March 2007 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Announcement of Public Hearings for Draft Programmatic EIS
by Sarah.Wilkin 26 Mar '07

26 Mar '07

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS) 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. A copy of the DPEIS and associated information is available on our website, at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/eis.htm The DPEIS addresses 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 DPEIS also addresses appropriate mitigation measures for activities conducted by the MMHSRP and our partner organizations. As part of and concurrent with the FEIS, 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. The MMHSRP has also applied for a scientific research permit to continue investigations into marine mammal health, and this DPEIS covers the activities that have been submitted as part of this permit application. The DPEIS is available for public comments at this time. As part of the public comment process, NMFS is hosting a series of public hearings. 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 hearings and to provide input on the DPEIS. Five scoping meetings will be held in April 2007 at the following locations: 1. Monday, April 2, 2007, San Francisco, CA - 1-4 P.M., Bay Conservation and Development Commission, 50 California St., Suite 2600, San Francisco, CA; 2. Tuesday, April 3, 2007, Seattle, WA - 3-5 P.M., NMFS Northwest Regional Office, Building 9, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA; 3. Friday, April 6, 2007, Silver Spring, MD - 1-4 P.M., Silver Spring Metro Center Building 3, Room 1311-B (Street Level), 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD. 7. Monday, April 9, 2007, Boston, MA - 1-4 P.M., New England Aquarium Conference Center, Central Wharf, Boston, MA; 6. Tuesday, April 10, 2007, St. Petersburg, FL - 4-7 P.M., NMFS Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL. Each public hearing will consist of an informational poster session, a formal presentation of the DPEIS, including the Preferred Alternatives, and a formal public comment period. Each attendee is invited to give a statement of up to four minutes, which will be recorded verbatim by a court reporter. These public comments will not be responded to during the meeting, although they will be incorporated into the Final EIS, which NMFS anticipates completing 2007. 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 April 30, 2007 in one of the following ways: Email: mmhsrpeis.comments(a)noaa.gov; ATTN.: MMHSRP EIS Fax: 301-427-2584; ATTN.: MMHSRP EIS Mail to: Mr. David Cottingham 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 DPEIS and the Interim Policies and Practices documents, please visit our website at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/eis.htm Thank you for your interest.

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Re: [MARMAM] WDCS Call for funding applications
by Nicola Hodgins 24 Mar '07

24 Mar '07

Dear MAMAM¹ers, WDCS are delighted to announce a ³CALL² for project proposals to be considered for funding. The next deadline date is 1st May 2007 and further information can be found below or alternatively please visit www.wdcs.org/fieldprojects Application forms can be downloaded from the above website or alternatively please contact me (e-mail: - nicola.hodgins(a)wdcs.org) Thanks...... nicola WDCS Funding Application Guidelines WDCS provides funding for marine mammal researchers to conduct cetacean conservation science projects around the world. Who can apply? WDCS invites individual scientists, university affiliated researchers and non-governmental organisations to apply for funding. All applications will be treated on a case-by-case basis however preference will be given to applicants seeking funding for conservation research to be conducted in their country of nationality. (There are of course exceptions, e.g. areas where local expertise is lacking; however in these cases a capacity-building element for local researchers must be incorporated into the project.) When can I apply? There are to be 2 funding cycles per annum: - Application Deadline (1) 1st May Notification (on or before) 1st August Funding available from 1st September Application Deadline (2) 1st November Notification (on or before) 1st February Funding available from 1st March N.B. Applications for Emergency Funding will be accepted at anytime. How much can I apply for? WDCS grants are in general, small. There is however, no minimum or maximum amount that can be applied for. Please include a full budget as it is important to provide a complete overview of the project¹s financial commitments. Can I apply for multi-year funding? Multi-year applications are encouraged however WDCS will only commit to funding on an annual basis. Continued funding is reliant on several factors. Does WDCS cover salaries? In general, no, however we do cover basic living expenses. There are obviously exceptions and each project is considered on a case by case basis. Please include a salary component in your budget even if it is being paid by an alternative organisation/foundation. Does WDCS fund Invasive Research Techniques? WDCS is the worlds leading funder of non-invasive research methods however we also recognise that there are sometimes extenuating circumstances where invasive methods are required and a relatively immediate (and long-term) conservation/welfare benefit is the result. If your project plans to utilise such methods, please ensure that you complete the ³Invasive Research Questionnaire². WDCS takes the use of invasive research techniques very seriously and expect researchers operating through funding supplied by WDCS supporters to act accordingly. ALL alternatives should be considered before deciding on the inclusion of an invasive method and long-term monitoring considered. In addition to the normal ³funding process² (see below), projects that include an invasive research technique will be externally assessed by an Ethics Panel. Is there anything that WDCS does not fund? Yes (a) International flights. (b) WDCS will not fund captivity-based projects. (c) WDCS will not joint-fund projects with THE CAPTVITY INDUSTRY OR any organisation that has direct links to the captivity industry or joint-fund projects that have a portion of the funding coming indirectly from the captivity industry. N.B. ³Captivity Industry² relates to all establishments that keep cetaceans in captivity, this includes swim-with programmes. What is the application process? (1) All applications must be on a WDCS Application Form (2) If the project is to include an invasive research technique, an Invasive Research Questionnaire must also be completed (3) If the project is to include in-water research, an In-water Questionnaire must also be completed (3) Completed applications should be returned (by the appropriate deadline date see above), preferably by e-mail to nicola.hodgins(a)wdcs.org (N.B. the maximum size of completed application forms that can be received by the above e-mail account is 3MB, for proposals of a larger size please contact me for alternative arrangements) Postal applications will also be accepted, please send to: - Nicola Hodgins WDCS International Projects Co-ordinator 38 St Paul Street Chippenham SN15 1LJ Wiltshire UK (4) All applications will engage in the ³funding process² which includes: - (a) an internal review relevant regional, campaign and or theme leader; and (b) an external review conducted by an advisory panel of leading cetacean experts. WDCS Application Checklist (1) Completed Application form (2) If necessary, completed Invasive Research Questionnaire (3) If necessary, completed In-water Questionnaire (4) CV (5) All relevant publications, supporting documents etc. Thank-you and Good Luck! Nicola Hodgins International Projects Co-ordinator WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society WDCS UK Brookfield House 38 St Paul Street Wiltshire SN15 1LJ UK Phone: - +441249 449 537 Mobile: - +447841497597 Fax: - +441249 449 501 http://www.wdcs.org WDCS is the global voice for the protection of whales, dolphins and their environment. Pro-whaling countries are mounting their biggest attack for decades on the bans on commercial whaling and international trade in whale products. Whaling is cruel, unnecessary and unsustainable. Help WDCS in our campaign to stop bloody whaling for good it¹s time to act. http://www.stopbloodywhaling.org This e-mail's contents are confidential to the intended recipient(s) at the e-mail address to which it has been sent. It may not be disclosed, copied to, circulated or used by anyone other than the intended addressee(s). If you are not the intended recipient or have received this transmission in error please telephone the originator immediately or ring +44 (0)1249 449500. Any opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of WDCS.

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Forward: Summer Course
by Sarah Wilson 23 Mar '07

23 Mar '07

The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) is now registering for marine biology college field courses to be offered at the GCRL this summer. "Students will have the opportunity to explore the northern Gulf -- from sharks, dolphins and whales to marine ecology," said Dr. Jeffrey Lotz, chair of coastal sciences, the Southern Miss department that is headquartered at the GCRL and coordinates the academic program. "The GCRL Summer Field Program is alive and well, and we are accepting registrations now for summer 2007." Courses offered May 29-June 20 are marine biology, marine mammals, shark biology and marine ichthyology. June 21-July 13 courses are oceanography, marine invertebrate zoology, marine ecology and marine biology for teachers. Students who attend both terms can earn up to 12 semester hours of science credit. Options are also available for upperclassmen to conduct independent research under the direction of a GCRL scientist. Research areas with a marine focus include aquaculture, biodiversity, ecology, education, fisheries, pathology and toxicology. For information, contact (228) 872-4200, gcrl(a)usm.edu, or www.usm.edu/gcrl/ <http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/> <http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/> . Chris Snyder, Education & Media Specialist J.L., Scott Marine Education Center (MEC) Gulf Coast Research Laboratory University of Southern Mississippi Mailing address: P.O. Box 7000, Ocean Springs, MS 39566-7000 Physical address: 703 East Beach, Ocean Springs, MS Phone: 228-818-8883 Fax: 228-818-8894 http://www.aquarium.usm.edu Sam Clardy, Research Associate Gulf Coast Research Laboratory J.L. Scott Marine Education Center 703 East Beach Drive Ocean Springs, MS 39564 Phone: 228-818-8885 Fax: 228-818-8894 email: samuel.clardy(a)usm.edu Please visit our website: www.usm.edu/marineeducation Sarah Wilson Ocean Institute Manager, Cooperation in Research and Education (949) 496-2274 ext. 337 www.ocean-institute.org

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New Publication: The spectacled porpoise in Antarctic waters
by Keiko Sekiguchi, PhD 22 Mar '07

22 Mar '07

Dear MARMAM subscribers, I would like to inform that the following paper has been published on the Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. Sekiguchi, K., Olavarria, C., Morse, L., Olson, P., Ensor, P., Matsuoka, K., Pitman, R., Findlay, K. and Gorter, U. 2006. The spectacled porpoise (Phocoena dioptrica) in Antarctic waters. J. Cetacean Res. Manage. 8(3):265-271. Abstract Most knowledge on the biology and ecology of the spectacled porpoise (Phocoena dioptrica) has been obtained from stranded specimens, with less than fifteen confirmed sightings in the sea. Published photographs of live animals in their natural environment are also very rare. In this study, 28 live sightings are summarised, from Antarctic and sub Antarctic waters (mainly from the 1978-2004 IWC-IDCR/SOWER cruises). These sightings supported the suggested circumpolar and offshore distribution of this species; however, this was extended further south than previously thought, into Antarctic waters. The sea surface temperature recorded at the time of each sighting ranged from 0.9- 10.3°C, with most of the sightings (52.0%) in waters 4.9-6.2°C. Group size was small, averaging 2.0 (SD=0.92) animals per group. A total of six cow-calf pairs were observed and all such pairs were accompanied by one or two additional adults, always including a mature male. Based on observations at sea and new photographs of live animals, a pale ‘ saddle’ around the dorsal fin was noticed and is described for the first time. The porpoises generally showed fast swimming behaviour when the vessel approached, resembling the swimming behaviour of harbour porpoises. A PDF file or an old fashioned hard copy reprint is available from the first author in the address below. Sincerely, Keiko Sekiguchi, Ph.D. *********************************************** KEIKO SEKIGUCHI, Ph.D. (Cetacean Biology) Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center University of Hawaii at Hilo 200 W. Kawili Street, Hilo, HI 96720 USA Tel: +1-808-933-0706 Fax: +1-808-933-0704 E-mail: ksekiguc(a)hawaii.edu ***********************************************

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Special ESR Journal Issue: "Tracking Vertebrates for Conservation"
by Brendan Godley 22 Mar '07

22 Mar '07

Dear Colleagues Call for Vertebrate Tracking Papers: Endangered Specues Research <http://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/> Last month the first Inter-Research Symposium "Tracking Marine Vertebrates for Conservation" was held as part of the International Sea Turtle Symposium. Talks included those on large pelagic fish, turtles, seabirds, seals and great whales. Papers presented will form part of special issue on "Tracking Vertebrates for Conservation" to be published before the end of 2007. Additional submitted manuscripts on marine mammals, turtles and fish have already arrived for consideration for what promises to be a pivotal publication. Note: 1.. this is an open call for submitted manuscripts. 2.. there has been interest from terrestrial as well as marine workers and I would stress that we are open to contributions on all taxa. 3.. that all accepted contributions will be published online and open-access and thus extremely high impact is assured Please contact me if you require further information. PDF copies of all other ESR content are freely available at the journals website http://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/. including the most recent paper Good TP, McClure MM, Sandford BP, Barnas KA, Marsh DM, Ryan BA, Casillas E (2007) Quantifying the effect of Caspian tern predation on threatened and endangered Pacific salmon in the Columbia River estuary Please forward this message to anyone you might be interested in conservation/wildlife tracking. With kind regards Brendan Dr. Brendan J. Godley Senior Lecturer in Conservation Biology Centre for Ecology & Conservation University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus UK Editor-in-Chief, Endangered Species Research <http://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/>

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new article on cetaceans' ethnotaxonomy
by Shirley Pacheco 22 Mar '07

22 Mar '07

Dear Marmamers, The following paper has been published: Souza, S.P. and Begossi, A. Whales, dolphins or fishes? The ethnotaxonomy of cetaceans in São Sebastião, Brazil. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2007, 3:9 (doi:10.1186/1746-4269-3-9) Abstract The local knowledge of human populations about the natural world has been addressed through ethnobiological studies, especially concerning resources uses and their management. Several criteria, such as morphology, ecology, behavior, utility and salience, have been used by local communities to classify plants and animals. Studies regarding fishers' knowledge on cetaceans in the world, especially in Brazil, began in the last decade. Our objective is to investigate the folk classification by fishers concerning cetaceans, and the contribution of fishers' local knowledge to the conservation of that group. In particular, we aim to record fishers' knowledge in relation to cetaceans, with emphasis on folk taxonomy. The studied area is São Sebastião, located in the southeastern coast of Brazil, where 70 fishers from 14 communities were selected according to their fishing experience and interviewed through questionnaires about classification, nomenclature and ecological aspects of local cetaceans' species. Our results indicated that most fishers classified cetaceans as belonging to the life-form 'fish'. Fishers' citations for the nomenclature of the 11 biological species (10 biological genera), resulted in 14 folk species (3 generic names). Fishers' taxonomy was influenced mostly by the phenotypic and cultural salience of the studied cetaceans. Cultural transmission, vertical and horizontal, was intimately linked to fishers' classification process. The most salient species, therefore well recognized and named, were those most often caught by gillnets, in addition to the biggest ones and those most exposed by media, through TV programs, which were watched and mentioned by fishers. Our results showed that fishers' ecological knowledge could be a valuable contribution to cetaceans' conservation, helping to determine areas and periods for their protection, indicating priority topics for research and participating in alternative management related to the gillnet fisheries. You can get pdf copies at: http://www.ethnobiomed.com/articles/top/browse.asp Best wishes, Shirley Pacheco de Souza Shirley Pacheco de Souza Diretora Executiva - Instituto Terra & Mar Projeto SOS Mamíferos Marinhos PPG - Ecologia - UNICAMP Tel.: (12) 3862-1099 / 9144-6100 www.terraemar.org --------------------------------- Bored stiff? Loosen up... Download and play hundreds of games for free on Yahoo! Games.

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Struck and Lost, workshop report
by fernando ugarte 21 Mar '07

21 Mar '07

Dear marmam and ecs list members, The report of the NAMMCO Workshop to Address the Problems of "Struck and Lost" in Seal, Walrus and Whale Hunting can be downloaded from the website of the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (http://www.nammco.no) The report can be found either by following the links to publications and workshop reports, or directly in the following http address: http://www.nammco.no/Nammco/Mainpage/Publications/WorkshopReports/ Those interested in the management of marine mammals may want to read also the press release of the NAMMCO 16th Annual Council meeting in Tromsø, Norway, 27 February - 1 March 2007. This can be found under the Documents and Information section of the same website, or directly under this link: http://www.nammco.no/Nammco/Mainpage/DocumentsAndInformation/ All the best, Fernando Ugarte NAMMCO Committee on Hunting Methods (http://www.nammco.no) Greenland Ministry of Fisheries, Hunting and Agriculture (http://www.nanoq.gl) & Arc-Pic.com (http://www.arc-pic.com)

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State Of The Ocean Animals PBS
by jennifer palmer 21 Mar '07

21 Mar '07

Hi marmam friends,Spotted this on another listserv and thought it may be of interest to some of you.Kind regards,Jen-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> "STATE OF THE OCEAN'S ANIMALS"> > A NEW EPISODE OF THE ACCLAIMED PBS SERIES> > JOURNEY TO PLANET EARTH> > PREMIERES MARCH 28, 2007 AT 8 P.M. ON PBS> > HOSTED BY MATT DAMON> > SPECIAL LOOKS AT THE CRISIS TO THE WORLD'S MARINE ANIMALS> > WASHINGTON, D.C.‹ STATE OF THE OCEAN¹S ANIMALS is the tenth installment of > public television's award-winning Journey to Planet Earth series. Join > Academy Award® winner Matt Damon as he takes a hard look at why nearly half > the world's marine animals may face extinction over the next twenty-five > years. Case studies focus on how global warming, sea-level rise, > over-fishing, and habitat destruction are beginning to empty the world's > oceans. The one-hour episode also features inspiring stories of hope and > courage that celebrate of the beauty and diversity of the natural world.> > Damon's dramatic journey takes us to the Pacific Northwest, (whales, salmon > and sea otters), New England (coastal fisheries), Florida (sea level rise > and its effect on loggerhead turtles), Japan (the slaughter of dolphins), > China (shark fin trade), the Antarctic (threats to Emperor Penguins), and > Africa (coastal fisheries).> > Along the way, viewers will come to appreciate the diversity of our planet's > marine life: the beauty, the incredible animals, and the dangers that > threaten them all. The sobering reality is that our oceans are becoming dead > zones. What was once ablaze with color has become a world without life. The > question that lies at the heart of the documentary is this: how could one of > our planet¹s most abundant resources face such peril that its very existence > may be in jeopardy? And most important, how can we repair the damage we have > already created?> > Educational materials available at http://www.pbs.org/journeytoplanetearth/> > Downloadable photos from past programs are available at > www.pbs.org/pressroom <http://www.pbs.org/pressroom>

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Abstracts Books Available from SEAMAMMS
by Caroline Good 21 Mar '07

21 Mar '07

The 15th Annual Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium (SEAMAMMS) was held this past weekend in Beaufort, North Carolina. Abstract books from the Symposium are now available and can be yours for a small fee of $5.00. If you are interested in a book please send $5.00 to: Danielle Waples Duke University Marine Lab 135 Duke Marine Lab Road Beaufort, NC 28516 For more details about the symposium, please visit the SEAMAMMS website: http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/marinelab/seamamms/seahome.html. Thank you, Caroline Good ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Caroline Good PhD Candidate Ecology Program Nicholas School of the Environment 135 Duke Marine Lab Road Beaufort, NC 28516 p. 252.504.7571 cpg2(a)duke.edu

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New publications week 09
by Jan Herrmann 21 Mar '07

21 Mar '07

Dear all, here are some new publications of week 09 / 2007, 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 Davis, R.W. et al. (2007): Diving behavior of sperm whales in relation to behavior of a major prey species, the jumbo squid, in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Marine Ecology Progress Series 333(): 291-302. Heerfordt, A., B. Møhl, and M. Wahlberg (2007): A wideband connection to sperm whales: A fiber-optic, deep-sea hydrophone array. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 54(3): 428-436. Lauriano, G., M. Vacchi, and C.M. Fortuna (2007): Observation of killer whale (Orcinus orca) possibly eating penguins in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica. Antarctic Science 19(1): 95-96. Marcoux, M., H. Whitehead, and L. Rendell (2007): Sperm whale feeding variation by location, year, social group and clan: evidence from stable isotopes. Marine Ecology Progress Series 333(): 309-314. Stensland, E. and P. Berggren (2007): Behavioural changes in female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in response to boat-based tourism. Marine Ecology Progress Series 332(): 225-234. Tajima, Y. et al. (2007): Amyloidosis in two Stejneger's beaked whales (Mesoplodon stejnegeri) stranded at the Sea of Japan. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 38(1): 108-113. PINNIPEDIA Dennison, S. et al. (2007): Urate nephrolithiasis in a northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) and a california sea lion (Zalophus californianus). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 38(1): 114-120. Mellish, J.-A.E. et al. (2007): Permanent marking in an endangered species: physiological response to hot branding in Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus). Wildlife Research 34(1): 43-47. Stoddard, R.A. et al. (2007): Campylobacter insulaenigrae isolated from Northern Elephant Seals (Mirounga angustirostris) in California. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 73(6): 1729-1735. van Bolhuis, G.H. et al. (2007): Fatal enterocolitis in harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) caused by infection with Eimeria phocae. The Veterinary Record 160(9): 297-300. OTHER MARINE MAMMALS -- --> jan.herrmann -at - cetacea.de

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