From guido.parra at flinders.edu.au Tue Sep 1 22:00:39 2020 From: guido.parra at flinders.edu.au (Guido Parra Vergara) Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2020 05:00:39 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New Publication: Identifying priority habitat for conservation and management of Australian humpback dolphins within a marine protected area Message-ID: Dear Colleagues, On behalf of all authors, I am pleased to announce the following open access paper recently published in Scientific Reports: Hunt TN, Allen SJ, Bejder L, Parra GJ. 2020. Identifying priority habitat for conservation and management of Australian humpback dolphins within a marine protected area. Scientific Reports 10:14366.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69863-6 Abstract: Increasing human activity along the coast has amplified the extinction risk of inshore delphinids. Informed selection and prioritisation of areas for the conservation of inshore delphinids requires a comprehensive understanding of their distribution and habitat use. In this study, we applied an ensemble species distribution modelling approach, combining results of six modelling algorithms to identify areas of high probability of occurrence of the globally Vulnerable Australian humpback dolphin in northern Ningaloo Marine park (NMP), north-western Australia. Model outputs were based on sighting data collected during systematic, boat-based surveys between 2013 and 2015, and in relation to various ecogeographic variables. Water depth and distance to coast were identified as the most important variables influencing dolphin presence, with dolphins showing a preference for shallow waters (5-15 m) less than 2 km from the coast. Areas of high probability (> 0.6) of dolphin occurrence were primarily (90%) in multiple use areas where extractive human activities are permitted, and were poorly represented in sanctuary (no-take) zones. This spatial mismatch emphasises the need to reassess for future spatial planning and marine park management plan reviews for NMP. Shallow, coastal waters identified here should be considered priority areas for the conservation of this Vulnerable species. The paper is freely available for download at: www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-69863-6 All the best, Guido ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Guido J. Parra, PhD Associate Professor | College of Science and Engineering Research leader | Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL) Staff: http://www.flinders.edu.au/people/guido.parra [cid:image001.png at 01D68120.8AE7EC40]@GuidoJParra | @CEBELresearch | GoogleScholar | ResearchGate | LinkedIn Flinders University, GPO Box 2100 Adelaide, SA 5001 Australia Tel: +61 8 8201 3565|email: guido.parra at flinders.edu.au ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please consider the environment before printing this email -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 727 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From jte at bios.au.dk Tue Sep 1 04:11:26 2020 From: jte at bios.au.dk (Jonas Teilmann) Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2020 11:11:26 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Harbour porpoise habitat modelling based on satellite telemetry Message-ID: Dear All, We are pleased to announce our new publication harbour porpoise habitat modelling based on satellite telemetry in Marine Ecology Progress Series: Stalder D, van Beest FM, Sveegaard S, Dietz R, Teilmann J, Nabe-Nielsen J (2020). Influence of environmental variability on harbour porpoise movement. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 648: 207-219. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13412 ABSTRACT: The harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena is a small marine predator with a high conservation status in Europe and the USA. To protect the species effectively, it is crucial to understand its movement patterns and how the distribution of intensively used foraging areas can be predicted from environmental conditions. Here, we investigated the influence of both static and dynamic environmental conditions on large-scale harbour porpoise movements in the North Sea. We used long-term movement data from 57 individuals tracked during 1999?2017 in a state-space model to estimate the underlying behavioural states, i.e. whether animals used area-restricted or directed movements. Subsequently, we assessed whether the probability of using area-restricted movements was related to environmental conditions using a generalized linear mixed model. Harbour porpoises were more likely to use area-restricted movements in areas with low salinity levels, relatively high chlorophyll a concentrations and low current velocity, and in areas with steep bottom slopes, suggesting that such areas are important foraging grounds for porpoises. Our study identifies environmental parameters of relevance for predicting harbour porpoise foraging hot spots over space and time in a dynamic system. The study illustrates how movement patterns and data on environmental conditions can be combined, which is valuable to the conservation of marine mammals. The paper is open access and can be downloaded here: https://www.int-res.com/articles/meps_oa/m648p207.pdf or I can send you a pdf. All the best, Jonas Teilmann -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pirotts at libero.it Tue Sep 1 01:43:14 2020 From: pirotts at libero.it (Enrico Pirotta) Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2020 10:43:14 +0200 (CEST) Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on risk propensity in reproductive strategy Message-ID: <1984304113.803762.1598949794203@mail1.libero.it> Dear MARMAM colleagues, We are pleased to announce that the following paper is now available online: Enrico Pirotta, Vincent Hin, Marc Mangel, Leslie New, Daniel P. Costa, Andr? M. de Roos, and John Harwood. 2020. Propensity for risk in reproductive strategy affects susceptibility to anthropogenic disturbance. The American Naturalist 196(4). Abstract: Animals initiate, interrupt or invest resources in reproduction in light of their physiology and the environment. The energetic risks entailed in an individual?s reproductive strategy can influence the ability to cope with additional stressors, such as anthropogenic climate change and disturbance. To explore the trade-offs between internal state, external resource availability and reproduction, we applied State-Dependent Life-History Theory (SDLHT) to a Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) model for long-finned pilot whales ( Globicephala melas). We investigated the reproductive strategies emerging from the interplay between fitness maximization and propensity to take energetic risks, and the resulting susceptibility of individual vital rates to disturbance. Without disturbance, facultative reproductive behavior from SDLHT and fixed rules in the DEB model led to comparable individual fitness. However, under disturbance, the reproductive strategies emerging from SDLHT increased vulnerability to energetic risks, resulting in lower fitness than fixed rules. These fragile strategies might therefore be unlikely to evolve in the first place. Heterogeneous resource availability favored more cautious, and thus more robust, strategies, particularly when knowledge of resource variation was accurate. Our results demonstrate that the assumptions regarding the dynamic trade-offs underlying an individual?s decision-making can have important consequences for predicting the effects of anthropogenic stressors on wildlife populations. A PDF copy of the paper can be downloaded from: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/710150 Please do not hesitate to contact me for any question regarding our work. Best Regards, Enrico Pirotta -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jonathan.syme at flinders.edu.au Wed Sep 2 02:20:32 2020 From: jonathan.syme at flinders.edu.au (Jonathan Syme) Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2020 09:20:32 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Survey on definitions of delphinid groups and related terms - Invitation to participate Message-ID: Dear MARMAM community, My name is Jonathan Syme and I am a PhD student with the Cetacean, Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL) at Flinders University, Australia, under the supervision of Associate Professor Guido Parra (CEBEL, Flinders University) and Assistant Professor Jeremy Kiszka (Marine Conservation Ecology Lab, Florida International University). As part of my thesis, I am conducting a review into how group and associated terms are defined in regard to the study of delphinid behavioural ecology. I plan to use an online survey, accompanied by a literature review, to gather information on how researchers define delphinid groups. To this end, I would appreciate it if you would kindly take 10 - 15 minutes to complete a questionnaire regarding your opinions on this subject via the following link: https://qualtrics.flinders.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_3CwSUztVdqFBgEt Participation is entirely voluntary, and all responses will be anonymous and treated in confidence. Please see the Participant Information Sheet for more information and if you have any enquiries, please contact me by email at jonathan.syme at flinders.edu.au. Thank you for your time and assistance. Kind regards, Jonathan Jonathan Syme PhD Candidate Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL), Flinders University, South Australia jonathan.syme at flinders.edu.au @jonathan_syme @CEBELresearch -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From JPost at imms.org Tue Sep 1 13:23:02 2020 From: JPost at imms.org (Jessica Post) Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2020 20:23:02 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] IMMS Winter/Spring Dolphin Photo ID Research Internship Message-ID: The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) Research Internship Program is designed as a way for students interested in a career in marine science to gain valuable research experience in a real-world setting. As an intern, you will be trained in all aspects of dolphin photo-ID research as well as any other current research projects at IMMS that may involve species such as: bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, or diamondback terrapins. Interns will also participate in other operations at IMMS including: stranding response, aquarist and reptile care, 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 12 weeks. The internship can be extended depending on work performance - Be available to work Mon-Fri and must be available for all boat-based surveys. Some field days may fall on the weekends. - Have a 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, 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' boat), and learn how to use ArcGIS Secondary Duties include: assisting animal care staff, attending marine mammal necropsies, responding to marine mammal and sea turtle strandings, and assisting educational staff 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. Eligibility Requirements Applicants must be 18 or older and must have a genuine interest in marine research. Applicants should be actively pursuing a college degree or be a recent graduate in oceanography, marine science/biology, biology, or a related field. Previous research experience in any capacity is a plus. Applicants must be able and willing to fulfill all duties outlined for this internship program. This is an unpaid position and interns are responsible for their own housing and transportation. Once accepted, IMMS staff will assist interns in finding rooms available to rent, usually with other staff members. The deadline to apply for the Winter/Spring sessions (January 4-March 26, 2021 or March 1-May 21, 2021) is November 1, 2020. For application and full details on how to apply please visit our website at http://imms.org/internship/ Jessica Post Research Assistant Research Intern Coordinator The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies 10801 Dolphin Lane Gulfport, MS 39503 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MMSC at ecwildliferefuge.com Wed Sep 2 07:15:57 2020 From: MMSC at ecwildliferefuge.com (Brittany Dolan ECWR MMSC) Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2020 14:15:57 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] JOB OPPORTUNITY - Marine Mammal Veterinarian Temporary/Contract Message-ID: Dear MARMAM Community, Emerald Coast wildlife refuge is hiring! Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge (ECWR), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Navarre, Florida, is seeking a part-time, temporary/contract marine mammal veterinarian. ECWR?s marine mammal stranding team responded to more than 21 cetacean strandings in 2019 and supports full necropsies, transport of live animals to rehabilitation and collaborative research efforts. This position requires on call availability to attend marine mammal strandings and necropsies as opportunity presents, the ability to offer training to staff and volunteers throughout necropsy procedures and to draft veterinary documentation as needed. As ECWR is also a native Florida wildlife rehabilitation facility, opportunity to participate in wildlife medicine and sea turtle response may be offered, but will not be included in the salaried contract. Responsibilities: Attend live and dead marine mammal strandings as NOAA stranding agreement describes and opportunity presents Conduct necropsies with stranding coordinator Draft veterinary/necropsy reports Draft other documentation as necessary Participate in research efforts and collaboration Assist coordinator in teaching staff, interns, and volunteers during stranding events and necropsies Primary Qualifications: Graduate of an AVMA accredited veterinary college or ECFVG certified institution with a valid license issued by Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and DEA license. Minimum of 1 year experience working in marine mammal medicine, stranding response and/or research Preference will be given to candidates with marine mammal necropsy, live animal handling and teaching experience and those with a research background. Requirements: Ability to work as part of a cohesive team and resolve conflict Professional attitude and ability to work with staff of all levels Excellent communication skills On call availability, including weekends and holidays U.S. Citizen or the ability to legally work in the U.S. Physically capable of safely working with cetaceans, ability to lift at least 50 pounds, able to work in extreme environmental conditions Experience: * Microsoft Office or equivalent: 3 years (Required) * Regulatory compliance: 1 year (Preferred) * Marine Mammal necropsy: 1 year (Required) * Marine Mammal stranding response: 1 year (Required) Please submit Cover Letter, CV and 3 References through indeede.com https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=emerald%20coast%20wildlife%20refuge&l=Navarre%2C%20FL&vjk=8d04e6db9fb30a25 Mahalo, Brittany Dolan Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge 3051 Cloptons Circle Navarre, FL 32566 Hotline: 855-STRAND1 (855-787-2631) O: 850-684-1485 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From aames at oceanografic.org Thu Sep 3 02:10:08 2020 From: aames at oceanografic.org (Audra Ames) Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2020 09:10:08 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on lateralized sound production in beluga whales Message-ID: <6D99AF15-6406-4B93-817D-B3EB2D7F1BDF@oceanografic.org> Dear colleagues, On behalf of myself and my co-authors, we are pleased to announce the publication of our new paper in Journal of Experimental Biology. Ames, A. E., Beedholm, K., & Madsen, P. T. (2020). Lateralized sound production in the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas). Journal of Experimental Biology, 223, jeb226316. doi:10.1242/jeb.226316 Abstract Like other toothed whales, belugas produce sound through pneumatic actuation of two phonic lip pairs, but it is unclear whether both pairs are actuated concurrently to generate a single sound (the dual actuation hypothesis) or laterally in the production of their rich vocal repertoires. Here, using suction cup hydrophones on the head of a trained beluga whale, we measured seven different communication signal types and echolocation clicks in order to test the hypothesis that belugas produce distinct sounds unilaterally. We show that, like other delphinoids, belugas produce echolocation clicks with the right phonic lips and tonal sounds from the left. We also demonstrate for the first time that the left phonic lips are responsible for generating communication signals other than tonal sounds. Thus, our findings provide empirical support for functionalized laterality in delphinoid sound production, in keeping with the functional laterality hypothesis of vocal-motor control in toothed whales. The publication can be accessed via http://jeb.biologists.org/lookup/doi/10.1242/jeb.226316 or you can email a request for a PDF to aames at oceanografic.org. Many thanks for your interest in our work, and thank you to the editors and reviewers of the publication for their contributions to the finished article. Best, Audra -- Audra Ames, Ph.D. Research Scientist, Fundaci?n Oceanografic T: (+34) 96 1975526 Fundaci?n Oceanogr?fic de la Comunitat Valenciana C/ Eduardo Primo Y?fera (Cient?fic), 1B 46013 Valencia Spain -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rebeccaboys at hotmail.com Wed Sep 2 19:56:57 2020 From: rebeccaboys at hotmail.com (Rebecca Boys) Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2020 02:56:57 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Registration and Abstracts OPEN: Australia and New Zealand Student Chapter of SMM Message-ID: Dear Marine Mammal Community, The committee of the Australia and New Zealand Regional Student Chapter (ANZSC) of the Society for Marine Mammalogy are pleased to announce our 5th annual conference. This year our meeting will be held virtually to ensure there are no disruptions from Covid! This will be held on the week of the 11-18th January 2021. This is a free conference which aims to bring together students interested in marine mammals from across Australasia. We encourage students to present their work in the form of posters, speed talks and 15 minute slots, along with the opportunity to network. We will also be running workshops and organising talks by invited experts within the field. Registration and abstract submission are OPEN! Deadline for this will be the 18th October 2020. For more information please visit our website: https://lpogsonmanning.wixsite.com/anzscsmm follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ANZSCSMM/ Any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. The 2020 committee can be contacted by emailing: anzscsmm at gmail.com Please circulate among your labs ? this is a great experience for students! ------------------------------------------------------------- Rebecca M Boys Marine Biologist PhD Student Cetacean Ecology Research Group School of Natural and Computational Sciences Massey University Auckland New Zealand https://www.cetaceanecology.org/ [cid:image002.png at 01D676D2.47173000] @RebeccaMBoys Society of Marine Mammalogy Education sub-committee member European Cetacean Society National Contact Person for New Zealand -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 81A5C4F29B8144BCBB89C7256AB95CF1[7492741].png Type: image/png Size: 13869 bytes Desc: 81A5C4F29B8144BCBB89C7256AB95CF1[7492741].png URL: From arcimenkab at gmail.com Thu Sep 3 03:46:56 2020 From: arcimenkab at gmail.com (Menkab il respiro del mare) Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2020 12:46:56 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] Humpbacks in Mediterranean Message-ID: Dear colleagues This mail is to advertise you about the unexpected sighting of two humpback whales, a mum and a calf, in Ligurian Sea in front of Genoa (Italy) on 26th August. Sightings and photos have been taken by Liguria Whale Watching and shared with us. Thanks to a big and fruitful effort with several colleagues working in Atlantic Ocean, it was possible to find a match. The adult was sighted for the first time (and as far as we know) only in Dominic Republic on 1986. Everyone is so excited about this finding but at the same time we all hope for the best for these whales. In this framework, if some of you had the chance to sight these whales it would be great to let us know, so that we can build a network and keep tracking their movements. Furthermore, if someone else working in Atlantic Ocean, with a humpback catalogue wanted to give a check to find a match, both negative and positive matching are welcome to us. We aim to build a clearer picture of these whale movements. Attached is the photo of the matching. For every kind of question and feedback don't hesitate to contact us ( arcimenkab at gmail.com - violi.biagio at gmail.com). All the best, Biagio Violi and Alessandro Verga Menkab and Liguria Whale Watching teams -- Associazione di Promozione Sociale ------ MENKAB: Il respiro del mare ----- Presidente Giulia Calogero Lungomare Matteotti 1, 17100 - Savona C.F. 92092510095 cell. 3405540724 Avviso di riservatezza - Il testo e gli eventuali documenti trasmessi contengono informazioni riservate al destinatario indicato. Il contenuto della presente e-mail ? confidenziale e la sua riservatezza ? tutelata legalmente dal D.Lgs. 196/03. La lettura, copia o altro uso non autorizzato o qualsiasi altra azione derivante dalla conoscenza di queste informazioni sono rigorosamente vietate. Qualora abbiate ricevuto questo documento per errore, siete cortesemente pregati di darne immediata comunicazione al mittente all'indirizzo dello stesso e di provvedere immediatamente alla distruzione del contenuto della presente e-mail. Confidentiality Notice - This message and its attachments are addressed solely to the persons above and may contain confidential information. If you have received the message in error, be informed that any use of the content hereof is prohibited. Please return it immediately to the sender and delete the message. Thank you -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Humpback_NA - 5503.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 212481 bytes Desc: not available URL: From dpendleton at neaq.org Thu Sep 3 10:34:18 2020 From: dpendleton at neaq.org (Daniel Pendleton) Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2020 17:34:18 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper: Using modelled prey to predict the distribution of a highly mobile marine mammal Message-ID: <6F981E26-3536-4C43-8609-E4BA29A11FE8@neaq.org> Greetings, Marmam: We are excited to announce the publication of our manuscript: Using modelled prey to predict the distribution of a highly mobile marine mammal, in Diversity and Distributions. Our manuscript is open access and is available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ddi.13149 ABSTRACT Aim: Species distribution models (SDMs) are a widely used tool to estimate and map habitat suitability for wildlife populations. Most studies that model marine mammal density or distributions use oceanographic proxies for marine mammal prey. However, proxies could be a problem for forecasting because the relationships between the proxies and prey may change in a changing climate. We examined the use of model-derived prey estimates in SDMs using an iconic species, the western Arctic bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus). Location: Western Beaufort Sea, Alaska, USA. Methods: We used Biology Ice Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System (BIOMAS) to simulate ocean conditions important to western Arctic bowhead whales, including important prey species. Using both static and dynamic predictors, we applied Maxent and boosted regression tree (BRT) SDMs to predict bowhead whale habitat suitability on an 8-day timescale. We compared results from models that used bathymetry with those that used only BIOMAS simulated variables. Results: The best model included bathymetry and BIOMAS variables. Inclusion of dynamic variables in SDMs produced predictions that reflected temporal dynamics evident from the survey data. Bathymetry was the most influential variable in models that included that variable. Zooplankton was the most important variable for models that did not include bathymetry. Models with bathymetry performed slightly better than models with only BIOMAS derived variables. Main conclusions: Bathymetry and modelled zooplankton were the most important predictor variables in bowhead whale distribution models. Our predictions reflected within-year variability in bowhead whale habitat suitability. Using modelled prey availability, rather than oceanographic proxies, could be important for forecasting species distributions. Predictor variables used in our study were derived from a biophysical ocean model with demonstrated ability to project future ocean conditions. A natural next step is to use output from our biophysical ocean model to understand the effects of Arctic climate change. Cheers, Dan ________________________________________________________ Dan Pendleton, Ph.D. Research Scientist, Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life New England Aquarium Central Wharf Boston, MA 02110 dpendleton at neaq.org he/him/his This electronic message contains information from the New England Aquarium which may be privileged and confidential. The information is intended to be for the use of the addressee only. If you have received this communication in error, do not read or circulate it. Please delete it from your system without copying it or saving any attachments and notify the sender by reply e-mail. Thank you. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dpopov at greenbalkans.org Fri Sep 4 03:12:17 2020 From: dpopov at greenbalkans.org (Dimitar Popov) Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2020 13:12:17 +0300 Subject: [MARMAM] New publications on Black Sea cetaceans in Bulgarian waters Message-ID: Dear all, We are pleased to announce following two publications on Black Sea cetaceans in Bulgarian waters: Popov D, Meshkova G, Hristova P, Gradev G, Rusev D, Panayotova M, Dimitrov H (2020). Pingers as cetacean bycatch mitigation measure in Bulgarian turbot fishery. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, Suppl. 15. Available at: http://www.acta-zoologica-bulgarica.eu/Suppl_15_42.pdf *Abstract**:* Bycatch(incidental catch) of small cetaceans is a major problem ina number of gillnet fisheries around the Worldand Harbour porpoise (/Phocoena phocoena/) is one of the most heavily affected species.Pingers (acoustic deterrentdevices) are recommended as mitigation measure to decrease bycatch rate. First large-scale use of pingers (Future Oceans 10 kHz and 70 kHz models) was made during standard turbot fishing operations in Bulgarian waters of Black Sea in 2019 during spring and summer ? respectively before and after turbot fishing ban (15 April ? 15 June). Four vessels have been involved with part of the nets being without pingers ? control and other parts fitted with pingers ? active. A total of 105 cetaceans (/Phocoena phocoena relicta/? 104 and /Tursiops truncatus ponticus/ ? 1) were recorded as bycatch in both control and active nets in spring and summer. Bycatch rates in active and control nets have not shown significant difference in both seasons. Significant increase in bycatch was registered in both active and control nets from spring to summer: 3.25 to 38.76 and 1.55 to 58.58 ind.km^-2 .day^-1 respectively. Key words ? /Phocoena//phocoena relicta/, cetacean bycatch, pingers, turbot fishery, Black Sea Popov D, Meshkova G, Hristova P, Miteva A, Ilieva T,Dimitrov H (2020). Pilot Line-transect Surveys of Cetaceans in a Bulgarian Marine Protected Area: BG0001007 Strandzha Site of Community Importance. Acta zoologica Bulgarica, Suppl. 15. Available at: http://www.acta-zoologica-bulgarica.eu/Suppl_15_43.pdf *Abstract**:* Three cetacean species inhabit the Black Sea: Black Sea Harbour porpoise (/Phocoena//phocoena relicta/), Black Sea Bottlenose dolphin (/Tursiops//truncatus ponticus/) and Black Sea Common dolphin (/Delphinus//delphis ponticus/). The paper presents the first effort for estimation of cetacean distribution, density and abundance in marine area of BG0001007 Strandzha SCI. Two line transect distance sampling surveys were made in April and May 2016 using a motor sailing yacht as platform. In May all three Black Sea cetacean species have been observed, while in April only Harbour porpoise and Bottlenose dolphin have been detected. In both surveys most abundant was found to be the Black Sea Harbour porpoise allowing estimation of density (0.871 ind.km^-2 in April and 0.369in May)and abundance (April ? 328, CV=33.8% and May ? 139, CV=50%). Abundance and density of dolphins were: 275 (106-714, CV=41.8%) and 0.73 in April and 40 (9-171, CV=56.09%) and 0.107 in May for Bottlenose dolphin; 24 (5-108, CV=58.72%) and 0.063 in May for Common dolphin. Encounter rates (sightings per kilometer of effort) during the surveys were as follows: Harbour porpoise - 0.25 in April and 0.14 in May; Bottlenose dolphin ? 0.1 in April and 0.02 in May; Common dolphin ? 0.02 in May. Key words ? Black Sea cetaceans, /Phocoena//phocoena relicta/, /Delphinus//delphis ponticus/, /Tursiops//truncatus ponticus/, distance-sampling, abundance. Best regards, D. Popov et al. -- __________________________________________________ *__________________________________________________ Dimitar Popov (Mr.) **Project Coordinator GREEN BALKANS NGO* 1, Skopie str., office 10 Plovdiv 4004, Bulgaria Tel: +359 (0) 32 626 977 Fax: +359 (0) 32 635 921 Mobile +359 (0)885 108712 E-mail: _dpopov at greenbalkans.org_ http://www.greenbalkans.org __________________________________________________ -- ???? ????? ? ???????? ?? ?????? ?? Avast. https://www.avast.com/antivirus -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kathrynr at aisobservers.com Thu Sep 3 06:51:28 2020 From: kathrynr at aisobservers.com (Kathryn Roy) Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2020 13:51:28 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] A.I.S. Inc. Virtual Protected Species Observer Training - Sign Up Now! Message-ID: A.I.S. Inc. is now accepting registration for our online BOEM/NMFS compliant Protected Species Observer Training! https://aisobservers.com/protected-species/new-protected-species-observer-training/ Due to the current coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we have adapted our PSO training to be offered virtually, in the comfort of your own home. The virtual training sessions will be held on September 22-24, 2020. The course takes approximately 20 hours to complete. It will be hosted live on these dates and students are expected to be in attendance. Our PSO training curriculum was created by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) approved PSOs and A.I.S. Inc. scientists, in consultation with BOEM, BSEE and NMFS staff. During the training, you will interact with a live trainer who previously worked as a PSO. As a reminder, training attendees are expected to have an education and/or experience that indicates that they are prepared to identify and appropriately manage protected species issues related to offshore projects. After you have successfully completed the course, NMFS will review the credentials of observer candidates who may be qualified to perform Protected Species Observer duties in the Greater Atlantic and Southeast Regions (i.e., from Maine to Texas). Approval is based on an individual's training and experience. In some cases, specific work experience is an acceptable proxy for formal education. If you haven't already, please send us a copy of your resume for review prior to signing up and feel free to reach out with any questions you might have. Please be sure that you have reviewed the NMFS guidelines for Protected Species Observers, by visiting this link: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/new-england-mid-atlantic/careers-and-opportunities/protected-species-observers Ready to sign up for our virtual Protected Species Observer Training? Head over to our website to register! https://aisobservers.com/protected-species/new-protected-species-observer-training/ After you have signed up, keep an eye on your inbox for a follow up email with more information about the itinerary and materials. We look forward to virtually hosting you in September! Kathryn Kathryn Roy Protected Species Program Manager A.I.S., Inc. 540 Hawthorn Street North Dartmouth, MA 02747 Mobile: 774-392-7127 www.aisobservers.com [small logo] Accuracy, Integrity, Service -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 3397 bytes Desc: image003.jpg URL: From livingmarineresources at gmail.com Thu Sep 3 09:48:29 2020 From: livingmarineresources at gmail.com (LMR Program) Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2020 09:48:29 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] U.S. Navy Living Marine Resource Program Need Topics - call for pre-proposals Message-ID: The U.S. Navy Living Marine Resources (LMR) applied research program is seeking pre-proposals pertaining to five need topics. The FY21 need topics include: 1) ship shock trial acoustic measurement, 2) standardizing auditory evoked potential hearing thresholds with behavioral hearing thresholds, 3) understanding marine mammal hearing and behavioral response to continuously active sonar, 4) relationship between perceived loudness of a signal and signal length, and 5) studying marine mammal behavioral response to SURTASS LFA sonar. Details regarding the need topics mentioned above and what information is required in a pre-proposal can be found at https://www.navfac.navy.mil/lmr/proposals. All pre-proposals should be submitted via email to exwc_lmr_program at navy.mil. Pre-proposals pertaining to these need topics will be accepted until 11:59 PM PST on 12 November 2020. If invited, offerors will be asked to submit a full proposal. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mnoad at uq.edu.au Wed Sep 2 20:11:26 2020 From: mnoad at uq.edu.au (Michael Noad) Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2020 03:11:26 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Two PhD positions available on social learning in marine mammals Message-ID: Two PhD projects available on social learning in marine mammals The Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratories (CEAL) group at the University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, is seeking applicants for two PhD positions relating to acoustic communication and social learning in marine mammals. Applicants should have a background in animal communication and/or behaviour and, for the agent based modelling project, a strong background in coding, either in Python or Matlab. Successful applications will be put forward for a scholarship to the University which will fully cover tuition and pay a living stipend. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, domestic (Australian and New Zealand) students will be preferred but high quality international applicants should also apply particularly if they are currently in Australia. Please see below for full details. The CEAL group has a primarily focus on cetacean acoustic behaviour and communication, the effects of anthropogenic noise on marine mammals, cetacean physiology, and cetacean population dynamics. We value a team-based approach, where supervisors and researchers work effectively together on various projects. We also value gender equity and cultural diversity within the lab. As part of the lab PhD programme, we offer experience in field data collection, grant and report writing, and statistical data analysis. We are also able to offer students industry placements, where we encourage and support students to gain real-world experience. Our lab would provide a challenging but impactful PhD experience and, as such, we are seeking enthusiastic and capable students with strong interests in social learning and modelling. Background Social learning is the ability to learn behaviours from conspecifics and can lead to the rapid uptake of new behaviours. If behaviours are socially learnt they may spread relatively rapidly throughout a population, or even a group within a population. If socially leant behaviours differ among groups or populations, either due to isolation or environmental factors that may or may not support the behaviour, then social learning may lead to cultures within a species. For this reason, the study of social learning in animals is important for understanding the evolution of human social learning and the extraordinary cumulative culture that it has produced. While social learning associated with predation and foraging is usually adaptive and stable within a group or population, some socially learnt behaviours can be unstable and rapidly changing. These are of particular interest with regards to studying the evolution of culture, as they represent extreme forms of social learning. They demonstrate the cognitive boundaries of social learning in animals with regards to the amount of information that can be learnt, the role of memory, changes and development of behavioural complexity, and the role of embellishment and innovation. Humpback whales are one of the best examples of unstable, rapid social learning. Male humpback whale produce one of the most complex vocal displays of any animal in the form of songs. The songs are hierarchical and complex in arrangement (they have 'rules'), but they are also known to be learned socially and are constantly changing within populations. Although singing is a display associated with breeding, its function and role within the mating system of humpback whales is not clear. Additionally, it is not known why the songs continually change within populations, or how and why songs are transferred among populations. While the songs themselves can be seen as the end products of complex and labile social learning, the process itself is opaque and difficult to observe. The two PhD projects will further explore two main areas of humpback song structure and social learning. Together, these studies will help us understand some of the cognitive abilities and processes involved in social learning in one of the most outstanding examples of social learning in a non-human animal. One will focus on the song transfers between western and eastern Australian populations. This will measure the rate at which song information can flow between populations and be learnt by individuals. It will address cognitive capacity limitations in social learning and complexity of learnt signals. It will also measure the rates at which innovation occurs within songs, and test the hypothesis that song change within populations is based on an innate template, facilitating transfer of songs between neighbouring populations. The result of this PhD will include a model of social learning and cultural evolution of a complex acoustic signal in humpback whales. The second PhD will directly model social learning in humpback whales by continuing previous work on building an agent-based model (ABM) of song change and exchange between populations started at the University of St Andrews and Plymouth University (Mclouglin et al., 2018, Music and Science). It will explore how songs evolve within populations and move between populations. The model will particularly explore the roles of memory and innovation in effecting song change, as well as asymmetrical song learning in individuals, all of which are likely to be necessary to effect song evolution. The Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratories (CEAL) Group at UQ has been studying humpback whale vocal communication since 2003 and has one of the largest and longest continuous collections of humpback whale song from any one population of humpback whales in the world. It is one of the leading groups in the world with regards to studying the constant evolution and cultural transmission of humpback whales songs, and UQ is routinely listed in the top 50 or so universities in the world. CEAL is situated at the Moreton Bay Research Station at Dunwich on North Stradbroke Is (Minjerribah) near Brisbane. MBRS is in an excellent position to take advantage of access to the waters off the coast for work on humpback whales. The University is building a new whale interpretive centre on the island in partnership with the Quandamooka People, the Traditional Owners of the island. This world-class facility will allow the continued collection of humpback songs from passing migrating whales from June - October each year (http://www.qyac.net.au/YalingbilaBibula.html). It is expected that successful applicants will contribute to data collection at this facility. MBRS is a 30 min ferry trip from the mainland (Cleveland, where several of our PhD students live) and about 90 min from the centre of Brisbane, the main St Lucia campus of the University, and the Brisbane international and domestic airports. North Stradbroke Island itself is a beautiful island with good surf, beaches, national parks, diving and camping. Applying for the positions Applicants should have an honours degree or masters degree (or equivalent). For the PhD on song transmission between populations, the applicant's background would probably be in biology or ecology with quantitative training and experience preferred. The background for the agent based modelling applicant, however, may be broader, and could include psychology, information technology or engineering as well as quantitative biology or ecology. The emphasis here will be on coding and building a complex model where many factors are driven by probability rather than certainty. An appreciation of biological variability is essential. In either case, applicant should have a strong interest in social learning. To apply for either PhD position, the applicant should send a cover letter to Michael Noad mnoad at uq.edu.au which includes why they would like to undertake this project, a summary of their relevant qualifications and experience, information on their status as either a domestic or international applicant, and where they are currently residing. They should also include a CV and a copy of their academic transcript. Emails should have the subject "PhD expression of interest" followed by the applicants surname. If a strong domestic applicant for either position applies prior to 18 September 2020, then they may be put forward to the University for a start in early 2021. All other applications will be considered for a start in mid-2021. No applications will be considered after the end of January 2021. It should be noted that 'strong' candidate usually have at least first-authored publication in a peer-reviewed journal. While this is not essential for a domestic student to be competitive for a scholarship, it is considered mandatory for international students due to high demand for these scholarships. Dr Michael Noad BVSc(Hons) Qld PhD Sydney Associate Professor Cetacean Ecology and Acoustic Laboratories (CEAL) Group Academic Director, Moreton Bay Research Station School of Veterinary Science The University of Queensland - Gatton campus Gatton Qld 4343 Australia Moreton Bay Research Station 37 Fraser St Dunwich North Stradbroke Is. Qld 4183 Australia M +61 416 270 567 E mnoad at uq.edu.au W ceal.lab.uq.edu.au https://www.uq.edu.au/moreton-bay-research-station/content/front-page CRICOS 00025B [UQ own unknown w diver banner] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 16329 bytes Desc: image001.jpg URL: From selina at dmad.org.tr Fri Sep 4 04:49:46 2020 From: selina at dmad.org.tr (Selina Brouwer) Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2020 13:49:46 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] Remote Internship with Marine Mammals Research Association Message-ID: Dear all, *Please find below details of our Remote Internship with DMAD this autumn.* Unfortunately many countries still have their borders closed and it is currently almost impossible to travel safely due to the outbreak of COVID-19, but that doesn't mean that you can't benefit from our knowledge and develop your career or get help with your thesis remotely. Students, graduates, career changers etc can receive both research and public outreach experience working with the DMAD team. http://www.dmad.org.tr/remote-internships WHO ARE DMAD AND WHAT DO WE DO? DMAD - Marine Mammals Research Association has scientific projects running in Turkey, Montenegro and Albania. We conduct long-term studies of marine mammals in Istanbul, Antalya, the Levantine sea, Montenegrin coastal waters and the northern coastline of Albania. We aim to address questions about marine mammal abundance, distribution and behaviour, define critical habitats and investigate the impact of major threats, ranging from tourism to hydrocarbon exploration. Our wider attention focuses on the promotion and implementation of awareness initiatives targeted at the local community. More details on the projects can be found here: http://www.dmad.org.tr/our-projects ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP: The DMAD team provides lectures and training as well as constant supervision. You will be given the chance to learn the most popular methodologies used in marine mammal research including: -Cetacean species identification within the Mediterranean -Population statuses and threats to marine mammals within the Mediterranean -Software used in the field (Pythagoras, Logger 2010) -Data analysis using GIS, R, Distance, Mark -Passive Acoustic Monitoring using PamGuard -Residency Pattern Analysis -Population Estimation -Scientific support on manuscript and technical report writing including thesis supervision PARTICIPATION FEE: The internship is for 2 months and is about 100 hours and requires a contribution fee of 560euro, which fully goes to supporting the project. WHATS INCLUDED IN THE FEE: -PDF copies of the training and lectures -Video recordings -Scientific support through weekly Skype calls -Real data and practical examples to work through -Certification of participation HOW TO APPLY Our next Remote Internship starts on the *21st of Septembe*r; the number of places has a limit. Email your CV and cover letter to info at dmad.org.tr, giving details of your specific interests so that we can help you to develop a personal project. If you wish to have more info about our other internships and work please take a look at some of our web pages and social media: Our research: http://www.dmad.org.tr/our-projects Our remote internships: http://www.dmad.org.tr/remote-internships Our publications: http://www.dmad.org.tr/our-publications Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinemammalsresearch/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DMADforNature/ All the best and stay safe, DMAD team *info at dmad.org.tr * *www.dmad.org.tr * -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From errol.ronje at gmail.com Fri Sep 4 13:15:10 2020 From: errol.ronje at gmail.com (Errol Ronje) Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2020 15:15:10 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] new publication Message-ID: Please note a new short communication is available: " Intraspecific Aggression Towards Common Bottlenose Dolphin Calves, Northern Gulf of Mexico" The publication is open-access and available at this link: https://aquila.usm.edu/gcr/vol31/iss1/7/ Abstract Infanticide has been widely documented throughout the animal kingdom, and has generally been viewed as an evolved, or adaptive behavior for the perpetrators. Infanticide motivated by increased sexual access to females with calves, or the elimination of potential genetic competition in the form of calf-directed aggression or infanticide, has been proposed for delphinids including killer whales, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, Guiana dolphins, and bottlenose dolphins. However, reports of intraspecific aggression towards bottlenose dolphin calves are relatively infrequent, and accounts of confirmed infanticide are rarer still. Reporting instances of intraspecific calf-directed aggression aids researchers to better understand the socio-behavioral context of these aggressive interactions. Here, we report an incident of conspecific aggression towards a calf in a small group of common bottlenose dolphins near Sabine Lake, northwestern Gulf of Mexico. We discuss the behavioral context, and surveyed other researchers to attempt to gauge the prevalence of perceived aggressive interactions among the bottlenose dolphin groups they study in the northern Gulf of Mexico. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fefelix90 at hotmail.com Fri Sep 4 10:08:08 2020 From: fefelix90 at hotmail.com (=?iso-8859-1?Q?Fernando_F=E9lix_Grijalva?=) Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2020 17:08:08 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper: Imminent Risk of Extirpation for Two Bottlenose Dolphin Communities in the Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador Message-ID: My co-author and I are pleased to inform you about this recently published article in Frontiers on Marine Science. Abstract A long-term study of a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) population inhabiting the Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador (2330 S, 79200W), has been carried out for almost 30 years. Similarly, as in other parts of the world, this population is structured socially and spatially in well-defined subunits or communities. Two of these communities, referred to as Posorja and El Morro, have been studied with major intensity in the last 10 years in the western inner estuary, among others to calculate population parameters that allow assessing their viability in time. Calculated parameters include annual abundance, age and sex composition, annual crude birth rate, calf survival, calf production interval, and average annual mortality/emigration.With these parameters and others derived from other better-studied populations, the trend of both subunits was modeled using the software Vortex. Results show that even under an optimistic scenery both communities will be extinct in the short (Posorja) and mid-term (El Morro), if current stressors continue. Most population parameters calculated in both communities show similar values as in populations elsewhere, but a very low calf survival in Posorja and high mortality/emigration ratios in adults, and probably in juveniles in both communities, contribute to this trend. Population deterioration seems to be the result of different human-induced threats such as fisheries, maritime traffic and others still not well assessed, as well as stochastic demographic events. We recommend taking actions in the short term to halt population decline addressing the major causes of mortality affecting these dolphin communities. The article is free available from the editorial site DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2020.537010. Regards Fernando F?lix -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Garry.Stenson at dfo-mpo.gc.ca Fri Sep 4 07:11:17 2020 From: Garry.Stenson at dfo-mpo.gc.ca (Stenson, Garry) Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2020 14:11:17 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New Paper: Harp seals: Monitors of Change in differing Ecosystems Message-ID: <17B543BBD5EA744CB184D5517595FD3F8525353C@DFNLA1CwpEXP002.ENT.dfo-mpo.ca> Dear Colleagues We are pleased to announce the publication of our article: Harp Seals: Monitors of Change in Differing Ecosystems, by Garry B. Stenson, Tore Haug, Mike O Hammill, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, section Marine Fisheries, Aquaculture and Living Resources. The article is open access and available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.569258/full Abstract Harp seals are the most abundant marine mammal in the north Atlantic. As an ice obligatory predator, they reflect changes in their environment, particularly during a period of climatic change. As the focus of a commercial hunt, a large historic data set exists that can be used to quantify changes. There are three populations of harp seals: White Sea/Barents Sea, Greenland Sea and Northwest Atlantic. The objective of this paper is to review their current status and to identify the factors that are influencing population dynamics in different areas. Although important historically, recent catches have been low and do not appear to be influencing trends in either of the two northeast Atlantic populations. Massive mortalities of White Sea/Barents Sea seals occurred during the mid 1980s due to collapses in their main prey species. Between 2004 and 2006, pup production in this population declined by 2/3 and has remained low. Body condition declined during the same period, suggesting that ecosystem changes may have resulted in reduced reproductive rates, possibly due to reduced prey availability and/or competition with Atlantic cod. The most recent estimate of pup production in the Greenland Sea also suggests a possible decline during a period of reduced hunting although the trend in this population is unclear. Pupping concentrations are closer to the Greenland coast due to the reduction in ice in the traditional area and increased drift may result in young being displaced from their traditional feeding grounds leading to increased mortality. Reduced ice extent and thickness has resulted in major mortality of young in the Northwest Atlantic population in some years. After a period of increase, the population remained relatively stable between 1996 and 2013 due to increased hunting, multiple years with increased ice-related mortality of young seals, and lower reproductive rates. With a reduction in harvest and improved survival of young, the population appears to be increasing although extremely large interannual variations in body condition and fecundity have been observed which were found to be influenced by variations in capelin biomass and ice conditions. Each of these populations has been impacted differently by changes in their ecosystems and hunting practices. By identifying the factors influencing these three populations, we can gain a better understanding of how species may respond to changes that are occurring in their ecosystems. Garry ______________________________________________________________ Garry B. Stenson, Ph.D. Research Scientist and Head, Marine Mammal Section/ Chercheur scientifique et chef de la section des mammif?res marins Science Branch / Branche scientifique, Fisheries and Oceans, Canada / P?ches et Oc?ans, Canada P.O. Box 5667 St. John's, NL A1C 5X1 (709) 772-5598 Garry.Stenson at dfo-mpo.gc.ca -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fannie.shabangu at yahoo.com Sat Sep 5 15:26:12 2020 From: fannie.shabangu at yahoo.com (Fannie Shabangu) Date: Sat, 5 Sep 2020 22:26:12 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [MARMAM] New paper: Blue and fin whale calls off Antarctica References: <920413096.2741548.1599344772477.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <920413096.2741548.1599344772477@mail.yahoo.com> Dear MARMAM Colleagues On behalf of my co-authors, I am delighted to announce the publication of our new paper in Endangered Species Research. Shabangu FW, Andrew RK, Yemane D, Findlay KP. 2020. Acoustic seasonality, behaviour and detection ranges of Antarctic blue and fin whales under different sea ice conditions off Antarctica. Endangered Species Research 43: 21?37. Abstract Descriptions of seasonal occurrence and behaviour of Antarctic blue and fin whales in the Southern Ocean are of pivotal importance for the effective conservation and management of these endangered species. We used an autonomous acoustic recorder to collect bioacoustic data from January through September 2014 to describe the seasonal occurrence, behaviour and detection ranges of Antarctic blue and fin whale calls off the Maud Rise, Antarctica. From 2479 h of recordings, we detected D- and Z-calls plus the 27 Hz chorus of blue whales, the 20 and 99 Hz pulses of fin whales and the 18?28 Hz chorus of blue and fin whales. Blue whale calls were detected throughout the hydrophone deployment period with a peak occurrence in February, indicating continuous presence of whales in a broad Southern Ocean area (given the modelled detection ranges). Fin whale calls were detected from January through July when sea ice was present on the latter dates. No temporal segregation in peaks of diel calling rates of blue and fin whales was observed in autumn, but a clear temporal segregation was apparent in summer. Acoustic propagation models suggest that blue and fin whale calls can be heard as far as 1700 km from the hydrophone position in spring. Random forest models ranked month of the year as the most important predictor of call occurrence and call rates (i.e. behaviour) for these whales. Our work highlights areas around the Maud Rise as important habitats for blue and fin whales in the Southern Ocean. The publication is open-access and available at: https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v43/p21-37/. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions and/or comments. Best wishes, Fannie _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Fannie W. Shabangu, PhD Fisheries Management Branch Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Cape Town, South Africa Email: FannieS at daff.gov.za; fannie.shabangu at yahoo.com Mobile: +27 74 220 0210 Tel: +27 21 402 3553 From grgur.pleslic at gmail.com Sat Sep 5 08:05:15 2020 From: grgur.pleslic at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?Q?Grgur_Plesli=C4=87?=) Date: Sat, 5 Sep 2020 17:05:15 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: Message-ID: Dear MARMAM community, My co-authors and I are happy to announce the following publication in Marine Mammal Science: Plesli? G, Rako-Gospi? N, Holcer D. Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in North Dalmatia, Croatia: Occurrence and demographic parameters. Mar Mam Sci. 2020;1?20. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12735 The common bottlenose dolphin (*Tursiops truncatus*) population along the eastern Adriatic coast is believed to comprise discrete communities, yet many of them are unstudied. This study provides first description of occurrence and demographic parameters for the community inhabiting waters of North Dalmatia. Dedicated boat-based surveys conducted in summer months from 2013 to 2017 resulted in 13,896 km of research effort and 284 dolphin sightings from which 336 individuals were identified. Site-fidelity analysis revealed that 52.1% of encountered marked adults occur in the area regularly or occasionally. No significant difference among years could be found for mean group sizes (5.73 ? 7.46) and group encounter rates (1.159 ? 1.942 groups/100 km). Pollock?s Robust Design models estimated annually variable adult apparent survival (0.737 ? 0.986) and constant temporary emigration rate of 0.172. The estimated abundance varied annually from 116 to 138 individuals and showed a negative slope, but a significant trend could not be confirmed. Age-dependent models estimated first-year calf survival at 0.875. These results provide a baseline for informed management of two Sites of Community Importance, and a benchmark for future monitoring in North Dalmatian waters, an area under significant anthropogenic pressure. Feel free to contact me with requests for a pdf copy. Best wishes, Grgur Plesli? Science Program Director Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation Ka?tel 24, 51551 Veli Lo?inj, Croatia www.blue-world.org M: +385 98 976 0271 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From afahlman at whoi.edu Mon Sep 7 10:01:04 2020 From: afahlman at whoi.edu (Andreas Fahlman) Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2020 19:01:04 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] Heart function in cetaceans Message-ID: <9C66801A-D431-4340-B96C-BCDBB1A4C298@whoi.edu> Dear MARMAM community, We would like to share our new publication on cardiac function and cardiorespiratory coupling in cetaceans. In this study, the function of the heart was investigated in the bottlenose dolphin, the beluga, the killer whale, the false killer whale, and the pilot whale. The results showed that cetaceans have large variation in heart rate directly after a breath, and when compared with land mammals, the relationship between breathing frequency and heart rate is very different. We propose that these differences may indicate a mechanism that helps improve gas exchange during a surface interval. Fahlman, A., Miedler, S., Marti-Bonmati, L., Ferrero Fernandez, D., Mu?oz Caballero, P., Arenarez, J., Rocho-Levine, J., Robeck, T., and Blawas, A.M. (2020). Cardiorespiratory coupling in cetaceans; a physiological strategy to improve gas exchange? Journal of Experimental Biology 223, jeb226365. Video abstract: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxqKniwIVf4 Abstract: In the current study we used transthoracic echocardiography to measure stroke volume (SV), heart rate ( fH) and cardiac output (CO) in adult bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), a male beluga whale calf [Delphinapterus leucas, body mass (Mb) range: 151?175 kg] and an adult female false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens, estimated Mb: 500?550 kg) housed in managed care.Wealso recorded continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) in the beluga whale, bottlenose dolphin, false killer whale, killer whale (Orcinus orca) and pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) to evaluate cardiorespiratory coupling while breathing spontaneously under voluntary control. The results show that cetaceans have a strong respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA), during which both fH and SV vary within the interbreath interval, making average values dependent on the breathing frequency ( fR). The RSA-corrected fH was lower for all cetaceans compared with that of similarly sized terrestrial mammals breathing continuously. As compared with terrestrial mammals, the RSA-corrected SV and CO were either lower or the same for the dolphin and false killer whale, while both were elevated in the beluga whale. When plotting fR against fH for an inactive mammal, cetaceans had a greater cardiac response to changes in fR as compared with terrestrial mammals.We propose that these data indicate an important coupling between respiration and cardiac function that enhances gas exchange, and that this RSA is important to maximize gas exchange during surface intervals, similar to that reported in the elephant seal. The journal provides a couple of free downloads that can be found here: https://jeb.biologists.org/content/jexbio/223/17/jeb226365.full.pdf?ijkey=zKzvXDpWjAFqTvV&keytype=finite Or else please send me an email if you would like a pdf copy at: afahlman at whoi.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: smime.p7s Type: application/pkcs7-signature Size: 1487 bytes Desc: not available URL: From cdmacleod at gisinecology.com Tue Sep 8 03:41:32 2020 From: cdmacleod at gisinecology.com (cdmacleod at gisinecology.com) Date: Tue, 08 Sep 2020 11:41:32 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] Live Online Training Course: An Introduction To Integrating QGIS/GIS And R For Spatial Analysis - 19th to 22nd October 2020 In-Reply-To: <2499c76e3598d992a632882d524fe382@gisinecology.com> References: <2499c76e3598d992a632882d524fe382@gisinecology.com> Message-ID: We are now taking bookings for the next run of our live, online course titled _An Introduction To Integrating QGIS/GIS and R For Spatial Analysis_. It will be held via the Zoom online video-conferencing platform between the 19th and the 22 of October 2020. The course will consist of a mix of background talks and practical sessions held over four 3-hour sessions. One session needs to be completed each day, and attendees will have a choice of completing it between 10:00 and 13:00 British Summer Time (primarily aimed at those in Australia, Asia, Africa and Europe) or between 18:00 an d 21:00 British Summer Time (primarily aimed at those in North, Central and South America). This allows the course to be as accessible from as many different time zones as possible. Attendance will be limited to a maximum of 24 people per session. It will cost GBP 250 per person (with a discounted rate of GBP 195 for students, the unwaged and those working for registered charities). To book a place, or for more information, visit http://gisinecology.com/online-course-an-introduction-to-integrating-qgis-gis-and-r-for-spatial-analysis/ or email info at GISinEcology.com. GIS and statistical analysis are two of the most fundamental software tools for marine mammalogists wishing to conduct spatial analyses, which is, itself, a cornerstone for the management and conservation of marine mammal species. However, GIS and statistical analyses have their own sets of software packages, and sometimes it can be difficult to know how to integrate the two. This course is aimed at those who wish to learn how to use and integrate QGIS (the leading freely available GIS software package) and R (the leading freely available data analysis software package) for spatial analysis. It will be taught by Dr. Colin D. MacLeod, the author of 'An Introduction To Integrating QGIS And R for Spatial Analysis [1]' (Pictish Beast Publications) and a renowned expert in using GIS in biological and ecological research. He is also a co-author of the recently published 'An Introduction To Basic Statistics For Biologists Using R [2]', which is a practical guide to carrying out the analysis of biological data in R. The course assumes no prior knowledge of either QGIS/GIS or R, and so is open to complete beginners as well as those how know how to use one of these software packages, and wish to learn how to integrate it with the other. GIS and statistical analysis are two of the most fundamental software tools for modern biologists wishing to conduct spatial analyses. However, each have their own sets of software packages, and sometimes it can be difficult to know how to integrate the two. This course will provide an introduction to the integration of QGIS (the leading freely available GIS software package) and R (the leading data analysis software packages used by biologists) to create a combined tool set that makes the most of the strengths of each of these individual software packages. It will consist of a series of background sessions on using GIS and R for spatial analysis, mixed in with practical sessions where you will learn how to use QGIS, how to use R, and how to integrate two to complete a spatial analysis project. This last part will include working through an example project, starting with creating a high quality map for publication through creating raster data layers of environmental variables, joining data together based on their spatial relationships and analysing the combined data set using R (including creating summary statistics, conducting linear regressions and conducting generalised additive modelling - GAMs). While it will primarily be based around QGIS, this course is taught using software-independent approach, and it is also open to those who wish to learn how to use ArcGIS to do biological GIS. When you attend this course you will receive a free copy of An Introduction To Integrating QGIS And R for Spatial Analysis [1] (GIS For Biologists Workbooks) as the practical exercises in that course are based on the ones contained in that book. NOTE: If you wish to use ArcGIS software for this course, alternative materials will be provided for the practical sessions. --- ================================================================================== GIS IN ECOLOGY - Providing Training, Advice And Consultancy On The Use Of GIS In Ecology Web: www.GISinEcology.com [3] Email: info at GISinEcology.com Need to ask a question about using GIS? Try the GIS In Ecology Forum: www.GISinEcology.com/GIS_in_Ecology_forum.htm [4] Books From GIS In Ecology Staff: GIS For Biologists: A Practical Introduction For Undergraduates; RRP: ?24.99 An Introduction To Integrating QGIS And R For Spatial Analysis; RRP: ?19.99 An Introduction To Species Distribution Modelling (SDM) Using QGIS And R; RRP: ?19:99 If you wish to purchase these books, visit: http://www.gisinecology.com/book-shop/ To help the environment, please do not print out this email unless it is unavoidable. ================================================================================== Links: ------ [1] http://gisinecology.com/an-introduction-to-integrating-qgis-and-r-for-spatial-analysis-gis-for-biologists-workbooks-series/ [2] http://gisinecology.com/stats-for-biologists-1 [3] http://www.GISinEcology.com [4] http://www.GISinEcology.com/GIS_in_Ecology_forum.htm -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ann.osiecka at gmail.com Thu Sep 10 03:01:57 2020 From: ann.osiecka at gmail.com (Anna Osiecka) Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2020 12:01:57 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: The diel pattern in harbour porpoise clicking behaviour is not a response to prey activity Message-ID: Dear colleagues, Me and my co-authors are happy to share our newest work on diel clicking patterns in the harbour porpoise: Osiecka, A.N., Jones, O. & Wahlberg, M. The diel pattern in harbour porpoise clicking behaviour is not a response to prey activity. *Sci Rep* *10, *14876 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-71957-0 *Abstract* Wild harbour porpoises (*Phocoena phocoena*) mainly forage during the night and, because they rely on echolocation to detect their prey, this is also when they are most acoustically active. It has been hypothesised that this activity pattern is a response to the diel behaviour of their major prey species. To test this hypothesis, we monitored the acoustic activity of two captive harbour porpoises held in a net pen continuously during a full year and fed by their human keepers during daylight hours, thus removing the influence of prey activity. The porpoises were exposed to similar temperature and ambient light conditions as free-ranging animals living in the same region. Throughout the year, there was a pronounced diel pattern in acoustic activity of the porpoises, with significantly greater activity at night, and a clear peak around sunrise and sunset throughout the year. Clicking activity was not dependent on lunar illumination or water level. Because the porpoises in the pen are fed and trained during daylight hours, the results indicate that factors other than fish behaviour are strongly influencing the diel clicking behaviour pattern of the species. The article is available open access at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-71957-0 Kindest regards, Anna N Osiecka -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From katieflorko at gmail.com Thu Sep 10 09:20:59 2020 From: katieflorko at gmail.com (Katie Florko) Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2020 10:20:59 -0600 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper: Drivers and consequences of polar bear diet in the Canadian Beaufort Sea Message-ID: Dear MARMAM, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of our paper in Oecologia: Florko, K.R.N, Thiemann, G.W., Bromaghin, J.F. Drivers and consequences of an apex predator diet composition in the Canadian Beaufort Sea. *Oecologia*, doi: 10.1007/s00442-020-04747-0 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00442-020-04747-0 Abstract: Polar bears (*Ursus maritimus*) rely on annual sea ice as their primary habitat for hunting marine mammal prey. Given their long lifespan, wide geographic distribution, and position at the top of the Arctic marine food web, the diet composition of polar bears can provide insights into temporal and spatial ecosystem dynamics related to climate-mediated sea ice loss. Polar bears with the greatest ecological constraints on diet composition may be most vulnerable to climate-related changes in ice conditions and prey availability. We used quantitative fatty acid signature analysis (QFASA) to estimate the diets of polar bears (*n *= 419) in two western Canadian Arctic subpopulations (Northern Beaufort Sea and Southern Beaufort Sea) from 1999 to 2015. Polar bear diets were dominated by ringed seal (*Pusa hispida*), with interannual, seasonal, age- and sex-specific variation. Foraging area and sea ice conditions also affected polar bear diet composition. Most variation in bear diet was explained by longitude, reflecting spatial variation in prey availability. Sea ice conditions (extent, thickness, and seasonal duration) declined throughout the study period, and date of sea ice break-up in the preceding spring was positively correlated with female body condition and consumption of beluga whale (*Delphinapterus leucas*), suggesting that bears foraged on beluga whales during entrapment events. Female body condition was positively correlated with ringed seal consumption, and negatively correlated with bearded seal consumption. This study provides insights into the complex relationships between declining sea ice habitat and the diet composition and foraging success of a wide-ranging apex predator. Keywords: Foraging ecology, Fatty acids, Sea ice, Climate change, Polar bear Best regards, Katie Florko -- Katie R.N. Florko, PhD Candidate Statistical Ecology Research Group Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries University of British Columbia Twitter: @kflorko Email: katieflorko at gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From katiekowarski at gmail.com Tue Sep 8 08:40:25 2020 From: katiekowarski at gmail.com (Katie Kowarski) Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2020 12:40:25 -0300 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: Near real-time marine mammal monitoring from gliders Message-ID: My co-authors and I are pleased to announce our recent publication available online! Kowarski, K. A., Gaudet, B. J., Cole, A. J., Maxner, E. E., Turner, S. P., Martin, S. B., Johnson, H. D., & Moloney, J. E. (2020). Near real-time marine mammal monitoring from gliders: Practical challenges, system development, and management implications. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 148(3), 1215-1230. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0001811 https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0001811 ABSTRACT: In 2017, an endangered North Atlantic right whale mortality event in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, triggered the implementation of dynamic mitigation measures that required real-time information on whale distribution. Underwater glider-based acoustic monitoring offers a possible solution for collecting near real-time information but has many practical challenges including self-noise, energy restrictions, and computing capacity, as well as limited glider-to-shore data transfer bandwidth. This paper describes the development of a near real-time baleen whale acoustic monitoring glider system and its evaluation in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2018. Development focused on identifying and prioritizing important acoustic events and on sending contextual information to shore for human validation. The system performance was evaluated post-retrieval, then the trial was simulated using optimized parameters. Trial simulation evaluation revealed that the validated detections of right, fin, and blue whales produced by the system were all correct; the proportion of species occurrence missed varied depending on the timeframe considered. Glider-based near real-time monitoring can be an effective and reliable technique to inform dynamic mitigation strategies for species such as the North Atlantic right whale. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From errol.ronje at gmail.com Thu Sep 10 12:39:48 2020 From: errol.ronje at gmail.com (Errol Ronje) Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2020 14:39:48 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] new publication - Abundance of bottlenose dolphins in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (Errol Ronje) Message-ID: Dear MARMAM community, please note a new publication is available: "Abundance and Occurrence of Common Bottlenose Dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus*) in Three Estuaries of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico" The publication is open-access and available online at this link: https://aquila.usm.edu/gcr/vol31/iss1/9/ Abstract: Current abundance estimates for populations of common bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus*, Montagu, 1821) in bays, sounds, and estuaries are lacking throughout most of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), including areas of Texas and western Louisiana. To address this issue, we conducted 92 small?boat photographic identification surveys covering ~2000 km2 and comprising ~11,000 km of track?line in winter and summer seasons in West Bay, TX (2014?2015, n = 25), the Galveston Bay, TX system (2016, n = 50), Sabine Lake, TX (2017, n = 17), and adjacent coastal waters. Individual dolphin encounter histories were constrained by spatiotemporal parameters to approximately represent 1) a ?Bay? estimate of individuals limited to the interior of each embayment, and 2) a ?Selective? estimate of the number of individuals in each survey area (including nearshore coastal waters), filtered for potential transient dolphins. Using the Selective dataset, estimated bottlenose dolphins (95% CI) were (winter and summer, respectively) 38 (29?47) and 37 (33?40) for West Bay, 842 (694?990) and 1,132 (846?1,417) for Galveston Bay, and 122 (73?170) and 162 (114?210) for Sabine Lake. A range of 4?15% of marked individuals in each study area were identified as inter?bay matches. These results provide new insights on the potential spatial range of each population, update previous abundance estimates for West Bay and Galveston Bay, and contribute novel population information for Sabine Lake and adjacent coastal waters of the northwestern GOM. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ag_marina at hotmail.com Mon Sep 14 02:36:45 2020 From: ag_marina at hotmail.com (marina arregui) Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2020 09:36:45 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publications on fat embolism in stranded cetaceans Message-ID: Dear colleagues, On behalf of the animal pathology laboratory of the Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, we are pleased to announce the following two publications on fat embolism in stranded cetaceans: Arregui, M., Glandon, H. L., Bernaldo de Quir?s, Y., Felipe-Jim?nez, I., Consoli, F., Caballero, M. J., Koopman, H. N. and Fernandez, A. (2020a). Lipids of lung and lung fat emboli of the toothed whales (Odontoceti). Sci. Rep. 10, 14752. Abstract: Lipids are biomolecules present in all living organisms that, apart from their physiological functions, can be involved in different pathologies. One of these pathologies is fat embolism, which has been described histologically in the lung of cetaceans in association with ship strikes and with gas and fat embolic syndrome. to assess pathological lung lipid composition, previous knowledge of healthy lung tissue lipid composition is essential; however, these studies are extremely scarce in cetaceans. In the present study we aimed first, to characterize the lipids ordinarily present in the lung tissue of seven cetacean species; and second, to better understand the etiopathogenesis of fat embolism by comparing the lipid composition of lungs positive for fat emboli, and those negative for emboli in Physeter macrocephalus and Ziphius cavirostris (two species in which fat emboli have been described). Results showed that lipid content and lipid classes did not differ among species or diving profiles. In contrast, fatty acid composition was significantly different between species, with C16:0 and C18:1?9 explaining most of the differences. This baseline knowledge of healthy lung tissue lipid composition will be extremely useful in future studies assessing lung pathologies involving lipids. concerning fat embolism, non-significant differences could be established between lipid content, lipid classes, and fatty acid composition. However, an unidentified peak was only found in the chromatogram for the two struck whales and merits further investigation. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-71658-8 Arregui, M., Fern?ndez, A., Paz-S?nchez, Y., Santana, ?., Sacchini, S., Sierra, E., Arbelo, M. and Bernaldo de Quir?s, Y. (2020b). Comparison of three histological techniques for fat emboli detection in lung cetacean?s tissue. Sci. Rep. 10, 8251. Abstract: Fat embolism is the mechanical blockage of blood vessels by circulating fat particles. it is frequently related to traumas involving soft tissues and fat-containing bones. Different techniques have been used for decades to demonstrate histologically fat emboli, being the extremely toxic post-fixation with osmium tetroxide one of the most used techniques in the last decades. in the present study, the osmium tetroxide technique was compared qualitatively and quantitatively, for the first time, with chromic acid and Oil Red O frozen techniques for histological fat emboli detection in the lungs of eight sperm whales that died due to ship strikes. This was also the first time that chromic acid technique was tested in cetaceans. Results showed that the three techniques were valuable for the histological detection of fat embolism in cetaceans, even when tissues presented advanced autolysis and had been stored in formaldehyde for years. Although quantitative differences could not be established, the Oil Red O frozen technique showed the lowest quality for fat emboli staining. on the contrary, the chromic acid technique was proven to be a good alternative to osmium tetroxide due to its slightly lower toxicity, its equivalent or even superior capacity of fat emboli detection, and its significantly lower economic cost. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-64821-8 Best regards, Marina Arregui Antonio Fern?ndez Enviado desde Outlook [https://ipmcdn.avast.com/images/icons/icon-envelope-tick-green-avg-v1.png] Libre de virus. www.avg.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Blake.Faucett at MyFWC.com Sat Sep 12 09:34:45 2020 From: Blake.Faucett at MyFWC.com (Faucett, Blake) Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2020 16:34:45 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] FWC Manatee internship-Tequesta Message-ID: The Southeast manatee field station is currently seeking candidates for one Winter/Spring 2021 internship! Interns will assist with manatee rescue, carcass salvage, necropsy and research in Tequesta, Florida. The Southeast Field lab is offering one 6-month internship for the Winter/Spring 2021 session. The expected start date for the 6-month internship will be around January 1st, 2021. Start dates will be flexible. Working hours are typically 5 days a week, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., with some nights and weekends required. To perform the duties of the position, interns will operate trucks, trailers, and boats up to 22' in length. The intern is required to complete a project and present a 10-15 minute presentation at the end of their internship. Qualifications: Junior or senior college students and recent graduates are eligible. Applicants should have some research field experience; be able to drive large trucks; be computer literate; be comfortable speaking to the public; and be proficient in the use of digital cameras, telephoto lenses, and filters. Previous animal-handling experience is desirable. Interns must possess a valid driver's license, be able to lift 50 pounds, and be able to swim. Applicants should understand that this internship will require them to be wet, dirty, and outdoors in all weather conditions. This position is unpaid and housing is not provided. Interns must provide their own transportation to and from the field station. If you are interested in applying for an internship with the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, the following information is required: ? A cover letter describing area(s) of interest and the dates, days, and hours of availability ? A r?sum? describing training and experience ? A list of three references ? An unofficial copy of your academic transcript Please send these items as e-mail attachments to: Interns at MyFWC.com Or mail hard copies to: Internship Coordinator Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue SE St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5020 http://myfwc.com/research/manatee/information/internships-volunteers/se-fl-intern/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Jay.Cordeiro at umb.edu Sat Sep 12 08:44:54 2020 From: Jay.Cordeiro at umb.edu (Jay R Cordeiro) Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2020 15:44:54 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] REDUCTION Marine Mammals Library sale to benefit VIVA Vaquita In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hello again friends and colleagues. What remains of the MARINE MAMMAL AND WHALING BOOKS from the private collection of marine mammal biologist Dr. Thomas A. Jefferson and transferred to the non-profit organization, VIVA Vaquita is being offered for sale at discounted pricing. All purchases from this list are offered at a 20% DISCOUNT from the list price. Dr. Jefferson is a marine mammal conservation biologist at the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center in southern California Most of the books have been donated (many by the late Dr. Edward D. Mitchell, and bearing his signature and/or stamp) with the proceeds used to raise funds for conservation work on the world's most endangered species of marine mammal, the vaquita porpoise (Phocoena sinus) of Mexico. 100% of the funds raised will be donated to VIVA Vaquita and used in work to prevent the extinction of this and other species of endangered marine mammals. For more information on VIVA Vaquita, visit the website: http://vivavaquita.org/ The complete list or remaindered titles is online on our website at: https://sites.google.com/site/northeastnaturalhistory/home/Newest-Lists/list-xxx-marine-mammals-library-jefferson For those hungry for MORE MARINE MAMMALS BOOKS, please see our former book catalogue of over 450 works issued previously. Many of these remain and are still available for purchase. The complete catalogue is viewable at https://sites.google.com/site/northeastnaturalhistory/home/Prior-Catalogues/multiple-lists-whales-and-whaling Please direct all correspondence to Northeast Natural History & Supply by emailing j.cordeiro at nenaturalhistory.com Jay ?for there is no folly of the beast of the earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men? ? Herman Melville, Moby Dick Jay Cordeiro Northeast Natural History & Supply PO Box 361 West Dennis, MA 02670 j.cordeiro at nenaturalhistory.com Website: https://sites.google.com/site/northeastnaturalhistory/home Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NortheastNaturalHistorySupply/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kdudzinski at dolphincommunicationproject.org Mon Sep 14 05:31:05 2020 From: kdudzinski at dolphincommunicationproject.org (Kathleen Dudzinski) Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2020 08:31:05 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Issue 46.5 of Aquatic Mammals available online Message-ID: <447A542B-7ADA-47C0-8E7E-6A4E74CAE093@dolphincommunicationproject.org> Dear MARMAM and ECS Talk subscribers, Apologies to those of you who will receive duplicate emails due to cross-posting. The titles listed below represent the contents of the most recent issue (Volume 46, issue 5, 2020) of Aquatic Mammals that is published online. This issue includes Dr. Blair Irvine?s Historical Perspectives essay, which is introduced by Dr. Randy Wells. This issue?s cover commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. Congratulations! Aquatic Mammals is the longest running peer-reviewed journal dedicated to research on aquatic mammals and is published quarterly with manuscripts available as published PDFs in real time. Further information about the journal can be found at: http://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/ To submit a manuscript for publication consideration, please visit: http://am.expressacademic.org/actions/author.php Thank you for your continued interest in the journal and abstract postings. With regards, Kathleen M. Dudzinski, Ph.D. Editor, Aquatic Mammals Journal business at aquaticmammalsjournal.org Volume 46, Issue 4 (Items preceded by an * are open access) *Ronald A. Kastelein, Lean Helder-Hoek, Suzanne A. Cornelisse, Linde N. Defillet, and L?onie A. E. Huijser. (2020). Temporary Threshold Shift in a Second Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) After Exposure to a One-Sixth-Octave Noise Band at 1.5 kHz and a 6.5 kHz Continuous Wave. Aquatic Mammals, 46(5), 431-443. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.46.5.2020.431 *Ronald A. Kastelein, Lean Helder-Hoek, Suzanne A. Cornelisse, L?onie A. E. Huijser, and Robin Gransier. (2020). Temporary Hearing Threshold Shift at Ecologically Relevant Frequencies in a Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) Due to Exposure to a Noise Band Centered at 88.4 kHz. Aquatic Mammals, 46(5), 444-453. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.46.5.2020.444 Errol I. Ronje. (2020). Dart Speed and Energy for Potential Cetacean Remote Sampling Devices. Aquatic Mammals, 46(5), 454-460. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.46.5.2020.454 Se?n A. O?Callaghan and Nick Massett. (2020). Short-Beaked Common Dolphins (Delphinus delphis) Observed Bow-Riding Basking Sharks (Cetorhinus maximus). Aquatic Mammals, 46(5), 461-465. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.46.5.2020.461 Jared R. Towers, Eric M. Keen, Kelley Balcomb-Bartok, Jason Vonick, and Debbie Davis. (2020). Live Strandings of Bigg?s Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) Along the West Coast of North America. Aquatic Mammals, 46(5), 466-477. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.46.5.2020.466 Gonzalo Mucientes and Adriana Gonz?lez-Pestana. (2020). Depredation by Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) on a Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) in Northeastern Atlantic. Aquatic Mammals, 46(5), 478-482. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.46.5.2020.478 Mariana C. Neves, Hugo G. Neto, Ana L. Cypriano-Souza, Berenice M. G. da Silva, Shirley P. de Souza, Milton C. C. Marcondes, and Marcia H. Engel. (2020). Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Resighted Eight Years After Stranding. Aquatic Mammals, 46(5), 483-487. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.46.5.2020.483 Aline Athayde, J?lio Cardoso, Arlaine Francisco, and Salvatore Siciliano. (2020). Bryde?s Whales (Balaenoptera brydei) off the North Coast of S?o Paulo, Brazil: First Photo-Identification Study. Aquatic Mammals, 46(5), 488-501. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.46.5.2020.488 *Randall S. Wells. (2020). The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program in 2020: Celebrating 50 Years of Research, Conservation, and Education. Aquatic Mammals, 46(5), 502-503. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.46.5.2020.502 Historical Perspectives *A. Blair Irvine. (2020). The Accidental Marine Mammalogist. Aquatic Mammals, 46(5), 504-529. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.46.5.2020.504 Kathleen M. Dudzinski, Ph.D. Director, Dolphin Communication Project kathleen at dcpmail.org www.dolphincommunicationproject.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ruthesteban at gmail.com Sun Sep 13 11:08:09 2020 From: ruthesteban at gmail.com (Ruth Esteban) Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2020 19:08:09 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] Interactions between orcas and boats Message-ID: Dear Mamam community, Since July there have been interactions between orcas and mainly sailing vessels around the Iberian Peninsula, as far as we know it all started in southern Spain. According to witnesses, normally the animals go around the vessel, and ram the hull, making the boat to turn some degrees and even breaking parts of the rudder. There have been cases also in Portugal, and now the interactions are concentrated in northern Spain. It is probably the same group that has been travelling up north, but unfortunately we don't have pictures/videos which are good enough to confirm it, or even confirm to which population do they belong to. It has been all over the news in Spain and Portugal, and now more broadly (The Guardian: https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/13/killer-whales-launch-orchestrated-attacks-on-sailing-boats?__twitter_impression=true&s=09). We have no clue what could be the motivation of the whales to behave like this, for this reason it would be really helpful if we could get any input from other places, where those types of interactions between boats and killer whales have been happening before. So can you please contact me if you have any info on something similar?. We would really appreciate it. Kind Regards, Ruth Ruth Esteban, PhD. +34675837508 +351912847395 Virus-free. www.avast.com <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From srichardson at coastalstudies.org Fri Sep 11 12:38:30 2020 From: srichardson at coastalstudies.org (Stephanie Richardson) Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2020 15:38:30 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Aerial Observer Position - Provincetown, MA USA Message-ID: Right Whale Ecology Program ? Aerial Observer Position Center for Coastal Studies (CCS), Provincetown MA USA The Center for Coastal Studies is seeking one aerial survey observer for the upcoming 2021 right whale survey season. Observers will work on the aerial team, which operates between January 1 and May 31 every year, flying surveys to assess the abundance, distribution, conservation status and behavior of North Atlantic right whales in Cape Cod Bay. Primary Responsibilities: - Participate in right whale aerial surveys by rotating through the three positions: observer/data recorder, observer/photographer, and ground contact - Processing aerial survey data: entering and proofing data recorded during surveys, completing effort and sightings data tables, photo-analysis and photo-identification of individuals, updating in-house identification catalog, and preparing data for submissions to the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium - Familiarizing oneself with current entanglement cases and protocols, as well as individuals of interest Other responsibilities may include: - Assisting program director, data manager, or flight coordinator with relevant projects - Writing field notes to be shared with the public - Finalizing data entry and photo analysis from previous field seasons Minimum Requirements: - A college degree, preferably in biological/ environmental sciences - Proficient with DSLR cameras in a variety of lighting conditions - Experience in species-identification of marine mammals, and photo-identification of individuals - Basic computer literacy and working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, Powerpoint) - Must work well in a team. Field hours can be long and the winter fieldwork conditions are cold and often uncomfortable - Ability to work in small aircraft for up to 9 hours per day with continual focus - Must not suffer from air sickness. Preferred Qualifications: - Working knowledge of R, iMatch, and/or Mysticetus software - Previous aerial survey experience - Aircraft ditch and EBS training within the last five years - Enthusiasm, a sense of humor, attention to detail and willingness to learn We fly between one and four surveys weekly throughout the field season. Observers are sometimes required to work on weekends and holidays, often for long hours in a small aircraft and/or aboard a research vessel. Housing will be provided for the duration of the field period. This is a paid position. CCS has a long history of conservation and research work with the North Atlantic right whale. Details of our work can be found on our website: coastalstudies.org/right-whale-research/ Application process: Please submit your cover letter, resume, college transcripts, and the contact information for three references via email in PDF format to srichardson at coastalstudies.org with the subject line: 2021 RW Aerial Observer Position Deadline for submissions: September 30, 2020. No applications will be accepted after this date. -- Stephanie Richardson Human Resource Manager Center for Coastal Studies 5 Holway Avenue Provincetown, MA 02657 t. (508) 487-3622 Ext. 113 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From srichardson at coastalstudies.org Fri Sep 11 12:49:27 2020 From: srichardson at coastalstudies.org (Stephanie Richardson) Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2020 15:49:27 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Observer Internship - Provincetown, MA USA Message-ID: Right Whale Ecology Program - Observer Internship Center for Coastal Studies (CCS), Provincetown MA USA The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS), a nonprofit institution dedicated to the understanding and protection of our coastal environment and marine ecosystems, is seeking a seasonal intern in the Right Whale Ecology Program from 04 January ? 29 May 2021. This long-term project focuses on documenting the abundance, distribution and behavior of North Atlantic right whales and their food resource in Cape Cod Bay and adjacent Massachusetts waters. The intern will be the primary vessel observer for the project and will participate in research cruises up to four days a week. Fieldwork responsibilities include photographing critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, collecting behavioral and environmental data, recording other sightings events (species, vessels and fishing gear), and working with a habitat research team both in the field and office. Office responsibilities include photo-analysis (downloading images, inputting sightings information, matching individuals to known animals using an online and in-house catalog, cataloging), database entry and maintenance, assisting the aerial team and maintaining vessel field equipment. *Minimum Requirements:* ? A college degree, preferably in biological/ environmental sciences ? Previous marine mammal survey experience, including background in photo-identification of large cetaceans ? Experience with digital SLR cameras, lenses, and filters ? Basic computer literacy and working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). Experience with database entry and management is preferred ? Experience working on boats, ability to withstand harsh elements, and not be prone to serious seasickness ? Must be able to live and work well in a team ? Enthusiasm and willingness to learn field and lab-based research methods ? Strong attention to detail and ability to work well under pressure *Preferred Qualifications:* ? Experience using iMatch image database software ? Experience using GPS equipment ? Ability to estimate object ranges from a vessel ? Not prone to seasickness ? A valid US driver?s license The successful applicant will be required to work a minimum of four full days per week and will need to be flexible for research cruises due to weather constrictions. The intern will often collect data independently in the field, thus responsible, detail-oriented applicants are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be available for the full field season and must be willing to work weekends, holidays and evenings as needed. Housing will be provided, as well as a small stipend to cover general living expenses. International applicants must secure their own visas or other required documentation. CCS has a long history of conservation and research work with the North Atlantic right whale and Cape Cod Bay has been a major critical habitat for over 50% of the estimated population in recent years. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone wishing to expand their skills in marine mammal survey techniques, and will offer the successful applicant the unique chance to work with one of the world?s most endangered cetaceans. This internship will afford the successful applicant an invaluable opportunity to work within a well-established institution, with highly-qualified scientists, and to gain experience in photo-identification, matching, and data entry and analysis. Experience in oceanographic sampling can also be gained. Details of our work can be found on our website: http://coastalstudies.org/right-whale-research/ How to Apply: The application package should include the following attachment(s): 1. A cover letter describing your specific interests in marine mammal science, internship qualifications, and how the experience would assist you in reaching career goals 2. CV/resume 3. College transcripts (unofficial are sufficient) 4. The names and contact information of two references Application materials must be emailed to Stephanie Richardson, srichardson at coastalstudies.org, with the subject line: 2021 RW Observer Internship *Deadline for submissions: September **30, 2020.* -- Stephanie Richardson Human Resource Manager Center for Coastal Studies 5 Holway Avenue Provincetown, MA 02657 t. (508) 487-3622 Ext. 113 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From srichardson at coastalstudies.org Fri Sep 11 12:52:52 2020 From: srichardson at coastalstudies.org (Stephanie Richardson) Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2020 15:52:52 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Habitat Internship - Provincetown, MA USA Message-ID: Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) Right Whale Ecology Program ? Habitat Internship Internship Announcement The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS), a nonprofit institution dedicated to the understanding and protection of our coastal environment and marine ecosystems, is seeking a seasonal Right Whale Ecology Program intern from January 04 - May 29, 2021. This long-term project focuses on documenting the abundance, distribution, and behavior of North Atlantic right whales and their food resource in Cape Cod Bay and adjacent Massachusetts waters. The intern will assist the habitat research associate in the collection and processing of zooplankton in the field and lab. Fieldwork responsibilities include zooplankton collection through tow and pump techniques, marine observer, and environmental data collector. Lab responsibilities include zooplankton species identification and counts, plastics analysis, archiving samples, data entry and maintenance, and maintaining field equipment. Minimum Requirements - A college degree, preferably in biological/ environmental sciences - Good memorization skills and strong attention to details - Basic computer literacy and experience using Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). Experience with database entry and management is preferred - Experience working on boats, ability to withstand harsh elements, and not be prone to serious seasickness - Must be able to live and work well in a team - Enthusiasm and willingness to learn field and lab-based research methods - Strong attention to detail and ability to work well under pressure Preferred Qualifications: - Plankton identification - Microscopy and laboratory experience - Not prone to seasickness - A valid US driver?s license The successful applicant will be required to work a minimum of four full days per week and will need to be flexible for research cruises due to weather constrictions. The intern will often process zooplankton samples independently in the lab, thus responsible, detail-oriented applicants are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be available for the full five months and must be willing to work weekends, holidays and evenings as needed. Housing will be provided, as well as a small stipend to cover general living expenses. International applicants must secure their own visas or other required documentation. CCS has a long history of conservation and research work with the North Atlantic right whale and Cape Cod Bay has been a major critical habitat for over 50% of the estimated population in recent years. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone wishing to expand their skills in marine mammal survey techniques and zooplankton analysis; and will offer the successful applicant the unique chance to work with one of the world?s most endangered cetaceans. This internship will afford the successful applicant an invaluable opportunity to work within a well-established institution, with highly-qualified scientists, and to gain experience in boat-based research, zooplankton and environmental collections, plankton identification, plastic analysis, and data entry and analysis. Details of our work can be found on our website: http://coastalstudies.org/right-whale-research/ How to Apply: The application package should include the following attachment(s): 1) A cover letter describing your specific interests in marine mammal science, internship qualifications, and how the experience would assist you in reaching career goals 2) CV/resume 3) College transcripts (unofficial are sufficient) 4) The names and contact information of two references Application materials must be e-mailed to: Stephanie Richardson, HR Manager, srichardson at coastalstudies.org with the following text in the subject line: 2020 RW habitat internship. *Deadline for submissions: September 30th, 2020.* -- Stephanie Richardson Human Resource Manager Center for Coastal Studies 5 Holway Avenue Provincetown, MA 02657 t. (508) 487-3622 Ext. 113 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From j.mestre at hotmail.fr Mon Sep 14 13:08:00 2020 From: j.mestre at hotmail.fr (Julie Mestre) Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2020 20:08:00 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] =?gb2312?b?TmV3IHB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIC0gRGVjYWRhbCBjaGFuZ2Vz?= =?gb2312?b?IGluIGJsb29kIKbEMTNDIHZhbHVlcywgYXQtc2VhIGRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvbiwg?= =?gb2312?b?YW5kIHdlYW5pbmcgbWFzcyBvZiBzb3V0aGVybiBlbGVwaGFudCBzZWFscyBm?= =?gb2312?b?cm9tIEtlcmd1ZWxlbiBJc2xhbmRz?= Message-ID: Dear MARMAM community, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of a new paper titled Decadal changes in blood ??13C values, at-sea distribution, and weaning mass of southern elephant seals from Kerguelen Islands Mestre, J., Authier, M., Cherel, Y., Harcourt, R., McMahon, C.R., Hindell, M.A., Charrassin, J.-B., Guinet C. 2020. Decadal changes in blood ??13C values, at-sea distribution, and weaning mass of southern elephant seals from Kerguelen Islands. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 287: 2020154. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1544 Abstract: Changes in the foraging environment and at-sea distribution of southern elephant seals from Kerguelen Islands were investigated over a decade (2004?C2018) using tracking, weaning mass, and blood ??13C values. Females showed either a sub-Antarctic or an Antarctic foraging strategy, and no significant shift in their at-sea distribution was detected between 2004 and 2017. The proportion of females foraging in sub-Antarctic versus Antarctic habitats did not change over the 2006?C2018 period. Pup weaning mass varied according to the foraging habitat of their mothers. The weaning mass of sub-Antarctic foraging mothers' pups decreased by 11.7 kg over the study period, but they were on average 5.8 kg heavier than pups from Antarctic foraging mothers. Pup blood ??13C values decreased by 1.1?? over the study period regardless of their sex and the presumed foraging habitat of their mothers. Together, these results suggest an ecological change is occurring within the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean with possible consequences on the foraging performance of southern elephant seals. We hypothesize that this shift in ??13C is related to a change in primary production and/or in the composition of phytoplankton communities, but this requires further multidisciplinary investigations. The paper can be found here: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1544 or email me for any question. Best regards, Julie Mestre --- Julie Mestre PhD student julie.mestre at cebc.cnrs.fr; j.mestre at hotmail.fr Centre d??Etudes Biologiques de Chiz?? (CEBC) CNRS UMR 7372 ?C Universit?? de La Rochelle 405 Route de la Canauderie 79360 Villiers-en-Bois France https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julie_Mestre https://www.cebc.cnrs.fr/predateurs-marins/julie-mestre/?lang=en [https://ipmcdn.avast.com/images/icons/icon-envelope-tick-round-orange-animated-no-repeat-v1.gif] Garanti sans virus. www.avast.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dalia.barraganbarrera at gmail.com Thu Sep 10 11:42:37 2020 From: dalia.barraganbarrera at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?Q?Dalia_Carolina_Barrag=C3=A1n_Barrera?=) Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2020 13:42:37 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Request to fill out a short survey (8 mins) for a study about potential cetacean collision risk with tourist vessels Message-ID: Greeting MARMAM, please consider this email, not the one I sent before. Thanks! Greeting MARMAM, As researchers of Colombian Maritime Directorate, currently we are conducting a study to evaluate potential collision risk for five cetacean species with touristic vessels. We really appreciate your support as marine mammals specialists to complete a short survey (8 mins) and send me by *September 20*. Please find attached the survey as an excel file and its instructions in pdf. Let us clarify that we request your opinion as specialists based on your experience working with marine mammals anywhere, not specifically in Colombia. Please feel free to share this survey among your colleagues. We greatly appreciate your time and collaboration in our work. Thanks in advance, All the best, Dalia *Dalia C. Barrag?n Barrera* Marine Biologist, Universidad de Bogot? Jorge Tadeo Lozano PhD Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes Researcher, Fundaci?n Macu?ticos Colombia Researcher, R&E Ocean Community Conservation Foundation General Editor, Revista Digital *Fulica* , @rdfulica CvLAC Colombia | ResearchGate | LinkedIn ORCiD | SCOPUS | Google Scholar -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Survey instructions.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 112783 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Survey.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 15564 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tom.brereton at marine-life.org.uk Mon Sep 7 11:54:44 2020 From: tom.brereton at marine-life.org.uk (Tom Brereton) Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2020 19:54:44 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] VOLUNTEER SURVEYOR OPPORTUNITY - Southern UK Seas October 2020 Message-ID: <0e9601d68548$5a0ae010$0e20a030$@marine-life.org.uk> VOLUNTEER SURVEYOR OPPORTUNITY - Southern UK Seas October 2020 Volunteer cetacean and seabird survey opportunity - in the Western English Channel, Celtic and Irish Sea: OCTOBER 2020 In partnership with CEFAS, MARINElife will once again be joining the Peltic survey this autumn from Lowestoft, sailing the Celtic Sea, Irish Sea. Southern North Sea and English Channel. Two places are available. Proposed duration 35 days Start 3rd October from Lowestoft, Suffolk, England Return to Lowestoft An excellent variety of cetacean and seabird species are likely to be encountered on this trip, with the opportunity to join and learn from a multidisciplinary team carrying out pelagic fish and plankton surveys and collecting oceanographic data. It is a great opportunity to contribute to analyses linking mammals and seabird sightings to prey availability. Please let us know if you are an experienced MARINElife surveyor and have availability on these dates. Or are available for the first or second part of the survey, as there may be opportunity to split teams dependent on the level of response. All meals are provided on board the vessel; specific dietary requirements must be specified in your application. Bunks have a bed, en-suite bathroom, TV, desk and internet access. There is also access to the communal areas of the ship. Requirements: * Experienced in cetacean and/or seabird identification at sea. * A valid ENG1 medical certificate (see www.dft.gov.uk/mca/mcga-mgn264.pdf and http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/mcga07-home/workingatsea/mcga-medicalcertandadvice /mcga-ml5-medicalinfo/mcga-approved-docs-list.htm ) * Personal Sea Survival Certificate (MCA approved Personal Survival Techniques (according to STCW 95 convention). It is really important that you have or obtain the correct PST certificate to be able to join this trip. OR A BOSIET Offshore survival certificate OR STCW10 Sea survival course If you would like to join the research team as a Marine Mammal & Seabird Surveyor, please email tom.brereton at marine-life.org.uk including a CV or brief summary of experience. I look forward to hearing from you. Tom Brereton From anaremili at gmail.com Tue Sep 15 06:03:44 2020 From: anaremili at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?Q?Ana=C3=AFs_Remili?=) Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2020 09:03:44 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper on pollution in humpback whales from Antarctica Message-ID: Dear MARMAM community, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce our recent publication in Environmental Pollution: Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) breeding off Mozambique and Ecuador show geographic variation of persistent organic pollutants and isotopic niches Here is a free access link to our paper You can find an explanation of our main findings here, in a non academic way: https://whalescientists.com/humpback-whales-pollution-antarctica/ Here is the abstract: Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from the Southern Hemisphere carry information on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from their feeding zones in Antarctica to their breeding grounds, making this species a sentinel of contaminants accumulation in the Southern Ocean. This study aimed to evaluate driving factors, namely feeding areas, trophic level, and sex, affecting POP concentrations in the blubber of humpback whales breeding off Mozambique and off Ecuador. Biopsies of free-ranging humpback whales including blubber and skin were collected in 2014 and 2015 from Ecuador (n = 59) and in 2017 from Mozambique (n = 89). In both populations, HCB was the major contaminant followed by DDTs > CHLs > PCBs > HCHs > PBDEs. POP concentrations were significantly higher in males compared to females. HCB, DDTs, HCHs and PBDEs were significantly different between whales from the Mozambique population and the Ecuador population. Sex and feeding habits were important driving factors accounting for POP concentrations in Ecuador whales. The whales from our study had some of the lowest POP concentrations measured for humpback whales in the world. These whales fed predominantly on krill as reflected from the low ?13C and ?15N values measured in the skin. However, the isotopic niches of whales from Mozambique and Ecuador did not overlap indicating that the two populations are feeding in different areas of the Southern Ocean. Do not hesitate to share the good news. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749120362631 Cheers, Ana?s Remili -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From atonay at istanbul.edu.tr Thu Sep 17 02:34:21 2020 From: atonay at istanbul.edu.tr (Arda M. Tonay) Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2020 12:34:21 +0300 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on fin whale stranding in the northern Aegean Sea Message-ID: <002b01d68cd5$ba043950$2e0cabf0$@istanbul.edu.tr> Dear All, Apologies for cross posting. We would like to inform you that the new paper on fin whale stranding in the northern Aegean Sea has been published in the Journal of Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment. Tonay, A.M., Dede, A., G?l, B., ?zt?rk A.A. 2020. First record of a fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) stranding on the northern Aegean Sea coast of Turkey. J. Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment 26(2): 223-230. http://blackmeditjournal.org/first-record-of-a-fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-stranding-on-the-northern-aegean-sea-coast-of-turkey/ Abstract A stranding of a fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) was reported for the first time from the Turkish coast of the northern Aegean Sea. A part of skeleton; posterior part of skull, a part of left mandible, ribs with mummified tissues of an individual were found in Saros Bay near Dani?ment village. The stranded whale was likely to be a juvenile as the estimated body size (13.5-14 m) was lower than the mature body size of those in the northern hemisphere. Although many parts of the specimen were missing and the exact date of the stranding was unknown, the information about such strandings of rare and threatened species like the fin whale is valuable in terms of understanding the regional distribution of the species. Pdf requests can be sent to atonay at istanbul.edu.tr Regards Arda Arda M. TONAY Ph.D Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, ?stanbul University Marine Biology Dep. Ordu Cad. No:8 Laleli, 34134 ?stanbul, Turkey Tel: ?+90 212 455 5700/16459 Fax: +90 212 514 0379 atonay at istanbul.edu.tr http://subilimleri.istanbul.edu.tr/ Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV) P.O. Box 10 Beykoz, 34820 ?stanbul, Turkey Tel: +90 216 424 0772 Fax: +90 216 424 0771 -- ------------------------------------------------------------------ L?tfen bu e-postay? yazd?rmadan ?nce ?evreye olan etkisini dikkate al?n?z. Unutmay?n?z ki; d?nyadaki ka??t t?ketiminin yar?s? kazan?l?rsa, her y?l 8 milyon hektar orman alan? (Ege B?lgesi b?y?kl???nde) yok olmaktan kurtulacakt?r. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Please take into account the impact on the environment before printing this e-mail. Do not forget that if we reduce our paper consumption by half, every year 8 million hectares of forest (an area?the size of Aegean Region in Turkey) will be saved from vanishing. ------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From elasar.ma at gmail.com Tue Sep 15 09:29:43 2020 From: elasar.ma at gmail.com (elasar.ma at gmail.com) Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2020 19:29:43 +0300 Subject: [MARMAM] =?utf-8?q?Mediterranean_monk_seal_=28Monachus_monachus?= =?utf-8?q?=29_sightings_in_Israel_2009=E2=80=932020?= Message-ID: <13b5401d68b7d$7c35c5c0$74a15140$@gmail.com> Dear colleagues Apologies for cross-posting. On behalf of my co-authors, I would like to draw your attention to a new paper on Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) sightings in Israel: Roditi-Elasar M, Bundone L, Goffman O, Scheinin P.A, Kerem H.D. 2020. Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) sightings in Israel 2009?2020: Extralimital records or signs of population expansion?. Marine Mammal Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12734 Abstract After 50 years of absence and a ?Possibly Extinct? classification by IUCN, numerous reports of Mediterranean monk seal along the Israeli coast accumulated since 2010. Eighty-three encounters, 16% of which were also photographed, were reviewed, categorized according to reliability of information and subjected to natural-markings photo-identification. Two different individuals were identified until April 2020. One, a female named ?Maya?, was photographed repeatedly over the years. 'Maya' was also identified in early 2020 north of Beirut, Lebanon, stressing the importance of a regional cooperative research and conservation plan. Please e-mail me at elasar.ma at gmail.com for further information. Best wishes, Mia ---------------- Mia Elasar, Ph.D Research fellow, The Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies, University of Haifa. P.O.Box 77, Kfar Rosh Hanikra 22825, Israel Telefax: +972-4-9826861 Mobile: +972-50-3225227 _________________________________________________________________________ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From maricneves at gmail.com Tue Sep 15 17:45:07 2020 From: maricneves at gmail.com (Mariana C Neves) Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2020 21:45:07 -0300 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication: Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Resighted Eight Years After Stranding Message-ID: On behalf of my co-authors I would like to share our recent note on a successful rescue of a humpback whale published in Aquatic Mammals. Mariana C. Neves, Hugo G. Neto, Ana L. Cypriano-Souza, Berenice M. G. da Silva, Shirley P. de Souza, Milton C. C. Marcondes, and Marcia H. Engel. (2020). Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Resighted Eight Years After Stranding. Aquatic Mammals, 46(5), 483-487. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.465.2020.483 Abstract: Refloating is a common strategy to deal with stranded whales, but resighting reports are rare, especially after long periods of several years. Here, we report the longest known period between rescue and resighting of an adult male humpback whale (8 years) identified through DNA analyzes. The whale stranded in a beach (Ubatuba, S?o Paulo state, Brazil) in the end of the breeding season (November 2000), and was resighted after eight years within the main Southwest Atlantic breeding area (Abrolhos Bank, Bahia state, Brazil) as part of a competitive group (July 2008). The novel refloating procedure involved the use of a rope behind the pectoral fin region. Our report provides useful information for similar operations and clarifies conditions under which refloating of large cetaceans is worth-attempting, such as whale?s physical condition, site characteristics,equipment availability, and adequate procedures. The note is available at Please email me if you have any questions or difficult in assessing it: maricneves at gmail.com Best regards, Mariana -- Msc. Mariana Cappello Neves Ph.D. student Programa de P?s-gradua??o em Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ Laborat?rio de Mam?feros Aqu?ticos e Bioindicadores (MAQUA) Rua S?o Francisco Xavier, 524, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Brasil 20550-013 Tel: +55 21 99867-9542 Livre de v?rus. www.avast.com . <#m_1479554834122672321_DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From michellecaputo3 at gmail.com Wed Sep 16 00:00:49 2020 From: michellecaputo3 at gmail.com (Michelle Caputo) Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2020 09:00:49 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on bottlenose dolphin occurrence off southeastern South Africa Message-ID: Dear Marmam community, We are pleased to announce the publication of our manuscript in Marine Mammal Science: "Occurrence of Indo?Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) off the Wild Coast of South Africa using photographic identification? Abstract: The present study represents the first reported boat?based photographic identification study of Indo?Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) off the Wild Coast of southeast South Africa. This area is known for the annual sardine run, which attracts apex predators to the region during the austral winter. Dedicated photo?identification surveys were conducted along this coast at three different study sites in February, June, and November of each year from 2014 to 2016. During 47 surveys, 136 bottlenose dolphin groups were encountered, an estimated 4,474 dolphins observed, and 2,149 individuals were identified. Although most individuals (N = 1,770, 82.4%) were only observed once, some were resighted 2?7 times (N = 379, 17.6%), with an average of 305?days (range: 88?705?days) between resightings. The majority of bottlenose dolphins were resighted within the same study site (N = 192), indicating some degree of residency. However, 65 individuals were observed at two different study sites, indicating individual movements along the coast. Our findings contrast earlier suggestions that bottlenose dolphins only use the Wild Coast during the sardine run, as we found large number of animals year?round with some level of site fidelity. This highlights the importance of the Wild Coast to bottlenose dolphins and provides further information on their status off southeastern South Africa. It is available here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/mms.12740 Please feel free to contact me for a pdf version. Best Regards, Michelle ---------------------------- Dr. Michelle Caputo Post-doctoral Research Fellow Rhodes University/Florida International University -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From peter.boveng at noaa.gov Wed Sep 16 20:21:06 2020 From: peter.boveng at noaa.gov (Peter Boveng - NOAA Federal) Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2020 20:21:06 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] Job Opportunity: Deputy Director of the Marine Mammal Laboratory Message-ID: *JOB OPPORTUNITY:* *DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF **THE MARINE MAMMAL LABORATORY* The Marine Mammal Laboratory (MML) of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (NOAA Fisheries) has posted a vacancy announcement for a permanent federal position as MML Deputy Director. This job is a full-time, Band IV, supervisory position in the federal ZP-401 series. The vacancy announcement is currently available for review. This position is open to all U.S. citizens and applications will be accepted during a 7-day open period from 24 ? 30 September 2020. Information can be found at USAJOBS under the following link: Announcement number NMFS-AKC-2020-0057 https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/578503100. The Marine Mammal Laboratory ( https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/about/marine-mammal-laboratory) is responsible for conducting research on a broad range of marine mammals and ecosystems in Alaskan waters (from the North Pacific Ocean to the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas) as well as in Washington, Oregon, and California (the Pacific Ocean?s California Current and associated waterways). Recent studies have focused on pinnipeds such as Steller and California sea lions; northern and Guadalupe fur seals; harbor, bearded, ringed, ribbon, and spotted seals; and cetaceans such as North Pacific right, bowhead, gray, humpback, beluga, and killer whales; as well as Dall?s and harbor porpoise. Species-specific information is gathered on abundance, trends, stock structure, habitat use, seasonal movements, and feeding ecology through the use of visual and photographic observations, acoustic studies, satellite telemetry and other remote sensors, genetic studies, and aerial-, vessel- and shore-based platforms. MML currently has a total of about 75 staff, including permanent employees and affiliate scientific collaborators. The MML Deputy Director is responsible for engaging in discussions about MML science priorities, overseeing the preparation and execution of the annual budget, and tracking external and internal scientific and administrative requirements. The incumbent also provides oversight for the annual development of the Alaska marine mammal stock assessment reports, including routine communication with Alaska Region and NOAA Fisheries Headquarters staff. Candidates are sought who have demonstrated leadership skills, supervisory experience, and a broad scientific vision. A Ph.D. in biology (or a related field) and a strong scientific publication record are considered highly desirable. This is a special opportunity to join and lead a talented and dynamic group of marine mammal researchers. We welcome applications from all qualified and interested members of the marine mammal research community. If that is you, please go to USAJOBS and submit an application. And please pass this notification along to others who may be interested as well. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or give me a call (contact info below). All the best, John L. Bengtson, Director Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA Seattle, Washington USA email: john.bengtson at noaa.gov tel: +1 (206) 930-6271 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From awong at marspecialists.org Thu Sep 17 09:38:21 2020 From: awong at marspecialists.org (Artie Wong) Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2020 09:38:21 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] Job Posting: Marine Mammal Rescue Specialist Message-ID: Marine Animal Rescue is a small non-profit organization providing rescue response as far north as the Pacific Palisades, south to Long Beach, and as far west as Catalina Island. MAR conducts hundreds of marine mammal rescues annually. Rescued animals consist primarily of sea lions, seals, with occasional dolphins, sea turtles and seabirds. MAR also works as a member of the large whale disentanglement network. We have an opening for a Marine Mammal Rescue Specialist, which requires significant field and wildlife capture experience. This is an extremely physical, inherently dangerous position with risk of injury. During the busy season, from January-June, the Rescue Specialist can work over 40hrs/week, as well as evenings, weekends and holidays. *Job duties:* * Marine mammal rescue involving capture, handling, and transport * Assessing distressed marine mammals * Working independently and in small teams with assistance from lifeguards, firefighters, police, and volunteers * Utilizing hoop net and floating net capture systems * Capturing and carrying seals and sea lions weighing 20- 600 lbs * Working on jetties, cliffs, rocky shorelines, beaches, piers, and urban areas * Driving 4x4 truck on sand and steep terrain * Operating winches and air compressors * Trailering and small boat driving via tiller steer outboard engine * Maintaining and repairing vehicle, boat, and equipment *Minimum Experience:* * Wildlife capture and handling experience * Knowledge and ability to identify marine wildlife * Able to learn numerous beach and shoreline access points * Physically fit and comfortable lifting at least 75 lbs * Strong swimmer * Experienced trailering and boat driving * Working well with others in challenging situations *Preferred Experience:* Pinniped capture experience and skill operating small boats is preferred. However, a strong field background with wildlife capture and handling experience may initially be sufficient, with the expectation that the employee will quickly become proficient in the other job duties. *Compensation is commensurate with experience and includes:* * Non-exempt 40 hours/week base pay * On-call and overtime pay * Health insurance *To Apply:* Please email a cover letter, resume, and three references to MAR Founder & President, Peter Wallerstein at pw at marspecialists.org Web: http://www.marspecialists.org Phone: (310) 455 2729 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jmadeiracastro at gmail.com Fri Sep 18 04:00:25 2020 From: jmadeiracastro at gmail.com (Joana Castro) Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2020 12:00:25 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] Fwd: New publication - Oceanographic Determinants of the Abundance of Common Dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in the South of Portugal In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear all, My co-authors and I are please to announce and share our latest paper titled Oceanographic Determinants of the Abundance of Common Dolphins (*Delphinus delphis*) in the South of Portugal Castro, J.; Couto, A.; Borges, F.O.; Cid, A.; Laborde, M.I.; Pearson, H.C.; Rosa, R. Oceanographic Determinants of the Abundance of Common Dolphins (*Delphinus delphis*) in the South of Portugal. *Oceans* *2020*, *1*, 165-173. https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans1030012 Abstract: Off mainland Portugal, the common dolphin (*Delphinus delphis*) is the most sighted cetacean, although information on this species is limited. The Atlantic coast of Southern Portugal is characterized by an intense wind-driven upwelling, creating ideal conditions for common dolphins. Using data collected aboard whale-watching boats (1929 sightings and 4548 h effort during 2010?2014), this study aims to understand the relationships between abundance rates (AR) of dolphins of different age classes (adults, juveniles, calves and newborns) and oceanographic [chlorophyll a (Chl-a) and sea surface temperature (SST)] variables. Over 70% of the groups contained immature animals. The AR of adults was negatively related with Chl-a, but not related to SST values. The AR of juveniles was positively related with SST. For calves and newborns, although the relationship between SST and AR is similar to that observed for juveniles, the effect could not be distinguished from zero. There was no relationship between Chl-a levels and the AR of juveniles, calves and newborns. These results corroborate previous findings that common dolphins tend to occur in highly productive areas demonstrating linkages between their abundance and oceanographic variables, and that this region may be a potential nursery ground. The paper can be found here: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1924/1/3/12/htm Feel free to email me if you have any questions. Best regards Joana Castro -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From julianne.stanford at navy.mil Fri Sep 18 10:39:07 2020 From: julianne.stanford at navy.mil (Stanford, Julianne E CIV USN COMNAVREG NW BGR WA (USA)) Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:39:07 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] NEWS RELEASE - U.S. Navy releases Northwest Training and Testing Final Supplemental EIS/OEIS Message-ID: Good morning, The U.S. Navy has completed a final supplement to the 2015 Northwest Training and Testing (NWTT) Final Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS) to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with proposed ongoing and future military readiness activities in the Pacific Northwest. In the Final Supplemental EIS/OEIS, the Navy evaluated new, relevant information, such as more recent marine mammal density data and scientific information, and updated previous environmental analyses as appropriate. The completion of the analysis follows years of research, stakeholder and tribal engagement, and public involvement. Visit www.NWTTEIS.com for more information and to view the document. For more information or to receive assistance with a media query, please contact Julianne Stanford with the Navy Region Northwest Public Affairs Office at 360-867-8525 or her email at julianne.stanford at navy.mil. Very respectfully, Julianne Stanford Environmental Public Affairs Specialist, Navy Region Northwest (360)-867-8525 julianne.stanford at navy.mil ### NORTHWEST TRAINING AND TESTING FINAL SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT/OVERSEAS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC VIEWING FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 18, 2020 Release #20-0918 SILVERDALE, Wash - The U.S. Navy has completed a final supplement to the 2015 Northwest Training and Testing (NWTT) Final Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS) to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with proposed ongoing and future military readiness activities within the NWTT Study Area, referred to as the "Study Area." Military readiness activities include training and research, development, testing, and evaluation activities, referred to as "training and testing." In the Final Supplemental EIS/OEIS, the Navy evaluated new, relevant information, such as more recent marine mammal density data and scientific information, and updated previous environmental analyses as appropriate. The Navy prepared the Final Supplemental EIS/OEIS to support the issuance of federal regulatory permits and authorizations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. Proposed Action: The Navy's Proposed Action is to continue training and testing activities at sea and in associated airspace within the Study Area. These activities include the use of active sonar and explosives. The Navy will continue to implement mitigation measures to avoid or reduce potential impacts on marine species and the environment from training and testing activities. Proposed activities are similar to those that have occurred in the Study Area for decades and previously analyzed in the 2015 document. The purpose of the Proposed Action is to conduct training and testing activities to ensure the Navy can accomplish its mission to maintain, train, and equip combat-ready naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, and maintaining freedom of the seas. To achieve and maintain military readiness, the Navy proposes to: . Continue training and testing activities at sea and in associated airspace at levels required to support military readiness requirements beyond 2020. . Incorporate evolving mission requirements, including those resulting from the development, testing, and introduction of new vessels, aircraft, and weapons systems into the fleet. The Study Area remains unchanged from the 2015 NWTT Final EIS/OEIS. The Study Area is comprised of established maritime operating areas and warning areas in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, including areas within the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound, and the Western Behm Canal in southeastern Alaska. The Study Area includes air and water space within and outside Washington state waters and established special use airspace, Navy pierside and harbor locations within Washington state waters, and air and water space outside the state waters of Oregon and Northern California. A predominant portion of the Study Area offshore remains outside of 12 nautical miles from the coastlines of Washington, Oregon, and California. No land-based activities were analyzed in the Final Supplemental EIS/OEIS. Availability of the Final Supplemental EIS/OEIS: In accordance with National Environmental Policy Act regulations, the Navy will wait a minimum of 30 days after publication of the Final Supplemental EIS/OEIS before making a final decision on the action. The Navy is committed to providing an accessible version of the Final Supplemental EIS/OEIS to the public during COVID-19 conditions. The document will be available to the public on the project website www.NWTTEIS.com beginning Sept. 18, 2020. If you need assistance accessing the document, please contact Ms. Julianne Stanford, Navy Region Northwest Public Affairs Office, at julianne.stanford at navy.mil or 360-867-8525. If you would like additional information, please visit www.NWTTEIS.com or contact: Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest Attention: NWTT Supplemental EIS/OEIS Project Manager 3730 N. Charles Porter Ave., Building 385 Oak Harbor, WA 98278-3500 Please help inform your community by sharing the information in this news release. -USN- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: NEWS RELEASE - U.S. Navy releases Northwest Training and Testing Final Supplemental EIS.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 240949 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: smime.p7s Type: application/pkcs7-signature Size: 6641 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ericmkeen at gmail.com Sat Sep 19 06:48:45 2020 From: ericmkeen at gmail.com (Eric Keen) Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2020 08:48:45 -0500 Subject: [MARMAM] Detection functions from shore Message-ID: Dear colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to announce the publication of the following article in Wildlife Research. Keen, E.M., J. Wray, B. Hendricks, ?. O'Mahony, C.R. Picard, H. Alidina. (2020) Determining marine mammal detection functions for a stationary land-based survey site. Wildlife Research. https://doi.org/10.1071/WR19232 Pre-print PDF is available upon request. Best wishes, Eric Keen ericmkeen at gmail.com ABSTRACT Context: The shore-based survey is a common, non-invasive, and low-cost method in marine mammal science, but its scientific applications are currently limited. Such studies typically target populations whose distributions are not random with respect to nearshore sites and involve repeated scans of the same area from single, stationary platforms. These circumstances prohibit the use of classic distance sampling techniques for estimating animal densities or distributions, particularly the derivation of a detection function that describes the probability of detecting targets at various distances from the observer. Aims: Here, we present a technique for estimating land-based detection functions, as well as quantifying uncertainty in their parameterisation, on the basis of the range-specific variability of observations from one scan to the next. Methods: This Bayesian technique uses Monte Carlo simulation to determine the likelihood of thousands of candidate detection functions, then conducts weighted sampling to generate a posterior distribution estimate of the detection function parameterisation. We tested the approach with both archival and artificial datasets built from known detection functions that reflect whale and porpoise detectability. Key results: When the base distribution of targets was random, the whale detection function was estimated without error (i.e. the difference of the median of the posterior and the true value was 0.00), and the porpoise detection function was estimated with an error equal to 4.23% of the true value. When the target base distribution was non-random, estimation error remained low (2.57% for targets concentrated offshore, 1.14% when associated with nearshore habitats). When applied to field observations of humpback whales and Dall?s porpoises from a land-based study in northern British Columbia, Canada, this technique yielded credible results for humpback whales, but appeared to underestimate the detectability of Dall?s porpoises. Conclusion: The findings presented here indicate that this approach to detection function estimation is appropriate for long-running surveys in which scan regularity is high and the focus is on large, slow-moving, low herd-size, and easily detectable species. Implications: The derivation of a detection function is a critical step in density estimation. The methodology presented here empowers land-based studies to contribute to quantitative monitoring and assessment of marine mammal populations in coastal habitats. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fpellie at outlook.com Sun Sep 20 04:09:49 2020 From: fpellie at outlook.com (Freya Pellie) Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2020 11:09:49 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Seeking acoustic recordings from UK waters for use in education and outreach project (The Cloud Aquarium) Message-ID: Dear MARMAM community, I am currently seeking acoustic recordings from UK waters for use in an education and outreach project, entitled The Cloud Aquarium, and was wondering if any of you might be interested in contributing any recordings of marine mammal vocalisations to the project? I have outlined the project and what we are looking for below. If you have any questions or would like further information, please feel free to contact me via email. - Project Details - The Cloud Aquarium primarily comprises a pop-up interactive theatre show, introducing audiences to the wonders of marine ecology through spoken word, movement, puppetry, and soundscape. The performance is scheduled to be taken to a series of events in summer 2021. From January 2021 onwards, online resources delivered through social media will accompany the performance series. Links and references to current research will be integrated into our online resources, enabling viewers to delve further into the topics and creatures which the show introduces. The project is a collaboration between early career researchers and professional performing artists with a passion for environmental education. Our aim is to showcase the diversity of life in UK waters and introduce audiences to issues that these organisms face. This is partially a response to my own disconnect with marine biology as a child, perceiving it as something conducted solely in exotic, far-flung locations that I would never be able to visit. The project is supported by the British Ecological Society (BES) who are kindly contributing to the costs of materials, rehearsal space hire, and logo design. - What We Are Looking For - We are looking for short extracts of field recordings (between 10 seconds and 5 minutes long) from any species found in UK waters, ideally with a good signal to noise ratio. These will be compiled into a soundscape by a producer, alongside recordings of other marine organisms. As the incredible sounds of marine mammals were one of the main things that drew me to this field, for me it is paramount that marine mammals are included in the soundscape for the show. We regret that we are unable to pay for the use of recordings (all staff, myself included, are working on the project voluntarily) but all contributors will be credited. Given your permission, we will also seek to promote the work of contributors through social media channels and during the discussion section that will culminate each performance. You will of course retain ownership of the original recording and remain free to use it for any other purpose. If you have any recording(s) that you would like to contribute to the project, or have any questions, please get in touch via email at fpellie at outlook.com Kind regards, Freya Pellie fpellie at outlook.com Sent from Outlook -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From celine.tardy63 at gmail.com Mon Sep 21 00:44:21 2020 From: celine.tardy63 at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?Q?C=c3=a9line_TARDY?=) Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2020 09:44:21 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] =?utf-8?q?New_publication=3A_Characterization_of_25_new_?= =?utf-8?q?microsatellite_markers_for_the_fin_whale_=28Balaenoptera_physal?= =?utf-8?q?us=29_and_cross=E2=80=91species_amplification_in_other_cetacean?= =?utf-8?q?s_=28C=C3=A9line_Tardy_-_WWF/CRIOBE=29?= Message-ID: Dear colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to announce the publication of the following article in Molecular Biology Reports. Tardy, C., Planes, S., Jung, J. L., Ody, D., & Boissin, E. (2020). Characterization of 25 new microsatellite markers for the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) and cross-species amplification in other cetaceans. Molecular Biology Reports, 1-14. PDF requests can be sent to celine.tardy63 at gmail.com Abstract Cetaceans are large mammals widely distributed on Earth. The fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus, is the second largest living animal. In the 20th century, commercial whaling reduced its global population by 70%, and in the Mediterranean Sea not only was their overall population depleted but the migration between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean was reduced. Previous genetic studies identified isolation between these two regions, with a limited gene-flow between these adjacent populations based on nuclear and mitochondrial markers. However, only limited information exists for the Mediterranean population as genetic diversity and abundance trends are still unknown. In this study, 39 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers were tested, including 25 markers developed de novo together with 14 markers previously published. An average allelic diversity of 8.3 alleles per locus was reported, ranging from 3 to 15 alleles per locus, for B. physalus. Expected heterozygosity was variable among loci and ranged from 0.34 to 0.91. Only two markers in the new set were significantly deviant from the Hardy Weinberg equilibrium. Cross-species amplification was tested in four other cetacean species. A total of 27 markers were successfully amplified in the four species (Balaenoptera acutorostrata, Megaptera novaeangliae, Physeter macrocephalus and Globicephala melas). A multivariate analysis on the multilocus genotypes successfully discriminated the five species. This new set of microsatellite markers will not only provide a useful tool to identify and understand the genetic diversity and the evolution of the B. physalus population, but it will also be relevant for other cetacean species, and will allow further parentage analyses. Eventually, this new set of microsatellite markers will provide critical data that will shed light on important biological data within a conservation perspective. Best wishes, C?line -- C?line Tardy PhD student WWF France - Bureau Marseille 6 rue des Fabres 13001 Marseille Portable : +33 6 50 50 03 60 From fannie.shabangu at yahoo.com Mon Sep 21 04:38:01 2020 From: fannie.shabangu at yahoo.com (Fannie Shabangu) Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2020 11:38:01 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [MARMAM] New Publication: Seasonal occurrence and diel-calling pattern of crabeater seals off the Maud Rise, Antarctica References: <1137485883.4299984.1600688281004.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1137485883.4299984.1600688281004@mail.yahoo.com> Dear MARMAM Colleagues My co-author and I are pleased to announce the publication of our new paper in Bioacoustics. Shabangu FW, Charif RA (2020): Short moan call reveals seasonal occurrence and diel-calling pattern of crabeater seals in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Bioacoustics, DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2020.1819877 Abstract Crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophaga) are an important component of the Southern Ocean as they are the most abundant pinniped species in this krill-based ecosystem; however, their acoustic repertoire and ecology remain to be fully described. Seasonal occurrence and diel-calling pattern of crabeater seal off the Maud Rise, eastern Weddell Sea, are described using passive acoustic monitoring data collected over 8 months (mid-January to mid-September) in 2014. We describe a new call type of crabeater seals, the short moan call (mean 90% duration: 2.2 ? 0.3 (SD) s, peak frequency: 596.5 ? 109.4 Hz, and frequency range: 122?1024 Hz), which was the only detected call type and 1871 calls were enumerated. Those crabeater seal calls were detected from April until mid-September (with peak in calling around September), which coincided with the appearance of sea ice. Short moan call rates were highest at night in August (i.e., 6.4 calls per minute) and September, and showed no diel variations for April through July. Distance to the sea ice edge and month of the year were the most important predictors of call occurrence and call rates of crabeater seals. This study highlights the Maud Rise as a useful habitat for this species. The first 50 free online copies of the paper can be downloaded at: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/RKJVKSHHM3SKNSGU7Y69/full?target=10.1080/09524622.2020.1819877, or you can email me for a PDF copy. Warm regards, Fannie _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Fannie W. Shabangu, PhDMarine Biologist Fisheries Management Branch Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Cape Town, South Africa Email: FannieS at daff.gov.za; fannie.shabangu at yahoo.com Mobile: +27 74 220 0210 Tel: +27 21 402 3553 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From brimue92 at gmail.com Tue Sep 22 02:27:29 2020 From: brimue92 at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?Q?Britta_M=C3=BCller?=) Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2020 11:27:29 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] NEW PUBLICATION: Liver histopathology of Baltic grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) over three decades Message-ID: Dear MARMAM community, my co-authors and I are happy to announce the publication of our new paper in Environmental International about ?Liver histopathology of Baltic grey seals (*Halichoerus grypus*) over three decades" Schmidt, B., Sonne, C., Nachtsheim, D., Wohlsein, P., Persson, S., Dietz, R., Siebert, U., 2020. Liver histopathology of Baltic grey seals (*Halichoerus grypus*) over three decades. Environ. Int., 164(1106110), 1-8. Abstract The liver plays an important role in the metabolism and elimination of endogenic and exogenic lipid-soluble compounds. Multiple studies have shown that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) lead to morphological changes in liver cells. The aim of the present study was therefore to analyse liver changes over time in Baltic grey seals (*Halichoerus grypus*) and to correlate these with historical PCB and DDT contaminations. A total of 191 liver samples were collected between 1981 and 2015 in the Gulf of Bothnia and northern Baltic Proper. Six histological features were evaluated, including portal mononuclear cell infiltration, random mononuclear cell infiltration, lipid granulomas, hepatocellular fat vacuoles, hepatic stellate cells and mild multifocal bile duct hyperplasia accompanied by portal fibrosis. Three of the six lesions showed a significant correlation with age. Furthermore, a positive correlation between portal mononuclear cell infiltration and mild multifocal bile duct hyperplasia was found. Additionally, lipid granulomas were significantly correlated with hepatic stellate cells. More importantly, hepatic stellate cells and mild multifocal bile duct hyperplasia were correlated with adipose tissue (blubber) concentrations of ?PCB, measured in a subsample (n=34) of all individuals. No correlation with lesions and ?DDT concentration were found. These results show that age is an important factor for the development of these liver lesions, but PCBs burden may be an influencing factor. This is an agreement with previous studies of marine mammals in the Baltic Sea as well as in the Arctic. We therefore conclude that not only age of the animals, but also exposure to PCBs should be taken into account when understanding and evaluating the current health status of the Baltic grey seals. The publication is freely available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106110 Britta Schmidt Marine Biologist University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), Germany -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Bianca.Unger at tiho-hannover.de Mon Sep 21 07:08:47 2020 From: Bianca.Unger at tiho-hannover.de (Unger, Bianca) Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2020 14:08:47 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on distribution patterns of floating marine debris in German waters (Bianca Unger) Message-ID: <1418b6ef60844c58ae6aff80851034b1@tiho-hannover.de> Dear colleagues, My Co-Authors and I are delighted to announce the publication of our recent article on distribution patterns of floating marine debris in German waters. The presence of marine litter in the marine environment is a potential hazard for marine mammals since they ingest marine litter items or get entangled. Thus, the knowledge on the distribution, especially in areas designed for nature conservation, is of particular importance for assessing the risk for marine mammals. Citation: Unger, B., Herr, H., Viquerat, S., Gilles, A., Burkhardt-Holm, P., Siebert, U. Opportunistically collected data from aerial surveys reveal spatio-temporal distribution patterns of marine debris in German waters. Environ Sci Pollut Res (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10610-9. Link to full paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-020-10610-9 Abstract: Marine debris is known for its ubiquitousness and harmful effects on marine life. This study is the first analysis to provide information on the distribution of floating marine debris in German waters using aerial survey data collected between 2002 and 2016. During regular harbour porpoise monitoring flights, 191,167 km were covered and 26,512 floating debris items recorded (average encounter rate 0.1387 items/km). Debris was encountered more often in the North Sea than in the Baltic Sea (0.16 items/km; 0.08 items/km). The average encounter rate was higher in offshore waters than in coastal areas. Overlaps of marine debris distribution with 'Special Areas of Conservation' are a particular reason for concern. Moreover, the spring months (March-May) were identified to be the time of the year with the highest average encounter rates for marine debris. Fishing-related debris was shown to contribute up to 25% of the total number of all observed items. This study shows that opportunistically collected data on marine debris from aerial surveys are valuable for identifying distribution patterns of floating debris without additional survey effort and costs. These data can be used as baseline information to inform management schemes such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Enjoy reading! Best, Bianca Unger _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Dr. Bianca Unger Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Werftstr. 6 / 25761 B?sum Germany Bianca.Unger at tiho-hannover.de https://www.tiho-hannover.de/index.php?id=5388&L=1 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bianca_Unger _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jonathan.syme at flinders.edu.au Sun Sep 20 15:06:26 2020 From: jonathan.syme at flinders.edu.au (Jonathan Syme) Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2020 22:06:26 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Reminder: Survey on definitions of delphinid groups and related terms - Invitation to participate Message-ID: Dear MARMAM community, Thank you to all who have already completed the survey. If you haven't had the chance yet, please see below for more information and the link. My name is Jonathan Syme and I am a PhD student with the Cetacean, Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL) at Flinders University, Australia, under the supervision of Associate Professor Guido Parra (CEBEL, Flinders University) and Assistant Professor Jeremy Kiszka (Marine Conservation Ecology Lab, Florida International University). As part of my thesis, I am conducting a review into how group and associated terms are defined in regard to the study of delphinid behavioural ecology. I plan to use an online survey, accompanied by a literature review, to gather information on how researchers define delphinid groups. To this end, I would appreciate it if you would kindly take 10 - 15 minutes to complete a questionnaire regarding your opinions on this subject via the following link: https://qualtrics.flinders.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_3CwSUztVdqFBgEt Participation is entirely voluntary, and all responses will be anonymous and treated in confidence. Please see the Participant Information Sheet for more information and if you have any enquiries, please contact me by email at jonathan.syme at flinders.edu.au. Thank you for your time and assistance. Kind regards, Jonathan Jonathan Syme PhD Candidate Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL), Flinders University, South Australia jonathan.syme at flinders.edu.au @jonathan_syme @CEBELresearch -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From larsenjenell at gmail.com Tue Sep 22 19:00:15 2020 From: larsenjenell at gmail.com (Jenell Larsen) Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2020 18:00:15 -0800 Subject: [MARMAM] New publication-Endocrine profiling of reproductive status and evidence of pseudopregnancy in the Pacific walrus Message-ID: Dear MARMAM Colleagues, My co-author and I are pleased to share with you our publication in Plos one. Larsen Tempel JT, Atkinson S (2020) Endocrine profiling of reproductive status and evidence of pseudopregnancy in the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens). PLoS ONE 15(9):e0239218. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239218 This publication is open access. Abstract: Endocrine profiling is an increasingly utilized tool for detecting pregnancies in wild populations of mammals. Given the difficulty in calculating reproductive rates of Pacific walruses (*Odobenus rosmarus divergens*) the use of endocrine techniques for determining pregnancy rates could be particularly useful for management of the population. The goals of this study were to 1) determine if progesterone and total estrogen concentrations in ovarian tissues of female walruses could be used to determine reproductive state and 2) determine if walruses undergo a functional postpartum estrus, as is seen in other pinnipeds. Ovaries were collected from female walruses (n = 13) hunted in subsistence hunts by Alaska Native communities. Females were categorized as postpartum, full-term pregnant, pregnant diapause or unbred. Total estrogen concentrations were greatest in unbred (n = 2) and pregnant (n = 2) females. Progesterone concentrations were also nominally larger in unbred (n = 2) than pregnant (n = 2) and postpartum (n = 9) animals. Small samples sizes precluded the use of statistical comparisons among groups. Corpora lutea tissue samples in this study did not reflect the presence of a postpartum estrus in the month of May as postpartum females yielded lower total estrogen concentrations than unbred or pregnant animals. Both unbred animals were in a state of pseudopregnancy, which has not been physiologically described for this species before. The progesterone profiles in late (59 ng/g) and early (140 ng/g) pregnancy were lower than expected and fell within the range of the postpartum females (36-210 ng/g), suggesting low production of the hormone by the corpus luteum during these phases of pregnancy. Profiling reproductive hormones in free-ranging walruses demonstrates that an endocrine approach may be a valuable tool for determining reproductive status of females, however increased sample sizes and time of year must be considered to accurately separate pregnant versus pseudopregnant individuals. Cheers, Jenell Larsen Tempel, Ph.D. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sarahac81 at yahoo.com Wed Sep 23 14:32:49 2020 From: sarahac81 at yahoo.com (Sarah Codde) Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2020 14:32:49 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] Elephant Seal Monitoring and Outreach Internship - Point Reyes National Seashore Association References: <5824EE5D-D49D-416B-9682-2DB631ACA16D.ref@yahoo.com> Message-ID: <5824EE5D-D49D-416B-9682-2DB631ACA16D@yahoo.com> Point Reyes National Seashore Association and Point Reyes National Seashore are seeking applicants for the Elephant Seal Monitoring, Interpretation, Education, and Outreach Internship. This is an exciting opportunity for individuals who would like to increase their experience with wildlife monitoring, while also educating the public on natural history, research, and protection of northern elephant seals. This is a unique opportunity at Point Reyes National Seashore to gain skills and experience in both wildlife management and interpretation. This is a paid internship and housing may be provided at no cost to the intern (dependent on Covid-19 restrictions). The application period is open now and closes on Oct. 11, 2020. The internship duration is Oct. 26, 2020 - April 2021 (start and end dates are flexible). Please visit this website for the complete internship description and how to apply: https://ptreyes.org/about/jobs. Point Reyes National Seashore is part of the National Park Service and located in northern California, approximately 1 hour drive north of San Francisco. The intern will be an employee of the Point Reyes National Seashore Association, the primary nonprofit partner of the National Park Service at Point Reyes, while NPS staff will provide day-to-day technical guidance in the field. Sarah Codde | she/her Marine Ecologist Inventory & Monitoring Program Point Reyes National Seashore sarah_codde at nps.gov 415-464-5210 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pjbouchet at gmail.com Wed Sep 23 01:19:09 2020 From: pjbouchet at gmail.com (Phil Bouchet) Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2020 09:19:09 +0100 Subject: [MARMAM] NEW PUBLICATION: R package for extrapolation assessment in cetacean models Message-ID: Dear MARMAM community, Further to an earlier post about this in the second half of 2019, my co-authors and I are thrilled to announce the publication of our new open access paper in Methods in Ecology and Evolution: Bouchet PJ, Miller DL, Roberts JJ, Mannocci L, Harris CM, Thomas L (2020). dsmextra: Extrapolation assessment tools for density surface models. https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/2041-210X.13469 The paper describes the dsmextra R package, a toolkit for assessing extrapolation in ecological models? ? with an emphasis (and worked examples) on abundance models of cetacean populations. The latest version (v1.1.2) of the package can be downloaded freely from https://github.com/densitymodelling/dsmextra Abstract (1) Forecasting the responses of biodiversity to global change has never been more important. However, many ecologists faced with limited sample sizes and shoestring budgets often resort to extrapolating predictive models beyond the range of their data to support management actions in data?deficient contexts. This can lead to error?prone inference that has the potential to misdirect conservation interventions and undermine decision?making. Despite the perils associated with extrapolation, little guidance exists on the best way to identify it when it occurs, leaving users questioning how much credence they should place in model outputs. To address this, we present dsmextra, a new R package for measuring, summarizing and visualizing extrapolation in multivariate environmental space. (2) dsmextra automates the process of conducting quantitative, spatially explicit assessments of extrapolation on the basis of two established metrics: the Extrapolation Detection (ExDet) tool and the percentage of data nearby (%N). The package provides user?friendly functions to (a) calculate these metrics, (b) create tabular and graphical summaries, (c) explore combinations of covariate sets as a means of informing covariate selection and (d) produce visual displays in the form of interactive html maps. (3) dsmextra implements a model?agnostic approach to extrapolation detection that is applicable across taxonomic groups, modelling techniques and datasets. We present a case study fitting a density surface model to visual detections of pantropical spotted dolphins Stenella attenuata in the Gulf of Mexico. (4) Predictive modelling seeks to deliver actionable information about the states and trajectories of ecological systems, yet model performance can be strongly impaired out of sample. By assessing conditions under which models are likely to fail or succeed in extrapolating, ecologists may gain a better understanding of biological patterns and their underlying drivers. Critical to this is a concerted effort to standardize best practice in model evaluation, with an emphasis on extrapolative capacity. This work forms an output of the DenMod project, a collaborative partnership between the University of St Andrews, Duke University, and NOAA Fisheries, and supported through funding by the U.S. Navy?s Living Marine Resources programme. More information on project aims and outputs can be found at: https://synergy.st-andrews.ac.uk/denmod/ Kind regards, Phil Bouchet Postdoctoral Research Fellow Centre for Research into Ecological & Environmental Modelling (CREEM) University of St Andrews St Andrews, Scotland -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sandro.mazzariol at unipd.it Tue Sep 22 02:12:11 2020 From: sandro.mazzariol at unipd.it (Sandro Mazzariol) Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2020 11:12:11 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] post-doc position on effect of pingers on behavior of captive dolphins Message-ID: <6e3edfcc-dfd7-8492-d61d-b8ce503b4ad0@unipd.it> Dear collegues, this email is to share with you the opportunity of a post-doc position on the effects of pinger on behavior of captive dolphins The post-Doc research program aims at integrating ongoing projects on the effects of acoustic devices on marine fauna. In particular, the proposed activities are implementing the LIFE Project ?Dolphin Experience: Lowering Fishing Interactions? (LFI). LFI aims at investigating animal behaviors associated to the use of acoustic deterrent devices (pingers) to keep animals away from fishing areas and reduce the unwanted bycatch of cetaceans drown incidentally in fishing nets. The LIF project is evaluating the effects of a new generation of pingers (Dolphin Interactive Deterrent; DID) that are activated only if dolphins are present, thus reducing acoustic noise pollution and habituation to the acoustic signal in the target species. A behavioral study will integrate already planned in field evaluation with experimental evaluation conducted on under human care dolphins. More specifically, the study will determine whether new available DID has any effect on the behavior of bottlenose dolphins under controlled conditions and the variability of possible effects when background motivation is manipulated. The project is coordinated by experts in marine fauna and the complete results of the present research are planned to be achieved in two years. The activities of the first year are focused on the design and validation of the methods to be applied on the dolphin under human care during the second year. Methods will be implemented at the Laboratory of Applied Ethology (Dept. of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua) and based on evaluation of animal's behavior during and after the exposure to acoustic devices. For this study the candidate must be acquainted with basic procedures employed in ethological research (behavioral data collection, video/audio equipment) and have an inclination for activities aimed at training animals for the experimental procedures (i.e. associative learning and habituation). The candidate must also be familiar with the most widely used video-analysis software, sound analysis procedure and statistical analysis software. A proficient use of the English language (both in speaking and writing) is compulsory. Moreover, the candidate must possess good relational skills and good predisposition for teamwork. International experiences are desirable. For any information you can contact directly the following address marinemammals.bca at unipd.it Best regards -- Prof. Sandro Mazzariol, DVM, PhD Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione (BCA) - Universit? degli Studi di Padova Cetaceans strandings Emergency Response Team (CERT) Centro Interuniversitario per la Ricerca sui CEtacei (CIRCE) AGRIPOLIS - Ed. Museo Viale dell'Universit? 16 35020 - Legnaro (PD) tel.: +39 049 827 2963 fax: +39 049 827 2973 skype: smazzariol -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From selina at dmad.org.tr Wed Sep 23 08:01:57 2020 From: selina at dmad.org.tr (Selina Brouwer) Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2020 17:01:57 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] LAST INTERNSHIP PLACE AT THE MONTENEGRO DOLPHIN RESEARCH PROJECT (SOUTH ADRIATIC SEA) Message-ID: Dear all, Please find below details of our last placement space at our Montenegro Dolphin Research project for 2020. WHO ARE DMAD AND WHAT DO WE DO? DMAD - Marine Mammals Research Association has scientific projects running in Turkey, Montenegro and Albania. We conduct long-term studies of marine mammals in Istanbul, Antalya, the Levantine Sea, Montenegrin coastal waters and the northern coastline of Albania. We aim to address questions about marine mammal abundance, distribution and behaviour, define critical habitats and investigate the impact of major threats, ranging from tourism to hydrocarbon exploration. Our wider attention focuses on the promotion and implementation of awareness initiatives targeted at the local community. More details on the project can be found here: http://www.dmad.org.tr/montenegro-dolphin-research WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR We offer several volunteering and internship positions: this is a valuable opportunity for graduates, that wish to gain experience in the marine mammal research field, and undergraduates, that would like to obtain internship academic credits. It could be used to develop a scientific project for BSc and MSc thesis. However, we are also open to accept applications from anyone whose passion for marine mammals is strong and sincere. This opportunity is available from October 2020. The minimum duration of the placement is 2 MONTHS, with possible exception for a skilled candidate. REQUIREMENTS -True interest for marine conservation, self-motivation, maturity and ability to work responsibly; -Ability to cohabit in a dynamic and multicultural environment; -Respect for the organisation's rules and willingness to follow standards and procedures; -Proven experience of working effectively as part of a team; -Fluent English (both spoken and written) and good communication skills; -Willingness to learn new software applications. -Background in marine biology and previous fieldwork experience are an advantage. FIELD WORK AND RESPONSIBILITIES -Performing land-based surveys at least three times a week, including sunrise and sunset hours; -Performing boat-based surveys once a fortnight (occasionally more if possible). -Collecting dolphins sighting and behavioural data, as well as environmental and anthropogenic data; -Operating theodolite and managing its software Pythagoras; -Data entry and analysis; -Cataloguing and matching individuals of target species for photo-ID studies via Discovery software; -Raising stakeholder awareness through conservation actions. -Promoting citizen-science activities TRAINING The Montenegro Dolphin Research team provides lectures and field work training as well as constant mentoring. You will be given the chance to learn the most popular methodologies used in marine mammal research including: -GIS mapping -Theodolite operation and Pythagoras software; -Photo-identification; -Discovery, Darwin and Logger 2010 software; -Systematic data collection and data analysis; PROJECT CONTRIBUTION The project contribution is ?750 per month. All of which goes directly to supporting the projects. The fee *includes*: -Accommodation and expenses; -Transportation between the project sites within and between Montenegro and Albania; -Training and lectures with a copy of the lecture on PDF; -Fieldwork (land- and boat survey); -Use of the equipment; -Scientific support; -Additional courses related to the selected subject; Applicants are responsible for their transportation to/from Montenegro, meals, insurance (all participants should have health and/or travel insurance) and personal expenses. HOW TO APPLY Email your CV and cover letter to info at dmad.org.tr, explaining why you are a suitable asset for our team and which goals you hope to achieve with us! If you wish to have more info about our internships and work please take a look at some of our web pages and social media: Our research: http://www.dmad.org.tr/our-projects Our internships: http://www.dmad.org.tr/our-internships Our publications: http://www.dmad.org.tr/our-publications Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DMADfornature/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DMADforNature/ All the best, DMAD team -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From antonella.arcangeli at isprambiente.it Fri Sep 25 01:09:06 2020 From: antonella.arcangeli at isprambiente.it (antonella.arcangeli at isprambiente.it) Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2020 10:09:06 +0200 (CEST) Subject: [MARMAM] New publication on Floating marine macro litter: Density reference values and monitoring protocol settings from coast to offshore In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <56967415.34862161.1601021346070.JavaMail.zimbra@isprambiente.it> Dear MARMAM list, is now published the article on "Floating marine macro litter: Density reference values and monitoring protocol settings from coast to offshore. Results from the MEDSEALITTER project" Monitoring Floating Marine Macro Litter (FMML) is a global priority, stressed within international programs, and regulated for the European Seas by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Although some well-defined common protocols exist for the assessment of beach litter and ingested litter, methodologies for FMML monitoring still vary, leading to some inconsistent results and hampering the global assessment of this threat. Within the MEDSEALITTER project (2016?2019), field experiments were implemented to define optimal monitoring parameters for FMML visual monitoring at different spatial scales, by assessing the influence of platform speed, strip width, observers experience, weather conditions, and litter size on its detectability. Along with the results of these experiments, we present the FMML density ranges detected across the over 20,000 km surveyed, highlighting a decreasing gradient from river mouths to coastal areas and the open sea, and providing a valuable contribution to the assessment of FMML in the Mediterranean Sea. The article is free for download at the link: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1bkmW,ashxmp9 or could request in researchgate or to me at: antonella.arcangeli at isprambiente.it We hope it can be useful for the one of you that intend to integrate marine mammal surveys with marine litter monitoring. All the best antonella *********************************************** Antonella Arcangeli PhD ISPRA BIO Dep. - Environmental conservation and monitoring Via Brancati 60 00144 Rome Italy antonella.arcangeli at isprambiente.it ph. +39.06.50074470 mob. +39.349.3272200 *********************************************** From jj_alava at yahoo.com Thu Sep 24 14:56:17 2020 From: jj_alava at yahoo.com (Juan Jose Alava) Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2020 21:56:17 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [MARMAM] New paper on Modeling the Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification Potential of Microplastics in a Cetacean Foodweb of the Northeastern Pacific References: <1968469805.517579.1600984577495.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1968469805.517579.1600984577495@mail.yahoo.com> Dear Marmam colleagues, I trust everyone is doing welland staying safe in these challenging times. I am pleasedto share a new article on ?Modeling theBioaccumulation and Biomagnification Potential of Microplastics in a CetaceanFoodweb of the Northeastern Pacific: A Prospective Tool to Assess the RiskExposure to Plastic Particles,? which is a contribution presenting the development ofa cetacean-foodweb bioaccumulation model for microplastics to understand thebioaccumulation and biomagnification behavior of microplastics in top predatorssuch as marine mammals and support ecotoxicological risk assessments of these emergingand pervasive micropollutants. This article is an Open Access paperand can be found at the following link: https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2020.566101 Full details and abstract: Citation: Alava, J.J. 2020,Modeling the Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification Potential of Microplastics ina Cetacean Foodweb of the Northeastern Pacific: A Prospective Tool to Assessthe Risk Exposure to Plastic Particles. Frontiers in Marine Science7:566101. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2020.566101 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.566101 *Correspondence:Juan Jos? Alava, j.alava at oceans.ubc.ca Published: 22 September 2020. Abstract Microplastics (MPs)can readily be ingested by marine organisms. Direct ingestion and trophictransfer are likely to be the main pathway for microplastics to bioaccumulatein upper trophic level organisms. Bioaccumulation potential of MPs in marinemammalian foodwebs is scarcely known. To understand whether microplasticsbioaccumulate in marine mammals, a bioaccumulation model for MPs was developedfor the filter-feeding humpback whale and fish-eating resident killer whalefoodwebs of the Northeastern Pacific. Applying three concentration scenariosfor MPs by entering observed water and sediment concentrations as input data(low, high, and moderate scenarios), and tested under two different eliminationrates (kE) for zooplankton, the model predictedspecies-specific and foodweb-specific bioaccumulation potential. Thepredator-prey biomagnification factor (BMFTL, used to assessthe ratio of the MP concentration in predator to that in prey adjusted to thedifference of trophic levels), involving cetaceans, appeared to be not onlylower than one or equal to one (BMFTL ? 1 as in residentkiller whale/Chinook salmon), but also BMFTL > 1 in somepredator-prey relationships (humpback whale/zooplankton). Depending on themagnitude of abiotic concentrations used in the modeling, the trophicmagnification factor (TMF) regression analyses over time showed lack ofevidence for trophic magnification as the magnification was independent of thetrophic level, indicating no changes (TMF = 1; p > 0.05), and trophicdilution (TMF < 1; p < 0.05) due to the decrease in MPconcentrations as the trophic level increased. Projected biomagnification insimplified foodwebs revealed no significant increase in concentrations as thetrophic level increased (TMF = 1; p > 0.05), following 100?365 days.Compared to the high biomagnification behavior of persistent organic pollutantsin marine foodwebs, scarce biomagnification capacity of microplastic waspredicted in the cetacean foodwebs. Notwithstanding, the moderate to highmicroplastic bioaccumulation predicted in some lower trophic level marine organismshighlights the health risks of toxic exposure to marine fauna strongly relyingon fish and coastal communities highly dependent on seafood. This modeling workprovides a tool to assess the bioaccumulation potential and impact ofmicroplastics in the marine environment to support risk assessment and informplastic waste management. Keywords: microplastics,exposure, elimination rate, bioaccumulation, trophic magnification, southernresident killer whale, humpback whale, marine mammals https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.566101/full?&utm_source=Email_to_authors_&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=T1_11.5e1_author&utm_campaign=Email_publication&field=&journalName=Frontiers_in_Marine_Science&id=566101#h9 Wishing you all well and stay safe. Juan Jose Alava -------------------- Juan Jose Alava, PhD. Research Associate, Nippon Foundation-Ocean Litter Project Principal Investigator, Ocean Pollution Research Unit (OPRU) Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries Faculty of Science, The University of British Columbia AERL 2202 Main Mall | Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 Canada http://oceans.ubc.ca/juan-jose-alava/?? https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Juan_Jose_Alava/contributions?ev=prf_act Adjunct Professor Resource and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment, Simon Fraser University 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6,Canada E-mail: jalavasa at sfu.ca ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From calliesteffen at ucsb.edu Fri Sep 25 18:17:41 2020 From: calliesteffen at ucsb.edu (Callie Steffen) Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2020 18:17:41 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] Public Webinar- Whale Safe Message-ID: Dear MARMAM Community, My colleagues and I are excited to invite you to a public webinar to learn about the new tool Whale Safe , the first near real-time whale detection system that uses AI-powered ocean sensors, big data models, and citizen science data to help reduce lethal collisions between endangered whales and large ships in Southern California. Unfortunately, scientists estimate that over 80 endangered whales are killed by ship collisions off the U.S. West Coast each year. To help prevent these fatal collisions, Whale Safe provides near real-time data insights on whale and ship activity in the Santa Barbara Channel and near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Whale Safe Webinar Friday October 2nd 11am - 12pm PT Register at bit.ly/2ZYb6vl The webinar will include short presentations from the science team, a demonstration of how the tool works, and time for Q&A. Featured speakers include: - Dr. Briana Abrahms, Assistant Professor, University of Washington - Dr. Ana ?irovi?, Associate Professor, Texas A&M University at Galveston - Dr. Mark Baumgartner, Senior Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution - Morgan Visalli, Project Scientist, Benioff Ocean Initiative, University of California Santa Barbara - You can also check out the new website at www.whalesafe.com We look forward to connecting with you and answering your questions at the upcoming webinar. Please feel free to share widely with your networks. Callie Steffen Pronouns: She/Her Benioff Ocean Initiative University of California, Santa Barbara -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jean.potvin at slu.edu Sat Sep 26 08:42:53 2020 From: jean.potvin at slu.edu (Jean Potvin) Date: Sat, 26 Sep 2020 15:42:53 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper on the physics of rorqual lunge feeding Message-ID: Dear MARMAM readers, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to announce the publication of our new paper which has just appeared in American Journal of Physics: "A perfectly inelastic collision: Bulk prey engulfment by baleen whales and dynamical implications for the world's largest cetaceans"; By Potvin J, Cade DE, Werth AJ, Shadwick RE and Goldbogen JA Abstract: The largest animals are the rorquals, a group of whales which rapidly engulf large aggregations of small-bodied animals along with the water in which they are embedded, with the latter subsequently expulsed via filtration through baleen. Represented by species like the blue, fin, and humpback whales, rorquals can exist in a wide range of body lengths (8?30 m) and masses (4000?190,000 kg). When feeding on krill, kinematic data collected by whale-borne biologging sensors suggest that they first oscillate their flukes several times to accelerate towards their prey, followed by a coasting period with mouth agape as the prey-water mixture is engulfed in a process approximating a perfectly inelastic collision. These kinematic data, used along with momentum conservation and time-averages of a whale?s equation of motion, show the largest rorquals as generating significant body forces (10?40 kN) in order to set into forward motion enough engulfed water to at least double overall mass. Interestingly, a scaling analysis of these equations suggests significant reductions in the amount of body force generated per kilogram of body mass at the larger sizes. In other words, and in concert with the allometric growth of the buccal cavity, gigantism would involve smaller fractions of muscle mass to engulf greater volumes of water and prey, thereby imparting a greater efficiency to this unique feeding strategy. Potvin J, Cade DE, Werth AJ, Shadwick RE and Goldbogen JA (2020). "A perfectly inelastic collision: Bulk prey engulfment by baleen whales and dynamical implications for the world's largest cetaceans" American Journal of Physics 88: 851 ? 863, 2020; https://doi.org/10.1119/10.0001771 This is an Open Access article: Link to journal: https://aapt.scitation.org/doi/10.1119/10.0001771 Link to PDF: https://aapt.scitation.org/doi/pdf/10.1119/10.0001771 Enjoy! Jean Potvin potvinj at slu.edu "So many ideas, so little time..." Jean Potvin Department of Physics Shannon Hall rm. 111 Saint Louis University 3511 Laclede Ave. St. Louis MO, 63103 314-977-8424 https://sites.google.com/a/slu.edu/jeanpotvin/ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jean_Potvin https://twitter.com/LaboPotvin -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kkasper at ifaw.org Sun Sep 27 10:53:19 2020 From: kkasper at ifaw.org (Kasper, Kira) Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2020 17:53:19 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] IFAW Marine Mammal Stranding Internships - Winter/Spring 2021 Message-ID: The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is currently accepting applications for winter/spring 2021 Marine Mammal Stranding Internships. IFAW Marine Mammal Stranding Internship Winter/Spring Session 2021 (Mid-January - Last week of May) Complete Applications due: October 15th, 2020 Program Background IFAW is an international non-profit organization. This internship is based out of our International Operations Center in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, USA. IFAW's Marine Mammal Rescue and Research program is a federally authorized program dedicated to marine mammal stranding response on Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts. Our program strives 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 an average of over 261 strandings occurring each year. These strandings include live and dead seals, whales, porpoises, and dolphins. Stranding Intern Duties * Stranding hotline coverage: answer calls, document reports, educate callers, dispatch volunteers, complete associated paperwork and enter data. * Marine mammal stranding response and necropsy: assist staff with all aspects of marine mammal stranding response, including live animal health assessment and supportive care, biological data collection, post-mortem examinations and sampling in both field and laboratory settings. * Stranding / necropsy readiness: cleaning, organizing and maintaining stranding response and necropsy gear, equipment and facilities, restocking kits and supplies. * Data entry / sample processing: assist in entry of stranding data. Assist in organizing, cataloging, disseminating and archiving of photos, videos, datasheets, samples, etc. * Outreach: assist staff with training and outreach material preparation and organization, participate in opportunistic outreach at stranding sites, participate in community events. Please see the following link for the full posting and to apply: https://recruiting.ultipro.com/INT1059IFFA/JobBoard/17b588a3-808b-4bc9-aea8-c3385a35ec51/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=2c16ea69-3a17-42d3-8061-5a98110d6e43 Kira Kasper Stranding Technician Marine Mammal Rescue and Research 290 Summer Street Yarmouth Port, MA 02675 United States Please note: my schedule varies regularly and I often work outside of the M-F 9-5 timeframe. +1 508 744 2265 (office) +1 508 743 9548 (stranding hotline) www.ifaw.org [ifaw] The content of this email is intended only for the use of the above-named addressee and may contain information that is confidential, proprietary, and/or legally privileged. Please notify the sender if you received this email in error. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From miokul at gmail.com Sat Sep 26 10:55:43 2020 From: miokul at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?Q?Maria_S=C3=B8rlie?=) Date: Sat, 26 Sep 2020 19:55:43 +0200 Subject: [MARMAM] =?utf-8?q?New_publication_on_diet_composition_and_biomas?= =?utf-8?q?s_consumption_in_harbour_seals_=28Maria_S=C3=B8rlie=29?= Message-ID: Dear Marmam colleagues, I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during these challenging times. My co-authors and I are pleased to share our article on harbour seal diet: ?Diet composition and biomass consumption of harbour seals in Telemark and Aust-Agder, Norwegian Skagerrak?. Citation: Maria S?rlie, Kjell Tormod Nilssen, Arne Bj?rge & Carla Freitas (2020) Diet composition and biomass consumption of harbour seals in Telemark and Aust-Agder, Norwegian Skagerrak, Marine Biology Research, DOI: 10.1080/17451000.2020.1751205 Abstract: To explore ecosystem dynamics and functions it is vital to obtain knowledge on predator?prey relations. Harbour seals are piscivorous predators that can come into conflict with fisheries. Recently, as the Skagerrak and Kattegat population of harbour seals has increased, claims have emerged that seals are depleting coastal cod populations. The diet of harbour seals in Norwegian Skagerrak was investigated based on otolith identification from scats. The overall seal diet included 20 different fish species/groups. The most important prey (combined index Qi) were haddock/pollack/saithe (32.7%), genus Trisopterus (Norway pout/poor cod/bib, 12.5%), plaice (12.4%) and herring (10.0%). Plaice also had the largest biomass (24.1%). Gadoids and pleuronectids comprised 88.6% of the diet (combined index Qi) and 87.1% in terms of biomass. Cod constituted 0.7% (combined index Qi) of the overall diet and 2.3% in terms of biomass. Fish length estimates showed that seals generally prefer small fish below minimum allowed landing size. Estimated total amount of fish consumed was 315 tons per year and was dominated by non-commercial species. Annual cod consumption was an estimated 7.1 tons, representing 5% of annual cod landings, suggesting that competition between local fisheries and harbour seals is limited. Key words: Phoca vitulina, cod, Gadus morhua, feeding ecology, prey consumption The article is Open Access and can be downloaded via this link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17451000.2020.1751205 You can also email me for a pdf copy or if you have any inquiries at miokul at gmail.com I would like to extend my gratitude to readers of our work as well as editors and reviewers for their contributions to the finished product. Wishing everyone all the best, Maria S?rlie *********************************************** Maria S?rlie Master of Marine Ecology from University of Agder, Department of Natural Sciences University of Agder P.O.Box 422 4604 Kristiansand Norway https://www.uia.no/ miokul at gmail.com https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maria_Sorlie https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-s%C3%B8rlie-6b582259/ *********************************************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From barbaraa.manhaes at yahoo.com.br Mon Sep 28 07:55:42 2020 From: barbaraa.manhaes at yahoo.com.br (=?UTF-8?Q?B=C3=A1rbara_Manhaes?=) Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2020 14:55:42 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [MARMAM] New published article- Mercury distribution and body burden in delphinids affected by a morbillivirus infection References: <1047454881.1478158.1601304942472.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1047454881.1478158.1601304942472@mail.yahoo.com> Dear collegues, I am pleased to inform that our new manuscript regarding merury bioaccumulation in Guina dolphins entitled:?"Changes in mercury distribution and its body burden in delphinids affected by a morbillivirus infection: Evidences of methylmercury intoxication in Guiana dolphin" is published in Chemosphere (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128286). Below, you will see the abstract of the manuscript: Abstract: An unusual mortality event (UME) attributed to morbillivirus infection was identified in two Guiana dolphin populations from the Southeastern Brazilian coast. The aim of this study was to characterize total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MeHg) and selenium (Se) bioaccumulation and body burden in Guiana dolphins from Sepetiba Bay (RJ) collected before (n?=?61) and during the UME (n?=?20). Significantly lower Se concentrations were found in the livers of individuals collected during the UME (Mann-Whitney test; p?=?0.03), probably due to impairment of the detoxification process in the liver. There were differences in THg and Se concentrations in the organs and tissues of individuals (Kruskal-Wallis test, p? From ctclark at alaska.edu Mon Sep 28 12:16:33 2020 From: ctclark at alaska.edu (Casey Clark) Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2020 12:16:33 -0700 Subject: [MARMAM] New paper: Estimating walrus weaning age based on tooth strontium and barium concentrations Message-ID: <8D5B28B6-0987-449F-B4F7-0EB24F48F193@alaska.edu> Hello MARMAM Members, On behalf of my colleagues and myself, I am pleased to share our new paper ?Evaluating tooth strontium and barium as indicators of weaning age in Pacific walruses?, recently published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution. The paper is open access, and is available here: https://bit.ly/3ib68l8 Clark, C.T., L. Horstmann, and N. Misarti. 2020. Evaluating tooth strontium and barium as indicators of weaning age in Pacific walruses. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. doi:10.1111/2041-210X.13482 Abstract: 1. Lactation length and weaning age provide important information about maternal investment, which can reflect the health and nutritional status of the mother, as well as broader reproductive strategies in mammals. Calcium-normalized strontium (Sr) and barium (Ba) concentrations in the growth layers of mammalian teeth differ for nursing animals and those consuming non-milk foods, thus can be used to estimate age-at-weaning. To date, this approach has been used only for terrestrial animals, and almost exclusively for primates. 2. The goal of this study was to determine whether Sr and Ba concentrations in the cementum of Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) teeth can be used to estimate weaning age. Teeth from 107 walruses were analysed using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and calcium-normalized 88Sr and 137Ba concentrations were quantified. 3. For most walruses, both Sr and Ba concentrations exhibited rapid changes in early life. Ba concentrations matched closely with expected patterns in the published literature, rapidly declining from high to low concentrations (typically from ~10 ppm to ~5 ppm). In contrast, Sr exhibited a pattern opposite to that presented in studies of terrestrial mammals, appearing nearly identical to Ba (typically declining from ~400 ppm to ~200 ppm). To explain these findings, we present conceptual models of the factors generating weaning signals in Sr and Ba for terrestrial mammals, as well as a new, hypothetical model for walruses. Both a visual and mathematical approach to weaning age estimation indicated a median weaning age of walruses at the end of the second year of life (in the second dark layer of the tooth cementum), with many walruses estimated to have weaned in their third year of life, and a smaller group weaning in their fourth or fifth year. This is later than expected, given a published estimate of walrus weaning at 18?24 months. 4. These results do not conclusively support the use of tooth Sr and Ba for estimating weaning age in walruses, and further research is warranted to better understand the drivers of the observed patterns of Ba and Sr accumulation in walrus teeth. I am happy to provide a PDF of the article upon request. Please email me at ctclark at uw.edu if you are interested, or if you have any questions about the paper. Best regards, Casey Clark CICOES Postdoc University of Washington ctclark at uw.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tracy.gill at noaa.gov Mon Sep 28 06:33:38 2020 From: tracy.gill at noaa.gov (Tracy Gill - NOAA Federal) Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2020 09:33:38 -0400 Subject: [MARMAM] Sep 30 NOAA webinar_Right Whales and Shipping: Using Corporate Responsibility to protect right whales from ship strike Message-ID: *OneNOAA Science Seminar Series **Feel free to share this with NOAA or non-NOAA folks who might be interested; thanks.* *Title: Right Whales and Shipping: Using Corporate Responsibility to protect right whales from ship strike* *Speaker: David Wiley, Research Coordinator and Michael Thompson, Geographer; NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary* *Sponsor(s): *NOAA's National Ocean Service Science Seminar Series; coordinators for this seminar are Tracy.GIll at noaa.gov *When: Wednesday, *September 30, 12-1pm EDT *Remote Access: *Register at: https://noaabroadcast.adobeconnect.com/rightwhale/event/registration.html After registering, you will get a confirmation email with a link to the webinar. If you have not used Adobe connect before, it is best to test your ability to use (and to download) Adobe Connect, before the webinar, at: https://noaabroadcast.adobeconnect.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm . Audio is over the computer, so adjust the volume on your computer speakers or headset. Users should use either google, IE or Edge on Windows or Safari if using a Mac. Questions will be addressed in the chat box. *Abstract: *Lethal injury from collisions with large vessels is a major problem inhibiting the recovery of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. To aid recovery the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration promulgated the Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Rule, which created Seasonal Management Areas (SMAs)requiring large ships slowing to 10 knots or less in specific time/areas. To encourage compliance with the two SMAs that overlap the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, the sanctuary and NMFS initiated a corporate responsibility project. The concept of corporate responsibility involves companies increasing their commitment to behaviors that benefit society, such as slowing to safeguard right whales, and acknowledging positive corporate behavior. Since 2015, we have used the US Coast Guard?s automatic Identification system (AIS) to track vessels through the two SMAs. We used these data to grade ships based on the percent SMA distance traveled at compliant speeds as follows: A+: 99 - 100% compliance and mean speed =<10 kts; A: 90-98.9% compliance or mean speed =<10 kts. & meanspeed least compliant transit =< 10kts; B: 80-89.9% compliance or mean speed =<10 kts. & meanspeed least compliant transit <10.5 kts; C: 70-79.9% compliance or mean speed 10 -10.5 kts. & meanspeed least compliant transit 10.5-11 kts; D: 60-69.9% compliance or mean speed >10.5 kts. & meanspeed least compliant transit >11 kts; F: <60% compliance or mean speed >11 kts. & mean speedleast compliant transit >11.5 kts. Report cards were sent to each ship and to the companies using the ships, with addresses provided by the US Coast Guard. Ships and companies receiving A+ or A grades were sent a certificate acknowledging their positive behavior. In 2015 72% (146/203) of ships received certificates. In 2019 86% (118/145) of the companies and 85% (175/211) of the ships received certificates. Reaction from specific companies will be provided. This project is now used as a model for similar programs in west coast sanctuaries and around the world. *Bio(s): *David Wiley and Michael Thompson team to investigate living marine resources in NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Their work ranges from using biotelemetry to investigate the underwater behavior of large whales and the habitat use of seabirds to the ecosystem function of forage fish and climate change impacts to the sanctuary. The report card method they developed to track shipping compliance received the Society for Marine Mammalogy?s award for Excellence in Scientific Communication. *Subscribe to the OneNOAA Science Seminar weekly email: *Send an email to OneNOAAscienceseminars-request at list.woc.noaa.gov with the word 'subscribe' in the subject or body. Visit the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series website for more. A. Gill tracy.gill at noaa.gov 240-533-0349 Physical Scientist & NOAA/NOS Science Seminar Coordinator NOAA | NOS | National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Marine Spatial Ecology Division | Biogeography Branch 1305 East West Hwy, SSMC4, N/SCI-1, Rm 9208 Silver Spring, MD 20910-3278 *Check out **the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series website for the schedule and to **sign up for the weekly NOAA seminar email list.* o o ><(((o> o < o < ><(((o> ><(((o> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From vanessa.pirotta at hdr.mq.edu.au Sun Sep 27 21:11:45 2020 From: vanessa.pirotta at hdr.mq.edu.au (Vanessa Pirotta (HDR)) Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2020 04:11:45 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New Publication: Operational Protocols for the Use of Drones in Marine Animal Research Message-ID: Dear MARMAM readers, My colleagues and I would like to share our new publication: Operational Protocols for the Use of Drones in Marine Animal Research Raoult, V.; Colefax, A.P.; Allan, B.M.; Cagnazzi, D.; Castelblanco-Mart?nez, N.; Ierodiaconou, D.; Johnston, D.W.; Landeo-Yauri, S.; Lyons, M.; Pirotta, V.; Schofield, G.; Butcher, P.A. Operational Protocols for the Use of Drones in Marine Animal Research. Drones 2020, 4, 64. Abstract The use of drones to study marine animals shows promise for the examination of numerous aspects of their ecology, behaviour, health and movement patterns. However, the responses of some marine phyla to the presence of drones varies broadly, as do the general operational protocols used to study them. Inconsistent methodological approaches could lead to difficulties comparing studies and can call into question the repeatability of research. This review draws on current literature and researchers with a wealth of practical experience to outline the idiosyncrasies of studying various marine taxa with drones. We also outline current best practice for drone operation in marine environments based on the literature and our practical experience in the field. The protocols outlined herein will be of use to researchers interested in incorporating drones as a tool into their research on marine animals and will help form consistent approaches for drone-based studies in the future. Available here:https://doi.org/10.3390/drones4040064 Dr. Vanessa Pirotta Marine Predator Research Group Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science and Engineering Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia Twitter: @vanessapirotta Watch my TEDx talk here -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From briankot at cityu.edu.hk Mon Sep 28 20:07:05 2020 From: briankot at cityu.edu.hk (Dr. KOT Brian Chin Wing) Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2020 03:07:05 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] New Publication: Image Rendering Techniques in Postmortem Computed Tomography: Evaluation of Biological Health and Profile in Stranded Cetaceans Message-ID: Dear MARMAM Readers, On behalf of the Aquatic Animal Virtopsy Lab (https://www.facebook.com/aquanimallab) in City University of Hong Kong, my colleagues and I are pleased to share our new paper "Image Rendering Techniques in Postmortem Computed Tomography: Evaluation of Biological Health and Profile in Stranded Cetaceans", recently published in Journal of Visualized Experiments. The captioned paper is available here: https://bit.ly/2G8vAL9 Cite this paper: Kot, B. C. W., Chan, D. K. P., Chung, T. Y. T., Tsui, H. C. L. Image Rendering Techniques in Postmortem Computed Tomography: Evaluation of Biological Health and Profile in Stranded Cetaceans. J. Vis. Exp. (163), e61701, doi:10.3791/61701 (2020). Highlight: >From time to time, we presented different reconstructed CT images in our publication and facebook posts for illustrations. They are in fact generated by various unique image rendering techniques. These images are not only meant to draw the audiences' attention, but also provide solid ground for aquatic animal virtopsy and clinical radiology reporting. Recently, one of our papers regarding this important topic is published on the Journal of Visualized Experiments. The related video is also published along as an audio and visual navigation. We sincerely hope this key paper could help clinicians, veterinarians and stranding response personnel worldwide to fully utilize virtopsy for the biological health and profile evaluation of aquatic animals. I am happy to provide a PDF of the article upon request. Please email me at briankot at cityu.edu.hk if you are interested, or if you have any questions about our paper. I would like to extend my gratitude to readers of our work, as well as editors and reviewers for their contributions to this finished version. Warm regards, Brian Kot Ph.D. in Diagnostic Imaging, B.Sc. (Hons) in Radiography, Cert. (RPC), Cert. (Virtopsy) Visiting Assistant Professor Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences City University of Hong Kong cum Research Fellow State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution City University of Hong Kong E: briankot at cityu.edu.hk, briankot at yahoo.co.uk W: https://www.cityu.edu.hk/jcc/staff/dr-brian-kot-chin-wing Aquatic Animal Virtopsy Lab Follow us at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aquanimallab Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aquanimallab Disclaimer: This email (including any attachments) is for the use of the intended recipient only and may contain confidential information and/or copyright material. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately and delete this email and all copies from your system. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, reproduction, copying, distribution, or other form of unauthorized dissemination of the contents is expressly prohibited. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jason.roberts at duke.edu Tue Sep 29 07:19:54 2020 From: jason.roberts at duke.edu (Jason Roberts) Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2020 14:19:54 +0000 Subject: [MARMAM] Job opportunity: marine mammal density modeler Message-ID: Dear all, The Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab (MGEL) at Duke University seeks a Postdoctoral Associate for immediate hire to model spatiotemporal distributions of marine species, particularly marine mammals. Directed by Dr. Patrick Halpin, MGEL is a leader in applying geospatial technologies to problems in marine ecology, resource management and ocean conservation. We are seeking a highly motivated individual who is interested in modeling marine species distributions for immediate use in U.S. management actions. This is a two-year position, with extension beyond that contingent upon evaluation and funding. The position is located at Duke University in Durham, NC, with the option to re-locate to the Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC. Salary commensurate with degree/experience. Job title: Postdoctoral Associate or Research Scientist Posting duration: Through October 31, 2020 or until filled Begin date: November 1, 2020 or as soon as filled Occupational Summary: The successful candidate will join a small team that models spatiotemporal distributions of marine species and applies the results to management problems throughout the world. The researcher will be expected to travel to scientific conferences and meetings to present and discuss results of the research, to keep abreast of developments in the field, and to author and submit publications to peer-reviewed scientific journals. Responsibilities: The researcher will leverage knowledge and skills from a number of fields, including marine mammal ecology and biology, statistical modeling, oceanography, and scientific programming to model the density of marine mammals in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and/or Arctic. This will be done using distance sampling and density surface modeling methods with visual line transect surveys and environmental covariates. The primary focus will be on analyzing data collected by external collaborators, with specific tasks including: data cleaning and processing, integration of diverse datasets, fitting detections functions, creating models, and predicting density surfaces from those models. Additional responsibilities and projects may be added to the researcher's portfolio as time and mutual interests allow. These may include, for example, development of models for other study areas or taxa, development and/or application of innovative modeling approaches (e.g. modeling multiple species jointly; extrapolating models to ocean basin scale), and development of models that incorporate multiple types of data (e.g. visual surveys, passive acoustic monitoring, telemetry). The ideal candidate will be able to carefully reason about what inference can be gained through the joining and modeling of diverse datasets. This will include investigating how well models may be transferred to unsurveyed areas, seasons, or conditions and designing models to maximize transferability. The researcher will collaborate with team members and external partners to accomplish the diverse tasks required to complete the analysis. This will require alternating periods of steady collaboration with intense independent analysis. This position is best suited to those who enjoy statistics, coding, manipulating and visualizing data, and other quantitative analysis tasks. Required Qualifications Academic credentials: PhD in ecology, biology, statistics, computer science or engineering, or oceanography with a strong quantitative analysis background, particularly in species distribution modeling. Specific coursework and research experience with marine mammals strongly preferred. Undergraduate coursework or equivalent experience in physical and biological oceanography is required; graduate-level coursework or research experience preferred. Skills: We are seeking candidates with both a mix of polished skills and a strong aptitude to learn new skills. Communication - Fluent in English (reading, writing, and speaking) - Proficient in giving scientific presentations, with demonstrated experience - Strong scientific writing skills, in English; record of peer-reviewed publications preferred - Fluency in one or more European languages a plus Teamwork - Comfortable and competent working in a team on joint projects, both face-to-face and remotely - Also able to work independently for long periods of time, with only occasional oversight - Comfortable working on multiple projects simultaneously Analysis and modeling - Strong background and competency in mathematics (undergraduate calculus, at minimum). - Strong proficiency in statistical modeling, including regression and classification modeling. Experience with GLMs and GAMs strongly preferred. - Demonstrated experience with species distribution modeling and/or abundance estimation, including habitat suitability modeling, distance sampling, occupancy modeling, capture-recapture methods, etc. Specific experience with distance sampling and density surface modeling strongly preferred. - Strong programming skills, including proficiency in R (or equivalent with ability to quickly become proficient in R). Proficiency with Python, MATLAB, SQL a plus. - Demonstrated competence with GIS, geospatial analysis, and mapping. ArcMap proficiency and ability to automate production of maps and other geospatial operations preferred. - Comfortable and competent working with multiple tabular data formats, including CSV and other text formats, and relational databases (MS Access, SQL, etc.). - Proficient in summarizing/aggregating, transforming, and joining tabular data in R and/or SQL. Qualified applicants may send CV and cover letter to: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/16954 Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. With best regards, Jason Roberts, on behalf of the Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab From sclymene at aol.com Tue Sep 29 14:27:47 2020 From: sclymene at aol.com (Thomas Jefferson) Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2020 21:27:47 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [MARMAM] In Memoriam, Thomas F. Norris, 1965-2020 References: <2071620067.74413.1601414867459.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2071620067.74413.1601414867459@mail.yahoo.com>