September 2007 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New Article: Humpbacks in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
by Dave Johnston 14 Sep '07

14 Sep '07

Dear all, The following paper has just been published in open-access format in the journal Endangered Species Research. Johnston DW, Chapla ME, Williams LE, Mattila DK (2007) Identification of humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae wintering habitat in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands using spatial habitat modeling. Endangered Species Research 3: 249-257. The article can be downloaded directly from the ESR website for free: http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2007/3/n003p249.pdf Cheers Dj =============================== Dave Johnston, Ph.D. Leader, Cetacean Research Unit Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center 2570 Dole St., Honolulu, HI 96822 (808) 983 5398 http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/psd/ & http://marineresearch.ca/davej/

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San Juan County Passes Local Ordinance to Protect Southern Resident Killer Whales
by Kari Koski 13 Sep '07

13 Sep '07

>Hi All, > >I wanted to update interested parties on a recent unprecedented >legal action taken by a small local government in Washington State, >U.S.A., to help protect the endangered population of Southern >Resident Killer Whales from irresponsible boaters. > >I work as the Director of The Whale Museum's Soundwatch Boater >Education Program located in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island in >Washington State. Soundwatch has been working since 1993 to help >reduce disturbances to whales and other marine wildlife through the >development, distribution, and implementation of best practice >guidelines and to annually characterize vessel activity trends for >area marine management agencies. Soundwatch has worked with many >partners to create the regional Be Whale Wise Guidelines for >Boaters, Paddlers and Viewers that are used throughout Washington >State and British Columbia, Canada. > >The Southern Resident Killer Whale population was listed as >endangered under the Endangered Species Act by the National Marine >Fisheries Service in 2005. In 2006 the National Marine Fisheries >Service designated Critical Habitat Areas for this population with >the Summer Core Habitat centering on the waters located in and >around San Juan County. Recognizing that large numbers of commercial >and recreational vessels frequent the waters of San Juan County, and >that one of the listed threats to this population are effects from >vessel traffic, the San Juan County Council was presented with a >proposal from several local NGO's to create a local ordinance to >help protect the whales from vessel traffic occurring in the >county. After considerable public testimony, written statements and >reports from local NGO's and business groups such as Soundwatch, >Friends of the San Juans, Orca Relief, the Whale Watch Operators >Association Northwest as well as governmental agencies including >NOAA fisheries, the United States Coast Guard, the Washington >Department of Fish and Wildlife, the San Juan Marine Resources >Committee, the San Juan County Sheriff and the San Juan County >Prosecuting Attorney, the San Juan County Council signed into effect >on September 11, 2007 "An Ordinance Regulating The Operation of >Vessels in Proximity to the Southern Resident Killer Whales, an >Endangered Species,and Establishing Penalties for the Violation >Thereof" based on the current Be Whale Wise Guidelines for boaters. > >View the San Juan County Orca Ordinance: >http://www.whale-museum.org/museum/press/latest/San%20Juan%20County%20ORCA%… > > View the Be Whale Wise Guidelines: >http://www.whale-museum.org/downloads/soundwatch/2006BWWPoster.pdf > >For further information on this process or the ordinance, you can >direct questions to soundwatch(a)whalemuseum.org and I can help and/or >direct you to the right folks. > >Regards, >Kari Koski >Soundwatch Director > > > > >Great News! Raise money for The Whale Museum and its programs just by >searching the Internet with GoodSearch - ><http://www.goodsearch.com/>www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo! >... it doesn't cost you a penny!...but those pennies add up to help >the whales! > >Kari Koski, Soundwatch Director >soundwatch(a)whalemuseum.org >The Whale Museum >P.O. Box 945 >Friday Harbor, WA 98250 >360-378-4710 Box 33 >360-317-4339 Cell >360-378-5790 Fax >www.whalemuseum.org >Be Whale Wise!

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John Heyning book sale
by William Perrin 13 Sep '07

13 Sep '07

JOHN HEYNING BOOK SALE The late John Heyning stipulated that his research library be sold and the proceeds go to a Society for Marine Mammalogy memorial fund to support grants for integrative research on cetaceans. This is a chance to honor John, contribute to a good cause, and obtain some good books at low prices. Details on the SMM website, www.marinemammalogy.org or directly at http://www.marinemammalogy.org/Heyning_catalog.pdf -- William F. Perrin, Ph.D. Senior Scientist for Marine Mammals NOAA Fisheries Southwest Fisheries Science Center 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive La Jolla, CA 92037 Tel. (858) 546-7096 Fax (858) 546-7003

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Gulf Islands Harbor Seal rescue update
by Phocid＠aol.com 12 Sep '07

12 Sep '07

Gulf Islands Harbor Seal rescue update. Island Wildlife Natural Care Centre on Salt Spring Island, BC, a small wildlife and marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation centre, is experiencing high numbers of Harbor Seal pups in need of intervention. Island Wildlife is 1 of only 2 facilities permitted to conduct seal rescue and rehabilitation in Canada. Since June of this year, Island Wildlife has rescued 98 orphaned and injured seal pups. 35 pups have since been released and 50 are still on site in rehabilitation. The 11 year old facility consists of 24 isolation tubs and 7 fresh water pools ranging in size from 8 foot diameter to 18 foot. July brought the heaviest influx of animals totaling 65 for the month. June and July also brought a record number of prematurely born pups (indicated by full lanugo coats), totaling 30. Healthy birth weight in this region is 10 to 11 kg. The average weight for the rescued pups has been 7.2 kg. The lightest surviving pup was 4.5 kg. The centre’s rescue area covers the Northern and Southern Gulf Islands as well as the coast of Vancouver Island from north of Campbell River, down south to Victoria and and back up the southwest coast to Tofino. 65% of this years rescues took place in the Gulf Islands. 30% from Vancouver Island and 5% from misc. mainland locals such as the Jervis Inlet and Stewart, BC, 1,600 km. away. Rescues are executed through a well developed network of volunteers, drivers, pilots (helicopter and seaplane) and existing ferry routes. The husbandry and medical care is provided by 4 staff members and 9 onsite interns. The seal team is headed up by Marielle Bonnet. Jeff Lederman Island Wildlife Natural Care Centre 322 Langs Road, Salt Spring Island, BC V8K1N3 250-537-0777 www.sealrescue.org iwncc(a)aol.com ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com

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Volunteers required
by Claire Wallis 12 Sep '07

12 Sep '07

Volunteers required for work on Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) Volunteers are required to assist PhD students from Deakin University, Victoria, Australia on projects studying the reproductive behaviours of Australian fur seals. Volunteers will gain experience in behavioural observation techniques, photometric data collection, and capture and restraint of Australian fur seal pups. Volunteers may also assist in remote and gas anaesthesia, and collection of blood and tissue samples, depending on the field trip. Fieldwork will be carried out on Kanowna Island- a remote island off the coast of Wilsons Promontory, Victoria. Life as well as work on the island can be physically demanding and as such volunteers should be relatively fit and healthy. Volunteers will need to provide their own transport to and from Tidal River, Wilsons Promontory; alternatively, carpooling may be able to be arranged with other volunteers travelling down. Accommodation is basic (camping in tents) but is provided, all food will also be provided. Volunteers will need to bring personal items such a clothes and sleeping bags. The length of field trips vary from10 days to up to 20 days, trips will be carried out between the months of October and the end of December of this year. Please direct all correspondence to; Claire Wallis PhD candidate Deakin University Email: cmwal(a)deakin.edu.au

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EXTINCTION CRISIS ESCALATES-2007 IUCN RED LIST
by Jay Miller 12 Sep '07

12 Sep '07

The 2007 IUCN Red List has been issued, and the news is grim. Extinction crisis escalates: Red List shows apes, corals, vultures, dolphins all in danger 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, the world’s most authoritative assessment of the Earth’s plants and animals, acts as a wake up call on the global extinction crisis 74 seaweeds have been added to the IUCN Red List from the Galápagos Islands. Ten species are listed as Critically Endangered, with six of those highlighted as Possibly Extinct. The cold water species are threatened by climate change and the rise in sea temperature that characterizes El Niño. The seaweeds are also indirectly affected by overfishing, which removes predators from the food chain, resulting in an increase of sea urchins and other herbivores that overgraze these algae. Yangtze River Dolphin listed as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) After an intensive, but fruitless, search for the Yangtze River Dolphin, or Baiji, (Lipotes vexillifer) last November and December, it has been listed as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct). The dolphin has not been placed in a higher category as further surveys are needed before it can be definitively classified as Extinct. A possible sighting reported in late August 2007 is currently being investigated by Chinese scientists. The main threats to the species include fishing, river traffic, pollution and degradation of habitat. India and Nepal’s crocodile, the Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is also facing threats from habitat degradation and has moved from Endangered to Critically Endangered. Its population has recently declined by 58%, from 436 breeding adults in 1997 to just 182 in 2006. Dams, irrigation projects, sand mining and artificial embankments have all encroached on its habitat, reducing its domain to 2% of its former range. Banggai Cardinalfish heavily exploited by aquarium trade Overfishing continues to put pressure on many fish species, as does demand from the aquarium trade. The Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni), which is highly prized in the aquarium industry, is entering the IUCN Red List for the first time in the Endangered category. The fish, which is only found in the Banggai Archipelago, near Sulawesi, Indonesia, has been heavily exploited, with approximately 900,000 extracted every year. Conservationists are calling for the fish to be reared in captivity for the aquarium trade, so the wild populations can be left to recover. These highlights from the 2007 IUCN Red List are merely a few examples of the rapid rate of biodiversity loss around the world. The disappearance of species has a direct impact on people’s lives. Declining numbers of freshwater fish, for example, deprive rural poor communities not only of their major source of food, but of their livelihoods as well. For information about more species on this year’s IUCN Red List please visit www.iucn.org/redlist and www.iucnredlist.org A full 2007 IUCN Red List media package is available, including photo gallery, two-minute video B roll, species changes, fact sheets on key species, case studies and statistics 2 minute video B roll and photo gallery of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species prepared by Arkive www.arkive.org For more information / interviews with leading IUCN spokespeople please contact: Lynette Lew, IUCN Marketing and Communications Officer, Species Programme, Tel: +41 22 999 0153; Mob: +41 79 527 7221; Fax: +41 22 999 0015; Email: lynette.lewiucn.org ; Web: www.iucn.org Sarah Halls, IUCN Media Relations Officer, Tel: +41 22 999 0127; Mob: +41 79 24 72 926; Fax: +41 22 999 0020; Email: sarah.hallsiucn.org; Web: www.iucn.org Craig Hilton-Taylor and Caroline Pollock, IUCN Red List Unit, Tel +44 1223 277 966; Fax: +44 1223 277-845; Email: caroline.pollockssc-uk.org and craig.hilton-taylorssc-uk.org; Web: www.iucnredlist.org Additional information The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classifies species according to their extinction risk. It is a searchable online database containing the global status and supporting information on more than 41,000 species. Its primary goal is to identify and document the species most in need of conservation attention and provide an index of the state of biodiversity. The IUCN Red List threat categories are the following, in descending order of threat: Extinct or Extinct in the Wild; Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable: species threatened with global extinction; Near Threatened: species close to the threatened thresholds or that would be threatened without ongoing specific conservation measures; Least Concern: species evaluated with a low risk of extinction; Data Deficient: no evaluation because of insufficient data. Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct): This is not a new Red List category, but is a flag developed to identify those Critically Endangered species that are in all probability already Extinct but for which confirmation is required (for example, through more extensive surveys being carried out and failing to find any individuals). The total number of species on the planet is unknown; estimates vary between 10 - 100 million, with 15 million species being the most widely accepted figure. 1.7 - 1.8 million species are known today. People, either directly or indirectly, are the main reason for most species’ decline. Habitat destruction and degradation continues to be the main cause of species’ decline, along with the all too familiar threats of introduced invasive species, unsustainable harvesting, over-hunting, pollution and disease. Climate change is increasingly recognized as a serious threat, which can magnify these dangers. Major analyses of the IUCN Red List are produced every four years. These were produced in 1996, 2000 and 2004. The 2004 Global Species Assessment is available from: http://www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/ red_list_2004/2004home.htm Key findings from major analyses to date include: The number of threatened species is increasing across almost all the major taxonomic groups. IUCN Red List Indices, a new tool for measuring trends in extinction risk are important for monitoring progress towards the 2010 target. They are available for birds and amphibians and show that their status has declined steadily since the 1980s. An IUCN Red List Index can be calculated for any group which has been assessed at least twice. Most threatened birds, mammals and amphibians are located on the tropical continents – the regions that contain the tropical broadleaf forests which are believed to harbour the majority of the Earth’s terrestrial and freshwater species. Of the countries assessed, Australia, Brazil, China and Mexico hold particularly large numbers of threatened species. Estimates vary greatly, but current extinction rates are at least 100-1,000 times higher than natural background rates. The vast majority of extinctions since 1500 AD have occurred on oceanic islands, but over the last 20 years, continental extinctions have become as common as island extinctions. All IUCN Red List updates contribute to a worldwide biodiversity assessment. Work is underway to reassess the status of all mammals (approximately 6,000 species) and birds (approximately 10,000 species) and to assess for the first time all reptiles (approximately 8,000 species) and freshwater fish (approximately 13,000 species). The first global assessment of all amphibians (approximately 6,000 species) was completed in 2004. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is a joint effort between IUCN and its Species Survival Commission www.iucn.org/themes/ssc, working with its Red List partners BirdLife International www.birdlife.org, Conservation International’s Center for Applied Biodiversity Science www.conservation.org, NatureServe www.natureserve.org, and the Zoological Society of London www.zsl.org. About The World Conservation (IUCN) Created in 1948, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) brings together 84 States, 108 government agencies, 800 plus NGOs, and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 147 countries in a unique worldwide partnership. The Union’s mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. The Union is the world's largest environmental knowledge network and has helped over 75 countries to prepare and implement national conservation and biodiversity strategies. The Union is a multicultural, multilingual organization with 1,000 staff located in 62 countries. Its headquarters are in Gland, Switzerland. www.iucn.org About the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and Species Programme The Species Survival Commission (SSC) is the largest of IUCN’s six volunteer commissions with a global membership of 7,000 experts. SSC advises IUCN and its members on the wide range of technical and scientific aspects of species conservation and is dedicated to securing a future for biodiversity. SSC has significant input into the international agreements dealing with biodiversity conservation. www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/ The IUCN Species Programme supports the activities of the IUCN Species Survival Commission and individual Specialist Groups, as well as implementing global species conservation initiatives. It is an integral part of the IUCN Secretariat and is managed from IUCN’s international headquarters in Gland, Switzerland. The Species Programme includes a number of technical units covering Species Trade and Use, the Red List Unit, Freshwater Biodiversity Assessments Unit, (all located in Cambridge, UK), and the Global Biodiversity Assessment Unit (located in Washington DC, USA).

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Marine NEPA Specialist needed
by Steve Silva 11 Sep '07

11 Sep '07

A national, equal employment opportunity, environmental consulting firm has an immediate opening for a Marine NEPA Specialist to provide marine expertise as part of a team. The position is located in the Dallas, TX area. Responsibilities include: - Preparing marine resource and environmental assessment documents in support of NEPA, ESA, MMPA, CZCA, or the MSFCMA/SFA, as well as other projects; - Researching, acquiring, and synthesizing marine literature and data; - Reviewing and manipulating marine data; - Communicating with government, academic, and industry researchers and scientists; - Participating in project team meetings and attend meetings with third parties/clients as required; - Traveling to client locations, project sites, symposia and other meetings, other regional offices as required; - Analyzing marine data, including application of statistical tests, as necessitated by projects; and - Collecting marine field data on occasion as required by projects. Requirements An interdisciplinary background integrating living marine resources and the physical marine environment is essential. The successful candidate will possess strong technical writing and editing, organizational, and interpersonal skills as well as the ability to manage multiple tasks concurrently, while functioning in an environment of changing priorities and time constraints. Although not required, candidates possessing experience with DISTANCET, ESRI GIS, and/or EndNoteT software, scientific SCUBA diving, marine/aquatic field collections or monitoring, and familiarity with marine regulations/legislation will have the advantage. U.S. Navy experience, particularly with operations or training is also a plus. Education: B.S. or M.S. in Marine Biology, Oceanography, Marine Ecology, or other related Marine Science discipline. We are presently only accepting applications/resumes from U.S. Citizens or permanent residents. To apply, email resume to Steve Silva, Recruiter at steve.silva(a)tx.rr.com

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Gray Whales and Climate Warming....in full
by Jay Miller 11 Sep '07

11 Sep '07

Warming May Be Hurting Gray Whales' Recovery By Juliet Eilperin Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, September 11, 2007; A12 As many as 118,000 gray whales roamed the Pacific before humans decimated the population through hunting, and human-induced climate change may now be depriving those that remain of the food they need, according to a study released yesterday. The research, based on a detailed analysis of DNA taken from gray whales living in the eastern Pacific, highlights how human behavior has transformed the oceans, the scientists said. Today there are only about 22,000 Pacific gray whales, including about 100 in the western Pacific. By examining the genetic variability of the current population, scientists at Stanford University and the University of Washington at Seattle calculated that there were between 76,000 and 118,000 gray whales in the Pacific before commercial whaling in the 1800s shrank their numbers. Federal officials took eastern Pacific gray whales off the endangered species list in the mid-1990s, but a rise in sea temperatures appears to have limited the whales' available food. A recent spike in deaths among gray whales may suggest "this decline was due to shifting climatic conditions on Arctic feeding grounds," the researchers wrote in the paper, being published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "There definitely are large-scale ecosystem effects going on," said Stanford doctoral student S. Elizabeth Alter, the lead author, in an interview yesterday. "One of the most exciting things" about DNA analysis, she said, is that it gives us "the opportunity to look back in time and see what the ocean looked like before human impact." The decline in gray whales has affected the ocean in a variety of ways, according to the researchers. Because the animals feed on the ocean bottom by sucking in and expelling sediment that contains shrimplike creatures called amphipods, the scientists wrote, historic populations may have redistributed enough sediment to feed a million seabirds. Aboriginal tribes are currently allowed to kill as many as 125 eastern Pacific gray whales a year under International Whaling Commission rules, though this practice has sparked controversy. In light of the new data suggesting that the whales' numbers were more depleted than was previously known, international officials need to reconsider the amount of gray whale hunting they currently allow, the researchers said. On Saturday, five members of Washington's Makah tribe shot and killed a gray whale without the required permit. Coast Guard officials caught the men and turned them over to tribal police. On Sunday, tribal council leaders issued a statement denouncing the men's actions and vowed to prosecute them. Stephen R. Palumbi, a professor of marine sciences at Stanford and a co-author of the study, said the research suggests that given the right conditions, the number of gray whales could increase in the years to come. But a warmer Bering Sea could impede this recovery, he said, because it is killing off some of the food the whales consume. When emaciated gray whales washed ashore between 1999 and 2001, scientists initially speculated that the animals were exhausting the ocean's "carrying capacity," Palumbi added, but it could be instead that global warming is to blame. "It's not a conclusion we can come to. It's a hint," he said in an interview. But if humans are affecting the ocean's "capacity to support life, it's got to make you worry, it's got to make your wonder."

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MMO course Dorset UK
by Yvonne Miles 10 Sep '07

10 Sep '07

We are please to announce the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) recognised, Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) course for October 2007. It will be held in Poole Dorset, UK at the RNLI College. The course dates are 29th -31st October 2007 Two full days of theory and one day of practical. Please take a look at the web site and register while there are still places left. Scanningoceansectors.org Once we have a full course we will set the dates for 2008 and will open registration at the closure of October registrations Regards Yvonne -- Yvonne Miles 9 Long Street Point Vernon Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Australia 0435 017 524 mob 07 4124 8320 land line http://www.scanningoceansectors.org/ --

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MMO course Dorset Hervey_Bay_Sept
by Yvonne Miles 10 Sep '07

10 Sep '07

The closing date for attending the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) course in Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia is coming up. For those of you still wishing to attend, please visit the web site and register. The dates for the course are Tuesday 25th - 27th September 2007 To be held at Hervey Bay Boat Club Two days of full theory and one day of practical Please register at the web site. http://www.scanningoceansectors.org/course/register.html There will also be dates for the course's running in 2008 on the the site by the end of next week Thanks Yvonne -- Yvonne Miles 9 Long Street Point Vernon Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Australia 0435 017 524 mob 07 4124 8320 land line http://www.scanningoceansectors.org/ -- Yvonne Miles 9 Long Street Point Vernon Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Australia 0435 017 524 mob 07 4124 8320 land line http://www.scanningoceansectors.org/

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