May 2008 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

SEEKING RESEARCH ASSISTANTS IN REYKJAVIK, ICELAND
by chiara bertulli 19 May '08

19 May '08

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New publications week 16
by Jan Herrmann 18 May '08

18 May '08

Dear all, here are some new publications of week 16/ 2008, 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.php 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 Budge, S.M. et al. (2008): Blubber fatty acid composition of bowhead whales, Balaena mysticetus: Implications for diet assessment and ecosystem monitoring. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 359(1): 40-46. Pringle, H. (2008): Society for American Archaeology meeting. Signs of the first whale hunters. Science 320(5873): 175. Spinsanti, G. et al. (2008): Selection of reliable reference genes for qRT-PCR studies on cetacean fibroblast cultures exposed to OCs, PBDEs, and 17beta-estradiol. Aquatic Toxicology 87(3): 178-186. PINNIPEDIA Härkönen, T.J. et al. (2008): Mass mortality in harbour seals and harbour porpoises caused by an unknown pathogen. The Veterinary Record 162(17): 555-556. Rozengart, E.V. and N.E. Basova (2007): Enzymological characteristic of the cholinesterase from the caudate nucleus of the Ladoga seal (Phoca hispida ladogensis) brain. Doklady Biochemistry and Biophysics 416(1-6): 260-263. Southwell, C. et al. (2008): Uncommon or cryptic? Challenges in estimating leopard seal abundance by conventional but state-of-the-art methods. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 55(4): 519-531. OTHER MARINE MAMMALS Stevens, H. et al. (2008): Novel papillomavirus isolated from the oral mucosa of a polar bear does not cluster with other papillomaviruses of carnivores. Veterinary Microbiology 129(1-2): 108-116. -- --> jan.herrmann -at - cetacea.de

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[ECS-TALK] summary of interesting news week 20/2008
by Catharina Clausen 18 May '08

18 May '08

Dear ECS and Marmam list subscribers, I got a lot of positive feedback on the news-compilation and I appreciate it, thanks! Please note: If you have any news to add, please create a 'headline'! (May 13, 2008) Mysterious Arctic whale under threat from changing habitat - http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/13/ endangeredspecies.endangeredhabitats (May 13, 2008) A whale, a seal and a dolphin in the South Bay? Don't be alarmed! - http://www.scarborougheveningnews.co.uk/news/A-whale-a- seal-and.4074880.jp (May 14, 2008) Whale meat eaters a dying breed feeding on tradition - http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=304&objectid=10509874 (May 14, 2008) Network helps stranded marine mammals - http:// newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20080514-136389/ Network-helps-stranded-marine-mammals (May 14. 2008) Whale of a Mystery: Why Those Ribs? - http:// dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/05/14/pygmy-right-whale.html (May 15, 2008) Whales are 'cheetahs of the deep' - http:// news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7400788.stm or also at http:// www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11367929 (May 15, 2008) Porpoise carcass sparks debate - http:// blogs.chesterchronicle.co.uk/and-finally/2008/05/porpoise-carcass- sparks-debate.html (May 15, 2008) Greenpeace: Japanese ship's crew stole whale meat - http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/15/japan.whaling/? iref=mpstoryview (May 15, 2008) Smelly whale carcass heading west - http:// www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080515.WHALE15/TPStory/ National (May 15, 2008) Whales inspire better blade designs - http:// www.csmonitor.com/2008/0516/p13s01-stgn.html (May 15, 2008) Anglers work to avoid dolphin run-ins - http:// www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/outdoors/orl- advsep1508may15,0,2261777.story (May 17, 2008) book review: Pirates saving the whales - http:// www.greenleft.org.au/2008/751/38846 (May 17, 2008) Humpback whales visit Marlborough Sounds - http:// www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4552174a11.html (May 18, 2008) Scientists dig up whale in P.E.I. - http:// thechronicleherald.ca/Canada/1056745.html Not new, but still beautiful: Life-size photo of a blue whale - http://www.wdcs.co.uk/media/flash/whalebanner/content_pub_en.html Catharina Clausen ************************************************************************ ** baiji.org foundation Kanzleistrasse 127 CH-8004 Zurich Switzerland tel. (+41) 43 317 10 00 fax (+41) 43 317 10 09 mobil (+41) 79 281 18 65 catharina(a)baiji.org ************************************************************************ **

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Conference "Is there a future for whales?"
by icb＠icb.org.ar 17 May '08

17 May '08

Conference "Is there a future for whales?" Dr. Roger Payne President Whale Conservation Institute/Ocean Alliance Organized by: Instituto de Conservacion de Ballenas Guest Speakers Dr. Mariano Sironi, Scientific Director- Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas - Argentina José Truda Palazzo, President - Projeto Baleia Franca Austral - Brazil Tuesday May 27, 2008 7:00 PM Bolsa de Comercio de Buenos Aires Sarmiento 299 - Buenos Aires - Argentina Whales are not safe yet. Our species' actions, and inactions, have driven many populations almost to extinction. This attitude can be reversed if people learn about whales, and through knowledge, learn to love them. There are still many threats. Amongst these the most evident is "scientific whaling" carried out by Japanese fleets that use existing legal gaps to ignore regulations and continue with whale hunting. But whaling is neither the only nor the most lethal threat: a greater number of whales and dolphins are caught each year in fishing nets or die silently from toxic chemicals that accumulate in their food chains and affect their reproductive and nervous systems. These chemicals, mainly produced by humans, also affect our own species. Conservationists have to fight many different and permanent battles to free these animals. Latin American countries play an essential role in the International Whaling Commission, which decides the future of the whale and dolphin populations of the world. The Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas works to strengthen the conservationist block in the Commission. In order to continue with this work we need support. In Dr. Roger Payne´s words: the similarities between the humpback whale and human songs are the impact that they have on human emotions. If we fail to protect whales and they disappear, we will lose not only their physical presence in the oceans, but also the emotion produced by listening to their songs. And we will continue our journey alone.in silence. Pre-registration online: http://www.icb.org.ar/conferencia/conferencia.html Funds raised by this event will be used to strengthen the research, education and conservation projects of the Right Whale Program of the Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas.

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Field Assistant Opportunity July through December
by Stefanie Gazda 17 May '08

17 May '08

Field Assistant Opportunity: 2 field assistants are needed for fieldwork for a PhD student's dissertation from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in dolphin feeding behavior. The field season will run for approximately 6 months, from July through mid December. Research will take place in Cedar Key, Florida, 3 hours north of Tampa and 60 miles west of Gainesville. Assistants will be expected to work on a boat 6 to 7 days per week, for up to 10 hours at a time. Typical weather conditions in summer include 95 degree heat, very high humidity, and no breezes. Fall and winter are cooler. Prior experience working on dolphins and habitats, as well as acoustics, is preferred but not required. Those with no experience should demonstrate their willingness to learn. This is not a paid position. Assistants will have the option to obtain their own housing and food in Cedar Key, however, if they choose to stay with the PI, food will be paid for and housing will run approximately $150 per month per assistant. Opportunities for part-time work in tourist-related positions in Cedar Key may be available to assistants—however it is their responsibility to obtain those jobs and assistants must make the field work a priority. Priority will be given to applicants who can stay for the duration—however in the case that adequate assistants can be found for the entire fall, it may be possible to accept applicants who can only participate in part of the field season. A minimum commitment of one month is required. Please send an email of inquiry to stefanie.gazda(a)gmail.com with the subject line as "Field assistants for 2008". Be specific about how much time you can commit to. A more in depth description of the position and its requirements will be emailed out—at that time candidates who are still interested should email their CV and informative cover letter to the above email address. -Stefanie Gazda

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FW: New ESR Articles
by Godley, Brendan 17 May '08

17 May '08

New articles have been published: Parrish FA, Marshall GJ, Buhleier B, Antonelis GA Foraging interaction between monk seals and large predatory fish in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands ESR 4:299-308 <http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v4/n3/p299-308/> | Full text in pdf format <http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2008/4/n004p299.pdf> As part of ESR Theme Section, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Assessing Its Utility and Value <http://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/esr-specials/the-iucn-red-list-of-t hreatened-species-assessing-its-utility-and-value/> Hoffmann M, Brooks TM, Fonseca GAB, Gascon C, Hawkins AFA, James RE, Langhammer P, Mittermeier RA, Pilgrim JD, Rodrigues ASL, Silva JMC REVIEW: Conservation planning and the IUCN Red List ESR:pp3 <http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/iucn/pp3/> | Full text in pdf format <http://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2008/theme/IUCN/IUCNpp3.pdf> PDF copies of these articles and all other ESR content are freely available at the ESR website <http://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/> .

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Wild Bottlenose Dolphin Research Internship
by Jason Allen 16 May '08

16 May '08

Wild Bottlenose Dolphin Research Internship The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP), based at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, is the world's longest-running wild dolphin research program. The program's goal is to contribute to a better understanding of the structure and dynamics of populations of small cetaceans, as well as the natural and anthropogenic factors that impact them. The SDRP uses an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach in conducting studies of bottlenose dolphins within Sarasota Bay, Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, and the Gulf of Mexico coastal waters. For more information about the SDRP, please visit: www.sarasotadolphin.org. The SDRP is in the process of selecting volunteer interns for the fall 2008 internship program (2 September - 19 December). Positions are available within our dolphin population monitoring project, which will continue to monitor the resident bottlenose dolphin population in Sarasota Bay. This internship will consist of approximately fifty percent field and fifty percent laboratory duties. While in the field, work will generally involve boat based surveys for dolphin groups along survey routes. Behavioral, location, individual identification, and environmental data will be recorded for each dolphin group. While in the lab, work will generally involve photo-identification of dolphins sighted, data entry, dolphin identification catalog maintenance, equipment maintenance, and other duties. There is no compensation for these internship positions, and successful applicants will be responsible for their own living and transportation expenses during the time of the internship. Housing opportunities may be available (cost: $75/week). Scholarships are available from Mote Marine Laboratory through a competitive application process. Applicants would ideally have the following qualifications: *Minimum of 18 years of age and engaged in or recently completed undergraduate studies; *A background or degree in Biology, Marine Biology, Zoology or a related field; *Basic computer proficiency in Microsoft Office programs; *Some field research experience preferred but not required; *Must be able to swim. *Enthusiasm and willingness to learn field and lab based research methods; *A willingness to spend a minimum of 2 - 3 months working full time with our program. To apply for a Sarasota Dolphin Research Program internship interested persons should: 1) Fill out an application form on Mote Marine Laboratory's website (www.mote.org/interns) Be sure to select “Center for Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Research” as your first choice and then type in “Sarasota Dolphin Research Program” as the specific program; 2) Complete and provide to Mote’s intern office all other application materials including: a statement of interest, current college transcript, letter of recommendation, and curriculum vitae; 3) Send a brief email to the SDRP’s Lab Manager (Jason Allen, allenjb(a)mote.org) stating your name, contact information, dates available (please be specific) and that you have provided all of your application materials to the Mote intern office, as detailed above. All applications will be reviewed; those received by June 15th will be given first priority. Applicants may contact Jason Allen (941-388-4441 ext. 452, allenjb(a)mote.org) in the SDRP with any questions.

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Harpoon: Into the Heart of Whaling
by Andrew Darby 15 May '08

15 May '08

Dear Colleagues, Harpoon: Into the Heart of Whaling, has just been published in the United States and Canada by Da Capo Press. Using key species of whales as allegories, Harpoon is a chronicle designed to make sense of the whaling issue to both scientist and lay reader. Rights, Blues, Sperm, Minkes and Humpbacks are examined in detail, and there are detours into Fins, Orcas and Grays. Harpoon has a great deal of new inside information on the struggle for whales, and focusses particularly on the current dispute over Japanese scientific whaling. A review of the book appears in The Economist magazine this month. http://www.economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11326254. For more information, contact Julia Hall at Julia.hall(a)perseusbooks.com. With thanks, Andrew Darby Author

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New(ish) publication
by Simon Allen 15 May '08

15 May '08

G'day folks, The following paper on compliance to a voluntary code of conduct for dolphin watching was published in the most recent issue of The Journal of Cetacean Research and Management: ----------------- Allen, S., Smith, H., Waples, K. and Harcourt, R. 2007. The voluntary code of conduct for dolphin watching in Port Stephens, Australia: is self-regulation an effective management tool? Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 9(2): 159-166. ABSTRACT: In the absence of guidelines or government regulation for a rapidly expanding industry, dolphin watching operators in Port Stephens, New SouthWales, Australia, formulated and adopted a voluntary code of conduct in 1996. This code was designed to reduce perceived pressures on dolphins and was updated to conform to the Australian National Guidelines for Cetacean Observation when they were released in 2000. Compliance to this code of conduct was assessed in a shore-based survey over the austral summer of 2002/03. Operator compliance was generally high for: number of dolphin watching boats per dolphin school; time spent by individual operators with dolphins; method of approach to dolphins; and frequency of cruises conducted per day. However, operators did not discriminate between dolphin schools containing calves and those that did not (equating to a breach of the national guidelines) and three of nine regular operators committed most breaches of the code, particularly with regard to boat-handling around dolphins and frequency of cruises conducted per day. The code's aim in reducing exposure of dolphins to boats was not achieved as dolphin schools were subject to consecutive approaches by numerous boats and interactions also involved boats to which the code did not apply. This voluntary code is thus of limited value without revision, education and enforcement. The inability of a voluntary code to manage the number of operators and other watercraft highlights the need for management alternatives that will increase compliance by all users of the waterways. Furthermore, widespread assessments of compliance are necessary, particularly where assessments of the effects of cetacean-based tourism are being conducted. To determine whether identified impacts are a result of inappropriate management strategies, or non-compliance with suitable management, requires that management strategies are tested while simultaneously testing or ensuring compliance. ------------------ Essentially we show that individual operator compliance was quite high when compared with that in some other parts of Australia and the world, but that this unfortunately does not necessarily translate into reduced exposure of resident dolphins to boating activity in a multi-vessel, intensive industry such as that in Port Stephens. The fact that Port Stephens is now a Marine Protected Area should see some overdue improvements in management of commercial and recreational vessel traffic around dolphins by the end of the year. Anyone interested in receiving the PDF of the article can drop me an email or, alternatively, it will appear on the MUCRU website within a few weeks. Best wishes, Simon Simon Allen Research Associate, Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research Murdoch University South St., Murdoch Western Australia 6150 0416-083-653 s.allen(a)murdoch.edu.au http://www.cffr.murdoch.edu.au/mucru

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Fw: Job Announcement - Walrus Program Supervisor, Alaska
by Rosa_Meehan＠fws.gov 15 May '08

15 May '08

Please post the following job announcement for a Walrus Program Supervisor in the Marine Mammals Management Office of the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Anchorage, Alaska. Thank you, Rosa Meehan (rosa_meehan(a)fws.gov) ___________________________________________________________ Walrus Program Supervisor Position Available US Fish and Wildlife Service Marine Mammals Management Program Anchorage, Alaska Position open May 12 – June 12, 2008 For more information, please contact: Rosa Meehan Division Chief, Marine Mammals Management Email: rosa_meehan(a)fws.gov _ _ _ _ _ _ The Marine Mammals Management Program of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is seeking a highly motivated and conservation oriented individual to lead the Walrus Program. The office is responsible for the conservation and management of Pacific walrus, polar bears, and sea otters and the goal is to maintain these marine mammal populations as healthy, functioning component of the marine ecosystem. The program takes an ecosystem approach to management, carried out through the cooperative efforts of many partners. Management and research efforts are coordinated at the local, state and international level. Current challenges focus on understanding the effects of climate change, notably the extreme retreat of sea ice, on the ice-dependent species and developing appropriate management strategies. Additional information about the program is at: http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/index.htm The ideal candidate will have a background in population biology and arctic marine ecology, ability to work with people, and skills needed to provide leadership to highly motivated and independent professionals. Minimum requirements include at least one year of specialized experience and an advanced degree in biological sciences. For additional information, see the job announcement on USA Jobs: R7-08-189531-RN The full time position is located in Anchorage, Alaska. Some travel is required, including international travel as well as travel to meetings and for field work within the State. Salary is at the GS 13 level and is commensurate with qualifications and previous government experience. See job announcement for details. Applications must be submitted through USA Jobs, details can be accessed through the Job Announcement listed above or by going to: http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov and searching by title (Supervisory Wildlife Biologist GS-486-13) and agency (FWS). For further information about the FWS, please go to: http://www.fws.gov/

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