September 2005 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Contents/abstracts, Aquatic Mammals, vol. 31, no. 2, 2005 (fwd)
by MARMAM Editors 17 Sep '05

17 Sep '05

Dear Marmam and ECS-mailbase subscribers, The following is information on the contents of the most current issue of _Aquatic Mammals_, publication of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals (EAAM). This posting is made as a courtesy to the journal editor (Dr. Jeanette Thomas) and the EAAM. For information about journal subscriptions and manuscript submissions, please contact: Dr. Jeanette Thomas Editor Aquatic Mammals Biological Sciences Western Illinois University-Quad Cities 3561 60th St. Moline, Illinois 61265 USA Tel: 309-762-9481 ext 311 Fax: 309-762-6989 E-mail: J-Thomas(a)wiu.edu EMAIL PREFERRED METHOD OF COMMUNICATION Please do not direct reprint requests to the listserve, the journal editor, or myself. I have provided the address of the author to whom correspondence should be directed with each article. Email addresses were not provided with any of the articles in the journal issue, sorry. Thank you for your continued interest in these postings. Also, thanks to all you readers who post availability of recently published marine mammals articles to the listserves. With regards, Dagmar Fertl Geo-Marine, Inc. 550 East 15th Street Plano, Texas 75074 USA dfertl(a)geo-marine.com http://www.geo-marine.com ************************************************ Mate, B.*, P. Duley, B. Lagerquist, F. Wenzel, A. Stimpert, and P. Clapham. 2005. Observations of a female North Atlantic right whale (_Eubalaena glacialis_) in simultaneous copulation with two males: supporting evidence for sperm competition. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):157-160. *Fisheries and Wildlife, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, OR 97365, USA Given the huge size of their testes (approximately 1,000 kg), it has been hypothesized that North Atlantic right whales (_Eubalaena glacialis_) have a mating system that is based upon sperm competition. Herein, we report an observation which provides support for this hypothesis. On 11 August 2000 in the Bay of Fundy in Canada, a mature female right whale was observed copulating simultaneously with two mature males. The female made no attempt to resist copulation. For anatomical reasons, double copulation would be difficult or impossible in most mammals; however, it is quite feasible in right whales, and the fact that it actually occurs provides strong support for the belief that females of this species promote sperm competition as a mating strategy. ******************************************************** Wiggins, S.M.*, E.M. Oleson, M.A. McDonald, and J.A. Hildebrand. 2005. Blue whale (_Balaenoptera musculus_) diel call patterns offshore of southern California. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):161-168. *Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0205, USA Diel and seasonal calling patterns for blue whales (_Balaenoptera musculus_) were observed in coastal waters off southern California using seafloor-mounted autonomous acoustic recording packages (ARPs). Automated call counting from spectrogram cross-correlation showed peak seasonal calling in late summer/early fall. When call counts were organized by daily time intervals, calling peaks were observed during twilight periods, just after sunset and before sunrise. Nighttime calling was grater than daytime calling, but also showed a minimum between the dusk and dawn calling peaks. These peaks correlate with the vertical migration times of krill, the blue whales' primary prey. One hypothesis to explain these diel variations is that blue whale calling and foraging may be mutually exclusive activities. Fewer calls are produced during the day while prey are aggregated at depth and foraging is efficient. More calls are produced during the twilight time periods when prey are vertically migrating and at night when prey are dispersed near the sea surface and foraging is less efficient. ************************************************* Mello, I.*, and M. Amundin. 2005. Whistle production pre- and post-partum in bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) in human care. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):169-175. *Kolmården Djurpark, Research and Education Centre, Kolmarden, Sweden The bottlenose dolphin (_Tursiops truncatus_) has a highly variable acoustic repertoire of whistles, clicks, and pulse burst sounds. Whistles are used to express individuality (signature whistle) and emotional state, and to initiate and maintain contact within a group. This study investigated the whistle production type pre- and post-partum of three female bottlenose dolphins and their calves at the Kolmården Djurpark, Sweden. Gestation lasts approximately 12 months, and with the approach of delivery, the behaviour of the female changed in several ways. Observations of the behaviour and sound production were done for up to seven months prior to birth and for up to the first 22 months of the calves' lives. The results showed that whistle production increased significantly for all three females in the seven months pre-partum, with an accelerating increase in the days prior to birth. The whistles, therefore, might be used as an indicator that delivery is imminent. After birth, the mother-calf pair whistled more often when separated (66%) than when together (34%), and significantly more often when the calf returned to its mother than when she retrieved the calf. *************************************************************** Viddi, F.A.*, and A-K Lescrauwaet. 2005. Insights on habitat selection and behavioural patterns of Peale's dolphins (_Lagenorhynchus australis_) in the Strait of Magellan, southern Chile *Instituto de Ecologia y Evolucion, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile During the austral summer/autumn of 2001, habitat selection of Peale's dolphins (_Lagenorhynchus australis_) was assessed through a five-month land-based survey in two sectors on the central west coast of the Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas, Chile. The main objective of this study was to evaluate habitat selection of Peale's dolphins in relation to kelp beds and the behavioural patterns determining dolphins habitat use. In 191 h of observation effort, habitat use of Peale's dolphins displayed a significant concentration in only a small part of the study area, which was strongly associated with kelp beds. Feeding was the most frequent behaviour observed, followed by traveling. The former behavioural state was observed principally inside and on the border of kelp beds, while traveling was observed mainly outside the beds. Peale's dolphins' preference for kelp beds, which seemed to be their primary feeding ground, was evident throughout this study. Kelp forests appear to be a fundamental habitat for Peale's dolphins in coastal ecosystems, and their protection might be crucial for the conservation of Peale's dolphin populations. ***************************************************************** Arronte, J.C.*, J.A. Pis-Millán, and C. Pérez. 2005. Injury to an Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin (_Lagenorhynchus acutus_) caused by needlefish impalement _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):184-186. *Universidad de Oviedo, Facultad de Biologia. Dpto. B.O.S., Area de Zooloia C/Catedratico Rodrigo Uria s/n, 33071, Oviedo, Spain Specific interactions between dolphins and other marine species may result in the injury or death of the individuals involved. This case report describes a perforating injury to an Atlantic white-sided dolphin, _Lagenorhynchus acutus_, by a garpike, _Belone belone gracilis_, of the family Belonidae (needlefishes) in Asturias, Spain. On postmortem examination, the dolphin had a full-thickness perforation of its right thoracic wall, with penetration and abscess formation in the right lung due to a needlefish's lower jaw. The wound appeared to be recently acquired, based on the absence of reactive fibrosis. No other gross abnormalities were identified. Results from bacterial and viral analysis on the spleen, liver, kidney, and left lung were negative. Most likely, death occurred as a result of an open pneumothorax produced by the traumatic penetrating injury to the right lung. ***************************************************************** Blomqvist, C.*, I. Mello, and M. Amundin. 2005. An acoustic play-fight signal in bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) in human care. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):187-194. *Department of Research and Education, Kolmårdens Djurpark, Kolmården, Sweden Play-fighting is common in many mammals, especially among juveniles and subadults, providing a safe opportunity to practice behaviours important in adult life. To prevent escalation into a potentially dangerous real fight, play-fighting often is accompanied by acoustic and/or visual appeasement behaviours. We studied aggressive and play-fight behaviours in bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) at the Kolmården Djurpark. The results showed that play-fighting subadult dolphins emitted a characteristic sound, which was never observed in aggressive interactions. This was a short pulse burst followed by an FM-whistle. By plotting pulse repetition rate (PRR) vs. duration of the bursts, two main clusters were found. The bottom cluster had a mean PRR of 59 pulses per second (pps), and a mean duration of 154 msec. The top cluster had a mean PRR of 502 pps and a mean duration of 149 msec. These play-fight clusters were compared separately to corresponding adult aggressive pulse burst clusters. Taking both PRR and duration into consideration, no significant difference was found between the top clusters, or between the bottom clusters, in the two age groups. The trailing whistles were divided into five different frequency contour categories. These did not resemble the signature whistles of any of the play-fighting dolphins. The average start and end frequencies were 13.0 kHz and 10.1 kHz, respectively, and the maximum and minimum frequencies were 13.7 kHz and 7.0 kHz, respectively. The mean duration was 410 msec. Based on the fact that this sound occurred only in play-fights, we propose that it helps prevent a play-fight from escalating into a real fight and, hence, is analogous to the "laugh" and "chuckle" seen in apes. ***************************************************************** Irwin, L-J. 2005. Marine toxins: adverse health effects and biomonitoring with resident coastal dolphins. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):195-225. *mailing address: P.O. Box 37, Volcano, HI 96785, USA Ecotoxicologic studies of marine environments are complex. Expanding knowledge should take into account toxicology, ecology, biology, medicine, and global as well as local anthropogenic disturbances of ecosystems. These areas of interest are discussed, leading to recommendations for biomonitoring of a specific location. Marine mammals are useful as bioindicators of environmental disturbance and as sentinels of health risks for humans who frequently consume seafood. A small community of bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) in West Galveston Bay, Texas, with strong site fidelity is discussed here for consideration as a local environmental biomonitor. These dolphins are subject to a number of environmental impacts, including industrial toxins, nonpoint source agricultural and residential runoff, and pollutants from vessels. Other threats include climate change and toxic algal blooms. Marine mammal mass mortality events linked to morbillivirus infections in other areas have been associated with one or more of these environmental disturbances. Toxic effects described in cetacean literature generally do not include neurotoxic changes because specific tests for aquatic mammals are not yet available. Neurotoxicity has been addressed in studies of humans who consume contaminated seafood; specific findings are included in this review because marine mammals are likely to be subject to similar adverse effects. Researchers designing biomonitor studies need to keep in mind the multiple and complex impacts caused by both local and global issues. Known impacts on Galveston Bay are outlined and considered in suggesting local biomonitor study designs. Small populations of near-shore resident dolphins can serve more effectively as useful upper trophic level environmental bioindicators with such a multidisciplinary approach. ************************************************************** Pearson, H.C., and R.W. Davis. 2005. Behavior of territorial male sea otters (_Enhydra lutris_) in Prince William Sound, Alaska. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):226-233. Texas A&M University, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Science, 5007 Avenue U, Galveston, Texas 77551, USA Photo-identification and focal animal sampling were used to examine the daytime behavior of territorial male sea otters (_Enhydra lutris_) in Simpson Bay, Prince William Sound, Alaska, during the summer (June to August) of 2003. The average number of otters (all age classes of males and females) in the study area was 121 ± 12.1 SD (n = 5 surveys). The bout duration of six behaviors (resting, grooming, foraging, interacting with other otters, swimming at the surface, and patrolling), activity time budgets, and interactions with females were determined for territorial males. Ten males were observed during 183 focal follows (i.e., observation periods), representing 92 h of observation. More time was spent foraging (30%) than on any other activity, and foraging bouts were longer than all other activities. Males interacted with females with pups (59%) and with single females (41%). Two of three consortships (i.e., mating associations lasting ca. three days) were formed with single females. Sixty-seven percent of interactions between territorial males were aggressive and were longer than one min. ******************************************************** Ribeiro, S.*, F.A. Viddi, and T.R.O. Freitas. 2005. Behavioural responses of Chilean dolphins (_Cephalorhynchus eutropia_) to boats in Yaldad Bay, southern Chile. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):234-242. *Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Goncalves 9500, Caixa Postal 15007, CEP 91540-000, Porto Alegre (RS), Brazil During the austral summer of 2002, theodolite tracking was used to evaluate Chilean dolphin (_Cephalorhynchus eutropia_) behavioural responses to boats in Yaldad Bay, southern Chile. This bay represents an important site for the occurrence of this species. Boat traffic has increased considerably since 1980 in this area due to aquaculture activities. Behavioural responses were analysed for each dolphin activity, and pre-, during, and post-boat encounters. When foraging and approached by a vessel, dolphins increased their reorientation rate, whereas swimming speed showed no significant change. When traveling, however, dolphins reacted to boats by increasing their directional swimming speed, while reorientation rate did not differ. After encounters, dolphins seemed to return quickly to previous behavioural patterns when traveling, whereas it took longer to establish normal patterns when foraging. Group dispersion analyses showed that when boats approached foraging dolphins, they became significantly more cohesively grouped. Consequently, dolphins reacted negatively to boat presence in Yaldad Bay, but these responses were conditional on dolphin behavioural activities prior to boat encounters. These findings emphasize the need to consider boat traffic disturbance on cetaceans in coastal management plans. ********************************************* Beekmans, B.W.P.M.*, H. Whitehead, R. Huele, L. Steiner, and A.G. Steenbeek. Comparison of two computer-assisted photo-identification methods applied to sperm whales (_Physeter macrocephalus_). _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):243-247. *Department of Industrial Ecology, Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands Two computer-assisted photo-identification methods for sperm whales (_Physeter macrocephalus_), namely the Highlight method (Whitehead, 1990) and the Europhlukes method (based on Huele et al., 2000), were compared. Performance was measured in terms of speed and accuracy. A test set was constructed containing two photographs of each of 296 individuals. The test set was divided into three classes of photographic quality and three classes of pattern distinctiveness. Both programs met requirements for rapid matching; the mean extraction times were 74.2 and 90.1 s per image for the Highlight and the Europhlukes methods, respectively. The two methods performed similarly with respect to accuracy. Accuracy improved by using higher-quality photographs or photographs representing more distinctive flukes. Still, even when using only the higher-quality photographs, 12.4% of the matches were not included in the top nine of the list of potential matches by the Highlight method compared to 14.0% for the Europhlukes method. The rate of failure to find the true match in the top nine was only 3.3% when both methods were used together, however. It is, therefore, recommended that for improved matching, both methods should be used in tandem or that an integrated program, which combines the two methods, should be developed. ************************************ Morisaka, T.*, M. Shinohara, and M. Taki. 2005. Underwater sounds produced by neonatal bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_): I. Acoustic characteristics. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):248-257. *Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwake, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan Bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) communicate using various acoustic signals, including whistles and pulsed sounds. Many studies have been conducted on dolphin whistle development over a long span, but little research has been done on sounds produced by neonatal dolphins just after birth. For this reason, we studied the acoustic characteristics of underwater sounds produced by two neonatal dolphins. Both whistles and burst-pulses were identified as neonatal sounds at 1.5 h after birth. Whistles became longer by the hour. Whistle durations were highly correlated with respiration intervals. The neonate randomly produced various types of whistles, but no dominant whistles were documented. There were significant differences between neonates in the proportion of whistles to burst-pulses used, and also in the acoustic characteristics of their whistles. Acoustic characteristics that are unique to each individual neonate might help a mother dolphin to recognize her neonate. ******************************************************** Morisaka, T.*, M. Shinohara, and M. Taki. 2005. Underwater sounds produced by neonatal bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_): II. Potential function. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):248-257. *Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwake, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan Neonatal bottlenose dolphins (_Tursiops truncatus_) produce many sounds just after birth, including whistles and pulsed sounds. Herein, we report the possible function of the sounds produced by two captive-born, neonatal bottlenose dolphin as revealed by behavioural observations. Typical sucking sounds were observed during 71 to 81% of all suckling bouts. Since the neonates produced more sounds at the beginning of the suckling sequence than expected, it appeared that they might use the sounds as care-solicitation signals or begging signals. These sounds contained a higher proportion of whistles than sounds in other contexts, which implied that the proportions of sound types, especially whistles, were important for neonatal dolphins and their mothers to initiate the nursing sequence. ********************************* Fertl, D. 2005. Book Review: Marine Mammals: Fisheries, Tourism, and Management Issues. Editors: N. Gales, M. Hindell, and R. Kirkwood. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):266-267. Geo-Marine, Inc., 550 East 15th Street, Plano, Texas 75074, USA ************************************* Rendell, L. 2005. Book Review: The Biology of Traditions: Models and Evidence. Editors: Dorothy M. Fragaszy and Susan Perry. _Aquatic Mammals_ 31(2):268-270. Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, Fife, UK ------------------------------------------------------------------- -To submit a message to MARMAM, send it to: marmam(a)lists.uvic.ca -Please include your name and e-mail address in the body of the text of all submissions, and ensure your message has an appropriate subject heading (ie., not "Message for MARMAM") -Do not submit attached files or HTML/MIME messages. -To subscribe to MARMAM, go to lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam -To contact the MARMAM editors, write to: marmamed(a)uvic.ca -MARMAM Editorial Policy & FAQ: http://whitelab.biology.dal.ca/marmam.htm

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publication on N. Pacific right whale call detection
by Lisa Munger 14 Sep '05

14 Sep '05

Munger, L., D.K. Mellinger, S.M. Wiggins, S.E. Moore, and J.A. Hildebrand. 2005. Performance of spectrogram correlation in detecting right whale calls in long-term recordings from the Bering Sea. Canadian Acoustics 33 (2): 25-34. ABSTRACT We investigated the performance of spectrogram cross-correlation for automatically detecting North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) calls in long-term acoustic recordings from the southeastern Bering Sea. Data were sampled by autonomous, bottom-mounted hydrophones deployed in the southeastern Bering Sea from October 2000 through August 2002. A human analyst detected right whale calls within the first month (October 2000) of recorded data by visually examining spectrograms and by listening to recorded data; these manual detections were then compared to results of automated detection trials. Automated detection by spectrogram cross-correlation was implemented using a synthetic kernel based on the most common right whale call type. To optimize automated detection parameters, the analyst performed multiple trials on minutes-long and hour-long recordings and manually adjusted detection parameters between trials. A single set of optimized detection parameters was used to process a week-long recording from October 2000. The automated detector trials resulted in increasing proportions of false and missed detections with increasing data set duration, due to the higher proportion of acoustic noise and lower overall call rates in longer recordings. However, the automated detector missed only one calling "bout" (2 or more calls within a 10-minute span) of the 18 bouts present in the week-long recording. Despite the high number of false detections and missed individual calls, spectrogram cross-correlation was useful to guide a human analyst to sections of data with potential right whale calling bouts. Upon reviewing automatic detection events, the analyst could quickly dismiss false detections and search recordings before and after correct detections to find missed calls, thus improving the efficiency of searching for a small number of calls in long-term (months- to years-long) recordings. * * * * * Please address any inquiries to lmunger(a)ucsd.edu. Thanks, Lisa Munger Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California, San Diego La Jolla, CA 92093-0205 (858)534-5755 ~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~ Biological Oceanography ~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

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Third International Symposium on Marine Conservation Biology at Society for Conservation Biology Meeting in San Jose (24-28 June 2006)
by Ellen Hines 13 Sep '05

13 Sep '05

apologies for cross-postings The Marine Section of the Society for Conservation Biology is pleased to announce the Third International Symposium on Marine Conservation Biology, to be integrated into the 20th Annual Meeting of SCB in San Jose, California, USA. The Meeting is scheduled for 24-28 June 2006. The theme of the 2006 meeting is "Conservation Without Borders". We strongly encourage all scientists, practitioners, and students working in marine conservation to make plans for attending and participating in this important event. Details for the 2006 Annual Meeting are in on the following website: http://www.conservationbiology.org/2006 The deadline for proposing symposia, workshops, and organized discussions is October 15, 2005. Please see the following website for details: http://www.conservationbiology.org/2006/Symposiumcall.cfm Contributed papers on marine topics are also encouraged, and will be accepted between October 15th and January 10th. We hope to see you in San Jose in June 2006! Ellen Hines, Ph.D Assistant Professor Department of Geography and Human Environmental Studies San Francisco State University 1600 Holloway Ave. San Francisco, CA 94132 USA (415) 405-0921 Fax: (415) 338-6243 ehines(a)sfsu.edu

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revised mail:chronobiological essay on marine mammal behavior
by sergiounesp 13 Sep '05

13 Sep '05

sergio candido de oliveira junior sergiounesp(a)ig.com.br for those working with marine mammal behavior: is there some way to apply chronobiological analysis in behavior studies of cetaceans in wild environment ? any body works like that in behavior analysis of cetaceans ? the difficult of the studies on natural environment probably brings a lot of impossibilities at observation that , in turn , brake the continuum status on data. however different technics on methodological observation can brings a framework to make possible that occur. I´ve been searched information about that in http://www.portaldapesquisa.com.br, a brazilian data bank of cientific papers around the world. otherwise, I´ve been seached in scientific books generals. I wait for any kind of opinion or suggestion in this subject. cheers.

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Publication: taxonomic status of Sotalia dolphins
by Haydee Cunha 13 Sep '05

13 Sep '05

Dear all, I would like to announce a recently published paper on the specific status of Sotalia dolphins: Cunha HA, da Silva VMF, Lailson-Brito JJr, Santos MCO, Flores PAC, Martin AR, Azevedo AF, Fragoso ABL, Zanelatto RC & Solé-Cava AM. 2005. "Riverine and marine ecotypes of Sotalia dolphins are different species". Marine Biology. DOI: 10.1007/s00227-005-0078-2. PDFs requests should be sent to haydeecunha(a)yahoo.com.br Best regards, Haydée Cunha ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MSc. Haydée A. Cunha Laboratório de Biodiversidade Molecular (UFRJ)/ MAQUA - Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos (UERJ) Dept. de Genética, Inst. de Biologia Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ CCS, Bloco A, Sl. A2-098. Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil. 55 21 2562-6389/3869-7346/2587-7133 _______________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger com voz: PROMOÇÃO VOCÊ PODE LEVAR UMA VIAGEM NA CONVERSA. Participe! www.yahoo.com.br/messenger/promocao

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Job Opportunity
by Keith Matassa 13 Sep '05

13 Sep '05

Hi- Would you please post this job opportunity to the list serve also Animal Care/Lab Technician The University of New England's Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center has an opening for a full time Animal Care/Lab Technician. We are looking for a motivated, dynamic candidate who will work closely in a team setting with other staff and volunteers to assist with all aspects of veterinary care and husbandry of sick and injured marine animals. The successful candidate will also help to train and supervise volunteers in all aspects of animal care. Other responsibilities include but are not limited to: oversight of water quality sampling, maintenance of daily food and medical records, shipping and logging of biological samples, sharing coverage of 24 hr stranding beeper, and computer entry of data. This position requires some work in adverse weather conditions and at night and on weekends and holidays, the ability to lift 50 lbs., and a valid driver's license. The ideal candidate should be mature and motivated, and possess a strong work ethic and excellent observational, written, and oral communication skills. A Bachelor's degree in Biology (or related discipline) or a Veterinary Technician Certification, plus three years experience working with marine mammals in a captive environment and one year of supervisory experience are required. This is a full-time position with benefits. For general information on the facility, please refer to our website http://www.une.edu/cas/msc . Applications should include a cover letter, resume, three (3) letters of recommendation and be submitted to: Human Resources, University of New England, 11 Hills Beach Road, Biddeford, Maine 04005 or email applications to maliberti(a)une.edu . Review of applications will begin on September 15th and continue until the position is filled. The University of New England is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and strongly encourages the application of candidates of diverse backgrounds. Please see our website ( http://www.une.edu ) for additional information. Thanks Keith Matassa Marine Animal Rehabilitation Coordinator kmatassa(a)une.edu Keith A. Matassa Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Coordinator Marine Science Education and Research Center University of New England 11 Hills Beach Road Biddeford, Maine 04005 207-283-0171 ext 2670 kmatassa(a)une.edu

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Job Opportunity
by Keith Matassa 12 Sep '05

12 Sep '05

Hi- Would you please post the following employement opportunity to the MARMAM list serve- Senior Animal Care Technician/Volunteer Supervisor The University of New England's Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center has an opening for a full-time Senior Animal Care Technician. The Senior Animal Care Technician will work closely with the Rehabilitation Coordinator to manage the care of stranded animals and a volunteer workforce. This position also works closely with the Staff Veterinarian to manage the medical aspect of rehabilitation. Other duties include preparation and presentation of training sessions for volunteers, cleaning animal enclosures and service areas, preparing and administering food, behavioral husbandry, record keeping, educational outreach, and sharing coverage of the 24 hour stranding beeper. This position requires some work in adverse weather conditions and at night and on weekends and holidays, the ability to lift 50 lbs., and a valid driver's license. The ideal candidate should be mature and motivated and possess a strong work ethic and excellent observational, written, and oral communication skills. A Bachelor's degree in biology, wildlife management, zoology, or related field, at least three years experience working with marine mammals in a rehabilitation setting, and two years of supervisory experience are required. This is a full-time position with benefits. For general information on the facility, please refer to our website http://www.une.edu/cas/msc . Applications should include a cover letter, resume, three (3) letters of recommendation and be submitted to: Human Resources, University of New England, 11 Hills Beach Road, Biddeford, Maine 04005, or email applications to maliberti(a)une.edu . Review of applications will begin on September 15th and continue until the position is filled. The University of New England is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and strongly encourages the application of candidates of diverse backgrounds. Please see our website ( http://www.une.edu ) for additional information. Thank you, Keith Matassa kmatassa(a)une.edu Keith A. Matassa Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Coordinator Marine Science Education and Research Center University of New England 11 Hills Beach Road Biddeford, Maine 04005 207-283-0171 ext 2670 kmatassa(a)une.edu

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New Articles
by David S. Janiger 10 Sep '05

10 Sep '05

Hi, all! Here's the latest posting of new PDF's that are available. File sizes have been included. Abstracts also available on request. Please don't hit the reply button. Make all requests to: janiger(a)bcf.usc.edu Cheers! David Janiger - Curatorial Assistant (Mammals) Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 (213) 763-3369 janiger(a)bcf.usc.edu djaniger(a)nhm.org AGUSTI, CELIA; FRANCISCO JAVIER AZNAR and JUAN ANTONIO RAGA. JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY 265(2):176-189. 2005. Microtriches of tetraphyllidean metacestodes from western Mediterranean striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba). 0.949 MB ANDO, NORIKO; TAKEOMI ISONO and YASUNORI SAKURAI. ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH 20(4):415-423. 2005. Trace elements in the teeth of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) from the North Pacific. 0.354 MB BARATA, TERESA and STEVE P. BROOKS. IMAGE ANALYSIS, PROCEEDINGS LECTURE NOTES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE 3540:429-438. 2005. Dolphins who's who: A statistical perspective. 0.275 MB BIGI, FABIANA; M. CARMEN GARCIA-PELAYO; JAVIER NUNEZ-GARCIA; ANDREA PERALTA; KARINA C. CAIMI; PAUL GOLBY; JASON HINDS; ANGEL CATALDI; STEPHEN V. GORDON and MARIA I. ROMANO. FEMS (FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN MICROBIOLOGICAL SOCIETIES) MICROBIOLOGY LETTERS 248(2):147-152. 2005. Identification of genetic markers for Mycobacterium pinnipedii through genome analysis. 0.254 MB BIRKELAND, ANNETTE; KIT M. KOVACS; CHRISTIAN LYDERSEN and OTTO GRAHL-NIELSEN. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 298:287-294. 2005. Transfer of fatty acids from mothers to their calves during lactation in white whales Delphinapterus leucas. 0.086 MB BISCONTI, MICHELANGELO. PALAEONTOLOGY 48(4):793-816. 2005. Skull morphology and phylogenetic relationships of a new diminutive balaenid from the Lower Pliocene of Belgium. 0.585 MB CARAVEO-PATINO, JAVIER and LUIS A. SOTO. HYDROBIOLOGIA 539:99-107. 2005. Stable carbon isotope ratios for the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) in the breeding grounds of Baja California Sur, Mexico. 0.383 MB CLARKE, JANET T. and STEPHANIE A. NORMAN. JOURNAL OF CETACEAN RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT 7(1):43-50. 2005. Results and evaluation of US Navy shock trial environmental mitigation of marine mammals and sea turtles. 0.162 MB CRESPO, F. A. and L. L. DE CORE. MAMMALIA 69(2):233-238. 2005. Functional significance of bronchial sphincters in two southwestern Atlantic dolphins: Pontoporia blainvillei and Lagenorhynchus obscurus: A comparative approach. 1.367 MB DE LA CONCEPCION GARCIA-AGUILAR, MARIA and ENRIQUE MORALES-BOJORQUEZ. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 297:297-302. 2005. Estimating the haul-out population size of a colony of northern elephant seals Mirounga angustirostris in Mexico, based on mark-recapture data. 0.147 MB ENDO, TETSUYA; KOICHI HARAGUCHI; YOHEI HOTTA; YOHSUKE HISAMICHI; SHANE LAVERY; MEREL L. DALEBOUT and C. SCOTT BAKER. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 39(15):5703-5708. 2005. Total mercury, methyl mercury, and selenium levels in the red meat of small cetaceans sold for human consumption in Japan. 0.107 MB ERIKSEN, NINA; LEE A. MILLER; JAKOB TOUGAARD and DAVID A. HELWEG. BEHAVIOUR 142(3):305-328. 2005. Cultural change in the songs of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeanglide) from Tonga. 1.613 MB FERBER. DAN. SCIENCE (WASHINGTON D. C.) 309(5738):1166. 2005. Environmental science - Sperm whales bear testimony to worldwide pollution. 0.068 MB FRITZ, LOWELL W. and ERIC S. BROWN. FISHERY BULLETIN 103(3):501-515. 2005. Survey- and fishery-derived estimates of Pacific cod (Godus macrocephalus) biomass: Implications for strategies to reduce interactions between groundfish fisheries and Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus). 0.648 MB GEISLER, JONATHAN H.; ALBERT E. SANDERS and ZHE-XI LUO. AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES 3480:1-65. 2005. A new protocetid whale (Cetacea: Archaeoceti) from the Late Middle Eocene of South Carolina. 1.954 MB GUINET, C.; N. SERVERA; T. DEVILLE and G. BEAUPLET. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 83(6):962-970. 2005. Changes in subantarctic fur seal pups' activity budget and diving behaviours throughout the rearing period. 0.100 MB HAMMOND, JOHN A.; AILSA J. HALL and ELISABETH A. DYRYNDA. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM) 74(2):126-138. 2005. Comparison of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) induced effects on innate immune functions in harbour and grey seals. 0.282 MB HATANAKA, HIROSHI. NATURE (LONDON) 436(7053):912. 2005. Answering the critics of Japanese whale research. 0.111 MB HOFMEYR, G. J. G.; B. A. KRAFFT; S. P. KIRKMAN; M. N. BESTER; C. LYDERSEN and K. M. KOVACS. POLAR BIOLOGY 28(9):725-731. 2005. Population changes of Antarctic fur seals at Nyroysa, Bouvetoya. 0.282 MB HOGARTH, WILLIAM. NATURE (LONDON) 436(7054):1088. 2005. Complex research on sea lions is worth the expense. 0.108 MB JOHNSON, PETER; ROBERT ELSNER and TANIA ZENTENO-SAVIN. FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 39(2):205-212. 2005. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 proteomics and diving adaptations in ringed seal. 0.526 MB KARUPPIAH, S.; A. SUBRAMANIAN and J. P. OBBARD. CHEMOSPHERE 60(7):891-897. 2005. Organochlorine residues in odontocete species from the southeast coast of India. 0.231 MB KASTELEIN, RONALD A.; MIRJAM JANSSEN; WILLEM C. VERBOOM and DICK DE HAAN. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 118(2):1172-1179. 2005. Receiving beam patterns in the horizontal plane of a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). 0.332 MB KEXIONG WANG; DING WANG; TOMONARI AKAMATSU; SONGHAI LI and JIANQIANG XIAO. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 118(2):1180-1185. 2005. A passive acoustic monitoring method applied to observation and group size estimation of finless porpoises. 0.105 MB LEHNERT, K.; J. A. RAGA and U. SIEBERT. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 64(3):265-269. 2005. Macroparasites in stranded and bycaught harbour porpoises from German and Norwegian waters. 0.312 MB MATSUOKA, KOJI; ROBERT L. PITMAN and FERNANDA F. C. MARQUEZ. JOURNAL OF CETACEAN RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT 7(1):71-73. 2005. A note on a pygmy right whale (Caperea marginata) sighting in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. 0.125 MB MCMAHON, CLIVE; JOHN VAN DEN HOFF and HARRY BURTON. AMBIO 34(6):426-429. 2005. Handling intensity and the short- and long-term survival of elephant seals: Addressing and quantifying research effects on wild animals. 0.164 MB MILLER, NATALIE J.; ANTHONY D. POSTLE; SAMUEL SCHURCH; W. MICHAEL SCHOEL; CHRISTOPHER B. DANIELS and SANDRA ORGEIG. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 141(2):191-199. 2005. The development of the pulmonary surfactant system in California sea lions. 0.143 MB MILTON, SARAH. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY 208(13):v-vi. 2005. News item Diving seals don't get the shivers. 0.338 MB MORIN, PHILLIP; AVIVA NESTLER; NADIA T. RUBIO-CISNEROS; KELLY M. ROBERTSON and SARAH L. MESNICK. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 14(10):3275-3286. 2005. Interfamilial characterization of a region of the ZFX and ZFY genes facilitates sex determination in cetaceans and other mammals. 1.022 MB NATOLI, ADA; ALEXEI BIRKUN; ALEX AGUILAR; ALFREDO LOPEZ and A. RUS HOELZEL. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES B BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 272(1569):1217-1226. 2005. Habitat structure and the dispersal of male and female bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). 0.665 MB NISHIHARA, HIDENORI; YOKO SATTA; MASATO NIKAIDO; J. G. M. THEWISSEN; MICHAEL J. STANHOPE and NORIHIRO OKADA. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION 22(9):1823-1833. 2005. A retroposon analysis of Afrotherian phylogeny. 0.329 MB OHISHI, KAZUE; KIYOTAKA TAKISHITA; MASARU KAWATO; RYOKO ZENITANI; TAKEHARU BANDO; YOSHIHIRO FUJISE; YOSHITAKA GOTO; SABURO YAMAMOTO and TADASHI MARUYAMA. MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY 49(8):789-793. 2005. Chimeric structure of omp2 of Brucella from Pacific common minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). 0.195 MB PADIAL, JOSE M. and CARLOS IBANEZ. MAMMALIA 69(2):239-243. 2005. New records and comments for the Mauritanian mammal fauna. 0.371 MB PRICE, SAMANTHA A.; OLAF R. P. BININDA-EMONDS and JOHN L. GITTLEMAN. BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS 80(3):445-473. 2005. A complete phylogeny of the whales, dolphins and even-toed hoofed mammals (Cetartiodactyla). 0.238 MB RICHARDSON, EVAN; IAN STIRLING and DAVID S. HIK. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 83(6):860-870. 2005. Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) maternity denning habitat in western Hudson Bay: A bottom-up approach to resource selection functions. 0.195 MB ROOTS, O.; V. ZITKO and A. ROOSE. CHEMOSPHERE 60(7):914-921. 2005. Persistent organic pollutant patterns in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). 0.367 MB ROSA, SABRINA; MICHEL C. MILINKOVITCH; KOEN VAN WAEREBEEK; JEHANNE BERCK; JORGE OPORTO; JOANNA ALFARO-SHIGUETO; MARIE-FRANCOISE F. VAN BRESSEM; NATALIE GOODALL and INSA CASSENS. CONSERVATION GENETICS 6(3):431-443. 2005. Population structure of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA variation among South American Burmeister's porpoises (Phocoena spinipinnis). 0.377 MB SACCO, JAMES C. and MARGARET O. JAMES. DRUG METABOLISM AND DISPOSITION 33(9):1341-1348. 2005. Sulfonation of environmental chemicals and their metabolites in the polar bear (Ursus maritimus). 0.278 MB SEPULVEDA, MARITZA and DORIS OLIVA. AQUACULTURE RESEARCH 36(11):1062-1068. 2005. Interactions between South American sea lions Otaria flavescens (Shaw) and salmon farms in southern Chile. 0.212 MB SMITHWICK, MARLA; SCOTT A. MABURY; KEITH R. SOLOMON; CHRISTIAN SONNE; JONATHAN W. MARTIN; ERIK W. BORN; RUNE DIETZ; ANDREW E. DEROCHER; ROBERT J. LETCHER; THOMAS J. EVANS; GEIR W. GABRIELSEN; JOHN NAGY; IAN STIRLING; M. K. TAYLOR and D. C. G. MUIR. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 39(15):5517-5523. 2005. Circumpolar study of perfluoroalkyl contaminants in polar bears (Ursus maritimus). 0.402 MB SOUTHALL, BRANDON L.; RONALD J. SCHUSTERMAN; DAVID KASTAK and COLLEEN REICHMUTH KASTAK. ACOUSTICS RESEARCH LETTERS ONLINE-ARLO 6(4):243-249. 2005. Reliability of underwater hearing thresholds in pinnipeds. 0.063 MB SOUTHWELL, C. J.; K. R. KERRY and P. H. ENSOR. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 299:297-309. 2005. Predicting the distribution of crabeater seals Lobodon carcinophaga off east Antarctica during the breeding season. 0.624 MB THOMPSON, DAVID; MIKE LONERGAN and CALLAN DUCK. JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY 42(4):638-648. 2005. Population dynamics of harbour seals Phoca vitulina in England: Monitoring growth and catastrophic declines. 0.292 MB TRITES, ANDREW W. and RUTH JOY. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 86(4):704-712. 2005. Dietary analysis from fecal samples: How many scats are enough? 0.319 MB TRUMBLE, STEPHEN J. and MICHAEL A. CASTELLINI. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 83(6):851-859. 2005. Diet mixing in an aquatic carnivore, the harbour seal. 0.112 MB VERFUß, URSULA K.; LEE A. MILLER and HANS-ULRICH SCHNITZLER. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY 208(17):3385-3394. 2005. Spatial orientation in echolocating harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). 0.487 MB VERREAULTT, JONATHAN; GEIR V. GABRIELSEN; SHAOGANG CHU; DEREK C. G. MUIR; MAGNUS ANDERSEN; AHMAD HAMAED and ROBERT J. LETCHER. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 39(16):6021-6028. 2005. Flame retardants and methoxylated and hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers in two Norwegian Arctic top predators: Glaucous gulls and polar bears. 0.244 MB YANG, G.; J. YAN; K. ZHOU and F. WEI. JOURNAL OF HEREDITY 96(4):310-317. 2005. Sequence variation and gene duplication at MHC DQB loci of baiji (Lipotes vexillifer), a Chinese river dolphin. 0.535 MB

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Re: Socprog workshop registration
by Tonya Wimmer 06 Sep '05

06 Sep '05

Dear MARMAM Readers, SMM BIENNIAL WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT: "SOCPROG and the analysis of animal social structure using individual identifications" When: Sunday, 11 December 2005, afternoon session Where: Manchester Grand Hyatt, San Diego (conference venue) Summary: The computer program SOCPROG is used by marine mammalogists, and others, to examine social structure, usually using data from photo-identifications. However, analyzing social structure and using SOCPROG are not straightforward. The workshop plans to provide guidance in these matters, using onscreen real-time analyses of real data. Participants do not need to have experience in using SOCPROG (although this will help). There is the possibility that those with their own data sets who are registered for the workshop may be able to arrange a brief meeting with Hal during his free time while he?s at the conference to discuss their concerns and go over their own analyses. Please email me if you would be interested in a separate meeting with Hal. The length of time for these meetings will depend on the number of people who are interested. We will update those who register on this if we can arrange the time in Hal?s schedule. Chair: Hal Whitehead Organizer: Tonya Wimmer E-mails: twimmer(a)dal.ca; Hal.Whitehead(a)Dal.Ca Registration fee until October 31, 2005: $45 US Registration fee after October 31, 2005: $55 US Registration and cancellation deadline: November 15, 2005 Cancellations will be refunded by cheque only Visit : http://whitelab.biology.dal.ca/SOCPROGworkshop.htm for workshop information and details on how to register. If you have any problems with the website or the registration form, please email us. Please note that Tonya will be away from September 11-26th and will only have limited access to her email. If you have any questions about registration, please email us and we?ll get back to you as soon as we can. Also note that if you send a cheque during this time, it will not be cashed until she returns. We look forward to seeing you at the workshop. Many thanks for your interest, Tonya and Hal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tonya Wimmer, MSc. Biology NS Marine Animal Response Society 1-866-567-6277 & Dalhousie University, Halifax http://whitelab.biology.dal.ca/tw/tonya.htm - You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star - Nietzsche ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Alaska SeaLife Center Job Announcement
by Valerie Park 06 Sep '05

06 Sep '05

The Alaska SeaLife Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to marine research, rehabilitation, conservation, and public education is seeking applications for the following: RESEARCH ASSOCIATE / TECHNICIAN III This position is responsible for assisting lead scientists in conducting Sea Otter research projects at the Alaska SeaLife Center and independently managing designated projects. Responsibilities (include but are not limited to): * Assisting in all phases of assigned Sea Otter research projects including functioning as the primary technician, developing project plans, managing project budgets, and arranging research project logistics * Working directly with internal and external collaborators and contractors to meet project objectives * Reporting to lead scientist regularly on status of research projects * Providing technical support in field: population surveys, animal capture, tagging, observations, scat collections * Assisting with laboratory benchwork, including scat analysis and tooth sectioning * Collecting data, assisting with data entry and analysis, maintaining sample tracking records, and database management * Assisting in the procurement, inventory, and maintenance of equipment and supplies to be used in research projects * Drafting reports and scientific publications and preparing posters, graphic presentation, and public presentations * May be required to participate in extended field research with focus on Commander Islands (Russia) and Aleutian Islands Requirements: Master's degree in natural resources related field preferred; or Bachelor's degree in biology, marine biology, zoology, chemistry, or related field with two years experience in a similar position. Experience in a research setting preferred. Some Russian language experience desirable. This is a permanent, full-time position. The SeaLife Center offers a competitive wage (DOE) with great benefits, in a beautiful setting. Seward is a tourist destination, located on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, boasting incredible recreation opportunities. Imagine partaking in world-class halibut and salmon fishing, rafting, and kayaking in Resurrection Bay and on the Kenai River. Experience icebergs calving from glaciers in Kenai Fjords National Park. Hike the 200 miles of trail in the Chugach National Forest, viewing wildlife like moose, black and brown bears, bald eagles, and Dall Sheep. Start Date: open until filled Apply by: Monday, October 10, 2005 Send resume & application (downloadable at www.alaskasealife.org <http://www.alaskasealife.org/> ) to Human Resources, Alaska SeaLife Center, P. O. Box 1329, Seward, AK 99664-1329, or fax 907-224-6320, or email to HR(a)alaskasealife.org <mailto:human_resources@alaskasealife.org> . www.alaskasealife.org The ASLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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