October 2006 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New publications week 39
by Jan Herrmann 04 Oct '06

04 Oct '06

Dear all, here are some new publications of week 39 / 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. Thanks to all of you who sent in reprints to be included in the weekly announcements. Kindest Regards, Jan Herrmann CETACEA Dagleish, M.P. et al. (2006): Intracranial granuloma caused by asporogenic Aspergillus fumigatus in a harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). The Veterinary Record 159(14): 458-460. Iwanami, K. et al. (2006): cDNA-derived amino acid sequences of myoglobins from nine species of whales and dolphins. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 145(2): 249-256. Kajiwara, N. et al. (2006): Organohalogen and organotin compounds in killer whales mass-stranded in the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan. Marine Pollution Bulletin 52(9): 1066-1076. Kiel, S. and J.L. Goedert (2006): Deep-sea food bonanzas: early Cenozoic whale-fall communities resemble wood-fall rather than seep communities. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B-Biological Sciences 273(1601): 2625-2631. Lahaye, V. et al. (2006): New insights from age determination on toxic element accumulation in striped and bottlenose dolphins from Atlantic and Mediterranean waters. Marine Pollution Bulletin 52(10): 1219-1230. Norton, S.A. (2006): Dolphin-to-human transmission of lobomycosis? Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 55(4): 723-724. Nummela, S., T. Hussain, and J.G.M. Thewissen (2006): Cranial anatomy of Pakicetidae (Cetacea, Mammalia). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26(3): 746-759. Panigada, S. et al. (2006): Mediterranean fin whales at risk from fatal ship strikes. Marine Pollution Bulletin 52(10): 1287-1298. Parsons, E.C.M. et al. (2006): It's not just poor science - Japan's "scientific" whaling is a human health risk too. Marine Pollution Bulletin 52(9): 1118-1120. Segura, I. et al. (2006): Conservation implications of the genetic and ecological distinction of Tursiops truncatus ecotypes in the Gulf of California. Biological Conservation 133(3): 336-346. Van Bressem, M.-F. et al. (2006): Dolphins and Children: A Blueprint for Marine Environmental Education in Peru. Applied Environmental Education and Communication 5(3): 183-191. Vetter, W. and G. Gleixner (2006): Compound-specific stable carbon isotope ratios (delta(13)C values) of the halogenated natural product 2,3,3',4,4',5,5'-heptachloro-1'-methyl-1,2'-bipyrrole (Q1). Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 20(20): 3018-3022. Williams, R., D. Lusseau, and P.S. Hammond (2006): Estimating relative energetic costs of human disturbance to killer whales (Orcinus orca). Biological Conservation 133(3): 301-311. PINNIPEDIA Hofmeyr, G.J.G. et al. (2006): Entanglement of Antarctic fur seals at Bouvetoya, Southern Ocean. Marine Pollution Bulletin 52(9): 1077-1080. Hoshino, H. et al. (2006): Distribution of the Steller sea lion Eumetopias jubatus during winter in the northern Sea of Japan, along the west coast of Hokkaido, based on aerial and land sighting surveys. Fisheries Science 72(5): 922-931. Kohno, N. (2006): A new Miocene odobenid (Mammalia: carnivora) from Hokkaido, Japan, and its implications for odobenid phylogeny. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26(2): 411-421. OTHER MARINE MAMMALS Dyck, M. and R. Baydack (2006): Human Activities Associated with Polar Bear Viewing Near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. Human Dimensions of Wildlife 11(2): 143-145. Kornev, S. and S. Korneva (2006): Some criteria for assessing the state and dynamics of sea otter (Enhydra lutris) populations in the Russian part of the species range. Russian Journal of Ecology 37(3): 172-179. Lanyon, J.M. and G.D. Sanson (2006): Mechanical disruption of seagrass in the digestive tract of the dugong. Journal of Zoology 270(2): 277-289. Rajamani, L., A.S. Cabanban, and R.A. Rahman (2006): Indigenous use and trade of dugong (Dugong dugon) in Sabah, Malaysia. Ambio 35(5): 266-268. Reich, K.J. and G.A.J. Worthy (2006): An isotopic assessment of the feeding habits of free-ranging manatees. Marine Ecology Progress Series 322(): 303-309. Sonne, C. et al. (2006): Xenoendocrine pollutants may reduce size of sexual organs in East Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Environmental Science & Technology 40(18): 5668-5674. -- --> jan.herrmann -at - cetacea.de

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new article on beaked whales
by Martina Duras Gomercic 04 Oct '06

04 Oct '06

Dear colleagues, The following paper has been published: Hrvoje Gomercic', Martina Duras Gomercic, Tomislav Gomercic, Hrvoje Lucic, Merel Dalebout, Ana Galov, Darinka Skrtic, Snjezana Curkovic, Snjezana Vukovic, Duro Huber. 2006. Biological aspects of Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) recorded in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea. European Journal of Wildlife Research. 52: 182-187. Abstract: The paper describes two stranded ziphiids from Croatia; a subadult female (length 430 cm, body mass 610 kg) that stranded in 2001, and an adult male (length 510 cm, body mass ~1000 kg) that stranded in 2002. Both were confirmed to be Cuvier’s beaked whales (/Ziphius cavirostris/ Cuvier, 1823) from analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences and osteological features. There are no previous records of Cuvier’s beaked whales from the Croatian part of the Adriatic. The external shape of the head of the female specimen appears to be significantly different from the heads of Cuvier’s beaked whales from other seas. The Croatian specimen exhibited embedded pieces of gravel in the gum tissue around the tip of the lower and upper jaws, which was observed for the first time in a Cuvier’s beaked whale. The presence of/ /the female/ /in shallow, coastal waters for several weeks and her boat-positive behaviour are apparently also first records of this kind for the species. The female was found to have ingested several plastic bags which likely caused her death. These are the northernmost findings of this species in the Adriatic Sea. For reprints please contact: Prof. dr. Hrvoje Gomercic Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb Heinzelova 55 10000 Zagreb Croatia e-mail: hrvoje.gomercic(a)vef.hr Best regards, Hrvoje Gomercic

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Job Vacancy HWDT
by Fiona Quarmby HWDT 03 Oct '06

03 Oct '06

Job vacancy within the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust - Education Assistant The Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust - based in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, West Scotland - are looking to appoint an Education Assistant to help the Education Officer run HWDT's education programme. Information about the post can be found at www.whaledolphintrust.co.uk/education/jobvacancyeducation.asp and further details of the work of HWDT can be found on our website at www.hwdt.org No application form is required, but applicants should provide a CV and cover letter stating why they are suited to apply for the post. Applications should be received by 25 October 2006. Please call +44 (0)1688 302 620 or e-mail info(a)hwdt.org if you have specific questions regarding this post. Fiona Quarmby Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust 28 Main Street Tobermory Isle of Mull Argyll PA75 6NU Tel: 01688 302620 Fax: 01688 302728 Web: www.hwdt.org

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Paracas dolphins skin disease and fishing strategies
by Stefan Austermühle 03 Oct '06

03 Oct '06

Dear Julio and Marmamers I just returned from Mundo Azuls first month of field work photo-identifying bottlenose dolphins in the area between Perus Capital Lima and the Island Asia (100 km of coastline) and the area between Paracas and Tambo de Mora (40 km). According to our preliminary analysis of the several thousands of pictures taken, in the first area we managed to determine several distinct populations with a total of at least 180 dolphins. In Paracas/Pisco we managed to photo identify at least 85 dolphins with some aditional ones in the area between Pisco and Tambo de Mora. I would like to confirm Julios observation. Of the 85 dolphins we identified in the area Pisco/Paracas, which is heavily afected by contamination, at least 16 of the 85 dolphins we encountered showed this skin condition. Diving studies of Mundo Azul in 2004 and 2006 collecting a total of 400 bottom samples and invertebrate samples have shown that a great area (approximately 15 square kilometers within the bay) are near biologically dead or bilogically dead, with the bottom being covered by a thick layer of gelee like organic matter (information concerning this contamination, satelite images and research results can be obtained on our english web site within the part on marine contamination - www.mundoazul.org <http://www.mundoazul.org/> - click on the british flag in the upper right corner in order to enter in the engish version). This year we also could confirm a heavy contamination with petroleum accumulated in the seafloor south of Pisco. In the other populations that we identified so far we could not find one single specimen showing a similar skin condition. With exemption of a small group near the capital in an area where a main sewage pipe enters contaminating the sea with the sewage of a few milion people. We do not yet have a lot a pictures from this group as sea conditions during our stay in the are have been very tough but the few pictures we were able to take so far showed at least one dolphin with a similar skin contidion like the dolphins in Paracas. From this we can conclude that there definitely can be assumed a connection between the contamination and the skin disease, as Julio points out. As our field investigaion in the area goes on I am sure that I can provide more input for the list on this topic. I therefore would be also very interested to get more information on this type of skin disease and would like to ask listmembers to also forward their information to our emal: mundoazul(a)terra.com.pe I would like also to raise another interesting topic concerning the Paracas population and ask list members for literature and comments on similar behavior in other populations. The bay of Paracas is very shallow. We could observe dolphins to perform the following feeding behavior in water depths of 1.5 to 5 meters. A single dolphin or groups of up to three dolphins swam in tight circles with the snout aparantly in the sediment and the fluke out of the water (sometimes vertically) steering up a lot of sediment. We thought of several possible explanations: they might have fished bottom dwelling fish or have steered up sediment in order to confuse fish and catch them in the murky water caused by this behavior - it could also be that the steered up sediment and organic material attracts fish which then can be caught by the dolphins. The later seems a probable hypothesis as we could also observe a similar behavior related to fishing boats. Artisan fishing boats entering the harbor of Paracas are used to pump out their bilges and throw the fishblood and remains into the water when cleaning their wooden boats. This organic material seems to attract fish which then is consumed by the dolphins. We observed that whenever a fishing boat enters in the port a huge number of dolphins (up to ten) follows the boat and then fishes around the anchored boat witin the water that is contaminated with the organic waste, while fishermen continue to throw over board bloodwaer and clean their boats. I would be very interested to learn if similar behaivors have been observed in other places. I am sure that Julio can confirm this behavior and maybe would be interested to also receive information from listmembers about similar fishing behaviors in other places. All the best Stefan Austermühle Mundo Azul

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