April 2007 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Fiordland bottlenose dolphins: male social relationships
by David Lusseau 03 Apr '07

03 Apr '07

Dear all, I am pleased to announce the publication of the following article in PLoS ONE (4 April 2007 issue): Lusseau D. 2007. Why are male social relationships complex in the Doubtful Sound bottlenose dolphin population? PLoS ONE 2(4): e348 (abstract below). PLoS ONE is an open-access journal and therefore the article is freely available at: http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F… The article tries to make full use of the PLoS ONE publication concept and is layed out to open a discussion about female choice in bottlenose dolphin mating strategies and its potential influence on male social relationships. PLoS ONE is organised in such a way that readers can add comments to the article and start discussion threads about it. So if you have relevant discussion points or comments about the paper, I would necourage you to post them on the article's site. ABSTRACT Background - Access to oestrus females tends to be the main driver of male sociality. This factor can lead to complex behavioural interactions between males and groups of males. Male bottlenose dolphins may form alliances to consort females and to compete with other males. In some populations these alliances may form temporary coalitions when competing for females. I examined the role of dyadic and group interactions in the association patterns of male bottlenose dolphins in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand. There is no apparent mating competition in this population and no consortship has been observed, yet agonistic interactions between males occur regularly. Methodology/Principal findings - By comparing the network of male interactions in several social dimensions (affiliative, agonistic, and associative) I show that while agonistic interactions relate to dyadic association patterns, affiliative interactions seem to relate to group association patterns. Some evidence suggests that groups of males also formed temporary coalitions during agonistic interactions. While different groups of males had similar relationships with non-oestrus females, the time they spent with oestrus females and mothers of newborns differed greatly. Conclusions/Significance - After considering several hypotheses, I propose that the evolution of these complex relationships was driven by sexual competition probably to out-compete other males for female choice. best wishes, David David Lusseau, PhD Killam postdoctoral fellow Dalhousie University Department of Biology 1355 Oxford Street Halifax, B3H 4J1, Canada Tel: (902) 494 3723 E-mail: d.lusseau(a)dal.ca Website: http://www.lusseau.org _____________________________________________________ Academic editor for PLoS ONE- a revolution in scientific publication Learn more at http://www.plosone.org _____________________________________________________

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New paper on Steller sea lion historical abundance and distribution along Asian coast
by Vladimir Burkanov (NMML) 02 Apr '07

02 Apr '07

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to inform you that large review on Steller sea lion historical abundance and distribution along Asian Pacific coast are finally published and available in pdf format (19.5 MB) at http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/mfr672/mfr672.html Reprints are available on request by email: Vladimir.Burkanov(a)noaa.gov Vladimir ============================== BURKANOV, V. N. and T. R. LOUGHLIN. 2007. Distribution and Abundance of Steller Sea Lions on the Asian Coast, 1720's - 2005. Marine Fisheries Review 67(2): 1-62. ABSTRACT-We analyzed published and archived records for the past 250 years to assess changes in distribution and abundance of Steller sea lions, Eumetopias jubatus, along the Asian coast from the Bering Strait to the Korean Peninsula. We found that the northern extent of Steller sea lion distribution has not changed but that the southern limit has moved north by some 500-900 km (~300-500 n.mi.) over the past 50 years. Additionally, the number of animals and their distribution has changed on the Commander Islands, Kuril Islands, and Kamchatka Peninsula. We found no changes in the number of rookeries in the northern Sea of Okhotsk, but a new rookery was established at Tuleny Island on the eastern coast of Sakhalin Island. We estimate that the total abundance of Steller sea lions along the Asian coast in the late 19th century was about 115,000 animals; during the 1960's, the total estimate was about 27,000 (including pups), most of which were in the Kuril Islands. The fewest number of Steller sea lions occurred in the northwestern Pacific in the late 1980's-early 1990's when only about 13,000 individuals (including pups) were estimated in the entire region. During the 1990's, and especially in early 2000, an increasing trend in abundance occurred in most areas. Present estimated abundance of Steller sea lions in Asia is about 16,000 individuals (including about 5,000 pups), about half of which occur in the Kuril Islands. Changes in abundance occurred during all time periods but varied by site and period. Specifically, over the past 150 years Steller sea lion abundance at most sites has changed. There were no rookeries on the Commander Islands between 1850 and 1960 and abundance was low, but by 1977, abundance increased to 4,800 individuals and a rookery was established in the mid 1980's; abundance there has declined since the early 1980's and in 2004 only 895 individuals (including 221 pups) were counted during the breeding season. Between 1940 and 2004, abundance along the eastern coast of Kamchatka declined from ~7,000 to ~600 individuals, an overall reduction of 90%. Steller sea lion abundance on the Kuril Islands declined by >90% from the 1800's to 2005; the most severe decline there occurred during 1969-1981. Steller sea lion numbers in the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk declined during 1930-2002 from 7,200 to 3,100 individuals. Numbers at Tuleny Island have increased since establishment of a rookery there during 1983-2005 and by immigration from other sites. ======================================== Vladimir N. Burkanov, Ph.D. Natural Resources Consultants, Inc. National Marine Mammal Laboratory, NMFS, NOAA 7600 Sand Point Way, NE Building 4. Seattle, WA 98115 Tel. 206-526-4298, Fax. 206-526-6615 "The contents of this message are mine personally and do not necessarily reflect any position of the Government or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration."

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1-2 May Symposium: Potential Application of Vessel-Quieting Technology on Large Commercial Vessels
by Brandon Southall 02 Apr '07

02 Apr '07

To all interested parties, NOAA's Ocean Acoustics Program is hosting an international symposium on 1-2 May in Silver Spring, MD entitled: "Potential Application of Vessel-Quieting Technology on Large Commercial Vessels". The announcement of the symposium and a detailed, nearly-final agenda for the meeting is now available on the program website: <http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/shipnoise.htm> The symposium has been developed around the following specific objectives: Specify rationale and explicit target levels for quieting for vessels of various classes; consider how targets may vary in different geographical areas. Determine (to the extent possible) whether known/existing vessel-quieting technologies used in other applications have the potential to achieve these goals for large commercial vessels. Determine (to the extent possible) the likely costs and any tangible benefits associated with the application of the various technologies on existing ships (retrofitting) and in vessel construction. Produce a formal report summarizing progress on the above objectives; synthesize findings into a "menu" format of the feasibility, costs, and benefits of various vessel-quieting options in different geographical areas. The symposium is open to the public and registration is free. If you are interested in attending, please see the above website for specific details regarding logistics. Also, if you have not already, please send an email to Brandon.Southall(a)noaa.gov so we will have a record of your interest in attending and can provide you additional information before and after the meeting. Thank you, Brandon Southall ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brandon L. Southall, Ph.D. Director, NOAA Ocean Acoustics Program National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Science and Technology 1315 East West Hwy, SSMC III #12539 Silver Spring, MD 20910-6233 Brandon.Southall(a)noaa.gov 301-713-2363 x163 (office) 301-713-1875 (FAX) http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Funding Opportunity for Marine Debris Projects
by Susie Holst 02 Apr '07

02 Apr '07

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is currently soliciting proposals for the Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Program. Please see our program information and 2007 RFP at: www.nfwf.org/marinedebris/. The deadline for pre-proposals is May 18, 2007. Prospective applicants are invited to contact us to determine whether your project fits within the priorities of our program. Please contact Michelle Pico (pico(a)nfwf.org) or Susie Holst (susie.holst(a)nfwf.org) for further information. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Susie Holst Assistant Director - Marine Programs National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 1120 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 900 Washington, DC 20036 202-715-0712 202-857-0162 (fax)

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posting of a postdoctoral research opportunity
by Lesage, Veronique 02 Apr '07

02 Apr '07

Hello, we would greatly appreciate it if this advertisement for a postdoctoral candidate could be posted on Marmam (see message below my signature). Thank you very much in advance, Veronique Veronique Lesage, Ph.D. Chercheur, Cetaces/Cetacean research scientist Biologie et conservation des Mammiferes Marins/Marine Mammal biology and conservation Peches et Oceans Canada/Fisheries and Oceans Canada Institut Maurice-Lamontagne/Maurice Lamontagne Institute C.P. 1000/P.O. Box 1000 850 Route de la Mer Mont-Joli, QC G5H 3Z4 http://www.qc.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/iml/en/sci/LesageV http://www.osl.gc.ca/mm/en/index.html > TEL (418) 775-0739 > FAX (418) 775-0740 > Mail LesageV(a)dfo-mpo.gc.ca > > Post Doctoral Fellowship: Modelling of beluga movements and habitat selection in eastern Hudson Bay. A post-doctoral candidate is sought to conduct spatial analyses using satellite telemetry data obtained from beluga in eastern Hudson Bay. Beluga in eastern Hudson Bay have been classified as endangered by the Committee on the status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). Satellite transmitters have been deployed on several animals since the mid-1990s (N=30). Under the International Polar Year (Pan-Arctic Tagging Of Beluga: PATOB) (http://www.ipy-api.ca/) support has been obtained to deploy additional transmitters in 2007 and 2008. Some analyses on general movements and diving characteristics are in progress. A post-doc would expand upon this initial work to look at habitat selection by beluga, and to develop state space models to analyse potential foraging activity. The successful candidate will also be responsible for the management of the IPY project, which will include planning, organization and execution of the field program, presentations to northern communities and groups about the program, and maintaining feedback with hunters on project results. Additional duties may include working with hunters to collect biological samples to examine diet composition, reproductive status, and condition. A suitable candidate should possess (or should soon possess) an internationally recognised doctoral degree from an accredited institution. The candidate should be self motivated, able to work within a team framework, and able to deal with the public. He/she should have ecological training and a proven ability in statistical and/or mathematical analysis, geographic information systems (e.g., Arcview) that can be used for spatial modelling. Abilities in ecosystem modelling approaches and programming in R, Matlab, C++ languages or other common interpreted or compiled programming languages are also desirable. We seek a candidate to begin in June 2007 and to continue until 31 March 2010. Salary will be on the order of $40,000-45,000 CAD/year. All or a portion (up to a cap) of moving expenses will be covered. This is a Visiting Fellowship in Canadian Government Laboratory, which is managed via the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). http://www.nserc.gc.ca/sf_e.asp?nav=sfnav&lbi=3a. The project is a collaborative one between the Nunavik Research Centre (Kuujjuaq, QC) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Mont-Joli, QC). The position is based at the Department of Fisheries and Ocean's Institut Maurice-Lamontagne, in Mont-Joli, Québec, Canada. The day to day working language in the Institute is French. An ability to write and communicate in English is essential . For further information, please contact Mike Hammill, (hammillm(a)dfo-mpo.gc.ca) , Veronique Lesage (lesagev(a)dfo-mpo.gc.ca) or Bill Doidge (b_doidge(a)makivik.org)

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International Ethological Congress
by David Lusseau 02 Apr '07

02 Apr '07

Dear Marmamers, the 30th International Ethological Congress will be held August 15-23 2007 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The conference is the largest meeting of ethologists and there will be again a very stimulating program this year (see below for the list of plenary lectures and organised symposia). The call for abstract has now been extended and, if you have not already done so, you can register and submit abstracts online at the conference's website. More details are available there: IEC 2007's web site: http://iec2007.psychology.dal.ca/iec2007/Home.html Registration and abstract submission site: https://www.esecureshop.com/registration/iec2007/index.asp The conference will be preceeded on August 15 by a workshop by Hal Whitehead on Socprog. P.S.: Please note that American participants will need a passport in order to get back into the USA after the conference. IEC Plenary Speakers Opening Public lecture: Hal Whitehead, Dalhousie University, Canada. "Adventures of a marine mammalogist in the study of societies and cultures of whales" Plenary lectures: Patrick Bateson, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, England "Developmental Plasticity and Epigenetics". Pat Monaghan, University of Glasgow, Scotland. "Growth, lifespan and life history trade-offs" Elisabetta Visalberghi, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Rome, Italy "Behavioral, cognitive and ecological factors affecting tool use in wild capuchin monkeys" Atsushi Iriki, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Japan. "Brain mechanism for development and evolution of monkey tool-use as a latent precursor of human intelligence" Roger T. Hanlon, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, USA "Masters of optical illusion: the neuroethology of rapid adaptive camouflage and communication in cephalopods" Horst Bleckmann, Institut für Zoologie der Universität Bonn, Germany. "Neuroethology of Sensory Systems" Rui Oliveira, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Lisboa, Portugal "From hormones to behavior and back: androgens, social context and competition". Hanna Kokko, University of Helsinki, Finland "Love and hatred in a world of feedback" Sara J. Shettleworth, University of Toronto, Canada "Cognitive ethology in the 21st century" Marian Stamp Dawkins, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, England "The scientific basis for assessing suffering in animals" Robert L. Trivers, Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, USA "Human Ethology / Genes in Conflict: The Biology of Selfish Genetic Elements" Maydianne Andrade, Department of Life Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada. "Sexual selection and the evolution of extreme reproductive strategies" Symposia titles and organisers "Prospective cognition and future planning by animals" Nicola Clayton and Anthony Dickinson "Integrative perspectives on animal contests" Ryan L. Early "Behavioural epigenetics" Timothy Bredy "Swarms of insects, fish, birds, and ungulates: models and empirical data" Charlotte Hemelrijk "Does paternal care require partner preference?" Katherine E. Wynne- Edwards "Maternal effects: evaluating maternal effects on the basis of Tinbergen's four questions" Jeff Graves and Ton Groothuis "Acoustic communication in noise" Peter J. B. Slater and Henrik Brumm "Uncertainty in animal cognition" Robert Biegler "Social and cognitive convergence in vertebrates" Isabella Scheiber, Robyn Hudson, Kurt Kotrschal "Social networks: Patterns and Processes" David Lusseau & Jens Krause "Allonursing: an adaptive behavior in mammals?" Beatriz Zapata and Luis Ebensperger "Avian social cognition: Do birds think about other minds?" Nathan J. Emery and Shige Watanabe "Developmental influences on behavioural phenotypes: implications for animal welfare" Georgia Mason "Physiology, Ethology, and Wildlife Conservation" Christina Buesching "Welfare assessment: new ideas" Donald Broom David Lusseau, PhD Killam postdoctoral fellow Dalhousie University Department of Biology 1355 Oxford Street Halifax, B3H 4J1, Canada Tel: (902) 494 3723 E-mail: d.lusseau(a)dal.ca Website: http://www.lusseau.org _____________________________________________________ Academic editor for PLoS ONE- a revolution in scientific publication Learn more at http://www.plosone.org _____________________________________________________

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Marine Interpretation Workshop at ECS Conference
by Deborah Benham 02 Apr '07

02 Apr '07

Dear Marmam There are limited places still available at the Marine Interpretation and Training of Marine Guides workshop at the European Cetacean Society conference in Spain (April 26th). Places are limited and the pre-registration deadline for the workshop is April 5th. Please let me know if you would be interested in attending. We are also looking for a couple more people to present at this workshop. I'd therefore like to encourage those of you who'd like to attend and who have experience working as a marine interpreter and/or marine guide, or training interpreters and guides to send me abstracts for a short (10 minute) presentation on your experiences. I think it would be particularly interesting to look at why we think interpretation and marine guides are important in the whale and dolphin watching industry, how we think the quality of interpretation could be improved and what training needs to be offered/developed to ensure we provide high quality interpretation that adds education and conservation value to whale and dolphin watching activities. If you would be willing to give a presentation please send me an abstract by the end of this week (April 6th). I'd also like to hear what you hope to get from the workshop. What issues are you interested in hearing about and discussing? What do you hope to take away with you? I will be away from April 13th and will then go straight to the conference. Therefore, please send me any correspondance regarding the workshop before April 12th Thanks Deborah Benham Dr Deborah Benham Project Officer Dolphin Space Programme www.dolphinspace.org DSP PO Box 5890 Forres IV36 1WY Tel: 07921 106144 The Dolphin Space Programme is an accreditation scheme for wildlife tour boats in the Moray Firth, Scotland. It is overseen by a steering group comprising VisitScotland, the Wildlife Tour Boat Operators' Society, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, the Northern Constabulary, Grampian Police, The Highland Council, Inverness Harbour Trust, the Maritime Coastguard Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage.

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New article on the diving development of Mediterranean monk seals
by Alexandros A. Karamanlidis 02 Apr '07

02 Apr '07

Dear Marmamers, On behalf of my colleagues, I am pleased to inform you of the publication of the following article in Marine Mammal Science: P. Dendrinos, A.A. Karamanlidis, E. Androukaki & B.J. McConnell (2007): Diving development and behavior of a rehabilitated Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus). Marine Mammal Science 23(2): 387-397. Abstract: Among the priority actions identified for saving the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal are gaining basic biological information on movements and behavior, and rescuing and rehabilitating wounded, and orphaned pups. On 22 May 2004 a rehabilitated monk seal juvenile was fitted with a satellite tag, released in the National Marine Park of Alonnisos, Northern Sporades, Greece, and monitored for 167 d. Postrelease, the seal remained close to the islands of the park and within the 200-m isobath. Throughout the monitoring period, the seal reduced time hauled out, while 95-percentile dive duration and depth gradually increased. The overall maximum depth of 123 m recorded in this study is the greatest depth ever recorded for the species. These results confirm the effectiveness of the rehabilitation program carried out on the particular animal and provide additional support for the continuation of the rehabilitation program as a conservation measure for the species. We demonstrate that satellite tracking of rehabilitated seals is a valuable research and conservation tool, even for a species that commonly uses shoreline caves for resting, molting, and parturition. The article is available online and will be in print in the April Issue. Sincerely, Alexandros A. Karamanlidis Biologist - Field Researcher Email: a.karamanlidis(a)mom.gr _____ MOm, HELLENIC SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF THE MONK SEAL 18 Solomou Str. GR-10682 Athens Greece. Tel.:+30.1.5222888, Fax: +30.1.5222450, web-site: <http://www.mom.gr/> www.mom.gr _____

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