along the Texas coast. Position: Assistant Stranding Coordinator Hours: Employee must have flexible hours including some weekends and holidays Application Deadline: October 21, 2016 by 5pm CST TMMSN is currently seeking an Assistant Stranding Coordinator for our marine mammal stranding program. Our program investigates marine mammal strandings along the Texas coast and collects information that is important to the advancement of knowledge and conservation of marine mammals (primarily cetaceans). The Assistant Stranding Coordinator position is a full time grant funded position without benefits that will work out of our Rehabilitation and Research Center in Galveston, TX. This position encompasses a variety of tasks, both in the field and in an office setting. Due to the unpredictable nature of stranding response work, weekly schedules may vary. Essential Functions and Responsibilities: Assistance with: * 24hr. stranding hotline coverage * Recovery of dead marine mammal strandings in assigned area of coverage as needed including examination, data collection, necropsy, and tissue sampling according to TMMSN sampling protocol * Coordinate disposal of marine mammal carcasses according to TMMSN protocol (e.g., scheduling rendering, burial, transport, etc.) * First response to live marine mammal strandings, transports, live animal care, and rehabilitation observation shifts * Rehabilitation pool water quality (e.g., weekly testing, backwashes, pool vacuum) * Proper maintenance and sterilization of equipment and facility * Submission of complete stranding forms, photo uploads, and 24 hr. reporting forms in a timely manner (i.e., within 24 hrs. of stranding) * Stranding database entry * Maintain electronic sample database for frozen and fixed samples including chain of custody management * Maintain organization of necropsy laboratory and supply inventory * Responsible for training and supervision of volunteers while in the field * Responsible for assistance with equipment and vehicle maintenance * Assistance with research projects * Communicates with the public or local agencies for coordination of response as needed * General office duties * Public outreach including fundraising events and education programs QUALIFICATIONS: * Minimum of 21 years of age * Physically fit, able to lift a minimum of 50-75 lbs., swim, walk long distances, work in hot and cold field conditions, tolerate strong odors * Ability to be on-call 24hrs * Experience driving a large 4WD truck and towing a large (25-30ft.) trailer * Preference given to applicants with the ability to operate personal watercraft, small boats, and ATV's, including launching and retrieval * Valid state of Texas class C driver's license * Proficient in basic computer programs such as the Microsoft Office Suite; particularly Microsoft Excel * Works professionally with the public and volunteers * Background or degree in Biology, Marine Biology or a related field OTHER: MUST be willing to work flexible hours, including weekends, and holidays. The schedule will often be unpredictable and dependent upon stranding occurrences. This position is physically demanding and can require long days, including late night and early morning hours. HOW TO APPLY Please submit the following information electronically (PDF or Word document) by October 21, 2016 to: Contact: Heidi Whitehead, Executive Director E-mail: hwhitehead at tmmsn.org- Include "Assistant Stranding Coordinator" in Subject Line 1. Statement of Interest (brief, 250 word maximum) that describes: a) your professional interests and career goals, b) your reason(s) for applying for this position, c) why you should be selected for this position, and d) your availability in terms of flexible hours. 2. At least two professional references- list individuals capable of commenting on your professional qualifications. 3. Resume or curriculum vitae (no more than two pages) describing relevant jobs, internships, volunteer work, other activities you have been involved in, and other skills or accomplishments that you wish to identify. Criminal background checks and verification of references will be completed. Heidi R. Whitehead Executive Director Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network 4700 Avenue U. Galveston, TX 77551 409.740.2200 voice 409-740-2207 fax www.DolphinRescue.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From j.carpenter at seattleaquarium.org Tue Oct 11 17:39:23 2016 From: j.carpenter at seattleaquarium.org (Julie Carpenter) Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2016 00:39:23 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Sea Otter Conservation Workshop X at the Seattle Aquarium In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <0722A200-533A-400F-B653-075556291961@seattleaquarium.org> [Sea Otter Conservation Workshop] Save the Date March 17-19 Sea Otter Conservation Workshop X Registration will open December 1, 2016. Abstracts/short descriptions must be submitted via Dropbox by February 1, 2017. Due to space limitations, you will not be able to present if your abstract isn't received by that date. Thanks for understanding! To upload your abstract please label it firstinitial.lastname.abstract and upload documents here: Sea Otter Workshop 2017. [http://www.seattleaquarium.org/image/2014-member-news/SA-LOGO.png] Privacy policy Click here to modify your email preferences. Julie Carpenter Assoc. Curator of Birds and Mammals Seattle Aquarium 1483 Alaskan Way l Pier 59 l Seattle WA 98101-2015 c: 425-328-7193 l w: 206-693-6123 SeattleAquarium.org Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lamlameeting at gmail.com Wed Oct 12 05:33:20 2016 From: lamlameeting at gmail.com (LAMLA Workshop) Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2016 09:33:20 -0300 Subject: [MARMAM] Fwd: Acoustics Workshop at SOLAMAC, 26-27 November 2016, Valparaiso, Chile In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear colleagues, the deadline for abstract submission for the 2nd LAMLA workshop is october, 17th ! Please don't hesitate to join us to this second meeting of the community of passive acoustics monitoring in Latin America. We look forward to seeing you in Valparaiso, best wishes, ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: LAMLA Workshop Date: Tue, Sep 27, 2016 at 10:15 AM Subject: Acoustics Workshop at SOLAMAC, 26-27 November 2016, Valparaiso, Chile To: marmam at lists.uvic.ca *2nd LAMLA Workshop at SOLAMAC* ?*Listening for Aquatic Mammals in Latin America*? 26-27 November 2016, Valparaiso, Chile Dear Colleagues, We would like to invite you to participate in the upcoming workshop "2nd Listening for Aquatic Mammals in Latin America" (LAMLA) to be held prior to the Latin American Society of Aquatic Mammal Experts (SOLAMAC) meeting in Valparaiso, Chile on the 26th and 27th of November 2016. Our aim is to bring together researchers, professionals, and students working on bioacoustics to communicate their work, network and interact with other researchers, and discuss directions for a coordinated regional bioacoustics network and collaboration, essential to strengthen both the scientific and conservation efforts on the species locally, nationally and internationally. Please join us in order to: ? assess the effort to study sounds from all aquatic mammal species that occur in Latin America; ? share scientific information and methodologies between research groups; ? enhance conservation efforts, locally and internationally; ? define a platform for launching new partnerships, activities or projects. We would like to encourage anyone with interest in these studies in Latin America to participate. Please, don't hesitate to forward this message to colleagues or person you think interested but keep in mind* work has to be conducted in Latin America*, no exceptions. We strongly encourage any abstracts accepted for presentation at SOLAMAC and that fit the scope of this workshop, to also be presented at LAMLA. *Abstract submission: 17 October 2016.* *Registration deadline: 24th October 2016.* *Registration: *through the SOLAMAC website http://solamac2016.com/congress/ (US$20 for students; US$50 for professionals). *Abstract submission:* lamlameeting at gmail.com For any further information, please contact us at lamlameeting at gmail.com. A detailed program will follow. Looking forward to see you in Valparaiso! Best wishes, -- Organizing Committee LAMLA Workshop - Listening for Aquatic Mammals in Latin America www.lamla2016.com -- Organizing Committee LAMLA Workshop - Listening for Aquatic Mammals in Latin America www.lamla2016.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From nadyacaro at gmail.com Wed Oct 12 07:25:26 2016 From: nadyacaro at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?B?TmFkeWEgQy4gUmFtw61yZXogTWFydMOtbmV6?=) Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2016 15:25:26 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=9CEstimating_Marine_Mammal_Abundance_fr?= =?utf-8?q?om_Line_Transect_Surveys=E2=80=9D_Workshop_at_SOLAMAC?= Message-ID: ?*Estimating Marine Mammal Abundance from Line Transect Surveys*? Workshop at *SOLAMAC*, 26th -27th November 2016, Valparaiso, Chile Dear Colleagues, We would like to invite you to participate in the upcoming workshop "*Estimating Marine Mammal Abundance from Line Transect Surveys*" to be held on the Latin American Society of Aquatic Mammal Experts (*SOLAMAC*) meeting in Valparaiso, Chile on the 26th and 27th of November 2016. The principal instructor will be Prof Philip Hammond (University of St Andrews) http://soi.st-andrews.ac.uk/staffProfile.aspx?sunID=psh2 This workshop will introduce participants to the methods used to estimate the abundance of marine mammals, especially cetaceans. Methodology will be presented in a statistical framework but the focus will be on practical application of the methods and analysis of the data, and on understanding and dealing with potential biases that arise from applying the methodology in practice. Participants will spend much of the time doing practical exercises and will learn to use the analytical software DISTANCE for line transect sampling analysis. On successful completion of the workshop, participants will be able to design, execute and analyse data from line transect surveys and understand how results can be used to inform conservation and management. More details about the program can be found at the website http://solamac2016.com/congress/estimating-marine- mammal-abundance-from-line-transect-surveys/ *Registration deadline: 31th October 2016.* *Registration: *through the SOLAMAC website http://solamac2016.com/ congress/inscripciones/ *Price:* US$50 for students; US$70 for professionals For any further information, please contact us at (ncrm at st-andrews.ac.uk./ gabdo at st-andrews.ac.uk ) Looking forward to see you in Chile -- Nadya C. Ramirez-Martinez PhD Student Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) University of St. Andrews, Scotland M Sc. Eramus Mundus Marine Biodiversity and Conservation -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From acsla.grants at gmail.com Wed Oct 12 11:46:21 2016 From: acsla.grants at gmail.com (ACS-LA.Grants) Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2016 11:46:21 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] Deadline Approaching!! Any student attending the ACS Conference in Monterey Bay Nov 11-13th is eligible for a student travel grant from ACS-LA. Message-ID: <88DD1D6F-54C2-4A01-B1CB-204BD151F5B0@gmail.com> ACS-LA Student Travel Grants!! Now Accepting Applications! Deadline this Friday 14th of October! The American Cetacean Society, Los Angeles Chapter (ACS-LA) is happy to announce the opening of applications for 2016 Student Travel Grants. The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Cetacean Society (ACS-LA) is offering four travel grants in the amount of $250.00 each to ALL students who will be attending the 15th International Conference ?Fifty Years of Whale Conservation? hosted by the American Cetacean Society (ACS), in Monterey Bay, CA, November 11-13, 2016. The four $250 travel grants will be awarded to four students exhibiting outstanding commitment to research on marine mammals. Eligibility: Applicant needs to be a student (undergraduate or graduate) and be attending the ACS conference. Proof of registration will be required prior to receiving your award. You can register for the conference at this link: http://acsconference.weebly.com/reg... . If you are presenting a poster at the ACS conference, you will be given additional priority for receiving these travel grants. Applications: Applications should include the following: 1. Cover sheet with: a) Title of poster presentation being given at ACS Conference (if presenting). Note: presenting is not required to receive a travel grant award. If not presenting, leave this blank. b) Your area of interest or area of research c) Applicant Contact Information (Name, Address, E-mail, and Phone numbers) d) Current school and major including current supervisor and department. If you are an undergraduate please indicate special areas of interest for you and your sponsoring advisor for your project. 2. Proof that applicant is a student (photo of the front and back of current student ID card) 3. A one-page CV or Resume 4. Note: Upon acceptance of the award, proof of ACS Conference registration will be required prior to receipt of grant award. Conference attendance is required to receive this award. Deadlines: Deadline for submission is 14 October, 2016. Awards will be announced by 26 October, 2016 Applications should be sent by E-mail to ACSLA.Grants at gmail.com . Information about the Los Angeles Chapter of ACS can be found on our website: www.acs-la.org . To join ACS-LA, please go to http://acsonline.org/support-acs/be... and specify the Los Angeles Chapter. To Register for the ACS Conference please go to: http://acsconference.weebly.com/ For further information about specific chapters and other grant-making programs, please visit the Chapter page of the National American Cetacean Society website: www.acsonline.org . ========================== ACS-LA Grants Coordinator Christina Tombach Wright American Cetacean Society-Los Angeles Chapter acsla.grants at gmail.com www.acs-la.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From matt.s.leslie at gmail.com Wed Oct 12 14:08:00 2016 From: matt.s.leslie at gmail.com (Matthew S Leslie) Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2016 17:08:00 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] JOB: US National Museum - Research Zoologist Marine Mammalogy Message-ID: <896E552B-E57B-4A26-BFD1-B71B117D63B8@gmail.com> Dear Marine Mammalogists, The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History is hiring a Research Zoologist in Marine Mammalogy. Please see the posting here: http://www.si.edu/ohr/secr Best, Matt ============================== Matthew S. Leslie Ph.D. Secretary G. Wayne Clough Postdoctoral Research Fellow (via the James Smithson Fellowships Program) National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From simeonec at TMMC.org Wed Oct 12 13:54:14 2016 From: simeonec at TMMC.org (Claire Simeone) Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2016 20:54:14 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] International Veterinary In-Residence program - The Marine Mammal Center (Sausalito, California, USA) Message-ID: <1E247659-5A05-45B8-8C41-8E6E9B7C2372@tmmc.org> INTERNATIONAL VETERINARY IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM AT THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER (SAUSALITO, CALIFORNIA, USA) The Marine Mammal Center International Veterinary In-Residence (IVIR) training program provides marine mammal veterinarians across the globe an opportunity to gain experience in marine mammal medicine and rehabilitation. It is expected that successful applicants will return to their pre-existing programs prepared to implement training programs of their own. This position requires a DVM degree or equivalent. Preference will be given to veterinarians that are currently employed with a marine mammal rehabilitation program or non-profit equivalent. This is an unpaid position, but a small stipend is available for food. Airfare to San Francisco, California, as well as shared housing at the TMMC Guest House located within the Marin Headlands, will be provided as part of the program. The house is shared during the busy season with other students, researchers, externs and the veterinary intern. This position is available during the busy season for up to three months at a time, between March and September. The applicant is responsible for completing all required visa paperwork, and is required to have an international driver?s license. Strong written and spoken English is a requirement. The Marine Mammal Center veterinary staff includes full and part time veterinarians, three veterinary technicians, a medical technologist and research staff. Goals of the program include assisting the veterinary medical staff in providing medical management of a large number of stranded marine mammals (mostly pinnipeds); performing post mortem examinations, sample collection for various research projects, and record keeping. Collaborative research is highly valued at TMMC, and development of a research project and scientific publication, either clinical or using retrospective necropsy data, is highly encouraged. Past IVIRs have attended international conferences, scientific workshops, or visited other collaborative partners. Opportunities for additional professional development will be supported as they arise. If qualified, applicants should submit the following materials through the Recruiterbox website (https://tmmc.recruiterbox.com/jobs/fk06gqv): 1 A current curriculum vitae, limited to 4 pages. 2 Two letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant's academic and/or clinical performance. Please submit letters of recommendation via email to: tmmc-tmmc0565 at applications.recruiterbox.com. 3 Written responses to the following questions: 1 Why are you the best candidate for our next Veterinarian In-Residence? 2 Please describe in detail the experience you have as a clinician (any species). 3 Please describe in detail your experience working with marine mammals. Describe experience with both live and dead marine mammals, in the wild and/or in captive care. 4 Please describe in detail any research experience you have. 5 Please describe current marine mammal stranding response in your country. 6 How do you hope the IVIR program will help you to achieve your future goals? What do you see yourself doing in 5 years? Applications are due by Friday, November 25th, 2016. A selection will be made in the beginning of January 2017. www.marinemammalcenter.org More information about the IVIR program can be found here: http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/science/ivir/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From monica.silva.imar at gmail.com Thu Oct 13 03:02:51 2016 From: monica.silva.imar at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?Q?M=C3=B3nica_Silva?=) Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2016 10:02:51 -0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Postdoctoral Research position in Spatial and Movement Ecology of marine predators Message-ID: <02ec01d22538$f7b7f470$e727dd50$@gmail.com> Dear All, We are pleased to post this announcement for a Postdoctoral Research in Spatial and Movement Ecology of marine top predators, with a focus on cetaceans and pelagic fishes. The position is based at the Institute of Marine Research, in Azores, Faial Island. The appointment will be for 18 months, starting on 1st December 2016. The call will be open from 12th - 31th of October 2016. The position and application process are described in detail here: http://www.horta.uac.pt/intradop/index.php/pt/86-notas/3053-postdoctoral-research-fellow-in-spatial-and-movement-ecology-ref-imar-greenup-2016 Briefly, the successful candidate must hold a PhD in Biology, Marine Biology, Statistics or a closely related field. The candidate must have a strong background in advanced statistical analyses of animal distribution and movement data, good programming skills, experience in handling large spatial environmental databases and using GIS software, and a good track record of publications in peer-reviewed journals. Previous experience in fieldwork with cetaceans and fishes and expertise in pelagic marine systems is beneficial but not required. Kind regards, M?nica Silva M?nica Almeida e Silva (Marine Biologist, PhD) ----------------------------------------------------- MARE ? Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre IMAR - Institute of Marine Research Rua Frederico Machado, 4 9901-862 Horta Portugal Phone: (+351) 292200400 Email: masilva at mare-centre.pt; monica.silva.imar at gmail.com http://www.whales.uac.pt/ ----------------------------------------------------- Guest Investigator WHOI ? Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA From bortolotto.ga at gmail.com Thu Oct 13 11:22:38 2016 From: bortolotto.ga at gmail.com (Guilherme Augusto Bortolotto) Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2016 19:22:38 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on the abundance of WSA humpback whales Message-ID: Dear MARMAM colleagues, It is with great pleasure that my co-authors and I would like to share our most recent publication in PLOS ONE: Bortolotto GA, Danilewicz D, Andriolo A, Secchi ER, Zerbini AN (2016) *Whale, whale, e**verywhere: Increasing abundance of western South Atlantic humpback whales (Megaptera **novaeangliae) in their wintering grounds*. PLoS ONE 11(10): e0164596. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0164596 Abstract: The western South Atlantic (WSA) humpback whale population inhabits the coast of Brazil during the breeding and calving season in winter and spring. This population was depleted to near extinction by whaling in the mid-twentieth century. Despite recent signs of recovery, increasing coastal and offshore development pose potential threats to these animals. Therefore, continuous monitoring is needed to assess population status and support conservation strategies. The aim of this work was to present ship-based line-transect estimates of abundance for humpback whales in their WSA breeding ground and to investigate potential changes in population size. Two cruises surveyed the coast of Brazil during August-September in 2008 and 2012. The area surveyed in 2008 corresponded to the currently recognized population breeding area; effort in 2012 was limited due to unfavorable weather conditions. WSA humpback whale population size in 2008 was estimated at 16,410 (CV = 0.228, 95% CI = 10,563?25,495) animals. In order to compare abundance between 2008 and 2012, estimates for the area between Salvador and Cabo Frio, which were consistently covered in the two years, were computed at 15,332 (CV = 0.243, 95% CI = 9,595?24,500) and 19,429 (CV = 0.101, 95% CI = 15,958?23,654) whales, respectively. The difference in the two estimates represents an increase of 26.7% in whale numbers in a 4-year period. The estimated abundance for 2008 is considered the most robust for the WSA humpback whale population because the ship survey conducted in that year minimized bias from various sources. Results presented here indicate that in 2008, the WSA humpback whale population was at least around 60% of its estimated pre-modern whaling abundance and that it may recover to its pre-exploitation size sooner than previously estimated. Full text and PDF files can be downloaded here https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309122119_Whale_ whale_everywhere_Increasing_abundance_of_western_South_ Atlantic_humpback_whales_Megaptera_novaeangliae_in_their_wintering_grounds or here http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0164596 Alternatively, please send PDF requests to bortolotto.vet at gmail.com. All the best, Gui Bortolotto ....................... From* *The Rime of the Ancient Mariner*,1834 poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: "Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink." *Also from *Rime of the Ancient Mariner,* 1984 song By Iron Maiden -- *Guilherme A. Bortolotto | *PhD Student SMRU ? CREEM ? School of Biology University of St Andrews *http://biology.st-andrews.ac.uk/contact/staffProfile.aspx?sunid=gabdo * Mobile UK: (44) 0 7884 398394 R3 Animal Association (http://en.r3animal.org/) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From botoworkshop at ampa.org.br Thu Oct 13 09:28:31 2016 From: botoworkshop at ampa.org.br (botoworkshop at ampa.org.br) Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2016 13:28:31 -0300 Subject: [MARMAM] Workshop on River Dolphin bait use Message-ID: <167c90dd79f9508ad0507dc16c5333ac@ampa.org.br> ?CURRENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE USE OF RIVER DOLPHINS AS BAIT IN PIRACATINGA FISHING? ? INVITATION Dear colleagues, The _Aquatic Mammals Lab_ at the _National Institute of Amazonian Research_ and the _Friends of Amazonian Manatee Association_ would like to invite you to participate on the workshop ?CURRENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE USE OF RIVER DOLPHINS AS BAIT IN PIRACATINGA FISHING? to be held prior to the Latin American Society of Aquatic Mammal Experts (SOLAMAC) meeting in VALPARAISO, CHILE on the 26TH OF NOVEMBER 2016. Our aim is to bring together researchers, professionals, and organizations working on South American river dolphin conservation to communicate their work, discuss local and regional alternatives and partnerships to curb the use of dolphins as bait and articulate actions in collaboration to strengthen conservation and research efforts. We would like to request everyone that carry projects focused on this theme to present your work, publicizing the proposals, methodology, results and important information on this subject. Presentations will be important to foster discussions on the necessary actions to solve the problem. REGISTRATION AND ABSTRACT SUBMISSION deadline: 10 November 2016. REGISTRATION (NO COST): https://pt.surveymonkey.com/r/ZRSNWJR [1] FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT US AT: botoworkshop at ampa.org.br or access http://solamac2016.com/congress/estado-atual-do-conhecimento-sobre-o-uso-do-boto-como-isca-na-pesca-da-piracatinga/ [2] Looking forward to see you in Valparaiso! Best wishes, ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Links: ------ [1] https://pt.surveymonkey.com/r/ZRSNWJR [2] http://solamac2016.com/congress/estado-atual-do-conhecimento-sobre-o-uso-do-boto-como-isca-na-pesca-da-piracatinga/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lochcarolina at gmail.com Thu Oct 13 16:56:42 2016 From: lochcarolina at gmail.com (Carolina Loch Silva) Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2016 12:56:42 +1300 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper on odontocete stranding records in southern Brazil Message-ID: Dear MARMAM subscribers, We are pleased to announce the publication of the following paper in the current issue of Zoologia: *Review of thirty-two years of toothed whale strandings in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil (Cetacea: Odontoceti) * Tha?s dos S. Vianna, Carolina Loch, Pedro V. de Castilho, Morgana C. Gaidzinski, Marta J. Cremer & Paulo C. Sim?es-Lopes doi: 10.1590/S1984-4689zool-20160089 ABSTRACT Marine mammal strandings provide valuable insights into local biodiversity. Strandings can be caused by both natural and anthropogenic factors. In Santa Catarina state, Southern Brazil, organized marine mammal collections started in the 1980s through opportunistic and non-systematic collection efforts, representing a record of over 30 years of marine biodiversity. This study aimed to perform a preliminary review of 32 years of stranding records within this region. The secondary aim was to elucidate the stranding dynamics of the three most commonly recorded species. A total of 460 records were obtained, representing 17 species of odontocetes. The species registered most frequently were the franciscana *Pontoporia blainvillei *(n= 173), bottlenose dolphin *Tursiops truncatus *(n= 100) and Guiana dolphin *Sotalia guianensis* (n= 97). Most of the stranding records were observed in the second half of the year during the austral winter and spring. The apparent causes of death could not be determined for most of the specimens due to carcass decomposition. For the specimens in which the apparent cause of death could be determined, 27% of the strandings were compatible with anthropogenic interactions. While the focus of this study was a preliminary assessment of stranding data obtained through opportunistic collection, it is evident that future systematic monitoring efforts and stable networks of collaborators will generate more reliable coastal biodiversity inventories and will allow the understanding of population dynamics of marine mammal species. In particular, for threatened and vulnerable species, or species with poor natural history data, strandings are a fundamental tool for the understanding of marine biodiversity. Ideally, future more refined analyses of stranding data should be used to inform conservation and management policies and to elucidate the biology and ecology of marine and coastal ecosystems within this region. Keywords: bycatch, marine mammals, *Pontoporia blainvillei, Sotalia guianensis, Tursiops truncatus.* Full text is available at: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/zool/v33n5/1984-4689-zool-33-05-e20160089.pdf Or alternatively, a *pdf* can be requested at: carolina.loch at otago.ac.nz Kind regards, _______________________________________ Carolina Loch Silva, PhD Research Fellow Sir John Walsh Research Institute Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago Dunedin 9054, New Zealand Phone: +(64) 03 479-7093 & Research Collaborator Geology Department, University of Otago and Laborat?rio de Mam?feros Aqu?ticos UFSC Florian?polis, SC - Brasil http://www.otago.ac.nz/sjwri/people/craniofacial-biomechanics/otago054438.html -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From research at dolphinresearch.org.au Thu Oct 13 15:25:19 2016 From: research at dolphinresearch.org.au (DRI Research Officer) Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2016 09:25:19 +1100 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper on the atypical residency of short-beaked common dolphins Message-ID: Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of our paper: Mason S, Salgado Kent C, Donnelly D, Weir J, Bilgmann K. (2016) *Atypical residency of short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) to a shallow, urbanized embayment in south-eastern Australia. *Royal Society Open Science * 3* DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160478. Abstract Short-beaked common dolphins (*Delphinus delphis*) are typically considered highly mobile, offshore delphinids. This study assessed the residency of a small community of short-beaked common dolphins in the shallow, urbanized Port Phillip Bay, south-eastern Australia. The ability to identify common dolphins by their dorsal fin markings and coloration using photo-identification was also investigated. Systematic and non-systematic boat surveys were undertaken between 2007 and 2014. Results showed that 13 adult common dolphins and their offspring inhabit Port Phillip Bay, of which 10 adults exhibit residency to the bay. The majority of these adults are reproductively active females, suggesting that female philopatry may occur in the community. Systematic surveys conducted between 2012 and 2014 revealed that the dolphins were found in a median water depth of 16 m and median distance of 2.2 km from the coast. The shallow, urbanized habitat of this resident common dolphin community is atypical for this species. As a result, these common dolphins face threats usually associated with inshore bottlenose dolphin communities. We suggest that the Port Phillip Bay common dolphin community is considered and managed separate to those outside the embayment and offshore to ensure the community's long-term viability and residency in the bay. The paper is Open Access and available for download at http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/3/9/160478 Kind regards, Sue Mason *Research Director / PhD student (Curtin University)* *Dolphin Research Institute* *PO Box 77 Hastings Vic 3915* *www.dolphinresearch.org.au www.facebook.com/driface * *Office: 1300 130 949 * *Mobile: +61 438 399 676* *Email: research at dolphinresearch.org.au * -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cjsbarton at tiscali.co.uk Tue Oct 18 02:55:08 2016 From: cjsbarton at tiscali.co.uk (Carolyn Barton) Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2016 10:55:08 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] MMO and PSO training courses, Inverness, UK Message-ID: <8221CD06140844D29E6A70BD9FAA5515@carridell> MMO and PSO training courses are running in Inverness, Scotland, in December: JNCC-recognised MMO course for UK waters, 6 December 2016, GBP 130 PSO course for the Gulf of Mexico, meets BOEM/ BSEE requirements, 7 December 2016, GBP 55 (when taken in conjunction with the MMO course). These courses will cover all the information needed for work as a marine mammal observer (MMO) in UK waters or Protected Species Observer (PSO) in the US Gulf of Mexico. Taught by an MMO instructor with twenty years experience, course content includes the impact of sound on marine mammals, legislation protecting marine mammals, the requirements of the relevant mitigation measures and the role of the MMO/ PSO. Visual monitoring, an introduction to passive acoustic monitoring and identification of marine mammals (and sea turtles for the PSO course) are also covered. For full details of course content and to download a booking form, see www.carolynbarton.co.uk or e-mail info at carolynbarton.co.uk . Carolyn Barton info at carolynbarton.co.uk www.carolynbarton.co.uk -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From victoria.angeline13 at gmail.com Thu Oct 13 08:12:05 2016 From: victoria.angeline13 at gmail.com (Victoria Howard) Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2016 10:12:05 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Marine Mammal Experience Internship Message-ID: The IMMS Marine Mammal Experience Internship Program, located in Gulfport, MS, is designed as a way for students interested in a career in science education to gain valuable hands-on experience in a real-world informal educational setting. Interns will further their knowledge by working in other IMMS departments, including Research, Animal Care & Training, and Veterinary/Stranding. Our goal is to give Interns a well-rounded experience in a variety of areas while providing expert training and practical involvement in marine science education. This is an unpaid position and all interns are responsible for their own housing and transportation. Positions are limited and IMMS reserves the right to end an internship at any time. *Principle Duties and Requirements* Interns must: - Commit to a minimum of at least 12 weeks, 40 hours a week. The internship can be extended depending on work performance. - Be available to work weekdays, weekends, and holidays. - Have strong sense of responsibility, work ethic, attention to detail, and ability to admit mistakes. - Produce high quality efforts and exhibit strong interpersonal skills and maintain a professional appearance and demeanor. - Have excellent presentation and public speaking skills with the ability to effectively communicate in English. - *Principle Duties include*: Conducting educational presentations, answering guest questions about the habitat and the animals, make reservation for programming over the phone, Utilize online booking software and Microsoft Outlook to track reservations and schedule programs, photograph program participants and develop pictures for purchase, work in the museum area to receive/check-in guest and payments for programming, organize and conduct Birthday Party program, work with other departments and staff in scheduling programs. - *Secondary Duties involve*: Assisting with animal care staff, attending marine mammal necropsies, responding to marine mammal and sea turtle strandings, assisting with educational tours, and assisting research staff. - Interns must be able to spend many hours standing, walking, and working for prolonged periods of time in sometimes extreme seasonal conditions. Seasonal temperatures range from over 100 ?F in summer to 30 ?F in winter. Applicants must be 18 or older. Applicants should be actively pursuing a college degree or be a recent graduate. Previous 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 Fall is November 1, 2016* *Please visit **http://imms.org/internship.php* * for application and full details* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From victoria.angeline13 at gmail.com Mon Oct 17 07:06:41 2016 From: victoria.angeline13 at gmail.com (Victoria Howard) Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2016 09:06:41 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Winter/Spring 2017 Marine Mammal Research Internship Message-ID: *Winter/Spring 2017 Marine Mammal Research Internship* The IMMS Research Internship Program located in Gulfport, MS 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 (1/2/17 - 3/24/17 and 3/6/17 - 5/26/17) is November 1, 2016* *Please visit **http://imms.org/internship.php* * for application and full details* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From s.barnicoat at seiche.com Fri Oct 14 02:14:56 2016 From: s.barnicoat at seiche.com (Stephanie Barnicoat) Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2016 09:14:56 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Seiche Training up and coming courses In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Seiche Training would like to announce two courses (Please note dates have changed for the Acoustic Modelling course) Plymouth University Marine Institute is hosting a Underwater Acoustic Modelling course which will equip delegates with a thorough knowledge of underwater acoustic modelling on the 8th and 9th December. The course is delivered by leading research professors and experts in their field, including Professor Georgy Shapiro, Dr Feng Chen and Dr Paul Lepper. The course is aimed at regulators, environmental consultants, researchers and policy/ environmental professionals within the industry. The course introduces all the key concepts and opens up a learning pathway to those wishing to conduct modelling themselves in the future. It is well suited to those who require deeper understanding of technical reports. Course modules * Introduction to underwater sound * Modelling processes and capabilities * The physics of sound propagation and assessment metrics * Types of models available * Criteria for assessing impacts upon marine life and mitigation zone determination * Field measurement and sound source verification * Application to EIAs * Interpretation of results / best practice / standards / metrics * Properties of sea water: temperature, salinity and sound speed * Oceanic features influencing sound propagation and their variability: thermocline, fronts and eddies * Visualisation tools to identify ocean thermocline, fronts and eddies * Seasonal variation in sound propagation * Modelling shipping noise experienced by marine life http://www.seichetraining.com/underwater-acoustic-modelling-2/ For more information on the course, please email s.hancock at seichetraining.com Deadline for registration 15th October Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) Level 1 course 9th to 11th November, 3 day course to become a qualified offshore PAM operator, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil http://www.seichetraining.com/passive-acoustic-monitoring-pam-level-1/ Any inquires please contact s.hancock at seichetraining.com Stephanie Barnicoat Bioscience Group Tel no: 01409 404050 [Seichetechtrackemailsignature7.9.15] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 50935 bytes Desc: image001.jpg URL: From bottm at TMMC.org Wed Oct 19 08:29:53 2016 From: bottm at TMMC.org (Maya Bott) Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2016 15:29:53 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] HOSPITAL MANAGER VETERINARY TECHNICIAN FOR THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER SAUSALITO CA Message-ID: MISSION At The Marine Mammal Center, we are guided and inspired by a shared vision of a healthy ocean for marine mammals and humans alike. The Marine Mammal Center advances global conservation through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education ROLE DESCRIPTION The Hospital Manager directs daily clinical operations of our Sausalito veterinary hospital under the guidance and leadership of the Staff Veterinarian. This position supervises and trains staff, interns, volunteers and students in animal husbandry, administration of medications, sample collection/ processing and record keeping. This role is responsible for patient assessment and routine procedures, including physical exams, surgical assistance, processing and collecting biological samples and general support of research projects. The Hospital Manager has expansive management responsibility, including supervision of TMMC's veterinary technician interns and management of the onboarding and training of veterinary students and others who are here to learn. The Hospital Manager works in close collaboration with our Volunteer Coordinators and the Animal Husbandry Manager to ensure our Animal Husbandry Volunteer Crews are adequately trained to support the rehabilitation of the animals. QUALIFICATIONS + EXPERIENCE * Associate or Bachelor degree in biology or related field * Certified Veterinary Technician with ability to become a Registered Veterinary Technician in the state of California * Experience managing an animal hospital of equal or greater size * A minimum of 1 year of hands-on experience in marine mammal or wildlife husbandry and medical care. * Experience successfully managing large teams of both staff and volunteers; strong track record of bring solutions and helping people work together * Experience creating and implementing successful training and internship programs Please click on the link below to see more detailed job description. TO APPLY: Please submit a cover letter and resume at (https://tmmc.recruiterbox.com/jobs/fk06ywl) Maya Bott Human Resource Assistant The Marine Mammal Center 2000 Bunker Road Fort Cronkhite Sausalito, CA 94965 415-289-7348 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From casey.t.clark at gmail.com Wed Oct 19 12:35:22 2016 From: casey.t.clark at gmail.com (Casey Clark) Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2016 11:35:22 -0800 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on humpback whale pregnancy and stable isotopes Message-ID: <677D20A6-A41C-414B-B097-FB329E918A64@gmail.com> Dear Colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce our most recent article, published in Conservation Physiology: Clark, C.T., A.H. Fleming, J. Calambokidis, N.M. Kellar, C.D. Allen, K.N. Catelani, M. Robbins, N.E. Beaulieu, D. Steel, and J.T. Harvey. 2016. Heavy with child? Pregnancy status and stable isotopes as determined from biopsies of humpback whales. Conservation Physiology. DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cow050 Abstract: Understanding reproductive rates of wild animal populations is crucially important for management and conservation. Assessing pregnancy status of free-ranging cetaceans has historically been difficult; however, recent advances in analytical techniques have allowed the diagnosis of pregnancy from small samples of blubber tissue. The primary objectives of this study were as follows: (i) to test the efficacy of blubber progesterone assays as a tool for diagnosing pregnancy in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae); (ii) to estimate the pregnancy rate of humpback whales in Monterey Bay, California; and (iii) to investigate the relationship between stable isotopes and reproductive status of these whales. Progesterone concentrations of female whales fell into two distinct groups, allowing for diagnostic separation of pregnant and non-pregnant individuals. Pregnancy rate varied between years of the study (48.4%% in 2011 and 18.5% in 2012), but fell within the range of other estimates of reproductive success for this population. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were examined to investigate the impacts of pregnancy on these values. Neither ?15N nor ?13C varied in a consistent way among animals of different sex or reproductive status. The relationship between ?15N and ?13C was strongly positive for male and non-pregnant female humpbacks; however, no relationship existed for pregnant whales. This difference may be indicative of the effects of pregnancy on ?15N, resulting from tissue synthesis and reduced excretion of nitrogenous waste, as well as on ?13C through increased mobilization of lipid stores to meet the energetic demands of pregnancy. Ultimately, our results support the use of blubber progesterone assays for diagnosing pregnancy in humpback whales and indicate that, when paired with other approaches (e.g. stable isotope analysis), pregnancy status can be an informative tool for addressing questions about animal physiology, ecology and population biology. This information will provide for more effective management and conservation efforts in a rapidly changing world. The full text can be downloaded here: http://conphys.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/cow050? ijkey=UIIa5TFqN4qUGL5&keytype=ref Best regards, Casey Clark PhD Candidate CFOS/WERC University of Alaska Fairbanks -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From clair at worldcetaceanalliance.org Fri Oct 21 10:56:25 2016 From: clair at worldcetaceanalliance.org (Clair Evers) Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2016 14:56:25 -0300 Subject: [MARMAM] WCA Beaked Whale Advisory Group Message-ID: Dear colleagues, The World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) has formed a Beaked Whale Advisory Group with the aim of prioritizing the need to move beaked whale species of conservation concern off the current IUCN Red List of Data Deficient species. To initiate discussion, the WCA has put together an initial list of the major threats that pertain to beaked whale species (see below). This list has been composed using information from the IUCN. We would like to invite the scientific community to review this list and highlight whether other threats or species should be considered. *List of Beaked Whale Threats:* *Climate change* ? Arnoux's Beaked Whale ? Gray's Beaked Whale ? Hector's Beaked Whale ? Strap-toothed Whale ? True's Beaked Whale ? Stejneger's Beaked Whale ? Spade-toothed Whale *Restricted distribution* ? Perrin's Beaked Whale *Noise* ? Indo-pacific Beaked Whale ? Blainville's Beaked Whale ? Gervais' Beaked Whale ? Ginkgo-toothed Beaked Whale ? Cuvier's Beaked Whale ? Northern Bottlenose Whale *Bycatch/entanglement/indirect or direct takes* ? Andrew's Beaked Whale ? Gervais' Beaked Whale ? Gray's Beaked Whale ? Hector's Beaked Whale ? Strap-toothed Whale ? True's Beaked Whale ? Perrin's Beaked Whale ? Pygmy Beaked Whale ? Stejneger's Beaked Whale ? Spade-toothed Whale ? Cuvier's Beaked Whale We are currently completing a detailed literature search for each species to determine new information that has been published since the IUCN listings (available for review and additions on the beaked whale forum google group). With the help of the scientific community we aim to narrow down the list of species so that we can focus our efforts towards those that have the most information and/or deserve the most immediate attention. We hope to plan a targeted Beaked Whale Workshop focusing on the most important sites/species deemed by the group to be of conservation concern. Workshops will likely take place at the forthcoming ECS and SMM Conferences. We ask that those who would like to participate continue this discussion using our beaked whale forum google group. If you would like to join the Beaked Whale Advisory Group please contact clair at worldcetaceanall iance.org to be added to the google group. We look forward to welcoming you to our discussions, Clair Evers Beaked Whale Project Manager World Cetacean Alliance *T* +44 (0)1273 355011 E *clair*@worldcetaceanalliance.org W www.worldcetaceanalliance.org *A* Studio 3, Lower Promenade, Madeira Drive, Brighton, BN2 1ET, UK *The World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) is a Partnership of over 70 non-profit organisations, whale and dolphin watching tour operators and individuals in 35 countries worldwide working collaboratively to protect cetaceans and their habitats. World Cetacean Alliance, the Secretariat to the Partnership, is a UK registered Charity no. 1160484. * *The content of this e-mail is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, be aware that forwarding it, copying it, or in any way disclosing its content to any other person, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the author by replying to this e-mail immediately.* *Please consider the environment before printing this email or it's attachments. * -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From drstaggs at gulfworldmarinepark.com Tue Oct 18 11:21:21 2016 From: drstaggs at gulfworldmarinepark.com (Dr. Staggs) Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2016 18:21:21 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Job posting-Assistant veterinarian Message-ID: <619893CCA3808B439DE066C7BB0C49A673B342F7@LOUIEMBOX7.louie.exchangedefender.com> EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Associate Veterinarian The Associate Veterinarian will work under the direction of the Senior Veterinarian to provide comprehensive medical and health care services for animals at Gulf World to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the animal collections. This person shall enthusiastically represents Gulf World by displaying a positive attitude, high level of energy and commitment to quality throughout all aspects of the job. The collection includes invertebrates, fresh and salt water fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and domestic mammals, and marine mammals. Major Responsibilities: * Oversees animal health programs. * Knowledge of current health status of collection. * Manages diagnostics and treatments. * Collaborates with veterinary and husbandry staff. * Organizes and maintains pharmacy and surgery areas. * Oversees medical care of animal rehabilitation program. * Conducts animal health research projects and prepares the results for presentations and peer-reviewed publications. * Assist with conducting health certification exams for animals and participate in transport of animals, if warranted. Qualifications: * Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) required. * Must have a minimum of 2 years prior experience in zoological medicine, including marine mammals. * Must hold a valid U.S. veterinary license. * Must qualify for Florida Veterinary License and USDA Accreditation certification. Salary position with benefits. Application deadline October 31, 2016 Applicants must submit a curriculum vitae and a letter of intent to info at gulfworldmarinepark.com -- ExchangeDefender Message Security: Click below to verify authenticity https://admin.exchangedefender.com/verify.php?id=u9IILK2b024217&from=drstaggs at gulfworldmarinepark.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jeff at cawildlife.org Wed Oct 19 10:11:52 2016 From: jeff at cawildlife.org (Jeff Hall) Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2016 17:11:52 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] California Job Opportunities Message-ID: California Wildlife Center is excited to announce job opportunities in its Marine Department. CWC is a fast growing organization located in the Santa Monica Mountains of Malibu, and has been involved in marine mammal rescue since 1998. In 2013, CWC opened its own marine mammal rehabilitation facility, and is actively working to expand capacity in the coming years. The following positions are now available for qualified candidates: Marine Program Assistant, Stranding Coordinator, Assistant Stranding Coordinator, and Marine Mammal Pathology Technician. Detailed job descriptions, duties, and application instructions can be found at www.cawildlife.org. To apply for the listed positions please follow the application instructions found on California Wildlife Center's website at www.cawildlife.org or by emailing Marine Program Manager Jeff Hall at jeff at cawildlife.org with a cover letter and resume. Applications will be accepted until November 9, 2016. Job Descriptions Stranding Coordinator and Assistant Stranding Coordinator To be responsive to the local community and visitors from around the world in performing all of the duties necessary to rescue stranded marine mammals anywhere along the 27-miles of the City of Malibu?s coastline, and transport them to rehabilitation for long- term care. Duties include proper and timely animal assessment, tracking, dispatch, capture and handling, stabilization, volunteer training and coordination. Provide public education about the natural history of marine mammals and the provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Collect data on Malibu strandings: locations, causes, and outcomes. Maintain good rapport with all involved government agencies (including City of Malibu, California Department of Fish & Game, Los Angeles County Fire Department - Lifeguards, Los Angeles County Beaches and Harbors, Los Angeles County Sheriff?s Department, National Marine Fisheries Service, and California State Parks). Qualifications: At least two years? direct experience in marine mammal rescue. BA/BS or higher degree (preference given to marine or biology related fields of study). Excellent public relations skills. Commitment to professionalism in animal welfare. Marine Mammal Pathology Technician Data and sample collection from dead-stranded and euthanized marine mammals collected from Los Angeles County. Submission of collected data and samples to appropriate agencies. Respond to all confirmed reports of dead-stranded marine mammals within CWC?s territory. Collect basic morphometric data from all dead-stranded marine mammals. Conduct necropsies on all early Code 3 or better dead-stranded marine mammals as well as marine mammals euthanized by CWC. Prepare and submit samples collected during necropsy for histopathology, toxicology and other tests. Prepare and send backlog of samples in CWC?s possession for analysis. Qualifications At least two years? direct experience in pathology, necropsy, or sample collection. BA/BS or higher degree (preference given to marine or veterinary related fields of study). Preference may be given to veterinary students and/or those with previous marine mammal experience. Excellent public relations skills. Commitment to professionalism. Marine Program Assistant Perform all duties of a marine mammal rehabilitator including, but not limited to: process patient intakes, oversee and perform general husbandry of marine mammal patients, administer medication and fluid therapies, coordinate and manage patient releases, maintain all rehabilitation equipment and enclosures. CWC marine mammal program support. Marine animal response and transport. Volunteer and intern training and leadership. Qualifications At least two years? direct experience in marine mammal rehabilitation and husbandry. BA/BS or higher degree (preference given to marine or biology related fields of study). Excellent public relations skills. Commitment to professionalism. -- JEFF Hall Marine Program Manager California Wildlife Center P.O. Box 2022 Malibu CA 90265 (310)458-9453 www.cawildlife.org [1454955848633_facebook.gif][1454955852743_instagram.png][1454955856559_twitter.gif] [1454955866497_cwclogo.jpg] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: OutlookEmoji-1454955848633_facebook.gif.gif Type: image/gif Size: 1317 bytes Desc: OutlookEmoji-1454955848633_facebook.gif.gif URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: OutlookEmoji-1454955866497_cwclogo.jpg.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 5030 bytes Desc: OutlookEmoji-1454955866497_cwclogo.jpg.jpg URL: From katherina at whalesinmexico.com Wed Oct 19 11:27:05 2016 From: katherina at whalesinmexico.com (Katherina Audley) Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2016 11:27:05 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] Whales of Guerrero Research Project Winter 2017 Internship Opportunity Message-ID: The Whales of Guerrero Research Project is seeking two early career marine biologists to assist with our research and education program located in the state of Guerrero (SW Pacific Mexico) from January 2-March 18, 2016. Find project and position description and contact information below. Thank you! Katherina Audley PROYECTO DE INVESTIGACI?N DE LAS BALLENAS DE GUERRERO Invierno 2017 - Fecha l?mite 01 de noviembre 2016 Marco te?rico: El proyecto de Investigaci?n de las ballenas de Guerrero (WGRP) es un Estudio de campo con fondos privados y de alcance comunitario. El cual se lleva a cabo en el estado de Guerrero, M?xico, cerca de las ciudades gemelas de Ixtapa y Zihuatanejo, en la costa del Oc?ano Pac?fico. Este proyecto es el primer estudio dedicado a la investigaci?n de las ballenas jorobadas y otros mam?feros marinos en el estado de Guerrero, ya que existe una falta de informaci?n y sensibilizaci?n sobre las ballenas y otros cet?ceos que habitan el lugar entre los operadores de embarcaciones, gu?as de turistas, residentes y visitantes de la regi?n. Objetivos del proyecto: ? Contribuir para tener una mejor comprensi?n de la estructura, abundancia, distribuci?n y din?mica de migraci?n de las ballenas jorobadas y otros mam?feros marinos que visitan y habitan la regi?n. ? Crear una mayor conciencia entre los operadores de embarcaciones, gu?as de turismo, educadores, residentes y visitantes sobre m?todos responsables para la observaci?n de ballenas y pr?cticas de ecoturismo, as? como tambi?n sobre la conducta y la biolog?a de las ballenas jorobadas. Los objetivos de investigaci?n del proyecto ser?n realizados mediante muestreos del ?rea desde embarcaciones en agua y puntos fijos en tierra, durante los meses de enero y marzo de cada a?o durante los pr?ximos 2 a?os (temporadas invernales 2017-2018). El estudio de la temporada 2017 incluir? dos esfuerzos simult?neos en agua: 1) localizar, foto identificar y grabar cantos de ballenas jorobadas y 2) Recoger datos ocasionales sobre la presencia de otros mam?feros marinos, incluyendo cuatro especies de delfines (Tursiops truncatus, Stenella attenuata, Steno bredanensis y Delphinus delphis). Las embarcaciones para la investigaci?n ser?n pangas de pesca de fibra de vidrio con una longitud de 6 metros y operadas por los pescadores locales, quienes participan en el proyecto como expertos de la regi?n, ciudadanos cient?ficos y gu?as de ecoturismo en formaci?n. Adem?s, el trabajo de campo con base en tierra se dedicar? al registro de la ocurrencia de mam?feros marinos (principalmente ballenas jorobadas) y su actividad en superficie, en relaci?n con todas las embarcaciones de la zona. El trabajo de fotoidentificaci?n de aletas caudales contribuir? a nuestro cat?logo local de fotoidentificaci?n de ballenas jorobadas, as? como a otros grandes cat?logos ya existentes, elaborados por colegas investigadores en otras partes de M?xico y Estados Unidos. De igual manera se grabar?n vocalizaciones de ballenas jorobadas con el fin de distinguir la presencia y ausencia de cantos durante la temporada invernal en la regi?n. Estos datos tambi?n ser?n compartidos con los investigadores dedicados al an?lisis de los subtipos de patrones de cantos y sus cambios a trav?s del tiempo en otras partes de M?xico y los Estados Unidos. Los datos colectados durante el estudio servir?n para: (1) Apoyar a la regi?n para convertirla en una zona de agregaci?n de mam?feros marinos reconocida por SEMARNAT. Lo cual ayudar? a obtener mayores recursos para el estudio y protecci?n de las ballenas. (2) Identificar las ?reas que son altamente sensibles para las ballenas jorobadas, en relaci?n con la actividad de barcos camaroneros y otras actividades antropog?nicas potencialmente da?inas de la regi?n. (3) Contribuir con la comunidad cient?fica m?s grande para el estudio y comprensi?n de la poblaci?n de ballenas jorobadas del Pac?fico Norte. Vamos a crear conciencia sobre la conducta en superficie de la ballena jorobada y las buenas pr?cticas de observaci?n de ballenas mediante la organizaci?n y facilitaci?n de talleres y sesiones de formaci?n dirigidas a los operadores de embarcaciones, pescadores, due?os de negocios orientados al turismo, residentes y visitantes de la regi?n. Estos esfuerzos ser?n dirigidos por pasantes de carrera y cient?ficos y educadores establecidos de M?xico y Estados Unidos. Adem?s, un n?mero de mastozo?logos marinos y educadores de biolog?a marina pasar? per?odos cortos de tiempo en el estudio con el equipo de WGRP durante toda la temporada, esto, con el fin de participar en nuestros esfuerzos de divulgaci?n, proporcionar conocimientos y apoyo a nuestros esfuerzos de investigaci?n y fortalecer la comprensi?n de la comunidad cient?fica de los mam?feros marinos en el estado de Guerrero y su relaci?n con las poblaciones m?s grandes. Sitio web Para obtener m?s informaci?n acerca del Proyecto de Investigaci?n de las ballenas de Guerrero, por favor visite: Nuestra p?gina web del proyecto en: http://www.whalesinmexico.com y en Facebook en : http://www.facebook.com/whalesinmexico Colocaci?n de internos voluntarios: El WGRP est? en el proceso de selecci?n de internos voluntarios para nuestro programa de estancia de la temporada invernal 2017. Se requiere un m?nimo de 10 semanas de participaci?n durante 2 enero a 18 marzo. Las solicitudes deben presentarse antes del d?a 1 de noviembre del a?o en curso. Debe considerarse que solamente estamos buscando de 2 internos para esta temporada y que el n?mero de solicitudes que recibimos es muy superior al n?mero de lugares que se tienen disponibles. Los candidatos seleccionados participar?n en los siguientes proyectos de investigaci?n: 1) Monitoreo en campo de ballenas jorobadas y foto identificaci?n. Este estudio continuar? el seguimiento de la poblaci?n migratoria de las ballenas jorobadas en Barra de Potos?, Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa y las aguas circundantes. Los deberes en campo consistir?n en: asistir en panga para realizar sondeos de identificaci?n fotogr?fica de ballenas jorobadas en mar, cinco d?as a la semana, seis horas por d?a. Los datos de conducta, ubicaci?n, n?mero de individuos y los datos ambientales se registrar?n para cada grupo de mam?feros marinos. Los internos ser?n rotados entre los diferentes estudios de campo, en tierra y en agua, durante el tiempo de duraci?n de la temporada 2017 y deben considerar que pasar?n un promedio del 40% de su tiempo recolectando datos desde tierra (en un faro) y el otro 60% en agua (en una panga de pesca 6 metros de longitud). 2) Organizaci?n y an?lisis de datos. Adem?s de los deberes de campo realizados durante 3-4 d?as por semana en el agua, los internos deben estar preparados para pasar un promedio de 1-2 d?as por semana llevando a cabo ciertas responsabilidades en tierra, las cuales incluir?n: la realizaci?n de las bases de datos de fotoidentificaci?n de aletas de ballenas jorobadas y delfines de dientes rugosos, la captura de datos en computadora, la descarga y registro de im?genes y v?deos, la importaci?n y compresi?n de los sonidos grabados, la organizaci?n, mantenimiento y comparaci?n de los cat?logos de fotoidentificaci?n y la reparaci?n, cuidado y mantenimiento del equipo, entre otras funciones seg?n sea necesario. 3) Talleres de operaci?n de embarcaciones de seguridad y eventos comunitarios. Se espera que los Internos sirvan como embajadores del proyecto, por lo cual deben ser capaces de responder preguntas relacionadas con la conducta y la biolog?a de las ballenas jorobadas cuando est?n frente a un grupo. Adem?s, se espera que puedan funcionar como educadores y naturalistas para los patrocinadores del proyecto, turistas y gu?as locales que se unen a nosotros en las embarcaciones para trabajar como ciudadanos cient?ficos de nuestro Proyecto. Tambi?n se requiere que los internos participen en la realizaci?n de talleres y charlas de la ballena jorobada y de otros mam?feros marinos en escuelas, bibliotecas, hoteles y otros lugares, seg?n sea necesario, como m?nimo una vez por semana. Los internos deben considerar que pasar?n aproximadamente el 60% de su tiempo en el trabajo de campo (un m?nimo de cinco d?as a la semana, por lo menos 6 horas por d?a), y alrededor del 40% de su tiempo en el de trabajo de los datos, el cuidado y mantenimiento del equipo y la participaci?n en los esfuerzos de divulgaci?n y educaci?n en la comunidad. No existe una compensaci?n monetaria para los puestos que los internos llevar?n a cabo. Sin embargo, el proyecto proporcionar? un sitio de alojamiento durante el tiempo de duraci?n de la temporada y un estipendio de viaje de $250 que ser? proporcionado para apoyar el transporte desde y hacia la regi?n. Los internos deber?n cubrir los gastos de sus propios alimentos, transporte local, internet y tel?fono y gastos personales durante el curso de su estancia. Cualidades de los Internos Los solicitantes deber?n idealmente tener las siguientes cualidades: *M?nimo de 24 a?os de edad y realice o recientemente haya finalizado sus estudios Universitarios y/o que tenga experiencia comparable en el campo de la biolog?a marina. *Que demuestre un compromiso y pasi?n por los mam?feros marinos, la educaci?n y la divulgaci?n cient?fica para con a la comunidad y el desarrollo de ecoturismo marino responsable. *Biling?e (Espa?ol/Ingl?s), con la capacidad de trabajar en un rango amplio rango de culturas incluyendo: la cultura rural mexicana de un pueblo de pescadores, los turistas norteamericanos y residentes extranjeros, adem?s de los bur?cratas mexicanos. *Que demuestren sensibilidad y tacto a la hora de trabajar y desarrollar las actividades y talleres con los habitantes de la comunidad incluyendo: pescadores y operadores de embarcaciones, residentes del pueblo (ni?os y adultos), turistas y residentes extranjeros, y bur?cratas mexicanos entre otras personas, seg?n sea el caso. *Un t?tulo o grado en Biolog?a, Biolog?a Marina, Ecolog?a, Zoolog?a o un campo relacionado y/o experiencia comparable. *Conocimiento b?sico en programas de computaci?n de Microsoft Office (especialmente Excel y Access), el conocimiento de Lightroom y Mysticetus son un plus. Las habilidades para la edici?n de fotos y v?deos tambi?n son una ventaja. *Se valorar? la experiencia de investigaci?n de campo. *Debe ser capaz de nadar. *No propenso a los mareos. *Que muestre entusiasmo y deseos de aprender una variedad de m?todos de investigaci?n en campo y en laboratorio. *Que demuestre una capacidad de trabajo en equipo, rigor, una fuerte capacidad de organizaci?n, atenci?n al detalle, resistencia, auto-motivaci?n y capacidad de trabajar de forma independiente. *La disposici?n de pasar un m?nimo de 10 a 12 semanas de trabajo a tiempo completo (5-6 d?as / semana) como voluntario en nuestro programa. Instrucciones para la solicitud de los internos: Para solicitar un lugar para la estancia del Proyecto de Investigaci?n de las Ballenas de Guerrero, las personas interesadas deben completar y proporcionar a WGRP los siguientes documentos y datos: 1. Su nombre, fecha de nacimiento, sexo, direcci?n postal permanente, n?mero de tel?fono, direcci?n de correo electr?nico, el colegio o la universidad a la que actualmente asiste o asisti? m?s recientemente, el grado de estudio con el que cuenta en el momento de la estancia, el ?rea principal de estudio, el grado m?s alto que ha recibido, el a?o en que espera graduarse, otros colegios o universidades a los que haya asistido y la fecha que se dispone a participar en las pr?cticas. 2. Una carta de una a dos p?ginas de declaraci?n de Inter?s que describa: a) Los intereses en el programa(s) que eligi? y sus metas profesionales, b) las razones para solicitar una estancia en WGRP, y c) por qu? cree que deber?a ser seleccionado para una estancia en WGRP. (Este carta se puede enviar como un documento de Word o un archivo pdf o, como ?ltimo recurso, por fax o por correo a nosotros). 3. Una copia no oficial de su m?s reciente expediente universitario que enumer? todos los cursos de nivel universitario que ha tomado hasta la fecha y las calificaciones que ha recibido. En ambos casos se aceptan copias no oficiales y oficiales. Si la escala de calificaciones de su escuela se diferencia de la escala de 4.0, por favor incluya una explicaci?n de esa escala. (Este documento puede ser enviado como un archivo pdf, salvado directamente de la p?gina web de su escuela como un jpg o png imagen o un archivo htm y copiado y pegado en un documento de Word o, como ?ltimo recurso, por fax o por correo a nosotros). 4. Dos cartas de recomendaci?n de personas capaces de comentar sobre sus habilidades de investigaci?n y cualidades. 5. Un resumen de vida o curriculum vitae que describa cualquier trabajo pertinente, estancias, pasant?as, trabajo voluntario, becas y/u otras actividades que haya realizado o en las que haya participado, as? como otras habilidades o logros que quiera destacar. (Esto puede ser enviado como un archivo de documento Word o pdf, como ?ltimo recurso, por fax o por correo a nosotros). 6. Enviar un correo electr?nico a la directora del proyecto WGRP (Katherina Audley), al correo electr?nico Katherina at whalesinmexico.com, indicando su nombre, informaci?n de contacto, fechas exactas y la duraci?n de la disponibilidad, donde se enter? de la oportunidad de la estancia (por ejemplo, SOMEMMA, MarMam, Facebook (si es as?, qu? p?gina), Whalefish, etc.), y que ha proporcionado todos los documentos para la solicitud a nosotros, como se detalla m?s arriba. Todas las solicitudes ser?n revisadas; aquellas recibidas durante el plazo de solicitud de 01 de noviembre se les dar?n mayor prioridad. Los participantes que resulten exitosos ser?n contactados el 2 de diciembre de 2016. Whales of Guerrero Research Project Internship Winter 2017 - Deadline November 1, 2016 Background The Whales of Guerrero Research Project (WGRP) is a privately-funded research and education project located in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, near the twin cities of Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo on the Pacific Ocean coast. This project is the first to investigate humpback whales and other marine mammals in-depth in the state of Guerrero. There is an absence of information and awareness about whales and other cetaceans among boat operators, tour guides, residents and visitors to the region. Project Goals The goals of the Whales of Guerrero Research Project?s are to: ? Contribute to a better understanding of the structure, abundance, distribution and dynamics of the humpback whales and other marine mammals which migrate through and reside in the region. ? Raise awareness about responsible whale watching and ecotourism practices and humpback whale behavior and biology among boat operators, tour guides, educators, residents and visitors. ? Educate Guerrero residents and surrounding community about local marine megafauna to motivate lasting changes toward a healthy marine ecology We will accomplish our research goals by conducting field studies from January through March annually for the next 2 years (winters 2015-2018). The 2017 study will include on-water efforts to locate, photo-identify and record the songs of humpback whales and collect occurrence data on other marine mammals including six dolphin species. The research boat is a 6-meter fishing panga. Local fishermen collect data, operate the research boat and work as citizen scientists in partnership with our research team. Fluke identification photos will contribute to our local fluke identification catalog as well as to larger existing fluke identification catalogs maintained by research colleagues elsewhere in Mexico and the US. We also will record humpback whale vocalizations to note presence/absence and also share these data with researchers elsewhere in Mexico and the US. Data collected will (1) help the region to become a SEMARNAT-acknowledged marine mammal site, which will garner further resources to study and protect the whales, (2) identify potentially sensitive regions for humpback whales relative to shrimp boat activity, gillnet fishing and other potentially harmful anthropogenic activities, and (3) contribute to the scientific community?s understanding of the Northeastern Pacific Humpback Whale population. We will raise awareness regarding whale watching practices and humpback whale behavior by hosting and facilitating workshops and training sessions geared toward boat operators, fishermen, tourist-oriented business owners, residents and visitors. Community outreach and education programs take place daily, ranging from school programs to community events to public workshops. Website For more information about the Whales of Guerrero Research Project, please visit: Our project website at: http://www.whalesinmexico.com and on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/whalesinmexico Volunteer Intern Positions The WGRP is in the process of selecting volunteer interns for our Winter 2016 internship program. A minimum of 11 weeks of participation is required during 2 January - 18 March. Applications are due by November 1st. Please note that we are only seeking 2 interns this season and we receive many more applications than we have openings. Successful candidates will participate in the following research projects: 1) Humpback whale field monitoring and photo-identification. This study will continue monitoring the migratory community of humpback whales in Barra de Potosi, Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and the surrounding waters. Duties in the field will consist of assisting with boat-based photographic identification surveys for humpback whales 3-4 days per week, six hours per day. Behavioral, location, individual, and environmental data will be recorded for each marine mammal group. Interns are responsible for diplomatically training and supporting rigorous, consistent data collection practices (DSLR camera, GPS, hydrophone and note taking) among our local fishermen team members. 2) Data organization and analysis. Intern responsibilities include: office-based photo-identification of humpback whales and rough-toothed dolphin fins, computer data entry, video logging, fluke identification catalog maintenance, equipment repair, upkeep and maintenance and other duties. In addition to spending 3-4 days per week on water, interns should be prepared to spend an average of 1-2 days per week organizing, matching and maintaining the fluke and fin identification catalogs, importing and compressing recorded sound, maintaining and repairing equipment and attending to other field duties as needed. 3) Safe boat operation workshops, training and educational programs and community events. Interns will be expected to serve as continuous ambassadors for the project and be available to field questions on humpback whale behavior and biology whenever they are in the public. In addition, they will be expected to serve as educators and naturalists to project supporters and local guides who join us on the boat to work with us as citizen scientists on our project. Interns will also be expected to participate in and conduct humpback whale and marine mammal workshops in schools, libraries, hotels and other venues, as needed, a minimum of 1-2 times per week. Interns should expect to spend about 60% of their time in the field (a minimum of 3-4 days per week, at least 6 hours per day), and about 40% (2-3 days/week) of their time working with data, performing equipment maintenance and participating in community outreach and education efforts. There is no compensation for these internship positions. However, the project will provide for living accommodations (homestays with local hosts in the village) during the time of the internship, and a $250 travel stipend will be provided to support transportation to and from the region. Interns must cover the expense of their own food, local transportation, internet, telephone and miscellaneous personal expenses during the course of their internship. Intern Qualifications Applicants will ideally have the following qualifications: * Minimum of 24 years of age and engaged in or recently completed graduate studies or comparable marine biology field experience * A demonstrated commitment to and passion for marine mammals, education and community outreach and the development of responsible marine ecotourism * Bilingual (Spanish 90-100%/English 75-100%) * Proven ability to work within a range of cultures including: rural Mexican fishing village culture, North American tourists and foreign residents and Mexican government officials * A background or degree in Biology, Marine Biology, Ecology, Zoology or a related field or comparable experience * Basic computer proficiency in Microsoft Office programs (especially Excel) * Knowledge of Lightroom and Mysticetus are a plus; photo and video editing skills also a plus * Strong photo ID skills with a DSLR camera (We work with Nikon cameras.) * Marine mammal field research experience * Must be able to swim * Not prone to seasickness * Enthusiasm and desire to learn a variety of field and lab based research methods * Demonstrated teamwork, rigor, strong organizational and problem solving skills, attention to detail, stamina, self-motivated * Independence, as in able to perform operations without supervision and ability to anticipate a problem and formulate a solution on one?s own and the ability to work independently * A willingness to spend a minimum of 10-12 weeks working full-time (5-6 days/week) as a volunteer with our program. * Flexible and resourceful; adaptable to changes in study plans, cultural sensitivity Intern Application Instructions To apply for a Whales of Guerrero Research Project internship, interested persons should complete and provide to WGRP the following application materials: 1. Your name, birthdate, gender, permanent mailing address, phone number, e-mail address, the college or university you are currently attending or most recently attended, your year of study at the time of the internship, your major field of study, the highest degree you have received, the year you expect to graduate, other colleges or universities you have attended and the dates you are available to participate in the internship. 2. A one- to two-page Statement of Interest that describes: a) your interests in the program(s) you choose and your career goals, b) your reasons for applying for a WGRP internship, and c) why you should be selected for a WGRP internship. (This can be sent as a Word document or a PDF.) 3. An unofficial copy of your most recent college transcript that lists all college-level courses you have taken to-date and the grades you have received. Both unofficial and official copies are accepted. If your school's grading scale differs from the 4.0 scale, please include an explanation of that scale. (Sent as a PDF file, saved from your school's website as a jpg or png image or an html file, copy-and-pasted into a Word document.) 4. Two letters of recommendation from individuals capable of commenting on your research skills and qualifications. Be sure to include e-mail and phone number contacts for your references with each letter. 5. A resume or curriculum vitae describing any relevant jobs, internships, volunteer work, scholarships and/or other activities that you have held or participated in and other skills or accomplishments that you wish to identify. (This can be sent as a Word document or PDF file.) 6. Send an email to WGRP Project Director (Katherina Audley, katherina at whalesinmexico.com stating your name, contact information, exact dates and duration of availability, where you learned about the internship opportunity (e.g., SOMEMMA, MarMam, Facebook (and if so which page), Whalefish, colleague, advisor, etc.), and that you have provided all application materials to us, as detailed above. All applications will be reviewed; those received by the application deadline of November 1st will be given first priority. Successful applications will be contacted by December 1, 2016. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lis.bitt at gmail.com Wed Oct 19 08:17:12 2016 From: lis.bitt at gmail.com (Lis Bittencourt) Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2016 13:17:12 -0200 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper on underwater noise impact in dolphin communication Message-ID: Dear colleagues, We are pleased to share with you a recent publication in Marine Pollution Bulletin regarding underwater noise influence in dolphin communication: Bittencourt, L.; Lima, I.M.S.; Andrade, L.G.; Carvalho, R. R.; Bisi, T. L.; Lailson-Brito, J. Jr.; Azevedo, A. F. (2016) "Underwater noise in an impacted environment can affect Guiana dolphin communication" DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.10.037 Abstract: This study focused onwhistles produced by Guiana dolphin under different noise conditions in Guanabara Bay, southeastern Brazil. Recording sessions were performed with a fully calibrated recording system. Whistles and underwater noise levels registered during two behavioral stateswere compared separately between two areas. Noise levels differed between the two areas across all frequencies. Whistle duration differed between areas andwas negatively correlatedwith noise levels.Whistling ratewas positively correlated with noise levels, show- ing thatwhistling ratewas higher in noisier conditions. Results demonstrated that underwater noise influenced Guiana dolphin acoustic behavior. Here is the link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.10.037 Or email me: lis.bitt at gmail.com Best regards, Lis Bittencourt Mestre em Oceanografia Doutoranda no Programa de P?s-Gradua??o em Oceanografia - UERJ Laborat?rio de Mam?feros Aqu?ticos e Bioindicadores - MAQUA Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ Rua S?o Francisco Xavier, 524, 4? andar - sala 4002 bloco E Maracan?, Rio de Janeiro - RJ CEP 20550-013 Tel: 21 2334-0795 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mikejwilliamson at outlook.com Fri Oct 21 08:05:35 2016 From: mikejwilliamson at outlook.com (Michael Williamson) Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2016 15:05:35 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication Message-ID: Dear MARMAM colleagues, It is with great pleasure that my co-authors and I would like to share our most recent publication in Marine Mammal Science: Michael J. Williamson, Rebecca A. Dunlop, Ailbhe S. Kavanagh, Michael J. Noad, Eric Kniest & Douglas H. Cato. (2016). The short term effect of tagging activities by small research vessels on the behaviour of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Marine Mammal Science. 32, 1234-1253. Abstract: Small research vessels are often used as platforms for tagging activities to collect behavioral data on cetaceans and they have the potential to disturb that group or individual. If this disturbance is ignored, results and conclusions produced by that study could be inaccurate. Here land-based behavioral data of migrating humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) (n = 29) were used to determine the effect of close approaches for tagging by research vessels on their diving, movement and surface behaviors. Groups of whales were tagged, using digital recording tags, by small research vessels, as part of a behavioral response study. In groups that were approached for tagging, temporary changes in movement behaviors during close approaches were found, with subsequent recovery to "pre-approach" levels. In female-calf groups more long-term changes in travel speed were found. Results suggest that, although close approaches for tagging by small vessels may cause behavioral changes in humpback whales, this change may be small and temporary. However, in female-calf groups, the behavioral change may be greater and longer lasting. This study shows that when using small vessels for behavioral research, disturbance, and recovery should be measured to ensure integrity of data used for other analyses. Full text and PDF files can be downloaded here; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301668293_The_effect_of_close_approaches_for_tagging_activities_by_small_research_vessels_on_the_behavior_of_humpback_whales_Megaptera_novaeangliae Alternatively, please send PDF requests to mikejwilliamson at outlook.com All the best, Mike Williamson -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rcabprieto at gmail.com Wed Oct 19 02:09:42 2016 From: rcabprieto at gmail.com (Rui Prieto) Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2016 09:09:42 -0000 Subject: [MARMAM] two new publications on environmental niche modelling of cetaceans in the Central North Atlantic Message-ID: <005701d229e8$87f3f7b0$97dbe710$@gmail.com> Dear Marmam subscribers, We are pleased to announce the publication of two articles on environmental niche modelling of cetaceans in the Azores (Central North Atlantic). Both articles are open access and can be downloaded directly from the respective journals? webpages using the DOI links provided below. 1. Tobe?a, M.*, Prieto, R.*, Machete, M., and Silva, M.A. (2016). Modeling the potential distribution and richness of cetaceans in the Azores from fisheries observer program data. Frontiers in Marine Science 3. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2016.00202. * These authors have contributed equally to this work. Abstract: Marine spatial planning and ecological research call for high-resolution species distribution data. However, those data are still not available for most marine large vertebrates. The dynamic nature of oceanographic processes and the wide-ranging behavior of many marine vertebrates create further difficulties, as distribution data must incorporate both the spatial and temporal dimensions. Cetaceans play an essential role in structuring and maintaining marine ecosystems and face increasing threats from human activities. The Azores holds a high diversity of cetaceans but the information about spatial and temporal patterns of distribution for this marine megafauna group in the region is still very limited. To tackle this issue, we created monthly predictive cetacean distribution maps for spring and summer months, using data collected by the Azores Fisheries Observer Programme between 2004 and 2009. We then combined the individual predictive maps to obtain species richness maps for the same period. Our results reflect a great heterogeneity in distribution among species and within species among different months. This heterogeneity reflects a contrasting influence of oceanographic processes on the distribution of cetacean species. However, some persistent areas of increased species richness could also be identified from our results. We argue that policies aimed at effectively protecting cetaceans and their habitats must include the principle of dynamic ocean management coupled with other area-based management such as marine spatial planning. 2. Prieto, R.*, Tobe?a, M.*, and Silva, M.A. (2016). Habitat preferences of baleen whales in a mid-latitude habitat. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2016.07.015. * These authors have contributed equally to this work. Abstract: Understanding the dynamics of baleen whale distribution is essential to predict how environmental changes can affect their ecology and, in turn, ecosystem functioning. Recent work showed that mid-latitude habitats along migratory routes may play an important role on the feeding ecology of baleen whales. This study aimed to investigate the function of a mid-latitude habitat for blue (Balaenoptera musculus), fin (Balaenoptera physalus) and sei (Balaenoptera borealis) whales occurring in sympatry during spring and summer months and to what extent their environmental niches overlap. We addressed those questions by developing environmental niche models (ENM) for each species and then making pairwise comparisons of niche overlap and relative habitat patch importance among the three species. ENMs were created using sightings from the Azorean Fisheries Observer Program from May to November, between 2004 and 2009, and a set of 18 predictor environmental variables. We then assessed monthly (April?July) overlap among ENMs using a modified Hellinger?s distance metric (I). Results show that the habitat niches of blue and fin whales are strongly influenced by primary productivity and sea surface temperature and are highly dynamic both spatially and temporally due to the oceanography of the region. Niche overlap analyses show that blue and fin whale environmental niches are similar and that the suitable habitats for the two species have high degree of spatial coincidence. These results in combination suggest that this habitat may function as a mid-latitude feeding ground to both species while conditions are adequate. The sei whale model, on the other hand, did not include variables considered to be proxies for prey distribution and little environmental niche overlap was found between this species and the other two. We argue that these results suggest that the region holds little importance as a foraging habitat for the sei whale. With the very best regards to all, Rui Prieto MARE ? Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre; IMAR Centre at the University of the Azores 9901-862 Horta Portugal Tel: (351) 292200475 Fax: (351) 292200411 E-mail: rprieto at mare-centre.pt http://www.whales.uac.pt -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From silvia.sm.monteiro at gmail.com Wed Oct 19 08:14:10 2016 From: silvia.sm.monteiro at gmail.com (Silvia Monteiro) Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2016 16:14:10 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on Bioaccumulation of trace element concentrations in common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from Portugal Message-ID: Dear Marmam Readers, I am very pleased to announce the following publication: Monteiro SS, Pereira AT, Costa ?, Torres J, Oliveira I, Bastos-Santos J, Ara?jo H, Ferreira M, Vingada J, Eira C. Bioaccumulation of trace element concentrations in common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from Portugal. Marine Pollution Bulletin (2016) Abstract The common dolphin (*Delphinus delphis*) is one of the most abundant species in Atlantic Iberia, representing a potentially important tool to assess the bioaccumulation of trace elements in the Iberian marine ecosystem. Nine elements (As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn) were evaluated in 36 dolphins stranded in continental Portugal. Dolphins had increasing Hg concentrations (16.72 ?g?g?1 ww, liver) compared with previous studies in Atlantic Iberia, whereas Cd concentrations (2.26 ?g?g?1 ww, kidney) fell within reported ranges. The concentrations of some trace elements (including Cd and Hg) presented positive relationships with dolphin length, presence of parasites and gross pathologies. Common dolphins may help biomonitoring more offshore Atlantic Iberian areas in future studies, which would otherwise be difficult to assess. For an early view of this paper, please visit: *http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X16308499 * If you are unable to download the article, please contact me by email and I will be happy to send you a copy: s.monteiro at ua.pt Best wishes, Silvia Monteiro ---------------------------------------- Postdoctoral researcher CESAM (Centro de estudos do ambiente e do Mar) University of Aveiro Portugal s.monteiro@ ua.pt www.cesam.ua.pt/silvia.monteiro Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida Selvagem/Portuguese Wildlife Society University of Minho Portugal www.socpvs.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From stephanie.king at uwa.edu.au Thu Oct 20 07:56:05 2016 From: stephanie.king at uwa.edu.au (Stephanie King) Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2016 22:56:05 +0800 Subject: [MARMAM] New Publication: Vocal matching Message-ID: <5595D0AD76DAB94BB2163A18B2F8497602D9AA6E9934@IS-WIN-378.staffad.uwa.edu.au> Dear all, My co-author and I are pleased to notify you of the online publication of our paper "Vocal matching: the what, the why and the how" in Biology Letters. In this review, we use cetaceans and other taxa (e.g. songbirds) to describe and clarify the term vocal matching as an interactive vocal behaviour. The abstract is as follows: Over the years, vocal matching has progressed beyond being an interesting behavioural phenomenon to one that now has relevance to a wide range of fields. In this review, we use birds and cetaceans to explain what vocal matching is, why animals vocally match and how vocal matching can be identified. We show that while the functional aspects of vocal matching are similar, the contexts in which matching is used can differ between taxa. Whereas vocal matching in songbirds facilitates mate attraction and the immediate defence of resources, in parrots and cetaceans it plays a role in the maintenance of social bonds and the promotion of behavioural synchrony. We propose criteria for defining vocal matching with the aim of stimulating more matching studies across a wider range of taxa, including those using other, non-vocal, communication modalities. Finally, we encourage future studies to explore the importance of vocal learning in the development of vocal matching, and the information it may provide to third parties in the communication network. You can download the article here: http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/12/10/20160666 Kind regards, Stephanie ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stephanie L. King, PhD Society in Science - Branco Weiss Fellow Centre for Evolutionary Biology School of Animal Biology University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 Ph 0864881773 (W) 0447 265840 (M) www.sharkbaydolphins.org Please visit my homepage to find out more about my research: http://slking.weebly.com ?Because in the end, you won?t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.? ? Jack Kerouac From bortolotto.ga at gmail.com Sun Oct 23 07:13:17 2016 From: bortolotto.ga at gmail.com (Guilherme Augusto Bortolotto) Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2016 15:13:17 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] WORKSHOP UPDATE: Estimating Marine Mammal Abundance from Line Transect Surveys Message-ID: UPDATE: ****Until 31 October, registration will be only available to those attending the conference. *From 1 November, remaining places will be made available to general public*.**** Workshop ?Estimating Marine Mammal Abundance from Line Transect Surveys? at SOLAMAC, 26th -27th November 2016, Valparaiso, Chile Dear Colleagues, We would like to invite you to participate in the upcoming workshop "Estimating Marine Mammal Abundance from Line Transect Surveys" to be held on the Latin American Society of Aquatic Mammal Experts (SOLAMAC) meeting in Valparaiso, Chile on the 26th and 27th of November 2016. The principal instructor will be Prof Philip Hammond (University of St Andrews) http://soi.st-andrews.ac.uk/staffProfile.aspx?sunID=psh2 This workshop will introduce participants to the methods used to estimate the abundance of marine mammals, especially cetaceans. Methodology will be presented in a statistical framework but the focus will be on practical application of the methods and analysis of the data, and on understanding and dealing with potential biases that arise from applying the methodology in practice. Participants will spend much of the time doing practical exercises and will learn to use the analytical software DISTANCE for line transect sampling analysis. On successful completion of the workshop, participants will be able to design, execute and analyse data from line transect surveys and understand how results can be used to inform conservation and management. More details about the program can be found at the website http://solamac2016.com/congress/estimating-marine-mammal- abundance-from-line-transect-surveys/ *Registration: *through the SOLAMAC website http://solamac2016.com/congres s/inscripciones/ *Fee:* US$50 for students; US$70 for professionals For any further information, please contact us at (ncrm at st-andrews.ac.uk./ gabdo at st-andrews.ac.uk ) Looking forward to see you in Chile! -- *Guilherme A. Bortolotto | *PhD Student SMRU ? CREEM ? School of Biology University of St Andrews *http://biology.st-andrews.ac.uk/contact/staffProfile.aspx?sunid=gabdo * Mobile UK: (44) 0 7884 398394 R3 Animal Association (http://en.r3animal.org/) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From disciara at gmail.com Sun Oct 23 00:53:09 2016 From: disciara at gmail.com (Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara) Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2016 09:53:09 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] new publication on Mediterranean marine mammals Message-ID: <01E9CFF1-98E4-4887-97CB-38060CD42531@gmail.com> Dear colleagues, It is with great pleasure that I would like to share my most recent publication: Notarbartolo di Sciara G. 2016. Marine mammals in the Mediterranean Sea: an overview. In: G. Notarbartolo di Sciara, M. Podest?, B.E. Curry (Editors), Mediterranean marine mammal ecology and conservation. Advances in Marine Biology 75:1-36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/bs.amb.2016.08.005 Abstract: Despite being a small part of the world?s oceans, the Mediterranean Sea hosts a diverse marine mammal fauna, with a total of 28 different species known to occur or to have occurred in the region. Species currently recognised as regular in the Mediterranean ? the Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus and 11 cetaceans (fin whale Balaenoptera physalus, sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus, Cuvier?s beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris, short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis, long-finned pilot whale Globicephala melas, Risso?s dolphin Grampus griseus, killer whale Orcinus orca, striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba, rough-toothed dolphin Steno bredanensis, common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus, harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena relicta) have adapted well to the region?s environmental conditions but their coexistence with humans is problematic. All the regular species are represented in the Mediterranean by populations genetically distinct from their North Atlantic relatives. Seventeen other species (three pinnipeds and 14 cetaceans) occur or have occurred in the Mediterranean as vagrants from adjacent regions. Impacts on the conservation status of marine mammals in the region deriving from a variety of threats include: a) mortality caused by deliberate killing, naval sonar, ship strikes, epizootics, fisheries bycatch, chemical pollution and ingestion of solid debris; b) short-term redistribution caused by naval sonar, seismic surveys, vessel disturbance and vessel noise; and c) long-term redistribution caused by fishery-induced food depletion, coastal development and possibly climate change. Accordingly, seven of the 12 marine mammals regular in the Mediterranean region are listed as Threatened on IUCN?s Red List; regrettably, three are still Data Deficient and two remain unassessed. The paper can be accessed from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S006528811630030X Alternatively, please send PDF requests to disciara at gmail.com All the best, Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From disciara at gmail.com Sun Oct 23 00:56:13 2016 From: disciara at gmail.com (Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara) Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2016 09:56:13 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] new publication on Mediterranean fin whales Message-ID: <749260CB-5EDF-439E-BD9A-6241EAC7F249@gmail.com> Dear colleagues, It is with great pleasure that my coauthors and I would like to share our most recent publication: Notarbartolo di Sciara G., Castellote M., Druon J.N., Panigada S. 2016. Fin whales, Balaenoptera physalus: at home in a changing Mediterranean Sea? In: G. Notarbartolo di Sciara, M. Podest?, B.E. Curry (Editors), Mediterranean marine mammal ecology and conservation. Advances in Marine Biology 75:75-101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/bs.amb.2016.08.002 Abstract: 1.The relationship of Mediterranean fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) to their Atlantic conspecifics has puzzled zoologists for centuries. Recent data indicate the occurrence of two distinct populations, one resident in the Mediterranean Sea and the other a seasonal visitor to the western Mediterranean from the northeastern North Atlantic Ocean. 2. Resident Mediterranean fin whales are nomadic opportunists that have adapted to exploit localised mesoscale hotspots of productivity that are highly variable in space and time. These appear to be fairly widespread across the region during winter, whereas in summer favourable feeding habitat is dramatically reduced, concentrating mostly in the western Ligurian Sea and Gulf of Lion. This prompts a reinterpretation of the movement pattern of resident fin whales, based on a contraction/dispersion hypothesis caused by seasonal variability in available feeding habitat, as opposed to a pattern of migrations occurring along defined directions as is common in other Mysticetes. 3. Calving peaks in autumn but has been observed year-round throughout the Mediterranean, suggesting that resident fin whales engage in breeding activities whenever favourable physiological conditions occur. It can be assumed that the Mediterranean environment, which is relatively forgiving in comparison to oceanic habitats, combined with negligible predation pressure and high potential for sound-mediated socialisation due to the region's relatively small size, might have provided year-round resident fin whales an extended and more flexible calendar of breeding and feeding opportunities. 4. Considering the Mediterranean fin whales? small and possibly decreasing population size, low survival rate and the high pressure from many threats deriving from human activities such as vessel traffic, noise, chemical pollution and likely climate change, their status raises considerable concern and conservation measures should be urgently implemented. The paper can be accessed from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S006528811630013X Alternatively, please send PDF requests to disciara at gmail.com All the best, Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From disciara at gmail.com Sun Oct 23 00:58:17 2016 From: disciara at gmail.com (Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara) Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2016 09:58:17 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] new publication on Mediterranean monk seals Message-ID: Dear colleagues, It is with great pleasure that my coauthor and I would like to share our most recent publication: Notarbartolo di Sciara G., Kotomatas S. 2016. Are Mediterranean monk seals, Monachus monachus, being left to save themselves from extinction? In: G. Notarbartolo di Sciara, M. Podest?, B.E. Curry (Editors), Mediterranean marine mammal ecology and conservation. Advances in Marine Biology 75:361-388. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/bs.amb.2016.08.004 Abstract: Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus), amongst the most endangered marine mammals, are showing localised signs of recovery warranting their recent down-listing, from Critically Endangered to Endangered, on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. This, however, cannot be taken as a reason for complacency, as the species? condition is still very critical, having been extirpated from most of its historical range. Monk seals within the Mediterranean, a ?unit to conserve? separate from Atlantic conspecifics, were once widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean Sea, with their range also extending into the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. Today breeding nuclei persist only in the northeastern portion of the region, in Greek, Turkish and Cypriot waters. The main reasons for their decline include deliberate killing and human encroachment of their critical habitat. Past conservation efforts have mostly failed due to the inability of implementing institutional commitments, lack of coordination and continuity of efforts and insufficient consideration of the socioeconomic implications of conserving monk seals. Yet the small reversal of the species? decline that has been observed in Greece may have resulted from conservation efforts by civil society, combined with ongoing societal change within the local communities coexisting with the seals. The inaccessibility of large portions of monk seal habitat in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea may also have contributed, by offering to the monk seals a refuge from persecution and encroachment. Despite continued threats to monk seals, conservation activities at the local scale that utilise lessons learned from previous failures and successes could secure the survival of the largest Mediterranean colony of monk seals, while also providing a model to support the species? recovery in other portions of its former range. The paper can be accessed from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065288116300153 Alternatively, please send PDF requests to disciara at gmail.com All the best, Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From disciara at gmail.com Sun Oct 23 00:44:07 2016 From: disciara at gmail.com (Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara) Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2016 09:44:07 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] New volume on Mediterranean marine mammal ecology and conservation Message-ID: Dear colleagues, I am pleased to announce the publication of a volume on ?Mediterranean marine mammal ecology and conservation?, the last in the Advances in Marine Biology Series. Information on the volume can be found here: https://www.elsevier.com/books/mediterranean-marine-mammal-ecology-and-conservation/author/978-0-12-805152-8 __________________________ Table of contents: Preface Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara, Michela Podest? and Barbara E. Curry 1. Marine Mammals in the Mediterranean Sea: An Overview G. Notarbartolo di Sciara 2. Mediterranean Sperm Whales, Physeter macrocephalus: The Precarious State of a Lost Tribe L. Rendell and A. Frantzis 3. Fin Whales, Balaenoptera physalus: At Home in a Changing Mediterranean Sea? G. Notarbartolo di Sciara, M. Castellote, J.-N. Druon and S. Panigada 4. Cuvier?s Beaked Whale, Ziphius cavirostris, Distribution and Occurrence in the Mediterranean Sea: High-Use Areas and Conservation Threats M. Podest?, A. Azzellino, A. Ca?adas, A. Frantzis, A. Moulins, M. Rosso, P. Tepsich and C. Lanfredi 5. Conservation Status of Killer Whales, Orcinus orca, in the Strait of Gibraltar R. Esteban, P. Verborgh, P. Gauffier, D. Alarc?n, J.M. Salazar-Sierra, J. Gim?nez, A.D. Foote and R. de Stephanis 6. Conservation Status of Long-Finned Pilot Whales, Globicephala melas, in the Mediterranean Sea P. Verborgh, P. Gauffier, R. Esteban, J. Gim?nez, A. Ca?adas, J.M. Salazar-Sierra and R. de Stephanis 7. Risso?s Dolphin, Grampus griseus, in the Western Ligurian Sea: Trends in Population Size and Habitat Use A. Azzellino, S. Airoldi, S. Gaspari, C. Lanfredi, A. Moulins, M. Podest?, M. Rosso and P. Tepsich 8. The Rough-Toothed Dolphin, Steno bredanensis, in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea: A Relict Population? D. Kerem, O. Goffman, M. Elasar, N. Hadar, A. Scheinin and T. Lewis 9. The Gulf of Ambracia?s Common Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops truncatus: A Highly Dense and yet Threatened Population J. Gonzalvo, G. Lauriano, P.S. Hammond, K.A. Viaud-Martinez, M.C. Fossi, A. Natoli and L. Marsili 10. Dolphins in a Scaled-Down Mediterranean: The Gulf of Corinth?s Odontocetes G. Bearzi, S. Bonizzoni, N.L. Santostasi, N.B. Furey, L. Eddy, V.D. Valavanis and O. Gimenez 11. Harbour Porpoises, Phocoena phocoena, in the Mediterranean Sea and Adjacent Regions: Biogeographic Relicts of the Last Glacial Period M. C. Fontaine 12. Are Mediterranean Monk Seals, Monachus monachus, Being Left to Save Themselves from Extinction? G. Notarbartolo di Sciara and S. Kotomatas 13. The International Legal Framework for Marine Mammal Conservation in the Mediterranean Sea T. Scovazzi ______________________ I was informed by Elsevier that I can share my author discount code ATR30 with friends and colleagues so they can receive 30% off and free shipping at store.elsevier.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mmadden at nmlc.org Thu Oct 20 15:22:36 2016 From: mmadden at nmlc.org (Margot Madden) Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2016 18:22:36 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Marine Animal Rehabilitation & Environmental Education Internship Message-ID: <007501d22b20$7639c110$62ad4330$@nmlc.org> Marine Animal Rehabilitation & Environmental Education Internship The National Marine Life Center is seeking qualified students to fill our spring internship positions. Marine Animal Rehabilitation/Education interns will assist NMLC staff and volunteers with education projects and animal husbandry. See below for the complete details. The National Marine Life Center (NMLC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to rehabilitating and releasing stranded marine mammals and sea turtles, seals in order to advance science and education in marine wildlife health and conservation. Animal Care Responsibilities- Depending on need and case load, interns will assist with the care of the NMLC rehabilitation patients including seals, sea turtles, and freshwater turtles. Animal Care duties will include animal restraint, cleaning, disinfecting tanks, equipment, and environmental enrichment devices, food preparation, administering feeds including tube feeding, data entry, maintenance and water quality testing. Interns will also assist animal care staff with medical procedures, admission exams, necropsies and release events. Education Responsibilities- Interns will assist with environmental education programs, including on-site programs, off-site programs, fairs, and festivals. Interns will assist in giving public presentations to guests of NMLC and educate them on marine animals and conservation. Interns will assist in the gift shop; assist with various office projects and event promotion. Other Responsibilities- Each intern will take on a project which they will work on for the duration of their internship. The project must be proposed by the student and agreed upon with the NMLC staff. At the end of the internship, the intern will present the project to the staff, volunteers, and members of the public. Each intern will also be assigned a weekly chore to assist with the upkeep of the facility and equipment, and will be required to attend regularly scheduled intern meetings. Positions are unpaid, interns must have their own transportation, and housing is not provided, but NMLC will offer suggestions. Qualifications- * The internship is open to students who are currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from an accredited college or university. * Preference will be given to students or recent graduates working towards biology, environmental studies, marine science, education, or other related fields. * Intern should demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills. * Students that are adaptable, responsible, hardworking, willing to learn, and have attention to detail are encouraged to apply. * Must be able to work independently and as part of a team. * Spring interns should be available to work from January 2nd 2017-May 31st 2017. * Interns should expect to work 40 hours per week which will include early morning and/or late night seal feedings. * If an intern plans to receive school credit for an internship they must notify staff prior to the internship start date, and it will be the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all required paperwork is completed and submitted. To Apply- Send your resume, cover letter, and one letter of reference to Margot Madden & Kate Shaffer at apply at nmlc.org or PO Box 269, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts 02532. Applications must be received by November 15th for the spring semester. Margot Madden Animal Care and Volunteer Coordinator National Marine Life Center P.O. Box 269, 120 Main Street Buzzards Bay, MA 02532-0269 p. (508) 743-9888 X306 f. (508) 759-5477 www.nmlc.org mmadden at nmlc.org --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From a.rubio.garcia at hotmail.es Mon Oct 24 00:41:30 2016 From: a.rubio.garcia at hotmail.es (=?UTF-8?Q?Ana_Rubio_Garc=C3=ADa?=) Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2016 09:41:30 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] Seal Care Interns Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen Message-ID: Dear colleagues, The Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen is looking for enthusiastic Seal care volunteers! Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen, is a specialized hospital in the north of the Netherlands, dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured, orphaned and sick seals. Every year we rehabilitate on average 500 native seals, Harbor (*Phoca vitulina)* /Grey (*Halichoerus grypus*) seals, and return them back to the wild. Currently we are seeking to add to our team, with some dedicated and hardworking volunteers/interns for our Seal Care department for the upcoming Winter period, from December 2016 till the end of March 2017 aprox. During this period we could expect, parasitic pneumonia, trauma patients (wounds, eye problems, broken bones...) and orphaned grey seal pups as the main cause of stranding for the seals in the Wadden Sea. We are looking for those persons, of an age of 18 years and over, with a desire to assist our experienced nurses with the day to day care of the seal patients. As a member of our Seal Care team, tasks you could expect to take part in can include but are not limited to: assisting the nurses with tube feedings, medical procedures (weighing, transportation, and assisting physical examinations/wound care), preparing individual and special diets, sanitation of enclosures following our strict protocols, etc. No previous experience with wild animals is required as there will be full training and reference material given, although the preferable candidates will be able to dedicate a length of stay from a minimum of 12 weeks, till a max of 24 weeks. Working 5 days, an average of 40 hours per week. We have accommodation on site, and for a small fee per week you can eat all your daily meals and stay in an internationally diverse environment. Due to this, the common speaking language is strictly English, so we expect candidates with a moderate level of speaking, reading and writing of English. Because we are a rescue centre, and a hospital, you could expect that there would be some heavy times, both emotionally and physically. But, we hope that with the right attitude, flexibility and professionalism it would be a rewarding and satisfying experience to help those seal patients in need. For further application information please contact the Head of the Volunteers, Vicky Stoneman via email on Victoria.Stoneman@ zeehondencentrum.nl, or by phoning the centre?s main information number on 0031, 595, 526 526. For general information on our activities please check out our website www.zeehondencentrum.nl Zeehondencentrum Pieterburen. Healthy sea, happy seal. Hoofdstraat 94a 9968 AG Pieterburen T +31 (0)595 526 526 E: info at zeehondencentrum.nl I: www.zeehondencentrum.nl [image: cid:image004.jpg at 01D1D2D4.6A844C90] P Please consider the environment. Think before printing. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image004.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 1309 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 1218 bytes Desc: not available URL: From mikipode at yahoo.it Mon Oct 24 03:20:17 2016 From: mikipode at yahoo.it (Michela Podesta') Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2016 10:20:17 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [MARMAM] new paper: Cuvier's Beaked Whale, Ziphius cavirostris, Distribution and Occurrence in the Mediterranean Sea: High-Use Areas and Conservation Threats References: <1564794308.2340960.1477304417872.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1564794308.2340960.1477304417872@mail.yahoo.com> Dear all, ?My co-authors and I are pleased to announce thefollowing publication: ?M. Podest?, A. Azzellino, A. Ca?adas, A. Frantzis, A.Moulins, M. Rosso, P. Tepsich, C. Lanfredi, 2016. Cuvier's Beaked Whale,?Ziphiuscavirostris, Distribution and Occurrence in the Mediterranean Sea: High-UseAreas and Conservation Threats. in "Mediterranean Marine Mammal Ecologyand Conservation", Advances in Marine Biology Volume 75. Editors: Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara,Michela Podest?, Barbara E. Curry. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 75:103-140. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/bs.amb.2016.07.007 ? Abstract Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris?G. Cuvier, 1823)is the only beaked whale species commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea. Untilrecently, species presence in this area was only inferred from strandingevents. Dedicated cetacean surveys have increased our knowledge of the distributionof Cuvier's beaked whales, even though many areas still remain unexplored.Here, we present an updated analysis of available sighting and stranding data,focusing on the atypical mass strandings that have occurred in theMediterranean Sea since 1963. We describe in detail the five more recent events(2006?14), highlighting theirrelationship with naval exercises that used mid-frequency active sonar. Thedistribution of the species is apparently characterized by areas of highdensity where animals seem to be relatively abundant, including the Albor?nSea, Ligurian Sea, Central Tyrrhenian Sea, southern Adriatic Sea and theHellenic Trench, but other such areas may exist where little or no survey workhas been conducted. Population size has been estimated for the Albor?n andLigurian seas. Habitat modelling studies for those areas, confirmed the speciespreference for the continental slope and its particular association withsubmarine canyons, as has also been found to be the case in other areas of theworld. The application of results from habitat modelling to areas differentfrom their calibration sites is proposed as a management tool for minimizingthe potential impacts of human activities at sea. Military sonar is knownworldwide as a threat for this species and is suggested to be a major threatfor Cuvier's beaked whale in the Mediterranean Sea. ? A copy can be downloaded at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065288116300116 ?Alternatively, please send PDF request to michela_podesta at hotmail.com ?Kind regards Michela Podest? ? ?dr. Michela Podesta'?Curator Vertebrate Zoology Dept.?Museo di Storia Naturale di Milano?corso Venezia 55 - 20121 Milano - Italy?tel. +39 0288463324 - +39 0288463280 fax +39 0288463281?michela_podesta at hotmail.commichela.podesta@comune.milano.itwww.comune.milano.it/museostorianaturale/index.html -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ler4 at st-andrews.ac.uk Mon Oct 24 10:05:16 2016 From: ler4 at st-andrews.ac.uk (Luke Rendell) Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2016 17:05:16 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] =?windows-1258?q?New_publication=3A_Cultural_turnover_am?= =?windows-1258?q?ong_Gala=ECpagos_sperm_whales?= Message-ID: Dear colleagues, This open access publication on sperm whale vocal clans in the eastern Tropical Pacific has been published online: Cultural turnover among Gala?pagos sperm whales Mauricio Cantor, Hal Whitehead, Shane Gero and Luke Rendell Abstract While populations may wax and wane, it is rare for an entire population to be replaced by a completely different set of individuals. We document the large-scale relocation of cultural groups of sperm whale off the Gala?pagos Islands, in which two sympatric vocal clans were entirely replaced by two different ones. Between 1985 and 1999, whales from two clans (called Regular and Plus-One) defined by cultural dialects in coda vocalizations were repeatedly photo-identified off Gala?pagos. Their occurrence in the area declined through the 1990s; by 2000, none remained. We reassessed Gala?pagos sperm whales in 2013?2014, identifying 463 new females. However, re-sighting rates were low, with no matches with the Gala?pagos 1985?1999 population, suggesting an eastward shift to coastal areas. Their vocal repertoires matched those of two other clans (called Short and Four-Plus) found across the Pacific but previously rare or absent around Gala?pagos. The mechanisms behind this cultural turnover may include large-scale environmental regime shifts favouring clan-specific foraging strategies, and a response to heavy whaling in the region involving redistribution of surviving whales into high- quality habitats. The fall and rise of sperm whale cultures off Gala?pagos reflect the structuring of the Pacific population into large, enduring clans with dynamic ranges. Long-lasting clan membership illustrates how culture can be bound up in the structure and dynamics of animal populations and so how tracking cultural traits can reveal large-scale population shifts. The full paper is available for download at: http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/3/10/160615 Electronic supplementary material can be found at: https://figshare.com/collections/Supplementary_material_from_Cultural_turnover_among_Gal_pagos_sperm_whales_/3500418 Best wishes, Luke -- Dr. Luke Rendell MASTS (masts.ac.uk) Reader in Biology Tel: (44)(0)1334 463499 E-mail: ler4 at st-andrews.ac.uk WWW: http://bio.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/ler4.htm School of Biology, University of St. Andrews Sir Harold Mitchell Building, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH U.K. The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland (SC013532) From avancise at gmail.com Mon Oct 24 12:22:43 2016 From: avancise at gmail.com (Amy Van Cise) Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2016 12:22:43 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: phylogeography of Pacific short-finned pilot whales Message-ID: Dear MARMAM colleagues, On behalf of my coauthors I am pleased to share our recent publication on the phylogeography of short-finned pilot whales in the Pacific Ocean, published in the October 2016 edition of Marine Mammal Science: Van Cise, AM, PA Morin, RW Baird, AR Lang, KM Robertson, SJ Chivers, RL Brownell, KK Martien. 2016.* Redrawing the map: mtDNA provides new insight into the distribution and diversity of short-finned pilot whales in the Pacific Ocean.* Marine Mammal Science, 32(October), pp.1177?1199. Abstract: Correlations between morphological and genetic data provide evidence to delineate species or evolutionarily significant units, which then become the units to conserve in management plans. Here, we examine the distribution and genetic differentiation of two morphotypes of short-finned pilot whale (*Globicephala macrorhynchus*) in the Pacific Ocean. Mitochondrial control region sequences from 333 samples were combined with 152 previously published sequences to describe genetic variability globally and population structure in the Pacific. Although genetic variability is low, we found strong differentiation at both broad and local levels across the Pacific. Based on genetics, two types are distributed throughout the Pacific, one predominantly in the eastern Pacific and the other in the western and central Pacific. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, no correlation was found between distribution and sea surface temperature. The two types have broad latitudinal ranges, suggesting their distributions are likely driven by more complex factors, such as prey distribution, rather than sea surface temperature. Full text and pdf can be downloaded here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12315/abstract Or to request a pdf directly, email me at avancise at gmail.com Best, Amy Van Cise <*)))>< <*)))>< <*)))>< <*)))>< <*)))>< <*)))>< <*)))>< <*)))>< Amy Van Cise PhD Candidate NSF Graduate Research Fellow https://amyvancise.wordpress.com Scripps Institution of Oceanography Ritter Hall 117 781-686-6753 avancise at ucsd.edu NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive 858-546-5648 avancise at gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From acsresearch1 at gmail.com Mon Oct 24 11:39:39 2016 From: acsresearch1 at gmail.com (American Cetacean Society) Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2016 11:39:39 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] American Cetacean Society Conference Nov 11-13th, 2016: Last Call for Late-Breaking Research, Call for Abstracts! Message-ID: Dear MARMAM Subscribers, *Reminder: AMERICAN CETACEAN SOCIETY?s 15th International Conference, to be held November 11-13, 2016 in Monterey, CA. Register today! We are announcing a LAST CALL FOR LATE-BREAKING RESEARCH **CALL FOR ABSTRACTS** Our Conference Abstract deadline has come and gone, but we understand that scientific results don?t always follow a schedule. Because of this we are re-opening a small time window for submitting abstracts presenting late-breaking research for the ACS Poster Session. Details: Late-Breaking Research Abstracts for the ACS Conference Poster Session and the Student Research Poster Contest will be accepted until end of day Pacific Time, October 26th . Authors will be notified of their acceptance by 1-November. ** Poster Session: This session will showcase a variety of programs and projects based out of educational institutions, agencies, and non-profit organizations and is intended to encourage discussion and facilitate the exchange of current information pertaining to marine mammal research, conservation, policy, and education. ** Student Research Poster Contest: We invite current graduate and undergraduate students to present their work in the Student Poster Contest. First, second, and third-place winners will be recognized at the conference banquet, with a $250.00 first-place prize for the top presenter. Winners will also be featured in an upcoming issue of the ACS Spyhopper newsletter. The student contest provides an opportunity for students at universities and institutions to gain presentation experience in a professional environment and provides a forum in which existing professionals may meet their rising peers. To be considered for the Student Poster Contest, student authors must be from an accredited institution of higher education, and must be current undergraduate or graduate students, student interns, or recently graduated (within the last year), and have conducted their research prior to graduation. Submission guidelines and details are available at the ACS Conference Website: http://acsconference.weebly.com Please submit all abstracts in proper format to acsresearch1 at gmail.com by the October 26th deadline. Abstracts must be submitted in the exact format outlined on the website http://acsconference.weebly.com to be considered for the Poster Session. For more information and to register for the ACS Conference, please visit: http://acsconference.weebly.com Conference inquiries can be sent to acsconf1 at gmail.com . We look forward to seeing you at the conference! ???????????????? ACS Poster Session Committee Christina Tombach Wright - Chair Joy Primrose Sabena Siddiqui acsresearch1 at gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From doug.nowacek at duke.edu Tue Oct 25 06:16:38 2016 From: doug.nowacek at duke.edu (Douglas Nowacek, Ph.D.) Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2016 13:16:38 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Doctoral student position available - Duke University Marine Lab Message-ID: <1336FC5E-B9A9-4A21-8571-D3D92B017D46@duke.edu> The Marine Bioacoustics and Marine Conservation Technology Lab (http://superpod.ml.duke.edu/nowacek/) at Duke University seeks a doctoral student to work on one of several ocean acoustics projects from effects of anthropogenic noise on marine life to measuring densities of Antarctic krill. Demonstration of strong quantitative and analytical skills and familiarity with signal processing methods is preferred. Candidates with demonstrated skills in scientific programming in Python, R and/or MATLAB are particularly sought. Occasional work on oceanographic vessels will be required. The student would join the dynamic and diverse Marine Conservation Ecology group (http://superpod.ml.duke.edu/) at the at the Duke University Marine Lab (http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/marinelab), a coastal campus in Beaufort, NC with a distinguished record of research and education in marine science, conservation and governance, and a strong international reputation with research interests spanning diverse taxa and include both human and natural systems. The mission of the Duke Marine Lab is to be at the forefront of understanding marine environmental systems, their conservation, and governance through leadership in research, training, communication, inclusion, and diversity. Douglas P. Nowacek, Ph.D. Repass-Rodgers Chair of Marine Conservation Technology Nicholas School of the Environment & Pratt School of Engineering Duke University Marine Laboratory 135 Duke Marine Lab Rd. Beaufort, NC 28516 http://superpod.ml.duke.edu http://oceanography.ml.duke.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jeff at cawildlife.org Mon Oct 24 15:58:47 2016 From: jeff at cawildlife.org (Jeff Hall) Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2016 22:58:47 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Marine Mammal Rehabilitation and Response Internship Message-ID: Program Description - The California Wildlife Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured, orphaned and sick native wildlife. CWC fulfills this mission through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, and treatment of avian and terrestrial wildlife in our rehabilitation hospital. This internship will provide an exciting and challenging educational experience in the marine mammal field, while also allowing for additional hands-on experience with other native California wildlife. The interns will be working closely with the Marine Mammal program staff in all aspects of stranding response and rehabilitation, including logistics, assessment, capture/restraint, transportation, husbandry, and public relations. In addition, interns will provide support to CWC Hospital staff in animal husbandry tasks for avian and terrestrial wildlife. Internship Session Information - There are four internship sessions available each year. Each session is eight weeks long and has two positions available. Session I runs from the beginning of January to the end of February. Session II runs from mid-February to mid-April. Session III runs from the beginning of April to the end of May. Session IV runs from mid-May to mid-July. Time commitment 40-hours per week. Intern Qualifications - The internship is open to all applicants at least 18 years of age or older. Undergraduate students and non-students alike are encouraged to apply. If the intern intends to receive academic credit, the intern will be responsible for making all arrangements with their educational institutions. Due to the unpredictable nature of marine mammal stranding response, interns may sometimes be required to work beyond their normal scheduled hours. Interns must be able and willing to work flexible hours including weekends and holidays. Interns will be required to have good physical strength and the ability to lift/carry 50 lbs. Interns need to have the ability to multitask and work in a fast paced environment. Animal care and/or marine mammal experience is a plus but not required. Applicant must demonstrate proof of negative TB test within the past year and a current tetanus vaccination. Application Process - Please email Marine Program Manager Jeff Hall at jeff at cawildlife.org with a cover letter (stating desired session), resume, and two letters of recommendation. Application Deadlines - Session I & II applications must be received on or before December 1st, 2016. Session III & IV applications must be received on or before February 1st, 2017. -- JEFF Hall Marine Program Manager California Wildlife Center P.O. Box 2022 Malibu CA 90265 (310)458-9453 www.cawildlife.org [1454955848633_facebook.gif][1454955852743_instagram.png][1454955856559_twitter.gif] [1454955866497_cwclogo.jpg] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: OutlookEmoji-1454955848633_facebook.gif.gif Type: image/gif Size: 1317 bytes Desc: OutlookEmoji-1454955848633_facebook.gif.gif URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: OutlookEmoji-1454955852743_instagram.png.png Type: image/png Size: 1252 bytes Desc: OutlookEmoji-1454955852743_instagram.png.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: OutlookEmoji-1454955856559_twitter.gif.gif Type: image/gif Size: 1351 bytes Desc: OutlookEmoji-1454955856559_twitter.gif.gif URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: OutlookEmoji-1454955866497_cwclogo.jpg.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 5030 bytes Desc: OutlookEmoji-1454955866497_cwclogo.jpg.jpg URL: From PSOeTraining at rpsgroup.com Mon Oct 24 06:07:51 2016 From: PSOeTraining at rpsgroup.com (PSO Training) Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2016 13:07:51 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] PSO/MMO Online Training Message-ID: Complete Protected Species Observer/Marine Mammal Observer training at any time through PSOeTraining, the first U.S. regulatory-compliant online PSO/MMO training course. The course is offered for $395 and consists of 12 graded lessons, a practical species identification quiz designed to simulate real in-field detection events, and a comprehensive final exam. The training program was created by instructors whom are accepted trainers by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), in collaboration with experienced PSOs, degreed biologists, educators, and industry professionals. Successful completion of the program results in a professional certification that distinguishes you as a PSO. Whether you are looking to work in the field as a PSO, to expand your knowledge of protected species regulations, marine environmental issues, and/or geological and geophysical regulations, or enhance your skillset, this course has something to offer you! Register today at PSOeTraining.com! RPS Group has been the leading provider for PSO services in the Gulf of Mexico for over a decade and we are proud to present this high-quality, convenient, and effective online certification program. Doctors, engineers, pilots, and other professionals complete certification and/or degree programs that are available online, and now PSOs join the ranks of those benefiting from online learning! Our intensive e-training program will engage and instruct you with informative videos, interactive quizzes, and stimulating content. The combination of a fun, interesting program and self-paced learning has been proven to facilitate learning and increase retention of the material-leading to better, more qualified PSOs! Learn more at PSOeTraining.com! This e-mail message and any attached file is the property of the sender and is sent in confidence to the addressee only. Internet communications are not secure and RPS is not responsible for their abuse by third parties, any alteration or corruption in transmission or for any loss or damage caused by a virus or by other means. Any advice contained in this e-mail is for information purposes only. RPS Group Plc, company number: 208 7786 (England). Registered office: 20 Western Avenue Milton Park Abingdon Oxfordshire OX14 4SH. RPS Group Plc web link: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From charry at ifaw.org Wed Oct 26 09:44:35 2016 From: charry at ifaw.org (Harry, Charles) Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2016 16:44:35 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Winter 2017 marine mammal stranding internships Message-ID: <4A281105B1F2F94982E3F26DE28D388480132FA0@HQ00SM02.ifaw.net> IFAW Marine Mammal Stranding Internship The International Fund for Animal Welfare's (IFAW) Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Program is currently accepting applications for Marine Mammal Stranding Internship for our winter session 2017 (January 2017 - May 2017). Please see below for future internship sessions. Background IFAW is an international non-profit organization with headquarters in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, USA. IFAW's Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Program is a federally authorized response program dedicated to marine mammal stranding response on Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts. Our mission is to promote the conservation of marine mammal species and their habitat by improving the rescue and humane care of stranded marine mammals, advancing stranding science, and increasing public awareness through education. Cape Cod is a marine mammal stranding "hot spot" with over 240 strandings occurring each year. These strandings include live and dead seals, large whales, porpoises, and dolphins. The Cape Cod region also experiences an unusually high frequency of live, mass stranded dolphins. Specific Internship Duties - Manage stranding hotline and dispatch volunteers for stranding calls received during office hours - Assist staff with all aspects of marine mammal stranding response, including live animal health assessment and triage, opportunistic public outreach, biological data collection, and sampling from dead stranded marine mammals - Assist in stranding preparedness, including cleaning, organizing and maintaining stranding response gear and equipment - Assist in data entry of stranding reports, case files, sample collection, and lab results - Assist in organizing, cataloging and archiving stranded marine mammal documentation, including photos, video and datasheets - General office duties, including training and outreach material preparation and organization - Assist the Necropsy Coordinator in performing post-mortem examinations in both field and laboratory settings - Assist in maintaining, cleaning, and organizing necropsy equipment and supplies - Assist in the archiving, shipping, and tracking of biological samples - Assist in the preparation of necropsy reports Specific Focus Areas Interns will be cross-trained in all areas of stranding response and every effort will be made for interns to gain a wide-range of experiences. However, each intern will have specific "focus areas" of either: field response or necropsy. Interns will be paired with staff based on these particular focus areas and individual tasks and projects will be related to one of these areas. Each intern's "focus" will be determined by staff once they have been selected for the program. Please indicate in your cover letter your primary preferred focus and any other areas of interest if your primary choice is not available. The final determination will be made by staff but we will make an effort to assign interns based on their preferences. Requirements - Must be at least 18 years old - Must possess a valid driver's license - Must be of good physical fitness, be able to lift/carry 40lbs, walk long distances in difficult terrain, be comfortable on small boats in nearshore waters, able to swim, and work in harsh weather conditions at times - Able to follow written and oral staff directions and protocols effectively - Be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program, or have graduated within 2 years - Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint Preferred candidate will also have: - Undergraduate and/or graduate study of biology, zoology, ecology, marine/environmental/animal science - Previous marine mammal stranding response/research experience - Experience handling animals - Experience driving large trucks Learning outcomes While hands-on experience is opportunistic and the number and type of responses will vary, most interns have the opportunity to: - Develop skills in identifying species commonly stranded on Cape Cod and gain knowledge of their biology and ecology - Acquire basic stranded cetacean and pinniped assessment and triage skills - Gain knowledge of response logistics and management, including the use of the Incident Command System - Gain knowledge of the stranding network structure and operation, as well as marine mammal policy as it relates to strandings - Gain basic necropsy skills and knowledge of marine mammal anatomy and physiology - Participate in active research projects, as appropriate Additional Information This internship is unpaid. Housing and transportation are the responsibility of the intern. International applicants will be considered, but it is the responsibility of the applicant to acquire necessary visas and documentation, including an international driver's license. The internship position requires the commitment for the full session (minimum of 12 weeks, January 2017 - May 2017). Interns are required to attend three days per week, which may include weekends and holidays. Since strandings are unpredictable, applicants with flexible daily schedules are preferred. If the intern intends to receive academic credit, he/she will be responsible for making all arrangements with his/her educational institution. Interns should be prepared to perform in a variety of settings on any given day, including beach, on-water and laboratory. Specialized gear such as dry suits, boots and life jackets will be provided. Please keep in mind that stranding work is unpredictable and changes seasonally. We cannot guarantee the type and number of strandings and experiences you will receive during your internship. We will do our best when possible to give interns a varied experience. To apply: Please use the link below to access the online application and to upload the required documents: 1. Cover Letter (please indicate which focus area(s) you prefer) 2. Resume 3. One Letter of Recommendation from college professor or employer (can be uploaded or directly emailed to RecruitMMRR at ifaw.org by the recommender. (It is your responsibility to ensure your letter of recommendation has been submitted on time, or you will not be considered for the internship.) http://www.ifaw.org/united-states/about-ifaw/employment All application materials must be received by Monday, November 21st by 5:00pm EST Internship notification of acceptance will be sent by Friday, December 16th Required intern orientation will be January 23-25 2017 Future Internship Session Dates: The IFAW Marine Mammal Stranding Internships are offered 3 times a year; you must re-apply for each session. Summer Session Dates: June 2017 - August 2017 Application due date: March 17th 2017 Fall Session Dates: September 2017 - January 2018 Application due date: July 28th 2017 For more information about IFAW's global animal welfare and conservation work, please visit www.ifaw.org. CT Harry | Asst. Stranding Coordinator, Marine Mammal Rescue & Research ___________________________________________________________ IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare World Headquarters 290 Summer Street - Yarmouth Port, MA 02675 tel. 1.508.744.2272 email. charry at ifaw.org www.ifaw.org Rescuing and protecting animals around the world www.ifaw.org Watch videos of our work at... http://g.ifaw.org/watch -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From JStewart at LBAOP.ORG Tue Oct 25 12:54:23 2016 From: JStewart at LBAOP.ORG (James Stewart) Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2016 19:54:23 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Marine mammal internship 2017 Message-ID: <970ad200df5449d793267a27d3512136@E2K13ENT.aop.org> Marine Mammal Photo ID Intership Aquarium of the Pacific www.aquariumofpacific.org Long Beach, CA 90802 This intern will be responsible for assisting the Boats Coordinator on photo IDing blue whales, fin whales, and humpback whales during our daily whale watching cruises, as well as interpreting data to guests at the Aquarium. Commitment: 15-20 hours/week for 15 weeks Responsibilities include, but are not limited to Taking dorsal and caudal fin photos of animals encountered during daily cruises Maintain detailed data logs of sightings and enter them into ACESS databases Answer questions and interpreting for guests on board. Photo processing and IDi'ng individual whales seen during daily trips Create a project to display to Aquarium guests using whale data QUALIFICATIONS Must be 18 or over Major/ed in biology, marine biology, or conservation a plus Lift a maximum of 50 lbs KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS Each applicant must have a broad knowledge of ecological and biological principles, especially those relating to marine habitats, Ability to spend many hours standing especially on a boat Experience working with digital SLR camera's a plus but not required Experience in data entry, preferably with Microsoft Access Comfortable speaking in front of large groups Have excellent oral and written communication skills Be able to demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities and work with a diverse group of people. Follow the following link to apply to our internships. Application window closes November 13, 2016 for the spring internship session. Internship runs January - April 2017 (http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/volunteer/college_internships/) James Stewart Education Coordinator Aquarium of the Pacific jstewart at lbaop.org 562-951-1651 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From nicola.quick at duke.edu Tue Oct 25 14:40:08 2016 From: nicola.quick at duke.edu (Nicola Quick, Ph.D.) Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2016 21:40:08 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New Publication: Effects of a scientific echo sounder on the behavior of short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) Message-ID: Dear all, We are pleased to announce the online publication of our article in Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Quick, N., Scott-Hayward, L., Sadykova, D, Nowacek, D. and Read, A. 2016. Effects of a scientific echo sounder on the behavior of short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). 10.1139/cjfas-2016-0293 Abstract: Active echo sounding devices are often employed for commercial or scientific purposes in the foraging habitats of marine mammals. We conducted an experiment off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, USA to assess whether the behavior of short-finned pilot whales changed when exposed to an EK60 scientific echo sounder. We attached digital acoustic recording tags (DTAGs) to nine individuals, five of which were exposed. A hidden Markov model (HMM) to characterize diving states with and without exposure provided no evidence for a change in foraging behavior. However, Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE's), to model changes in heading variance over the entire tag record, under all experimental conditions, showed a consistent increase in heading variance during exposure, over all values of depth and pitch. This suggests that, regardless of behavioral state, the whales changed their heading more frequently when the echo sounder was active. This response could represent increased vigilance in which whales maintained awareness of echo sounder location by increasing their heading variance, and provides the first quantitative analysis on reactions of cetaceans to a scientific echo sounder. You can access the article here http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/cjfas-2016-0293#.V_P7r_krL0M Or send any enquires directly to me at njq at duke.edu Thank you Nicola Dr Nicola J. Quick Research Scientist Nicholas School of the Environment Duke Marine Lab 135 Duke Marine Lab Road Beaufort NC 28516 USA njq at duke.edu https://scholars.duke.edu/person/nicola.quick http://biology.st-andrews.ac.uk/contact/staffProfile.aspx?sunid=njq -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From annalisa.zaccaroni at unibo.it Thu Oct 27 13:27:12 2016 From: annalisa.zaccaroni at unibo.it (Annalisa Zaccaroni) Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2016 20:27:12 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New pubblication on Mediterranean monk seals toxicology Message-ID: <3ee065d28ebe41e2a498620945fcf072@E13-MBX4-DR.personale.dir.unibo.it> Dear MARMAM colleagues, It is with great pleasure that my co-authors and I would like to share our most recent publication in SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT: Costanza Formigaro, Alexandros A. Karamanlidis, Panagiotis Dendrinos, Letizia Marsili, Marina Silvi, Annalisa Zaccaroni (2017). Trace element concentrations in the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Science of the Total Environment 576: 528-537. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.10.142 Abstract: The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world. The biggest sub-population of the species survives in Greece, where understanding the effects of pollution on the survival of the species has been identified as a national research and conservation priority. From 1990 to 2013 we collected tissue samples from 59 deceased monk seals in order to: (i) Define the concentration of trace elements (As, Pb, Cd, Hg, Se, Cr, Ni) in three different matrices (i.e., blubber, liver and kidney), (ii) Determine whether differences in trace element concentrations are age- or gender-related, (iii) Evaluate the potential effects of these pollutants. The study recorded differences in trace element concentrations among matrices, but in general, trace element exposure in Mediterranean monk seals in Greece was low and within the non-acutely toxic levels for Pinnipeds. Only arsenic concentrations were at the upper limit of the normal range observed in other marine mammals (0.69 ? 0.55 mg/kg w.w. in blubber, 0.79 ? 0.62 mg/kg w.w. in liver and 0.79 ? 0.59 mg/kg w.w. in kidney). We recorded also exceptionally high Hg concentrations in a single adult female (24.88 mg/kg w.w.). Age- and gender-related differences were also recorded and were due to various biological, ecological and chemical factors. Based on the results of the study, potentially adverse effects on the immune and endocrine system of the Mediterranean monk seal from some pollutants (e.g., As, Cd, Se, Ni, Cr) cannot be ruled out, which may expose the Mediterranean seal population in Greece to epizootics and stochastic phenomena of mass mortality. It is therefore of utmost importance that pollutant monitoring becomes an integral component of the standard monitoring protocol of the endangered Mediterranean monk seal in the eastern Mediterranean. Full text and PDF files can be downloaded here http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969716323348 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.10.142 Alternatively, please send PDF requests to annalisa.zaccaroni at unibo.it. All the best, Annalisa Zaccaroni Dept. Veterinary Medical Sciences University of Bologna Viale Vespucci 2 Cesenatico (FC) 47042 tel. +39 0547 338944 fax +39 0547 338941 mobile +39 347 5951709 annalisa.zaccaroni at unibo.it -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From awerth at hsc.edu Wed Oct 26 13:10:12 2016 From: awerth at hsc.edu (Alex Werth) Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2016 20:10:12 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: Hydration affects the physical and mechanical properties of baleen tissue Message-ID: Dear MARMAM readers, My coauthors and I are pleased to announce the publication of the following paper on the biomechanics of baleen, published in the online, open-access journal Royal Society Open Science: Werth AJ, Harriss R, Rosario M, George JC, Sformo TL. 2016. Hydration affects the physical and mechanical properties of baleen tissue. Roy Soc Open Sci. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160591 Abstract: Baleen, an anisotropic oral filtering tissue found only in the mouth of mysticete whales and made solely of alpha-keratin, exhibits markedly differing physical and mechanical properties between dried or (as in life) hydrated states. On average baleen is 32.35% water by weight in North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) and 34.37% in bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus). Baleen's wettability measured by water droplet contact angles shows that dried baleen is hydrophobic whereas hydrated baleen is highly hydrophilic. Three-point flexural bending tests of mechanical strength reveal that baleen is strong yet ductile. Dried baleen is brittle and shatters at about 20?30?N?mm?2 but hydrated baleen is less stiff; it bends with little force and absorbed water is squeezed out when force is applied. Maximum recorded stress was 4? higher in dried (mean 14.29?N?mm?2) versus hydrated (mean 3.69?N?mm?2) baleen, and the flexural stiffness was >10? higher in dried (mean 633N?mm?2) versus hydrated (mean 58?N?mm?2) baleen. In addition to documenting hydration's powerful effects on baleen, this study indicates that baleen is far more pliant and malleable than commonly supposed, with implications for studies of baleen's structure and function as well as its susceptibility to oil or other hydrophobic pollutants. The paper can be accessed here: http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/3/10/160591 or you can contact me directly. Best regards, Alex Werth _______________________________ Alexander J. Werth, Ph.D. Trinkle Professor of Biology Chair, Department of Biology Hampden-Sydney College Box 162, Hampden-Sydney, VA 23943 434-223-6326, fax 434-223-6374 http://www.hsc.edu/Academics/Academic-Majors/Biology/Professors/Alex-Werth.html -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Charlotta.Moraeus at nrm.se Thu Oct 27 08:02:37 2016 From: Charlotta.Moraeus at nrm.se (Charlotta Moraeus) Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2016 15:02:37 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: Emergence of the Zoonotic Biliary Trematode Pseudamphistomum truncatum in Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Baltic Sea Message-ID: Dear MARMAM subscribers, We are pleased to announce the publication of the following paper which was recently published in PLOS ONE: Neimanis AS, Moraeus C, Bergman A, Bignert A, H?glund J, Lundstr?m K, Str?mberg A, B?cklin B-M. (2016) Emergence of the Zoonotic Biliary Trematode Pseudamphistomum truncatum in Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Baltic Sea. PLoS ONE 11(10): e0164782. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0164782 Abstract The biliary trematode Pseudamphistomum truncatum parasitizes a wide range of fish-eating mammals, including humans. Here we report the emergence of this parasite in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Baltic Sea. One hundred eighty-three of 1 554 grey seals (11.9%) examined from 2002-2013 had detectable hepatobiliary trematode infection. Parasite identification was confirmed as P. truncatum by sequencing the ITS2 region of a pool of five to 10 trematodes from each of ten seals collected off the coast of seven different Swedish counties. The proportion of seals parasitized by P. truncatum increased significantly over time and with increasing age of seals. Males were 3.1 times more likely to be parasitized than females and animals killed in fishery interactions were less likely to be parasitized than animals found dead or hunted. There was no significant difference in parasitism of seals examined from the Gulf of Bothnia versus those examined from the Baltic Proper. Although the majority of infections were mild, P. truncatum can cause severe hepatobiliary disease and resulted in liver failure in at least one seal. Because cyprinid fish are the second intermediate host for opisthorchiid trematodes, diets of grey seals from the Baltic Sea were analysed regarding presence of cyprinids. The proportion of gastrointestinal tracts containing cyprinid remains was ten times higher in seals examined from 2008 to 2013 (12.2%) than those examined from 2002 to 2007 (1.2%) and coincided with a general increase of trematode parasitism in the host population. The emergence and relatively common occurrence of P. truncatum in grey seals signals the presence of this parasite in the Baltic Sea ecosystem and demonstrates how aquatic mammals can serve as excellent sentinels of marine ecosystem change. Investigation of drivers behind P. truncatum emergence and infection risk for other mammals, including humans, is highly warranted. This paper is available via open access and can be downloaded from the following link: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0164782 Kind regards Charlotta Moraeus [Beskrivning: Beskrivning: Beskrivning: Description: Description: Description: Description: nrm_logo] Charlotta Moraeus Curator Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring +46 (0)8-5195 5144 charlotta.moraeus at nrm.se Swedish Museum of Natural History P.O. Box 50007 SE-104 05 Stockholm Sweden www.nrm.se -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 1448 bytes Desc: image001.gif URL: From ksekiguc at hawaii.edu Wed Oct 26 22:56:49 2016 From: ksekiguc at hawaii.edu (Keiko Sekiguchi) Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2016 14:56:49 +0900 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: Dall's porpoise distribution Message-ID: <009201d23016$e9d21a00$bd764e00$@hawaii.edu> Dear MARMAM, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce our new publication of Dall?s porpoise on Zoological Science. Sachiko Suzuki, Keiko Sekiguchi, Yoko Mitani, Hiroji Onishi and Takehiko Kamito. 2016. Distribution of Dall's porpoise, Phocoenoides dalli, in the North Pacific and Bering Sea, based on T/S Oshoro Maru 2012 summer cruise data. Zoological Science 33(5):491-496. Doi:10.2108/zs150141. Abstract: Dall?s porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) is a small toothed cetacean, widely inhabiting the North Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas, between about 30 and 62?N; however, only limited studies of its ecology have been made in nearshore areas. A cetacean sighting survey lasting 60 days was conducted during the 2012 summer cruise of the T/S Oshoro Maru (Hokkaido University, Japan) in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea. Based on this data, the distribution of Dall?s porpoises and the factors controlling it in the pelagic habitat were investigated. A total of 808 individual Dall?s por?poises in 166 groups were sighted during a total of 469.6 hr and 4946.6 nm observations. The cruise consisted of three legs and the average porpoise group size was significantly larger in Leg 1. The sightings were concentrated at water depths of less than 1000 m and near eastern Aleutian passes. Sighting clusters were found on the 200 m isobath of the southeastern Bering Sea continental slope. There was a peak in sightings where the sea surface temperature (SST) was relatively cold, between 5 and 7?C. Although similar track routes were taken in Leg 1 and Leg 3, the number of sightings per unit effort was larger in Leg 1. This difference may have arisen from the significant rise in SST as the season progressed. Relatively large group size found in this study might relate with prey abundance along the Aleutian Islands. The full article can be downloaded at http://www.bioone.org/toc/jzoo/33/5 or e-mail me for PDF at Regards, Keiko Sekiguchi **************************************************************************** ******************* Keiko Sekiguchi, Ph.D. (Cetacean Biology) Research Fellow, the International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan E-mail: **************************************************************************** ******************* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From matthew.carter at plymouth.ac.uk Thu Oct 27 01:47:00 2016 From: matthew.carter at plymouth.ac.uk (Matthew Carter) Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2016 08:47:00 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: critical review of inferring foraging from location and dive data in pinnipeds (Matt Carter, Plymouth University) Message-ID: Subject: New publication: critical review of inferring foraging from location and dive data in pinnipeds (Matt Carter, Plymouth University) Dear MARMAM colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors I am pleased to share the publication of the following review article on inferring foraging from location and dive data in pinnipeds. Navigating uncertain waters: a critical review of inferring foraging behaviour from location and dive data in pinnipeds (2016) Carter, MID; Bennett, KA; Embling, CB; Hosegood, PJ; Russell, DJF. Movement Ecology 4 (25). DOI: 10.1186/s40462-016-0090-9 ABSTRACT: In the last thirty years, the emergence and progression of biologging technology has led to great advances in marine predator ecology. Large databases of location and dive observations from biologging devices have been compiled for an increasing number of diving predator species (such as pinnipeds, sea turtles, seabirds and cetaceans), enabling complex questions about animal activity budgets and habitat use to be addressed. Central to answering these questions is our ability to correctly identify and quantify the frequency of essential behaviours, such as foraging. Despite technological advances that have increased the quality and resolution of location and dive data, accurately interpreting behaviour from such data remains a challenge, and analytical methods are only beginning to unlock the full potential of existing datasets. This review evaluates both traditional and emerging methods and presents a starting platform of options for future studies of marine predator foraging ecology, particularly from location and two-dimensional (time-depth) dive data. We outline the different devices and data types available, discuss the limitations and advantages of commonly-used analytical techniques, and highlight key areas for future research. We focus our review on pinnipeds - one of the most studied taxa of marine predators - but offer insights that will be applicable to other air-breathing marine predator tracking studies. We highlight that traditionally-used methods for inferring foraging from location and dive data, such as first-passage time and dive shape analysis, have important caveats and limitations depending on the nature of the data and the research question. We suggest that more holistic statistical techniques, such as state-space models, which can synthesise multiple track, dive and environmental metrics whilst simultaneously accounting for measurement error, offer more robust alternatives. Finally, we identify a need for more research to elucidate the role of physical oceanography, device effects, study animal selection, and developmental stages in predator behaviour and data interpretation. The article is full open access and available for download at the following link: http://rdcu.be/lZ08 Please don't hesitate to contact me directly for any queries. Best wishes, Matt Carter PhD Student Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre School of Marine Science and Engineering Plymouth University matthew.carter at plymouth.ac.uk https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Matt_Carter2 ________________________________ [http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/images/email_footer.gif] This email and any files with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient then copying, distribution or other use of the information contained is strictly prohibited and you should not rely on it. If you have received this email in error please let the sender know immediately and delete it from your system(s). Internet emails are not necessarily secure. While we take every care, Plymouth University accepts no responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan emails and their attachments. Plymouth University does not accept responsibility for any changes made after it was sent. Nothing in this email or its attachments constitutes an order for goods or services unless accompanied by an official order form. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From KDurham at riverheadfoundation.org Thu Oct 27 14:51:36 2016 From: KDurham at riverheadfoundation.org (Kim Durham) Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2016 21:51:36 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Job Announcement_New York State Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Response Program Message-ID: [cid:image003.jpg at 01D2307A.C2DAACA0]Job Announcement Rescue Program Supervisor Date: October 27, 2016 Department: Rescue and Rehabilitation Reports To: Rescue Program Director Available: Immediately Position Location: Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, Riverhead, NY Hours: Full Time salary position (inclusive of weekends and holidays). Hotline coverage required. The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation ("RFMRP") is excited to announce an opening for an experienced Rescue Program Supervisor. If you are passionate for the rehabilitation and preservation of marine mammals and sea turtle, if you are interested in managing their care and the team that supports that effort, we look forward to speaking with you. Duties: * Provide liaison between veterinarian staff and animal care/husbandry staff * Provide clinical management as prescribed by RFMRP veterinary staff * Oversee all aspects of health assessments and medical procedures as directed by veterinary staff including, but not limited to, performing physical examination and conducting blood draws, and administering IV fluids and medication to pinnipeds, sea turtles, and cetaceans * Respond to calls reporting stranded marine mammals and sea turtles and provide education to the public via "Hotline" coverage. * Prepare, organize, manage and provide training programs for volunteer staff * Manage all maintenance of data records and databases * Oversee maintenance programs for all medical and water quality equipment * Provide liaison with the Regional and National Stranding Networks, interact with state (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation) and local municipalities in all matters relating to the operation of the Stranding Investigations Program * Provide liaison to Riverhead Foundation's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). * Provide support to educational outreach programs and assist with the instruction of local university marine mammal and sea turtle rehabilitation class. * Assist with and/or perform post mortem examinations inclusive of field necropsies of marine mammals and sea turtles. * Manage and provide response, husbandry and medical care for pinniped, cetacean and sea turtle species recovered by the RFMRP's Rescue and Rehabilitation Program * Provide assistance with grant writing, final and departmental report publications. * Assist with production and publication of data originating from the Stranding Investigations Program via professional meetings. Qualifications: * Bachelor of Arts or Science degree in Biology, Marine Science or related field. * Minimum of 3 years experience in marine mammal and sea turtle stranding, species identification or other related marine mammal and sea turtle activities. * Minimum of 2 years of animal triage and husbandry of marine mammal and sea turtle species. * Understanding and application of veterinary technology inclusive of sampling procedures, diagnostic techniques and clinical laboratory equipment. Working knowledge of pharmacology and diagnostic imaging (radiograph, ultrasound) a plus. * Veterinary Technician preferred. * A valid driver's license with a clean driving record. * Experience driving large trucks * Strong written and verbal communication skills. * Strong leadership skills in routine and emergency situations. * Strong organizational and time management skills. * Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, GIS and Access software. * Working knowledge of life support systems and equipment used within aquariums (pumps, filtration units, ozone generators) Typical Physical Demands: Candidate will engage in moderate to a high level of physical activity daily (i.e., performing husbandry duties). Position will require work within extreme weather conditions for long hours, sometimes overnight. Candidates should be able to lift 50 pounds and otherwise be is good physical condition. About the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation (RFMRP) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to protect our marine environment through education, rehabilitation, and research. The RFMRP is a member of the Greater Atlantic Region Stranding Network and is located within the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center in Riverhead, New York. The RFMRP is dedicated to the response, rehabilitation and release of pinnipeds, sea turtles and cetacean species. The rehabilitation facility is the largest pinniped rehabilitation facility and the only long-term cetacean rehabilitation facility within Northeastern United States. The RFMRP's Rescue and Rehabilitation Program responds to approximately 250 stranded marine mammals and sea turtles annually. The RFMRP's Aquatic Animal Health and Conservation Program is dedicated to providing educational outreach programs to the public to further conservation and promote environmental stewardship of the coastal and marine environment. To Apply: Please send your cover letter and resume to careers at riverheadfoundation.org Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 13882 bytes Desc: image001.jpg URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 8006 bytes Desc: image003.jpg URL: From KDurham at riverheadfoundation.org Thu Oct 27 15:19:24 2016 From: KDurham at riverheadfoundation.org (Kim Durham) Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2016 22:19:24 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Job Announcement_Rescue Program Director_New York State Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Response Program Message-ID: [cid:image002.jpg at 01D2307E.A4DAA210]Job Announcement Rescue Program Director Date: October 27, 2016 Department: Rescue and Rehabilitation Reports To: Executive Director Available: Immediately Position Location: Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, Riverhead, NY Hours: Full Time salary position (inclusive of weekends and holidays). Hotline coverage required. The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation ("RFMRP") is excited to announce an opening for an experienced Rescue Program Director. If you are passionate for the rehabilitation and preservation of marine mammals and sea turtle, if you are interested in managing their care and the team that supports that effort, we look forward to speaking with you. Duties: * Provide liaison between veterinarian staff and animal care/husbandry staff * Provide clinical management as prescribed by RFMRP veterinary staff * Oversee all aspects of health assessments and medical procedures as directed by veterinary staff including, but not limited to, performing physical examination and conducting blood draws, and administering IV fluids and medication to pinnipeds, sea turtles, and cetaceans * Respond to calls reporting stranded marine mammals and sea turtles and provide education to the public via "Hotline" coverage. * Prepare, organize, manage and provide training programs for volunteer staff * Manage all maintenance of data records and databases * Oversee maintenance programs for all medical and water quality equipment * Provide liaison with the Regional and National Stranding Networks, interact with state (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation) and local municipalities in all matters relating to the operation of the Stranding Investigations Program * Provide liaison to Riverhead Foundation's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). * Provide support to educational outreach programs and assist with the instruction of local university marine mammal and sea turtle rehabilitation class. * Assist with and/or perform post mortem examinations inclusive of field necropsies of marine mammals and sea turtles. * Manage and provide response, husbandry and medical care for pinniped, cetacean and sea turtle species recovered by the RFMRP's Rescue and Rehabilitation Program * Provide assistance with grant writing, final and departmental report publications. * Assist with production and publication of data originating from the Stranding Investigations Program via professional meetings. Qualifications: * Bachelor of Arts or Science degree in Biology, Marine Science or related field. * Advanced degree preferred. * Demonstrated management experience. * Minimum of 10 years experience in marine mammal and sea turtle stranding, species identification or other related marine mammal and sea turtle activities. * Minimum of 10 years of animal triage and husbandry of marine mammal and sea turtle species. * Understanding and application of veterinary technology inclusive of sampling procedures, diagnostic techniques and clinical laboratory equipment. Working knowledge of pharmacology and diagnostic imaging (radiograph, ultrasound) a plus. * Veterinary Technician required. * A valid driver's license with a clean driving record. * Experience driving large trucks * Strong written and verbal communication skills. * Strong leadership skills in routine and emergency situations. * Strong organizational and time management skills. * Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, GIS and Access software. * Working knowledge of life support systems and equipment used within aquariums (pumps, filtration units, ozone generators) Typical Physical Demands: Candidate will engage in moderate to a high level of physical activity daily (i.e., performing husbandry duties). Position will require work within extreme weather conditions for long hours, sometimes overnight. Candidates should be able to lift 50 pounds and otherwise be is good physical condition. About the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation (RFMRP) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to protect our marine environment through education, rehabilitation, and research. The RFMRP is a member of the Greater Atlantic Region Stranding Network and is located within the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center in Riverhead, New York. The RFMRP is dedicated to the response, rehabilitation and release of pinnipeds, sea turtles and cetacean species. The rehabilitation facility is the largest pinniped rehabilitation facility and the only long-term cetacean rehabilitation facility within Northeastern United States. The RFMRP's Rescue and Rehabilitation Program responds to approximately 250 stranded marine mammals and sea turtles annually. The RFMRP's Aquatic Animal Health and Conservation Program is dedicated to providing educational outreach programs to the public to further conservation and promote environmental stewardship of the coastal and marine environment. To Apply: Please send your cover letter and resume to careers at riverheadfoundation.org Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 13882 bytes Desc: image001.jpg URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 8006 bytes Desc: image002.jpg URL: From s.d.twiss at durham.ac.uk Wed Oct 26 14:24:33 2016 From: s.d.twiss at durham.ac.uk (TWISS, SEAN D.) Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2016 21:24:33 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Potential PhD Studentship Opportunity: Grey seal life history, behaviour and molecular ecology. Message-ID: <8791437317661E40ABC44F032787BEF0273855A6@CISCMRMBS02.mds.ad.dur.ac.uk> Project Title: A multi-level approach to quantifying individuality in stress coping ability of wild animals Application Deadline: Thursday, January 05, 2017 Supervisors: Dr. Sean Twiss (Durham Univ.), Dr. Andreanna Welch (Durham Univ.), Dr. Patrick Pomeroy (SMRU, University of St. Andrews), Dr Amanda Bishop (Alaska SeaLife Center). Project description: Organisms have evolved mechanisms to cope with natural stressors, but rapid environmental change is subjecting species to new threats or more unpredictable and extreme natural stressors. Conventional studies focus on species or ecosystem level responses to change, such as range or phenological shifts, but these are products of variation in individual responses. Individuals can show differing coping-styles; proactive individuals express little flexibility and are less responsive to environmental stimuli, whereas reactive individuals are more flexible and responsive. Underpinning these behavioural characteristics are physiological differences associated with the autonomic nervous system. Understanding how individuals differ in their ability to cope with stressors, and the consequences if they fail to do so, is critical for quantifying species? resilience to current and future threats of climate change and anthropogenic disturbance. Such understanding requires integrative studies that uncover links between molecular and physiological mechanisms of stress coping and the individual outcomes in terms of behaviour and fitness. This project aims to investigate stress reactivity across these levels of biological organisation. Within molecular ecology, interest has grown in the effect of environmental stressors on telomere dynamics. Although telomeres generally get shorter each time a cell divides, telomeric DNA is particularly susceptible to oxidative damage and chronic stress exposure accelerates telomere attrition even in adulthood, affecting health and longevity. Thus, telomere attrition rate could indicate general levels of oxidative damage and, therefore, exposure to stress. However, work on wild, non-human populations is still sparse. This study will integrate molecular indicators of stress (telomere erosion) with measures of behavioural and physiological stress reactivity in wild, breeding grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). Fieldwork will encompass 3 successive autumnal breeding seasons at the Isle of May (Scotland) colony, where 30-40 adult, known age females with pups are handled routinely as part of a long-term study of life-histories. Each female?s behavioural phenotype will be characterized in situ using established observational and experimental protocols which quantitatively place individuals on a proactive-reactive axis. In addition, focal females will be equipped with heart-rate data-loggers to provide physiological indices of coping-style. This studentship will add another dimension to this investigation of stress reactivity by quantifying individual differences in telomere erosion rates in relation to behavioural and physiological indicators of coping style. Repeat sampling across years will allow quantification of telomere attrition, giving a molecular indicator of the preceding year?s ?stress?. The longitudinal study design will allow the student to control for maternal age, pup sex, inter-annual differences in maternal investment and environmental conditions (e.g. colony density, weather). Training: The student will gain extensive inter-disciplinary training in field behavioural observation, application of biotelemetry devices, organisation of fieldwork logistics and safety, along with molecular genetic techniques. Beyond these, the student will develop critical thinking, writing, and teamwork skills as part of dynamic, interdisciplinary, and supportive research groups. Eligibility: Applications for this project are welcome from suitably qualified candidates worldwide. Applicants must be applying to start a full-time PhD in the Faculty in October 2017. They must have fulfilled the University?s requirements regarding English language ability and must not require a presessional course as a condition of their place. See: https://www.dur.ac.uk/learningandteaching.handbook/1/3/3/ Funding and how to apply: This project is in competition with others for funding (via the Durham Doctoral Studentship scheme). Success will therefore depend on the quality of applications received, relative to those for competing projects. If you are interested in applying, in the first instance contact Dr Sean Twiss, (s.d.twiss at durham.ac.uk) with a CV and covering letter, detailing your reasons for applying for the project. Only the best applicants will be asked to submit an application. Candidate requirements: Potential candidates should be able to demonstrate the ability to conduct prolonged and isolated fieldwork in harsh conditions, while remaining dedicated and enthusiastic. Ability to work independently and as part of a team is essential. In addition, candidates will require strong technical and analytical skills, including experience of modern molecular genetic techniques and statistical modelling. A UK driving licence (or equivalent) is also desirable, but not essential. UK and Non-UK students are advised that to be considered for the Durham Doctoral Studentship, the minimum requirements include an excellent undergraduate degree with either postgraduate or work experience in a relevant discipline and scientific publication(s) in peer reviewed journals. _________________________________ Dr. Sean Twiss, Senior Lecturer in Behavioural Ecology and Animal Behaviour, Department of Biosciences, South Road, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK. E-mail: s.d.twiss at durham.ac.uk Web-site: https://www.dur.ac.uk/biosciences/about/schoolstaff/academicstaff/?id=1132 Blog: http://sealbehaviour.wordpress.com/ Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution Research (BEER) Centre: www.dur.ac.uk/beer-centre Tel: +44 (0)191 334 1350 (office) Tel: +44 (0)191 334 1247 (lab) Fax: +44 (0)191 334 1201 _________________________________ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From giacomo.giorli at gmail.com Fri Oct 28 13:20:34 2016 From: giacomo.giorli at gmail.com (Giacomo Giorli) Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2016 10:20:34 -1000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on the foraging activity of deep diving odontocetes Message-ID: Dear MARMAM Readers My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the following recent publication in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America: *Giorli, G., Neuheimer, A., Copeland, A. and Au, W.W., 2016. Temporal and spatial variation of beaked and sperm whales foraging activity in Hawai'i, as determined with passive acoustics. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 140(4), pp.2333-2343.* *ABSTRACT:* Beaked and sperm whales are top predators living in the waters off the Kona coast of Hawai?i. Temporal and spatial analyses of the foraging activity of these two species were studied with passive acoustics techniques. Three passive acoustics recorders moored to the ocean floor were used to monitor the foraging activity of these whales in three locations along the Kona coast of the island of Hawaii. Data were analyzed using automatic detector/classification systems: M3R (Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Ranges), and custom-designed MATLAB programs. The temporal variation in foraging activity was species-specific: beaked whales foraged more at night in the north, and more during the day-time off Kailua-Kona. No day-time/night-time preference was found in the southern end of the sampling range. Sperm whales foraged mainly at night in the north, but no day-time/night-time preference was observed off Kailua-Kona and in the south. A Generalized Linear Model was then applied to assess whether location and chlorophyll concentration affected the foraging activity of each species. Chlorophyll concentration and location influenced the foraging activity of both these species of deep-diving odontocetes. Here is a link to the paper: http://scitation.aip.org/conte nt/asa/journal/jasa/140/4/10.1121/1.4964105 This paper is the last of a series of publication that aims at describing the foraging activity of deep diving odontocetes in different ocean basins /environments. The other publication are: *Giorli, G., Neuheimer, A., & Au, W. (2016). Spatial variation of deep diving odontocetes? occurrence around a canyon region in the Ligurian Sea as measured with acoustic techniques. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 116, 88-93.Giacomo Giorli, Whitlow W. L. Au, Anna Neuheimer, (2016). Differences in the foraging strategy of deep diving odontocetes in the Ligurian Sea determined by passive acoustic recorders. Deep sea Research Part I, 107, 1-8. Giacomo Giorli, Whitlow W. L. Au, Helen Ou, Susan Jarvis, Ronald Morrissey, David Moretti, (2015). Acoustic detection of biosonar activity of deep diving Odontocetes at Josephine Seamount High Seas Marine Protected Area. J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 137, 2495.Whitlow W. L. Au, Giacomo Giorli, Jessica Chen, Adrienne Copeland, Marc Lammers, Michael Richlen, Susan Jarvis, Ronald Morressey, David Moretti, Holger Klinck.(2013) Nighttime Foraging by Deep Diving Echolocating Odontocetes off the Hawaiian Islands of Kauai and Ni?iahu as Determined by Passive Acoustic Monitors. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 133, Issue 5, pp. 3119-3127.* Please feel free to contact me for any inquiries or requests Best Regards, Giacomo Giorli, Ph.D Univeristy of Hawaii at Manoa Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology Marine Mammal Research Program P.O. Box 1346, Kaneohe, 96744 giacomog at hawaii.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From michael at graywhalescount.org Sat Oct 29 11:44:45 2016 From: michael at graywhalescount.org (Michael H Smith) Date: Sat, 29 Oct 2016 11:44:45 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] Seeking Research Assistants for Gray Whales Count 2017, Santa Barbara, CA, USA Message-ID: <56DF99BE-79B2-4E44-8A4F-342372C94F67@graywhalescount.org> RESEARCH ASSISTANT (RA) POSITIONS AVAILABLE - seeking volunteer Research Assistants to participate in Gray Whales Count (GWC) 2017 survey of the northbound migration of Gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) migrating through the nearshore of the Santa Barbara Channel. GWC is seeking Research Assistants (RA) to work with Project Coordinator and team of observers to assist in our annual survey, conducted from shore at Counter Point, in the Coal Oil Point Reserve, Goleta, California, USA, adjacent to the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). This position is open to citizens of the United States of America and those authorized to work in the United States with an appropriate visa in hand. The 2017 survey begins Tuesday, February 21 and continues every day through May 25, from 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Sunday. If Gray whale calves are continuing, we may need to extend the survey through May 31. We are looking for passionate, caring individuals who are willing to commit for the entire survey, ~100 survey days, and be available to begin Saturday, February 18 to train and assist with preparations. 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 our enthusiasm with publics through direct interchange, outreach, and various media. RAs will be trained by the Project Coordinator and, in-turn, share the responsibility for training new volunteers and conducting research and education. Applicable skills learned and achieved include: > Process, concepts, and protocols of the survey, including use of equipment and data-entry. > 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. > Identify behaviors of these marine mammals > Distinguish calves from juveniles and adults > Identify vessels and vessel operations > Gather detailed, consistent data, with ability to teach and check others? work > Learn about marine mammals in their natural environment and the forces that affect them, both natural and anthropogenic > Developing responsibility and a working relationship within a team Because of the training required, applicants must be willing to commit full-time to the project for the time period involved, approximately 100 days, which can be extended if the applicant desires to be involved with data entry and analysis). This will entail up to 9 hours of work a day for at least 5 days a week. (With training, RA?s are required to work everyday the first two weeks.) The Count is 7 days per week and the RA may commit additional hours 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. Previous experience is a plus but not a condition. This is an invaluable opportunity to gain extensive experience in real-time, 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. Requirements: > Even though we are situated in Southern California, you must be able to withstand harsh weather conditions. Fieldwork can be, at times, physically and mentally demanding. > Willingness to work long hours. > Commit for a minimum of 100 days, full time (minimum five days per week). > Enrolled in or completed a degree in biology, marine science, zoology, environmental science, animal behavior or a related field. > Previous field experience with marine wildlife and observation is a plus but not required. > Ability to work in a team environment to produce consistent, high quality results. We cannot stress this enough. You will be trained to be a leader of an operation with people of differing experience and dedication. > Be enthusiastic and possess a caring, positive attitude, with a strong desire to learn. > 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. > 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 their own transportation to and from Santa Barbara/Goleta, California and daily to the survey site. Recognizing that living costs are high in this area, Gray Whales Count will award a $500 stipend to assist each RA with expenses upon successful completion of the RA position. RAs will be responsible for all for living expenses while volunteering for Gray Whales Count. To apply: Please send cover letter/r?sum? to Project Coordinator, Michael Smith 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 in Gray Whales Count; how this particular experience will be meaningful to you; and how this might advance your career goals. 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. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From holly_morin at uri.edu Wed Oct 26 12:06:33 2016 From: holly_morin at uri.edu (Holly Morin) Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2016 15:06:33 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Instructional videos on underwater acoustics available through Discovery of Sound in the Sea (www.dosits.org) Message-ID: <0421B652-6E6E-4CB8-A4E9-3C359FB09811@uri.edu> In a continued effort to provide timely, relevant, peer-reviewed resources on underwater acoustics for international decision makers and other stakeholders, the Discovery of Sound in the Sea (DOSITS) Project (www.dosits.org) is excited to announce the availability of short, instructional videos focused on four, key, acoustics topics: Science of Sound Marine Mammal Hearing Hearing in Marine Fishes Determining Mitigation and?Monitoring through the Ecological Risk Assessment Process? These videos are based on peer-reviewed DOSITS content and have undergone review by the DOSITS Advisory Panel. Video outlines with links to expanded DOSITS content are also available to view and download. To access the full suite of DOSITS videos, as well as other resources, please visit the Resources Section for Decision Makers on the DOSITS website (www.dosits.org/resources/decisionmakersresources/). These videos are sponsored by The Exploration and Production, Sound and Marine Life Joint Industry Programme - www.soundandmarinelife.org. Discovery of Sound in the Sea (DOSITS; www.dosits.org) is a comprehensive, educational website on underwater sound, designed to provide accurate scientific information at levels appropriate for all audiences, including decision makers. ******************************* Holly Morin Marine Research Associate III University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography holly_morin at uri.edu 401-874-6414 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From nfh at dhigroup.com Wed Oct 19 07:26:06 2016 From: nfh at dhigroup.com (Nicolai Francis Heilskov) Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2016 14:26:06 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Training course on Underwater Noise and Environmental Noise Impact Modelling Message-ID: Dear Sir, Please post the following: DHI (Danish Hydraulic Institute) is running a course in end of November on Risk Assessment of Environmental Noise Impacts and Underwater Acoustics Modelling, which is available for booking. You want to understand how to manage noise impacts effectively. You want to get hands on training on best practice on how to model transmission of acoustic noise. We will train you in numerical modelling and how to combine it with biological knowledge (noise from dredging, shipping, wind farm operations and oil and gas exploration and production, etc.). The course is aimed at regulators, environmental consultants, researchers and policy/ environmental professionals. [cid:image004.png at 01D22A25.49E6BA60]DHI has been on the forefront in researching noise impacts on whales dolphins, porpoises and other marine life, developing frameworks for assessing them and for providing real solutions that can be used as tools in EIAs. By combining ocean acoustics and marine mammal science, DHI developed its new risk based approach to noise assessment. Join us for a course to learn more: * 15-16th November at DHIs in Hoersholm, Denmark - for further info and registration click here Get an appetizer and familiarize yourself with the new Underwater Acoustics Simulator (UAS) in MIKE Powered by DHI 2016 online here Best regards, Nicolai F. Heilskov Senior Hydraulic Research Engineer and Acoustics Expert Ports and Offshore Technology [DHI logo] DHI Agern All? 5 DK-2970 H?rsholm Denmark Tel: +45 4516 9200 Direct: +45 4516 9438 Mobile: +45 2121 7325 nfh at dhigroup.com www.dhigroup.com The expert in WATER ENVIRONMENTS This message contains information which may be confidential and privileged. Unless you are the intended recipient (or authorised to receive this message for the intended recipient), you may not use, copy, disseminate or disclose any information contained in it thereof. If you have received this communication in error, please advise the sender appropriately by reply e-mail, and then delete it. Thank you very much. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 831098 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.png Type: image/png Size: 6222 bytes Desc: image003.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image004.png Type: image/png Size: 105521 bytes Desc: image004.png URL: From hheenehan at gmail.com Mon Oct 31 07:23:52 2016 From: hheenehan at gmail.com (Heather Heenehan) Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2016 10:23:52 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: Using acoustics to prioritize management decisions to protect coastal dolphins: A case study using Hawaiian spinner dolphins Message-ID: Dear all, We are pleased to announce the online publication of our article in the journal Marine Policy. Heather L. Heenehan, Sofie M. Van Parijs, Lars Bejder, Julian A. Tyne, David W. Johnston, Using acoustics to prioritize management decisions to protect coastal dolphins: A case study using Hawaiian spinner dolphins, Marine Policy, Volume 75, January 2017, Pages 84-90, ISSN 0308-597X, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2016.10.015. To access the article please use the link below which will provide FREE access for 50 days (until December 17, 2016) http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Tyn5,714MRQIU Anyone who clicks on the link will be taken to the final version of the article on ScienceDirect for free. No sign up or registration is needed. Please feel free to share this link with anyone else who may be interested. Abstract: For more than a decade, interactions between humans and Hawaiian spinner dolphins in their resting bays have been a concern for members of the general public, managers, scientists, policymakers, and tour operators. Hawaiian spinner dolphins are the target of a large wildlife tourism industry due to their predictable daytime resting behavior and presence in coastal areas. Using results from passive acoustic monitoring between January 2011 and March 2013 on the Kona coast of Hawai?i Island, USA, the relative importance of four known Hawaiian spinner dolphin resting bays, the contribution of anthropogenic noise including vessel noise to the four bay soundscapes, and the dolphins' response to human activities were assessed. Here the findings are summarized and visualized and recommendations are provided for action to regulate directed dolphin watching and ensuing unauthorized takes under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. These findings and recommendations have implications for the federal government's ongoing efforts to implement rules that protect Hawaiian spinner dolphins in their resting bays. Keywords: Marine mammals; Conservation; Passive acoustic monitoring; Spinner dolphins, Tourism -Heather Heather Heenehan, Ph.D. https://heatherheenehan.wordpress.com/ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Heather_Heenehan @Spinnerheather Ph.D., Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University MEM, Master of Environmental Management, Coastal Environmental Management, Duke University BS, Bachelor of Science, Environmental Science, University of Connecticut "Let the beauty we love be what we do." -Jelaluddin Rumi -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mithriel.mackay at gmail.com Mon Oct 31 10:18:14 2016 From: mithriel.mackay at gmail.com (Mithriel MacKay) Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2016 13:18:14 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Humpback Whale and Marine Mammal Field Techniques Programs Message-ID: *Humpback Whale and Marine Mammal Field Techniques Programs in Puerto Rico, USA.* *Registration now open for the 7th season with The Marine and Coastal Ecology Research Center. Programs for winter 2017 are being subsidized by MCERC resulting in a reduced registration fee for these field intensive programs.* Humpback Whale Field Intensive Program (January through April 2017- week long sessions) $900USD Marine Mammal Field Techniques Program (January 2017 ? single week long session) $900USD Marine Mammal Field Techniques Program (including Open Water Diving Certification) (January 2017; single 10 day session) $1825USD *Spaces are very limited *to 6 participants for the Marine Mammal Field Techniques and Humpback Whale Field Intensive (per session). The Marine Mammal Field Techniques with SUBA certification has 8 spots available as of this posting. If Spring Break week is important to you, please plan to register as soon as possible. The MCERC field station in Puerto Rico, USA houses all program participants while we focus on building field skills and resumes for anybody interested in marine mammal science. These positions are also suitable for internships, and many of our students receive up to 3 undergraduate credit hours through independent study with a faculty member from their campus. The program fee covers room and meals for the week long session, instruction, transportation to all field excursions, and equipment necessary for the program (SCUBA certification requires minimal, personal equipment provided by students). There is no cost associated with participating in data collection during the Humpback Whale Field Intensive program. During this program, students are critical members of our data collection team. The program fee does not include travel to and from Boquer?n, Puerto Rico, USA. Citizens of the USA do not need a passport to travel to Puerto Rico (at this time), the currency is the US Dollar, and most major cell phone carriers have service on the island. There is no application process required. Interested people should visit the websites below to learn more details about the programs, then request passcodes to the Education Hub to register by emailing Nicole.MCERC at gmail.com or MCERC.mail at gmail.com. website www.Marine-Eco.org Education Hub www.Marine-Eco.org/mcerc-moodle Photo Gallery www.Marine-Eco.jimdo.com Facebook www.Facebook.com/researchcenter Twitter @MCERCMarineEco LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mithriel-mackay-12364330 Marine and Coastal Ecology Research Center Inc. Spring Hill, Florida Research station: Boqueron, Puerto Rico, USA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From theoni.photopoulou at gmail.com Mon Oct 31 06:51:49 2016 From: theoni.photopoulou at gmail.com (Theoni Photopoulou) Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2016 13:51:49 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: HMMs for animal accelerometer data Message-ID: Dear all, I am pleased to announce the publication of our paper in Methods in Ecology and Evolution. Though the case studies do not ?include marine mammals, I hope the method will be of general interest. Vianey Leos-Barajas, ? ? Theoni Photopoulou, ? ? Ro ?? land Langrock, ? ? Toby A. Patterson, ? ? Yuuki Y. Watanabe, ? ? MeganMurgatroyd, ? ? Yannis P. Papastamatiou ? ? (2016). Analysis of animal accelerometer data using hidden ? ? Markov models. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. ? ? DOI: 10.1111/2041-210X.12657 Summary ?1. ? Use of accelerometers is now widespread within animal biologging as they provide a means of measuring an animal's activity in a meaningful and quantitative way where direct observation is not possible. In sequential acceleration data, there is a natural dependence between observations of behaviour, a fact that has been largely ignored in most analyses. ?2. ? Analyses of acceleration data where serial dependence has been explicitly modelled have largely relied on hidden Markov models (HMMs). Depending on the aim of an analysis, an HMM can be used for state prediction or to make inferences about drivers of behaviour. For state prediction, a supervised learning approach can be applied. That is, an HMM is trained to classify unlabelled acceleration data into a finite set of pre-specified categories. An unsupervised learning approach can be used to infer new aspects of animal behaviour when biologically meaningful response variables are used, with the caveat that the states may not map to specific behaviours. ?? ?3. ? We provide the details necessary to implement and assess an HMM in both the supervised and unsupervised learning context and discuss the data requirements of each case. We outline two applications to marine and aerial systems (shark and eagle) taking the unsupervised learning approach, which is more readily applicable to animal activity measured in the field. HMMs were used to infer the effects of temporal, atmospheric and tidal inputs on animal behaviour. ?4. Animal accelerometer data allow ecologists to identify important correlates and drivers of animal activity (and hence behaviour). The HMM framework is well suited to deal with the main features commonly observed in accelerometer data and can easily be extended to suit a wide range of types of animal activity data. The ability to combine direct observations of animal activity with statistical models, which account for the features of accelerometer data, offers a new way to quantify animal behaviour and energetic expenditure and to deepen our insights into individual behaviour as a constituent of populations and ecosystems. ?You can access the article online or from me (theoni.photopoulou at gmail.com). Best, Theoni? -- Theoni Photopoulou, Postdoctoral Fellow Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa Centre for Statistics in Ecology Environment and Conservation, University of Cape Town, South Africa " Be silly. Be honest. Be kind " Ralph Waldo Emerson -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bossley at internode.on.net Mon Oct 31 18:35:28 2016 From: bossley at internode.on.net (Mike Bossley) Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2016 12:05:28 +1030 Subject: [MARMAM] Dolphin sighting increase with environmental improvements Message-ID: <000701d233e0$3aa94b70$affbe250$@internode.on.net> My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of the following paper: Bossley, M I, Steiner, A, Rankin R W & Bejder, L (2016) A long-term study of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in an Australian industrial estuary: Increased sightings associated with environmental improvements. Marine Mammal Science DOI: 10.1111/mms.12368. ABSTRACT Delphinids are long-lived, have delayed maturity and low reproductive rates which necessitate long-term monitoring programs to detect changes in abundance. Between 1990 and 2013, an observational study of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) was conducted in the Port River estuary (Adelaide, Australia). The estuary has received pollution from industry, sewage plants and storm water. In recent years, pollution entering the system has reduced and the establishment of the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary (ADS) increased dolphin protection from harassment and deliberate attacks. Nevertheless, the estuary remains a busy port. Over a 24 yr period, we conducted boat-based surveys (n = 735) for dolphin groups (n = 3,634) along a predetermined route in the Inner and Outer Estuary of Adelaide's Port River estuary. It is our conjecture that major infrastructure changes and pollution abatement have yielded a more favorable marine environment for dolphins, resulting in an estimated 6% annual increase in sightings, from a near absence of sightings in the 1980s. Increased dolphin numbers were likely the result of improved water quality, augmented by surveillance and education arising from the proclamation of the ADS. This study highlights the importance of long-term monitoring and has implications for dolphin conservation in heavily impacted urban areas and their protection via protected areas. The paper may be downloaded from the following link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12368/full Enquiries to me at: bossley at internode.on.net Regards Mike Bossley -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ivlarkin at ufl.edu Mon Oct 31 13:36:44 2016 From: ivlarkin at ufl.edu (Larkin,Iskande (Iske)) Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2016 20:36:44 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] UF - spring online Aquatic Wildlife Health course Message-ID: <6624514f445c4151ab49f5c10d79a2f7@AHC-EXCH08.ad.ufl.edu> Hi All, Registration is currently open for Spring 2017. The University of Florida, Aquatic Animal Health Program, is offering the following course for those that may be interested. Class begins Jan 4th. Aquatic Wildlife Health Issues is an online course (3 credits) designed to introduce students (upper level undergraduate and graduate) and professionals (with an AA or higher degree) to the natural history, anatomy, physiology, behavior and common health issues of aquatic species: whales and dolphins, seals and sea lions, manatees, sea turtles, crocodilians, fish and invertebrates. For more information about the class or enrollment, contact Dr. Iskande Larkin (ivlarkin at ufl.edu). Sincerely, Dr Iske Larkin [Description: AAH logo blue E-Mail Sig] Iske V. Larkin, PhD Lecturer & Education Coordinator Aquatic Animal Health Program Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida PO Box 100136 2015 SW 16th Ave Gainesville, Florida 32610 Office phone - 352-294-4095 Work cell - 352-494-1742 Fax - 352-392-8289 Program web page: http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu "To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world." -Anonymous ________________________________ Please note that Florida has a broad public records law, and that all correspondence to or from University of Florida employees via email may be subject to disclosure. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 5062 bytes Desc: image001.jpg URL: From abostwick at psocertifications.com Sun Oct 30 07:33:17 2016 From: abostwick at psocertifications.com (abostwick) Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2016 09:33:17 -0500 (EST) Subject: [MARMAM] PSO / MMO Training in Galveston, TX and Juno Beach, FL Message-ID: <1298990396.1348507.1477837997026.JavaMail.open-xchange@bosoxweb01.eigbox.net> There are a few spots available in Protected Species Observer (also known as Marine Mammal Observer) training on November 18-19 in Galveston, TX at the Moody Gardens Aquarium. This class will also visit the NOAA Sea Turtle Facility, where we can discuss the identifying traits and behaviors of different species and age classes of sea turtles, while viewing the animals in person, a value which cannot be obtained in viewing static pictures. This BOEM/BSEE-compliant PSO certification course covers the regulations for reducing seismic survey impacts to marine mammals and sea turtles, objectively documenting animal behavior, and how to visually locate and identify the animals. Course comprehension is measured with examinations on regulations and animal identification. Successful completion of this course provides professional Protected Species Observer Certification. Lunch is provided and included in the course fee (college/graduate/government discounts available), along with various identification guides and regulatory documents (which will be yours to keep), admission to Moody Gardens, the tour, and advice on applying to PSO positions. MPSC is also holding PSO training at the Loggerhead MarineLife Center in Juno, Beach FL on February 25-26, 2017. For more information, please contact Angela at ABostwick at PSOCertifications.com, by phone at 832-523-2402, or visit the website at http://www.protectedspeciesobservers.com/. Thank you, Angela Bostwick / Founder Marine Protected Species Consulting ProtectedSpeciesObservers.com https://Facebook.com/ProtectedSpeciesObservers/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: