January 2006 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New publications week 2
by Jan Herrmann 22 Jan '06

22 Jan '06

Dear all, here are some new publications of week 02 / 2006, which haven't been announced on MARMAM earlier AFAIK. By clicking the following link you are guided to a website, where the following references are linked to their according journal homepages. There you can find abstracts and contact information: http://www.mmbib.com/news.html Please do not contact MARMAM, the MARMAM editors or me for reprints. Thank you. Kindest Regards, Jan Herrmann CETACEA May-Collado, L. and I. Agnarsson (2006): Cytochrome b and Bayesian inference of whale phylogeny. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 38(2): 344-354. Honda, K., M. Aoki, and Y. Fujise (2006): Ecochemical approach using mercury accumulation of Antarctic minke whale, Balaenoptera bonaerensis, as tracer of historical change of Antarctic marine ecosystem during 1980-1999. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 76(1): 140-147. Stockin, K.A., C.R. Weir, and G.J. Pierce (2006): Examining the importance of Aberdeenshire (UK) coastal waters for North Sea bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 86(1): 201-207. PINNIPEDIA Del Piero, F. et al. (2006): West Nile Flavivirus Polioencephalomyelitis in a Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina). Veterinary Pathology 43(1): 58-61. Cruwys, L. and A. Friday (2006): Visible supernumerary teeth in pinnipeds. Polar Record 42(1): 83-85. OTHER Hattersley-Smith, G. (2006): Book Reviews. RED SERGE AND POLAR BEAR PANTS: THE BIOGRAPHY OF HARRY STALLWORTHY, RCMP. William Barr. 2005. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press. xiv + 385 p, illustrated, soft cover. ISBN 0-88864-433-7. $Can34.95. Polar Record 42(1): 88-89. -- --> jan.herrmann -at - cetacea.de

1 0

SVP symposium 2006: "The start of the radiation of Neoceti."
by Mark Uhen 20 Jan '06

20 Jan '06

Announcement of SVP symposium, October 2006 The start of the radiation of Neoceti - unraveling the early history of Neoceti, including the transition from Archaeoceti and the origin of modern lineages. This symposium will be presented as part of 66th Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, October 18-21, 2006; at Marriott Ottawa/The Crowne Plaza Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. We expect it will be held on the morning of Wednesday 18th (to be confirmed and posted on SVP website). Conveners: R Ewan Fordyce, Mark D Uhen. Background. Cetacean research has advanced enormously in the last 2 decades, marked by many contributions on origins and initial radiation of Archaeoceti, and on the Neogene history of Neoceti - "modern" whales and dolphins. Research is moving towards "closing the gap" between these bottom-up and top-down approaches, identifying and interpreting issues involved with the origin and initial radiation of the Neoceti in latest Eocene and Oligocene times. We expect the proposed symposium to interest vertebrate paleontologists, marine mammalogists and molecular phylogeneticists. The symposium will consider at least 3 broad aspects: a) Contributions based around fossils of early Neoceti, desirably in the range late/latest Eocene to Oligocene/Miocene boundary (Priabonian to basal Aquitanian). We seek topics of broader importance, rather than routine reports of, for example, new records of species in well-known groups. b) Contributions on later archaeocetes that deal with transition from Archaeoceti to Neoceti. More-basal groups such as protocetids and pakicetids might be considered if they explicitly address key issues within the Neoceti, but later basilosaurids and dorudontids are likely to be more revealing. c) Molecular studies, studies on younger fossils, and anatomical studies on extant mammals that explicitly elucidate the early history of Neoceti. This aspect would embrace "evo-devo" issues. We have discussed the symposium with some colleagues active in cetacean research, including some of those who will receive this mailing, and have many expressions of interest. Potential contributions include presentations on: significant new taxa including early records of crown-taxa; evolution of functional systems (teeth, filter-feeding, ears, vertebrae); regional faunas; reassessments of phylogeny; and patterns of diversity over time. We particularly encourage appropriate contributions from marine mammal biologists. Please forward this to colleagues who may be interested. If you anticipate contributing, and have not yet contacted the conveners, please email both of us: ewan.fordyce(a)stonebow.otago.ac.nz AND uhen(a)umich.edu outlining your proposed contribution. If you have already discussed a contribution, and find that it changes direction, please keep us up to date. Proposals for posters and platform contributions will be considered formally at the usual time of abstract submission, as outlined on http://www.vertpaleo.org/meetings/index.html. -- Mark D. Uhen Phone: 248-645-3253 Curator of Paleontology and Zoology Fax : 248-645-3050 Cranbrook Institute of Science Email: uhen(a)umich.edu 39221 Woodward Avenue PO Box 801 Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48303-0801

1 0

Duke University Marine Mammal Course
by tara.cox＠duke.edu 19 Jan '06

19 Jan '06

Duke University Marine Lab 2006 Summer Course: Marine Mammals Dates: Summer Term II: 10 July - 11 August 2006 Course limit: 15 students (undergraduates, graduate students, professionals) Application deadline (if applying for Global Fellowship): 15 February 2006 Application deadline (if applying for Tuition Scholarship): 1 April 2006 Application deadline (no funding support): 10 June 2006 The Duke University Marine Laboratory invites applications to its summer field course on the biology of marine mammals. Topics covered include the ecology, behavior, management and conservation of marine mammals, with emphasis on field study of the local population of bottlenose dolphins. This is a field and laboratory-intensive course designed to provide first-hand experience with research techniques such as photo-identification and mark-recapture analysis, sampling prey distribution and abundance, behavioral sampling techniques, acoustic recording and analysis, and dissection techniques. The course is taught by a distinguished faculty that includes Andy Read (Duke University) and John Reynolds (Eckerd College and Mote Marine Laboratory). As part of Summer Term?s II Integrated Marine Conservation Program, a core course BIO 109/ENV 209 (Conservation Biology and Policy) may be taken with Marine Mammals. Students are encouraged (but not required) to take both courses. Approximately ten Global Fellowships in Marine Conservation will be awarded on a competitive basis to international students, especially those from developing countries, and will fully cover travel expenses, room and board, and tuition for both BIO 109/ENV 209 Conservation Biology and Policy plus one elective course subject to availability. Electives include: Biology and Conservation of Sea Turtles; Marine Mammals; Marine Ecology; Marine Invertebrate Zoology; Marine Policy; and Independent Research. Experience the beautiful North Carolina coast! Join students from all over the world in participating in this unique summer session experience. Enrollment is limited, apply early! For more information: mL_admissions(a)nicholas.duke.edu (Tel: 252.504.7502). www.nicholas.duke.edu/marinelab/admissions/forms.html http://www.env.duke.edu/marinelab/programs/scholarship.html http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/marinelab/programs/summer2.html

1 0

Request for Information on Pinnipeds in California
by Monica DeAngelis 18 Jan '06

18 Jan '06

Dear Colleagues: NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southwest Regional Office (SWR) is requesting assistance to collect information on pinniped haulout sites in California. Documenting the location and seasonal use of pinniped haulout sites is important for managing activities that may impact pinnipeds and also for prioritizing research needs. NMFS-SWR, in collaboration with NMFS-Southwest Fisheries Science Center, has created an interactive GIS database that will provide a comprehensive inventory of pinniped haulout sites in California, based primarily from an extensive review of literature and from contributions from fellow researchers. We are requesting assistance from pinniped researchers and others who are willing to share their information on pinniped haulout information in California. We understand the sensitivity of sharing data, but we want to make sure that the database incorporates both historical and current information on pinnipeds in California. Many pinniped surveys are conducted at the end of the breeding season when the majority of the animals are hauled out. Much can be inferred about dispersal of pinnipeds by comparing movement between the breeding and non-breeding seasons. However, less is known about dispersal within the breeding and particularly, during the non-breeding season. Thus, we hope that with your assistance, we will be able to compile year-round information on pinniped haulout sites in California. Primarily, we are interested in information (past and present) on: 1) species; 2) location (e.g., name of area and/or latitude/longitude); 3) counts; 4) date and time observed; 5) whether the area was/is used as a rookery or non-rookery; and 6) age class. Any other additional information would also be greatly appreciated. We also request that you include reference information, so that this may be included in the database as well. Presently, the database will only be accessible to NMFS-SWR staff as we continue to develop this database and collect information. The information in the database will be evaluated and updated on an annual basis. In the future, we may want to make a restricted version of this database available to the public (likely to include the GIS map, species and location), but we will notify participating researchers prior to publicizing. If you have information on pinniped haulout sites in California, but are unsure about disseminating data, please feel free to contact me so that we may discuss alternatives. Please contact me with any questions. Thank you in advance for your time. Cheers, Monica DeAngelis -- Monica L. DeAngelis Marine Mammal Biologist NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service/Southwest Region Protected Resources Division 501 W. Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200 Long Beach, CA Work: 562-980-3232 Fax: 562-980-4027 E-mail: Monica.DeAngelis(a)noaa.gov

1 0

paper on acoustic whale monitoring in Alaska
by Dave Mellinger 18 Jan '06

18 Jan '06

This paper has just been published: Moore, S.E., K.M. Stafford, D.K. Mellinger, and J.A. Hildebrand. 2006. Listening for large whales in offshore waters of Alaska. BioScience 56:49-55. Please contact Sue.Moore(a)noaa.gov or David.Mellinger(a)oregonstate.edu for a copy. Dave Mellinger

1 0

Announcement of Public Scoping for Programmatic EIS
by Sarah Wilkin 18 Jan '06

18 Jan '06

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the activities of the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP). The MMHSRP encompasses: - the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network, - the Marine Mammal Disentanglement Program, - the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event and Emergency Response Program, - the Marine Mammal Biomonitoring and Research Program, - the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program, - the National Marine Mammal Tissue and Serum Bank, and - the MMHSRP Information Management Program. More information regarding the EIS is available on our website: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/eis.htm The EIS will address the information needs for the conservation of marine mammals; the types and levels of stranding response and rehabilitation activities, including level of effort; and the cumulative impacts of MMHSRP activities on marine mammals and the environment. The EIS will also address appropriate mitigation measures and potential cumulative impacts of the MMHSRP. As part of and concurrent with the EIS, the MMHSRP is proposing to issue national standards for marine mammal stranding and disentanglement response, including marine mammal rehabilitation and release of rehabilitated animals, in a document titled "Policies and Best Practices for Marine Mammal Stranding Response, Rehabilitation and Release." Interim versions of the chapters of this document are available for your review and comment on the website listed above. As an initial step in the EIS process, NMFS is hosting a series of public scoping meetings. NMFS invites the public, including stranding network participants, Stranding Agreement (LOA) holders, marine mammal researchers and scientists, elected officials, regulatory agencies, environmental groups, and other interested individuals, to attend the scoping meetings and to provide input on the range of actions, alternatives, and impacts that should be considered in the EIS. Eight scoping meetings will be held in January and February 2006 at the following locations and dates: 1. Tuesday, January 24, 2006, 7-10 P.M., Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA; 2. Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 2-5 P.M., Bay Conservation and Development Commission, 50 California St., Suite 2600, San Francisco, CA; 3. Friday, January 27, 2006, 3-6 P.M., Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary O'ahu Office, 6600 Kalaniana'ole Highway, Honolulu, HI; 4. Monday, January 30, 2006, 2-5 P.M., NMFS Northwest Regional Office, Building 9, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA; 5. Wednesday, February 1, 2006; 2-5 P.M., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK; 6. Tuesday, February 7, 2006; 5-8 P.M., NMFS Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL; 7. Monday, February 13, 2006; 5-8 P.M., New England Aquarium Conference Center, Central Wharf, Boston, MA; 8. Friday, February 17, 2006; 2-5 P.M, Silver Spring Metro Center Building 4, Science Center, 1301 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD. Each scoping meeting will consist of an informational poster session, a formal presentation of the EIS, and a formal public comment period. Each attendee is invited to give a statement of up to four minutes. These public comments will not be responded to during the meeting, although they will be incorporated into the EIS. However, if there is interest, there may be an informal (off the record) question and answer session following the formal comment period. In addition to the scoping meetings, comments may be submitted in writing through February 28, 2006 in one of the following ways: Email: mmhsrpeis.comments(a)noaa.gov Fax: 301-427-2584 Mail to: Mr. P. Michael Payne Chief, Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Division (F/PR2) Office of Protected Resources National Marine Fisheries Service 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13635 Silver Spring, MD 20910 For additional information about the EIS and the Interim Policies and Practices documents, please visit our website at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/eis.htm or one of the following information repositories (information will be available approximately one week prior to the public scoping meetings): 1. Santa Barbara Public Library, 40 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101; 2. San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102; 3. Hawaii State Library, 478 South King Street, Honolulu, HI 96813; 4. Seattle Public Library, 1000 4th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104; 5. Z.J. Loussac Public Library, 3600 Denali Street, Anchorage, AK 99503; 6. St. Petersburg Public Library, 3745 9th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33713; 7. Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116; 8. NOAA Central Library, 1315 East-West Highway, 2nd Floor, SSMC3, Silver Spring, MD 20910. These meetings are accessible to people with disabilities. If you need to request sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids, or if you have additional questions, please contact myself (sarah.wilkin(a)noaa.gov) or Sarah Howlett (sarah.howlett(a)noaa.gov) at least five days before the scheduled meeting date.

1 0

Job Announcement
by Valerie Park 17 Jan '06

17 Jan '06

The Alaska SeaLife Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to marine research, rehabilitation, conservation, and public education is seeking applications for the following: FIELD COORDINATOR This position is responsible for coordinating a broad range of field related activities specific to the Steller Sea Lion (SSL) & Northern Fur Seal Research Program at ASLC, supporting the Juvenile SSL Program, and other duties as assigned that will require initiative and supervising staff. Responsibilities (include but are not limited to): 1. Supervise boat operations for the program, and actively participate in selecting, purchasing, rigging, testing and operating assorted boats utilized in the program, in collaboration with the Vessel Safety Officer. 2. Participate and assist in coordinating dive capture and surface handling operations, and other diving-related research in the SSL Program in collaboration with the Dive Safety Officer. 3. Support under the direction of the Chief Scientist and attending Veterinarian, handling of captured animals while in the field. 4. Acquire sedation equipment and provide a lead role in dart capturing Steller sea lions on land. 5. Support captive Transient Steller Sea Lion Program under direction of the Chief Scientist, including research facilities and animal care. 6. Participate in drafting permit applications for the capture and holding of transient juvenile Steller sea lions, and other permitting-related activities. 7. Support and assist in the design and construction of facilities or technologies for Steller sea lions. 8. Provide support for research that may include harbor seal, eider, sea otter and other programs. Requirements: Degree in Biology or Zoology preferred, or 3 years of project or animal management experience may be substituted. A minimum of 2 year experience in a management or supervisory role desired. Individuals with Steller sea lion experience preferred. Experience with equipment procurement and inventory is beneficial. Minimum of 3 years experience with professional boat procurement, rigging, maintenance or operation required. Wildlife immobilization training and experience preferred. SCUBA certification (NAUI / PADI) to Advanced Open Water level preferred. Position requires extensive field work dealing with large, potentially dangerous animals. This is a 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: March 1, 2006 or ASAP Apply by: February 3, 2006 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.

1 0

New paper on habitat partitioning by dolphins
by Maddalena Bearzi 17 Jan '06

17 Jan '06

Dear Colleagues, the following paper has recently been published on the Southern California Academy of Science Bulletin: Bearzi, M. 2005. Habitat partitioning by three species of dolphins in Santa Monica Bay, CA. Southern California Academy of Science Bulletin 104(3):113-124. Best Regards, Maddalena Bearzi, Ph.D. Ocean Conservation Society, President P.O. Box 12860 Marina del Rey, CA 90295 - USA ph.310.8225205, fax 310.8225729 mbearzi(a)earthlink.net http://www.oceanconservation.org ABSTRACT Habitat partitioning by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), shortbeaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), and long-beaked common dolphins (D. capensis), were assessed during 178 surveys conducted between 19972000 in Santa Monica Bay, California. Bottlenose dolphins were found year-round within 0.5 km from shore in 80.0 % of the sightings (n 137) but they were also found in deeper waters further offshore. The two common dolphin species were observed year-round (n 83) far from shore and near escarpments; they were sympatric but never seen in mixed schools. This study suggests that habitat partitioning in the bay probably relates to resource partitioning among three dolphins species with roughly similar ecological needs.

1 0

Marine Collection Newsletter: Open Access & Feature Extraction
by Shelagh A. Smith 17 Jan '06

17 Jan '06

Hello all, The third issue of the marine collection newsletter is now available for download at: http://mlsource.ornith.cornell.edu/marine/ newsletters/MCNIssue3.pdf. In this issue the topics covered include: - open access to the marine collection; - request for input on feature extraction from the sound collection; and - stand-alone version of the visualization tool, with video support. It was wonderful to have an opportunity to meet many of you this past December in San Diego at the SMM biennial, and I hope to meet more of the community at Ocean Sciences in February and ECS in April. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding the collection. Best, Shelagh Shelagh A. Smith Assistant Curator, Marine Collection Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds www.animalbehaviorarchive.org Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, New York 14850 Phone: 607.254.2492 Fax: 607.254.2439 The Mission of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: "To interpret and conserve the Earth's biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds."

1 0

2006 Protect Wild Dolphin RFP
by Marsh Youngbluth 17 Jan '06

17 Jan '06

2006 FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR DOLPHIN RESEARCH IN FLORIDA The Protect Wild Dolphin Program at the HARBOR BRANCH Oceanographic Institution supports scientific projects that investigate anatomy, behavior, bioacoustics, conservation, ecology, immunology, modeling, physiology, population genetics, psychophysics, statistical analyses, and toxicology of dolphin in Florida waters. The 2006 Request for Proposals (RFP) can be found at http://www.protectwilddolphins.org/downloads.html. The award limit per project is $100,000. Collaborative proposals are encouraged. The deadline for receipt of proposals will be 15 March 2006. Proposals for 1-2 day workshops on topics such as conservation strategies, enabling technologies, health assessments, spatial-temporal modeling, stock management, stranding evaluation, and tagging effects on dolphin in Florida waters, will also be considered. The deadline for receipt of proposals will be 15 March 2006. Limited support (up to $10,000 per institution) is also available for reimbursement of stranding expenses. The deadline for receipt of reimbursement requests will be 1 December 2006. -----Original Message----- From: MARMAM Editors [mailto:marmamed@uvic.ca] Sent: Monday, January 16, 2006 11:24 PM To: youngbluth(a)hboi.edu Subject: Re: 2006 Protect Wild Dolphin RFP The MARMAM address has changed - please re-send your message to marmam(a)lists.uvic.ca ------------------------------------------------------------------- -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

1 0