December 2008 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Marine Mammal Observers course and Passive Acoustic Monitoring Course dates for 2009
by Yvonne Miles 11 Dec '08

11 Dec '08

Hi All *Scanning Ocean Sectors – A Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) training company and Joint Nature Conservation Committee – JNCC, recognised course for industry and research.* We have years of research behind the effective training of MMOs with courses adapted to the requirements of the clients, and taught by professionals in their specialised fields. With years of experience in the work of an MMO. *Please note that the early registration for the January 2009 MMO and PAM course is still available* *This course is booking up quickly so don't leave it late* Please visit our website for more information and to register for all courses *2009 Courses* 1. *2009 January* January 19th – 21st 3 day MMO course Dates at RNLI College 19th -20th January Date on boat – Strongbow 21st January *Dates at **RNLI** **College** January 22nd -23rd 2 day PAM course * *16th – 20th March Safety at sea course RNLI STCW – 95* *Please contact **SOS** regarding this course* 1. *March 23rd – 25th 3 day MMO course* Dates at RNLI College 23rd -24th March Date on boat – Strongbow 25th March *Dates at **RNLI** **College** March 26th – 27th 2 day PAM course * 1. *2009 May/June (first) 2 courses of MMO and PAM running these months* May 25th – 27th 3 day MMO course Dates at RNLI College 25th -26th May Date on boat – Strongbow 27th May *Dates at **RNLI** **College** May 28th – 29th 2 day PAM course * * * * * *1st – 6th June Safety at sea course RNLI* *Please contact **SOS** regarding this course* * * 1. *June 8th – 10th (second) 3 day MMO course* Dates at RNLI College 8th - 9th June Date on boat – Strongbow 10th June *Dates at **RNLI** **College** June 11th – 12th 2 day PAM course * 1. *2009 September * September 7th – 9th 3 day MMO course Dates at RNLI College 7th - 8th September Date on boat – Strongbow 9th September *Dates at **RNLI** **College** September 10th – 11th 2 day PAM course * 1. *2009 October/ November (first) 2 courses of MMO and PAM running these months* October 19th – 21st 3 day MMO course Dates at RNLI College 19th - 20th October Date on boat – Strongbow 21st October *Dates at **RNLI** **College** October 22nd – 23rd 2 day PAM course * *26th – 30th October Safety at sea course RNLI* *Please contact **SOS** regarding this course* * * 1. *2009 November (second)* November* *2nd – 4th 3 day MMO course Dates at RNLI College 2nd - 3rd November Date on boat – Strongbow 4th November *Dates at **RNLI** **College** November 5th – 6th 2 day PAM course * *Note – There are limited numbers for each course so please book early to avoid disappointment.* If anyone is interested in advertising in our newsletter please contact us for the next issue is due out in January 2009 www.scanningoceansectors.org info(a)scanningoceansectors.org -- Yvonne Miles 9 Long Street Point Vernon Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Australia 0431 824 063 mob 07 4124 8320 land line info(a)scanningoceansectors.org www.scanningoceansectors.org

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Duke University Marine Lab 2009 Summer Course: Marine Mammals
by Dave Johnston 11 Dec '08

11 Dec '08

Duke University Marine Lab 2009 Summer Course: Marine Mammals Dates: Summer Term II: 6 July - 7 August 2009 Course limit: 15 students (undergraduates, graduate students, professionals) Application deadline (if applying for Global Fellowship): 15 February 2009 Application deadline (if applying for Tuition Scholarship): 1 April 2009 Application deadline (no funding support): 8 June 2009 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, line transect surveys and distance sampling, sampling prey distribution and abundance, behavioral sampling techniques, acoustic recording and analysis, and necropsy techniques. The course is taught by Dr. David Johnston. As part of Summer Term 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; 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.nicholas.duke.edu/marinelab/admissions/summeraid.html http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/marinelab/programs/summer2.html

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Preventing Manatee -- Boat Collisions
by Tom Shilson 11 Dec '08

11 Dec '08

I snipped the following from the MBI list ( M_B_I(a)yahoogroups.com ) Acoustic Phenomena Explain Why Boats And Animals Collide Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have laid the groundwork for a sensory explanation for why manatees and other animals are hit repeatedly by boats. Last year, 73 manatees were killed by boats in Florida's bays and inland waterways. Marine authorities have responded to deaths from boat collisions by imposing low speed limits on boats. In spite of manatee protection policies that have been in effect for nearly two decades to slow down boats passing through manatee- protection habitats, the number of injuries and deaths associated with collisions has increased and reached record highs. In an effort to reduce manatee deaths and injuries from boats, Dr. Edmund Gerstein, director of marine mammal research and behavior in FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, set out in 1991 to investigate what might be the underlying cause for these collisions. Gerstein disagreed with the unsubstantiated assumptions, which wildlife officials had relied upon, that manatees could hear boats, but they were just too slow and could not learn to avoid boats. "Manatees have the cognitive prowess to learn and remember as well as dolphins and killer whales," said Gerstein. "Furthermore, when startled or frightened, manatees explode with a burst of power and can reach swimming speeds of up to 6.4 meters per second in an instant." Given that manatees have the cognitive ability to recognize danger and the physical prowess to evade boats, Gerstein sought to explore the answers to some simple questions. "After a manatee has been hit more than once (some have been hit up to 50 different times) why doesn't the animal learn to get out of the way?" "Is it possible that manatees are not aware or cannot hear the sounds of an approaching boat?" Gerstein and his colleagues conducted rigorous, controlled underwater psychoacoustic (audiometric) studies to understand what sounds manatees can hear in their environment. After a comprehensive series of hearing studies, his research revealed that manatees cannot hear the dominant low frequency sounds of boats and that those sounds do not transmit well in shallow water. Furthermore, ambient noise in manatee habitats can conceivably mask the perception of many kinds of signals. Unlike dolphins, which can use active sonar to navigate and detect objects in the environment, manatees are passive listeners restricted to listening to their auditory landscape. "It is ironic that slow speed zones result in quieter and lower frequency sounds which manatees can't hear or locate in Florida's murky waters," said Gerstein. "Slow speed zones make sense in clear water where the boater and the manatee can see each other and therefore actively avoid encounters. However, in turbid waters where there is no visibility, slow speeds actually exacerbate the risks of collisions by making these boats inaudible to manatees and increasing the time it takes for a boat to now travel through manatee habitats thereby increasing the risk and opportunities for collisions to occur." With these issues in mind, Gerstein and his colleagues developed an acoustic alerting device specifically tailored to exploit the manatees' hearing ability. The environmentally friendly device is narrowly focused in front of the boat so that only manatees in its direct path are alerted. "The alarm emits a high-frequency signal which isn't loud, doesn't scare or harm manatees and doesn't disturb the marine environment," said Gerstein. Gerstein has been testing this alarm in a NASA wildlife refuge where controlled studies are possible. He has reported that 100 percent of the controlled approaches toward manatees by a boat with the alarm have resulted in the manatees avoiding the boat up to 30 yards away. Without this alarm, only three percent of the manatees approached by the same boat moved to avoid the boat. Manatees aren't the only animals that collide with boats. Other passive-listening marine mammals, including great whales, are vulnerable to collisions when near the surface, where the risk of collisions with ships and boats is greatest or in shallow water. Gerstein and his colleagues are using the findings from their studies to help understand and reduce collisions in the open seas where great whales are regularly injured and often killed by large ships. Source: Florida Atlantic University. _/) ~~~~~~~~~ Tom Shilson of the Sweetwater Sea Three score and four years old and still so much to learn.

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Volunteering Opportunity in Cardigan Bay, West Wales
by Edita Magileviciute 11 Dec '08

11 Dec '08

Sea Watch Foundation - Volunteering opportunity in Cardigan Bay for 2009 Volunteers are invited to assist the Sea Watch Foundation (www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk) with the running of the “Cardigan Bay Monitoring Project”. The project is based in New Quay, West Wales, and takes care of the conservation management of the bottlenose dolphin, harbour porpoise and grey seal populations of Cardigan Bay , monitoring their abundance, distribution, reproductive success and population structure using a combination of line-transect, photo-identification, land-based and acoustic surveys. The volunteers will help the Cardigan Bay Monitoring Officer and the Sightings Officer/Monitoring Officer assistant with land- and boat-based surveys and photo-identification studies, database entry, awareness raising and education initiatives, acoustic monitoring, and will assist with and participate in training courses and public talks. Volunteers are required from April until October 2009, for 4 separate periods of 6 weeks each. Preference will be given to those who can stay for more than one period, including the whole 6-months field season. Volunteers will be based in New Quay, West Wales . Accommodation is provided at a rate of around £50/week. Volunteers are responsible for their own travel, accommodation and living expenses, but it is generally quite easy to obtain part-time paid work in the area if required. Volunteering periods Period 127/04/09 – 7/06/09, Period 2 8/06/09 – 19/07/09, Period 3 20/07/09 – 30/08/09, Period 4 31/08/09 – 11/10/09 Important skills/qualifications Essential: · an ability to work in a conscientious and reliable manner · strong commitment to volunteering work · willingness to work long hours outdoors in often very changeable Welsh weather · basic IT skills (Office package) · an ability to get on well with others in a small team Desirable: · a background in marine biology/environmental science or similar · a strong interest and knowledge of British cetaceans · prior experience in boat-based survey work · good verbal and written communication skills and in public speaking · experience in interacting with the public All volunteers will be trained in cetacean observation and identification, in line-transect survey protocols and photo-identification of bottlenose dolphins and grey seals. To apply: Please send to Giovanna Pesante (giovanna.pesante(a)seawatchfoundation.org.uk) your cv, covering letter and contact details of two references , reporting any relevant experience you have and specifying the period(s) you would prefer to volunteer for. Deadline: 31st of January 2009. Pleased specify New Quay volunteer application into your subject title. Applicant will be notified of the outcomes by the 22nd of February 2009. Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

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Trying to locate copy of article by Bruyns
by Dagmar Fertl 10 Dec '08

10 Dec '08

Dear Marmam subscribers, I'm hoping that someone might be able to assist me rather quickly with a pdf copy of the following older article that I've been unsuccessfully attempting to obtain. This journal is not located in any library within close proximity to me, and I also have contacted several researcher colleagues, as well as the NMFS library system for assistance, with no one having the article in their current possession. This is the article: BRUYNS, W. F. J. MORZER. 1969. Sight records and notes on the false killer whale. SAUGETIERKUNDLICHE MITTEILUNGEN 17(4):351-356. Thank you in advance for your kind assistance. Happy holidays!! With regards,Dagmar Fertl http://www.ziphiusecoservices.com You live life online. So we put Windows on the web. Learn more about Windows Live _________________________________________________________________ Send e-mail faster without improving your typing skills. http://windowslive.com/Explore/hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_speed_…

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International Carcass Management Symposium
by Keith Matassa 10 Dec '08

10 Dec '08

Would it be possible to post this on the list serve? Greetings, Attached, please find the 'Hold the Date' and 'Call for Papers' announcements for the 3rd International Carcass Disposal Symposium that will be held next July at UC Davis. As with the first two symposia held in 2005 and 2006, this promises to offer an exciting opportunity to catch up on the latest research, policies and experiences from around the US and the world relating to animal carcass disposal (includes Marine Mammals!). http://extension.umaine.edu/ByproductsSymposium09/default.htm Please pass along to others that may be interested. Thank you Keith A. Matassa Marine Animal Rehabilitation Coordinator UNE/MARC 11 Hills Beach Road Biddeford, Maine 04005 office 207-602-2670 cell 207-468-9621 kmatassa(a)une.edu

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Discount offer on cetacean titles + new European field guide
by Dylan Walker 10 Dec '08

10 Dec '08

Dear Marmamers: You may be interested to know that ethical wildlife publishing house WILDGuides are running pre-Christmas special offer discounts on all of their whale and dolphin publications, including books, CD-Roms, and posters – available at www.wildguides.co.uk A discount also applies to their newest publication, entitled ‘Whales and Dolphins of the European Atlantic’. This second edition of this bestselling field guide to European cetaceans is available for the first time in landscape format, and incorporates lots of new and innovative ideas, including: Maximum use of photographs and artwork to clearly illustrate the comparative features of these challenging animals, using the minimum of text. For the first time in any field guide to cetaceans, the authors have solved the problem of judging size and scale at sea, with information on judging distance and the placing of a Northern Gannet (Sula bassana) on all plates for a realistic size comparison. The maps are comprehensive and up-to-date, with a significant amount of new information incorporated since the 1st edition. Finally, this guide incorporates the very latest information on identification techniques, including four species not known from the region when the first book was published in 2001. Further information on the book is available at: http://www.wildguides.co.uk/titledetail_WDEA2 WILDGuides is a not-for-profit publishing house specialising in natural history guides, using the latest digital photographic techniques. Our objective is to raise funds for conservation through the proceeds of sales either by linking each title to a specific charity or trust, or by means of annual awards to conservation work in a particular part of the world. Our titles range from specific identification of flora and fauna in particular family groups, to traveller’s guides designed to enhance the visitor experience to the location concerned. Knd regards, Dylan Walker WILDGuides OCEANGuides series dylan_walker(a)wildguides.co.uk

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two new papers on California sea lions
by Manuela Gonzalez Suarez 09 Dec '08

09 Dec '08

Dear colleagues, Two new papers on California sea lions have been recently published. You can send PDF requests to: manuela.gonzalez(a)asu.edu 1) Manuela Gonzalez-Suarez and Leah R, Gerber (2008) Habitat preferences of California sea lions: implications for conservation. *Journal of Mammalogy*, 89:1521-1528 *Abstract**.* California sea lions (*Zalophus californianus*) occur along much of the Pacific coast of North America, but the number of breeding areas that are occupied is relatively small. Our understanding of the attributes that make these few sites preferable is currently limited. We quantified habitat characteristics—substrate type and coloration, aspect, slope, curvature of shoreline, and availability of shade, water pools, and resting areas—at 26 sites (7 islands) occupied by sea lions and 33 unused sites (8 islands) distributed throughout the Gulf of California, Mexico. Logistic regression models were used to explore how habitat characteristics explained sea lion occupancy patterns. Models discriminated very well between occupied and unused sites, and showed that occupied locations were more often located in sites with larger-size rocks (odds ratio [OR] = 1.209), lighter-color substrates (OR = 0.219), and convex shorelines (OR = 1.067). All of these preferred characteristics are likely to play a role in the prevention of heat stress in sea lions, suggesting that increases in temperature, such as those expected from global warming, may pose an additional risk for this already declining sea lion population. To partially offset this risk, our results may be used to identify, and protect, unused but suitable (i.e., thermally favorable) habitat. In addition, we recommend effective protection and monitoring of the currently occupied areas and their populations. 2) Manuela Gonzalez-Suarez and Leah R, Gerber (2008). A behaviorally explicit demographic model integrating habitat selection and population dynamics in California sea lions. *Conservation Biology* 22:1608-1618 *Abstract**. *Although there has been a call for the integration of behavioral ecology and conservation biology, there are few tools currently available to achieve this integration. Explicitly including information about behavioral strategies in population viability analyses may enhance the ability of conservation biologists to understand and estimate patterns of extinction risk. Nevertheless, most behavioral-based PVA approaches require detailed individual-based data that are rarely available for imperiled species. We present a mechanistic approach that incorporates spatial and demographic consequences of behavioral strategies into population models used for conservation. We developed a stage-structured matrix model that includes the costs and benefits of movement associated with 2 habitat-selection strategies (philopatry and direct assessment). Using a life table for California sea lions (*Zalophus californianus*), we explored the sensitivity of model predictions to the inclusion of these behavioral parameters. Including behavioral information dramatically changed predicted population sizes, model dynamics, and the expected distribution of individuals among sites. Estimated population sizes projected in 100 years diverged up to 1 order of magnitude among scenarios that assumed different movement behavior. Scenarios also exhibited different model dynamics that ranged from stable equilibria to cycles or extinction. These results suggest that inclusion of behavioral data in viability models may improve estimates of extinction risk for imperiled species. Our approach provides a simple method for incorporating spatial and demographic consequences of behavioral strategies into population models and may be easily extended to other species and behaviors to understand the mechanisms of population dynamics for imperiled populations. Thanks Manuela -- "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education" Mark Twain Manuela Gonzalez SOLS Biology Graduate Program P.O Box 874601 ASU Tempe, AZ 85287-4601 http://www.public.asu.edu/~lrgerbe/manuela.htm<http://www.public.asu.edu/%7Elrgerbe/manuela.htm>

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International Marine Conservation Congress
by Sarah Wilson 08 Dec '08

08 Dec '08

REMINDER from Ellen Hines: Proposals for “Beyond the Obituaries: Success Stories in Ocean Conservation” are due Monday, Dec. 15th. " Background:The International Marine Conservation Congress will take place in Washington, DC May 19th through the 24th 2009. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History will help kick-off the conference on a positive note with a one-day public program on May 20th entitled “Beyond the Obituaries: Success Stories in Ocean Conservation.” The event, organized by Nancy Knowlton and Jeremy Jackson, will highlight conservation efforts that are making a difference around the world, allow conservation professionals to learn from the success of others, and demonstrate to the public and policy makers that the situation is not hopeless. A reception and public talk by Dr. Daniel Pauly will follow. Criteria:We are looking for clear, tangible results. We are not looking for descriptions of public awareness campaigns (unless there are tangible behavior changes tied to them) or for accounts of legislative actions that have not yet played out in the real world. We seek proposals that go beyond describing conservation efforts (e.g. the establishment of an MPA) to describe successful outcomes (e.g. a rebound in target species within the MPA). We aim to have a diversity of proposals in terms of goals, ecosystems, strategies, and geography. What to Send:Please send one- to two-page proposals clearly outlining the success story you would like to present. Explain why this case study is noteworthy and how “success” has been measured. Include your name and contact information, your organization, and your role in the case study you are presenting (e.g. are you an academic who has studied the rebound of a certain organism’s population, a resource manager who has implemented a local program, etc.). Send proposals (due December 15th 2008) or questions to Christine Hoekenga: hoekengac(a)si.edu. What to Expect:You will be notified if your proposal has been selected by mid-January. If selected, you or someone from your project will be invited to present your success story at the symposium in May. For more information on the International Marine Conservation Congress, visit: http://www.conbio.org/imcc " Sincerely, Sarah Wilson IMCC Chair: Education, Outreach, and Capacity BuildingWeb Coordinator, Thank You Ocean Campaignwww.thankyouocean.orgNational Marine Sanctuaries Foundation sarahw-thankyouocean(a)hotmail.comGet LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah4ocean Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail EMAILING FOR THE GREATER GOODJoin me

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New Papers Available
by Stockin, Karen 08 Dec '08

08 Dec '08

Dear colleagues We have pleasure in announcing the following papers which are now available either online or as PDFs. Please email all requests to Karen Stockin at k.a.stockin(a)massey.ac.nz<mailto:k.a.stockin@massey.ac.nz> Stockin, K.A., Binedell, V., Wiseman, N., Brunton, D.H. and Orams M.B. (in press) Behaviour of free-ranging common dolphins (Delphinus sp.) in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. Marine Mammal Science DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2008.00262.x Stockin, K.A., Wiseman, N., Hartman, A., Moffat, N. and Roe W.D. (2008) The use of radiography to assist with vessel collision diagnostics in a dead Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera brydei) in New Zealand waters. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 42: 307-313. Berghan, J., Algie, K.D., Stockin, K.A., Wiseman, N., Constantine, R., Tezanos-Pinto, G. and Mourao, F. (2008) Photo-identification of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Hauraki Gulf. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 42: 465-472. Best wishes, Karen ========================================= Dr. Karen A Stockin Coastal - Marine Research Group Institute of Natural Resources Massey University Private Bag 102 904 North Shore MSC New Zealand Tel: + 64 9 414 0800 Ext 41127 Fax: + 64 9 443 9790 Cell: + 64 21 146 5511 Email: k.a.stockin(a)massey.ac.nz<mailto:k.a.stockin@massey.ac.nz> http://www.massey.ac.nz/~dhbrunto/ppl/KarenStockin.htm =========================================

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