June 2009 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

UK cetacean MPA project
by Sarah Dolman 19 Jun '09

19 Jun '09

WDCS is currently collating field research data to be included in a project to determine suitable sites for UK Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for whales, dolphins and porpoises. This project is supported by Scottish Natural Heritage and the BBC Wildlife Fund. We are busy gathering data from published sources. However, we're aware that many valuable field reports and unpublished datasets exist for UK cetaceans that are not published in the peer-review literature and may be more difficult for us to access. If you are aware of any such literature, and would be interested to contribute it so that our project is as complete as possible, we would be very grateful to receive these from you. Appropriate acknowledgements will be made in our final report, which is due in December 2009 and will be available to all. Any datasets provided will only be used for this project. Please send reports and datasets to: sarah.dolman(a)wdcs.org, (or sarah.dolman(a)hotmail.co.uk if over 5Mb). I'm happy to answer any questions or queries and provide more information about the project. We look forward to hearing from you. Many thanks, Sarah Sarah Dolman WDCS Head of Policy for Scotland Sarah.dolman(a)wdcs.org

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head presentation of foetus in a porpoise
by Pavel Gol'din 18 Jun '09

18 Jun '09

Dear colleagues, a few days ago I found a stranded dead pregnant harbor porpoise with the foetus laying with the head (cephalic) presentation. As far as I understand, it is a rather rare case for cetaceans. The most recent review I have found in literature had been made by Slijper (1967). Thus, I would be very grateful for your comments: do you know such cases in phocoenids (especially, harbour porpoises) and/or any published reports of such cases? Please send your comments to the following address: pavelgoldin412(a)gmail.com Thank you very much in advance, Dr Pavel E. Gol'din, Department of Zoology, V.I. Vernadsky Taurida National University, Simferopol, Ukraine

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Common dolphin mass stranding
by Jan.Loveridge ＠ CWTstrandings.org 17 Jun '09

17 Jun '09

Mass stranding of common dolphins, June 2008, UK (Jan Loveridge) A detailed report on the mass stranding in Cornwall, UK, of 26 common dolphins in June 2008 has been issued jointly by Cornwall Wildlife Trust Marine Strandings Network (CWT MSN) and British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR). The report complements that produced by the Defra funded UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP), for whom the CWT MSN records and retrieves stranded cetaceans for post-mortem examination. BDMLR rescues live stranded cetaceans around Cornwall. Both organisations were involved in the rescue and retrieval of the dolphins in the mass stranding and have conducted an extensive investigation into the event, alongside that of the CSIP. The report can be found at www.cwtstrandings.org/reports.htm. The two organisation have invited the UK Royal Navy (RN) to discuss how they could minimise risk to cetaceans. The RN has welcomed the opportunity to meet the groups to develop potential areas for future collaboration. Recently, communication between the organisations may have helped to prevent a second mass stranding of dolphins in the same area, when the CWT MSN and BDMLR alerted the RN to the presence of 20 common dolphins within the Fal river system, while sonar testing was underway. It is hoped that such dialogue will be strengthened and response mechanisms improved in the future. Best wishes, Jan Loveridge ------------------------------------ CWT Marine Strandings Network Strandings Hotline: 0845 201 2626 www.cwtstrandings.org British Divers Marine Life Rescue www.bdmlr.org.uk

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NAVAL EXERCISES COULD HAVE STRANDED DOLPHINS, SAYS REPORT
by Sarah Dolman 17 Jun '09

17 Jun '09

Dear MARMAM A report on the common dolphin mass stranding event that occurred in Cornwall, UK, in June 2008 has now been released by Defra (UK Government). The report link is:- http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=WC0601_8031_TRP.pdf An associated news piece may also be of interest: NAVAL EXERCISES COULD HAVE STRANDED DOLPHINS, SAYS REPORT Naval exercises could have contributed to the mass stranding of 26 dolphins on the Cornish coast a year ago, a scientific report found today. The pod of dolphins beached themselves at four separate locations around the Percuil river near Falmouth in June last year after Navy exercises in the area involving surface ships and a submarine. At the time, rescuers said they believed the worst mass stranding of the marine mammals in UK waters was the result of the dolphins being panicked by an underwater disturbance. According to the today's study led by Zoological Society of London (ZSL) researchers, sonar used in the exercises was "highly unlikely" to have directly caused the dolphins to beach themselves. But the activities of the Navy could have been a contributing factor in pushing the marine mammals close to shore and put them at risk of beaching. Dr Paul Jepson, of ZSL, said: "We don't have definitive information but we've ruled out everything else, and it's possible that something in the naval exercises caused the mass stranding." The study said a definite cause for the stranding could not be found, although the dolphins could have reacted to a "trigger" event or suffered an "intrinsic error of navigation". The research said the common dolphins were unusually close to shore and at a greater risk of beaching themselves - possibly because they were in unfamiliar waters. Naval activities such as the use of sonar for anti-submarine training could have been a factor in the dolphins, which are sensitive to underwater sounds, coming closer to shore. Natural behaviour such as foraging for food could also have played a part. The ZSL researchers said information supplied by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) under the Freedom of Information Act showed several days of "mid-frequency sonars for anti-submarine warfare training" ended some 60 hours before the stranding. A "short-range side-scan sonar" for sea-bed mapping trials was used by the Navy the day before the dolphins beached themselves, but the technology is common and has not been implicated in strandings, the study said. As a result the use of underwater sonar in the Navy exercises was "highly unlikely to have directly triggered the mass stranding event", but the researchers believe other parts of the exercises could be to blame. The study also ruled out other potential causes including disease, poisoning, attacks by killer whales or bottlenose dolphins and even earthquakes as the reason for the mass stranding - only the fourth recorded in England since 1913. In the wake of the report, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society said it believed that as all other potential causes had been ruled out, the military was to blame of the strandings. Sarah Dolman, ocean noise campaigner for WDCS, said: "The post-mortem results have shown us that those dolphins that died were healthy animals prior to stranding. "Something frightened them ashore, way up inside the river system, where this species in not generally known to go. "The unusual behavioural response of all these groups of otherwise healthy animals was triggered by something. "An 'error of navigation' would not lead this many dolphins to strand, and other groups to behave in such an unusual manner, on the same morning - but over a distance of 20km." She called on the Ministry of Defence to conduct transparent environmental assessments of its exercises to see what effect they were having on marine life, and to suspend use of sonar once a stranding occurs until rescued animals are out of danger. The mass beaching in Cornwall was one of two unusual stranding events of cetaceans - the group of marine mammals including whales, dolphins and porpoises - last year. No cause could be found for the other event, in which a number of long-finned pilot whales and various species of beaked whale were found stranded in Scotland, Wales and Ireland over a three-month period at the beginning of 2008. The annual report for 2008 from the UK Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme, also published today, revealed the number of dead and stranded whales, dolphins and porpoises increased by 6.2% on the previous year. Some 583 cetaceans were reported to the programme, of which 485 were found stranded and dead, 81 were live strandings and 17 were found dead at sea. The most common species reported were harbour porpoises which were mainly found to have died of starvation, disease, attacks by bottlenose dolphins or as a result of being accidentally caught by fishermen, and short-beaked common dolphins, which mostly died as a result of stranding themselves live, the report revealed. Sarah Dolman WDCS Noise Pollution Campaign Manager Sarah.dolman(a)wdcs.org

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New paper: Serological Diagnosis of Brucella Infections in Odontocetes (Gabriela Hernández- Mora)
by Gaby Hernandez 15 Jun '09

15 Jun '09

Dear MARMAM readers, I am pleased to announce the publication of the following article in Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, (abstract below): Hernández-Mora G, Manire C. A, González-Barrientos R., Barquero-Calvo E., Guzmán-Verri C., Staggs L., Thompson R., Chaves-Olarte E.,* and E. Moreno. *Serological Diagnosis of *Brucella *Infections in Odontocetes. 2009. Clin. Vaccine Immunol. Jun 906–915 *Abstract:* * * *Brucella ceti *causes disease in Odontoceti. The absence of control serum collections and the diversity of cetaceans have hampered the standardization of serological tests for the diagnosis of cetacean brucellosis. Without a “gold” standard for sensitivity and specificity determination, an alternative approach was followed. We designed an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) that recognizes immunoglobulins G (IgGs) from 17 odontocete species as a single group. For the standardization, we used *Brucella melitensis *and *Brucella abortus *lipopolysaccharides, serum samples from seven resident odontocetes with no history of infectious disease displaying negative rose bengal test (RBT) reactions, and serum samples from seven dolphins infected with *B. ceti. *We compared the performance of the iELISA with those of the protein G ELISA (gELISA), the competitive ELISA (cELISA), and the immunofluorescence (IF) and dot blot (DB) tests, using 179 odontocete serum samples and RBT as the reference. The diagnostic potential based on sensitivity and specificity of the iELISA was superior to that of gELISA and cELISA. The correlation and agreement between the iELISA and the gELISA were relatively good (*R*i/g 2 = 0.65 and ĸ i/g = 0.66, respectively), while the correlation and agreement of these two ELISAs with cELISA were low (*R*i/c2 = 0.46, *R*g/c2 = 0.37 and ĸ i/c = 0.62, ĸ g/c = 0.42). In spite of using the same anti-odontocete IgG antibody, the iELISA was more specific than were the IF and DB tests. An association between high antibody titers and the presence of neurological symptoms in dolphins was observed. The prediction is that iELISA based on broadly cross-reacting anti-dolphin IgG antibody would be a reliable test for the diagnosis of brucellosis in odontocetes, including families not covered in this study. Pdf copies are available on request: ghernandez(a)fundacionketo.org Best regards, Gabriela Hernández Mora Investigation Program in Tropical Diseases (PIET) Universidad Nacional, P.O.Box 304-3000, Heredia Costa Rica www.fundacionketo.org

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New Articles
by David S. Janiger 15 Jun '09

15 Jun '09

Hi, All Here's the latest posting of new PDF's that are available. File sizes have been included. Abstracts also available on request. Please don't hit the reply button. Make all requests to: janiger(a)bcf.usc.edu Cheers! David Janiger - Curatorial Assistant (Mammals) Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 (213) 763-3369 janiger(a)bcf.usc.edu djaniger(a)nhm.org Janiger Journals ABT, K. and J. ENGLER. HELGOLAND MARINE RESEARCH 63(2):177-180. 2009. Rapid increase of the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) breeding stock at Helgoland. 0.276 MB AHRENS, LUTZ; URSULA SIEBERT and RALF EBINGHAUS. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 58(4):520-525. 2009. Total body burden and tissue distribution of polyfluorinated compounds in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from the German Bight. 0.306 MB ANDRE, MICHEL. NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT 602(1):262-267. 2009. The sperm whale sonar: Monitoring and use in mitigation of anthropogenic noise effects in the marine environment. 0.368 MB ANDRIANOV, V. V.; V. M. BEL'KOVICH and L. R. LUKIN. OCEANOLOGY 49(1):73-82. 2009. Originally published in Okeanologiya Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 79-89. 2009. White whale (Delphinapterus leucas) distribution in Onega Bay of the White Sea in the summer. 0.354 MB BUTTI, CAMILLA; CHET C. SHERWOOD; ATIYA V. HAKEEM; JOHN M. ALLMAN and PATRICK R. HOF. JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY 515(2):243-259. 2009. Total number and volume of von Economo neurons in the cerebral cortex of cetaceans. 5.051 MB CARLINI, A. R.; J. NEGRETE; G. A. DANERI; T. ROGERS; M. E. I. MARQUEZ; M. CIAGLIA and J. A. MENNUCCI. POLAR BIOLOGY 32(6):915-921. 2009. Immobilization of adult male southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) during the breeding and molting periods using a tiletamine/zolazepam mixture and ketamine. 0.207 MB CASAUX, R.; A. CARLINI; A. CORBALAN; L. BERTOLIN and C. Y. DEPRINZIO. POLAR BIOLOGY 32(6):833-838. 2009. The diet of the Weddell seal Leptonychotes weddellii at Laurie Island, South Orkney Islands. 0.334 MB CHEN, LIAN and GUANG YANG. CONSERVATION GENETICS 10(3):697-700. 2009. A set of polymorphic dinucleotide and tetranucleotide microsatellite markers for the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) and cross-amplification in other cetacean species. 0.156 MB CURTIS, CAITLIN; BRENT S. STEWART and STEPHEN A. KARL. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 18(10):2112-2121. 2009. Pleistocene population expansions of Antarctic seals. 0.230 MB DIAZ, ADRIANA; SANDRA CARRO; LIVIA SANTIAGO; JUAN ESTEVEZ; CELIA GUEVARA; MIRIAM BLANCO; LAIMA SANCHEZ; LIENA SANCHEZ; NIRKA LOPEZ; DANILO CRUZ; RONAR LOPEZ; ELIZABETH B. CUETARA and JORGE LUIS FUENTES. GENETICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 32(2):367-372. 2009. Estimates of DNA strand breakage in bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) leukocytes measured with the Comet and DNA diffusion assays. 0.084 MB DOLMAN, SARAH J.; CAROLINE R. WEIR and MICHAEL JASNY. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 58(4):465-477. 2009. Comparative review of marine mammal guidance implemented during naval exercises. 0.234 MB DRAGO, M.; E. A. CRESPO; A. AGUILAR; L. CARDONA; N. GARCIA; S. L. DANS and N. GOODALL. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 384:273-286. 2009. Historic diet change of the South American sea lion in Patagonia as revealed by isotopic analysis. 0.418 MB DUBROVSKY, N. A.; I. A. URUSOVSKII and A. V. GLADILIN. ACOUSTICAL PHYSICS 55(3):441-447. 2009. Originally published in Akusticheskii Zhurnal Vol. 55, No. 3, pp. 423-430. 2009. A model of acoustic click production in the dolphin by analogy with a traveling-wave antenna. 0.499 MB DYCK, MARKUS G. and ERMIAS KEBREAB. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 90(3):585-593. 2009. Estimating the energetic contribution of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) summer diets to the total energy budget. 0.159 MB ENGELHAUPT, ERIKA. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 43(10):3403. 2009. New Item Mercury in seals linked to vanishing sea ice. 1.588 MB ESCH, H. CARTER; LAELA S. SAYIGH; JAMES E. BLUM and RANDALL S. WELLS. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 90(3):638-650. 2009. Whistles as potential indicators of stress in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). 0.569 MB ESTES, J. A.; D. F. DOAK; A. M. SPRINGER and T. M. WILLIAMS. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON B BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 364(1524):1647-1658. 2008. Causes and consequences of marine mammal population declines in southwest Alaska: A food-web perspective. 0.207 MB FAHRENHOLTZ, SVEA; SIMONE GRIESEL; DANIEL PROEFROCK and ANTJE KAKUSCHKE. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING 11(5):1107-1113. 2009. Essential and non-essential elements in tissues of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) stranded on the coasts of the North and Baltic Seas between 2004-2006. 0.732 MB FERRER-I-CANCHO, RAMON and DAVID LUSSEAU. COMPLEXITY 14(5):23-25. 2009. Efficient coding in dolphin surface behavioral patterns. 0.087 MB GADEN, A.; S. H. FERGUSON; L. HARWOOD; H. MELLING and G. A. STERN. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 43(10):3646-3651. 2009. Mercury trends in ringed seals (Phoca hispida) from the western Canadian Arctic since 1973: Associations with length of ice-free season. 0.494 MB GILLES, ANITA; MEIKE SCHEIDAT and URSULA SIEBERT. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 383:295-307. 2009. Seasonal distribution of harbour porpoises and possible interference of offshore wind farms in the German North Sea. 0.479 MB GILLESPIE, DOUGLAS; CHARLOTTE DUNN; JONATHAN GORDON; DIANE CLARIDGE; CLARE EMBLING and IAN BOYD. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 125(5):3428-3433. 2009. Field recordings of Gervais' beaked whales Mesoplodon europaeus from the Bahamas. 0.134 MB GRAHAM, ISLA M.; ROBERT N. HARRIS; BECKS DENNY; DAN FOWDEN and DAVE PULLAN. ICES (INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE EXPLORATION OF THE SEAS) JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE 66(5):860-864. 2009. Testing the effectiveness of an acoustic deterrent device for excluding seals from Atlantic salmon rivers in Scotland. 0.101 MB GREGR, EDWARD J. and KENNETH O. COYLE. PROGRESS IN OCEANOGRAPHY 80(3-4):188-198. 2009. The biogeography of the North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica). 0.476 MB HERREMAN, J. K.; G. M. BLUNDELL; D. B. MCDONALD and M. BEN-DAVID. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 87(6):498-507. 2009. Asymmetical male-mediated gene flow between harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) populations in Alaska. 0.367 MB HOFFMAN, JOSEPH I. and JAUME FORCADA. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 90(3):621-628. 2009. Genetic analysis of twinning in Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella). 0.135 MB HUGGENBERGER, STEFAN; MICHAEL A. RAUSCHMANN; THOMAS J. VOGL and HELMUT H. A. OELSCHLAEGER. ANATOMICAL RECORD: ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 292(6):902-920. 2009. Functional morphology of the nasal complex in the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena L.). 1.086 MB IMAI, DENISE; SPENCER JANG; MELISSA MILLER and PATRICIA A. CONRAD. VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY 136(3-4):378-381. 2009. Characterization of beta-hemolytic streptococci isolated from southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) stranded along the California coast. 0.119 MB JABOR, JULIA and MIKE LLIFF. AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 63(2):268-289. 2009. Theatre sports in the Southern Ocean: Engagement options for Australia in whale research protest action. 0.170 MB KERN, A.; K. SEIDEL and H. H. A. OELSCHLAEGER. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 73(2):102-110. 2009. The central vestibular complex in dolphins and humans: Functional implications of Deiters' nucleus. 0.323 MB KINOSHITA, MITSUHIRO; HIROKO OHTA; KANATA HIGAKI; YOKO KOJIMA; TADASU URASHIMA; KAZUKI NAKAJIMA; MINORU SUZUKI; KIT M. KOVACS; CHRISTIAN LYDERSEN; TAKAO HAYAKAWA and KAZUAKI KAKEHI. ANALYTICAL BIOCHEMISTRY 388(2):242-253. 2009. Structural characterization of multibranched oligosaccharides from seal milk by a combination of off-line high-performance liquid chromatography-matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and sequential exoglycosidase digestion 0.959 MB KIRKMAN, S. P. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE 31(1):1-18. 2009. Evaluating seal-seabird interactions in southern Africa: A critical review. 1.701 MB KRETSCHMER, ERIC J.; JEFFREY B. OLSEN and JOHN K. WENBURG. CONSERVATION GENETICS 10(3):775-777. 2009. Characterization of eight microsatellite loci in sea otter, Enhydra lutris, and cross-species amplification in other Mustelidae. 0.153 MB KULEMZINA, ANASTASIA I.; VLADIMIR A. TRIFONOV; POLINA L. PERELMAN; NADEZHDA V. RUBTSOVA; VITALY VOLOBUEV; MALCOLM A. FERGUSON-SMITH; ROSCOE STANYON; FENGTANG YANG and ALEXANDER S. GRAPHODATSKY. CHROMOSOME RESEARCH 17(3):419-436. 2009. Cross-species chromosome painting in Cetartiodactyla: Reconstructing the karyotype evolution in key phylogenetic lineages. 0.618 MB LAMMERS, MARC O. and MANUEL CASTELLOTE. BIOLOGY LETTERS 5(3):297-301. 2009. The beluga whale produces two pulses to form its sonar signal. 0.160 MB LARESE, JASON P. and SUSAN J. CHIVERS. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 87(6):537-552. 2009. Growth and reproduction of female eastern and whitebelly spinner dolphins incidentally killed in the eastern tropical Pacific tuna purse-seine fishery. 0.767 MB LUQUE, SEBASTIAN P. and STEVEN H. FERGUSON. OECOLOGIA (BERLIN) 160(2):367-378. 2009. Ecosystem regime shifts have not affected growth and survivorship of eastern Beaufort Sea belugas. 0.462 MB MARQUES, TIAGO A.; LEN THOMAS; JESSICA WARD; NANCY DIMARZIO and PETER L. TYACK. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 125(4):1982-1994. 2009. Estimating cetacean population density using fixed passive acoustic sensors: An example with Blainville's beaked whales. 0.502 MB MATHIAS, DELPHINE; AARON THODE; JAN STRALEY and KENDALL FOLKERT. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 125(5):3444-3453. 2009. Relationship between sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) click structure and size derived from videocamera images of a depredating whale (sperm whale prey acquisition). 0.733 MB MIRANDA FILHO, KLEBER C.; CHRIS D. METCALFE; TRACY L. METCALFE; MONICA M. C. MUELBERT; RICARDO B. ROBALDO; PABLO E. MARTINEZ; ELTON P. COLARES and ADALTO BIANCHINI. CHEMOSPHERE 75(5):610-616. 2009. Lactational transfer of PCBs and chlorinated pesticides in pups of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) from Antarctica. 0.316 MB MOORE, M. J.; A. L. BOGOMOLNI; S. E. DENNISON; G. EARLY; M. M. GAMER; B. A. HAYWARD; B. J. LENTELL and D. S. ROTSTEIN. VETERINARY PATHOLOGY 46(3):536-547. 2009. Gas bubbles in seals, dolphins, and porpoises entangled and drowned at depth in gillnets. 1.056 MB MORELL, VIRGINIA. SCIENCE (WASHINGTON D. C.) 324(5931):1132. 2009. Whale stocks mystery of the missing humpbacks solved by Soviet data. 0.140 MB NEWLAND, CHINA; IAIN C. FIELD; PETER D. NICHOLS; COREY J. A. BRADSHAW and MARK A. HINDELL. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 384:303-312. 2009. Blubber fatty acid profiles indicate dietary resource partitioning between adult and juvenile southern elephant seals. 0.180 MB NG, TERRY FEI FAN; WM. KIRK SUEDMEYER; ELIZABETH WHEELER; FRANCES GULLAND and MYA BREITBARTT. JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY 90(5):1256-1261. 2009. Novel anellovirus discovered from a mortality event of captive California sea lions. 0.143 MB NOREN, SHAWN R. and RANDALL S. WELLS. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 90(3):629-637. 2009. Blubber deposition during ontogeny in free-ranging bottlenose dolphins: Balancing disparate roles of insulation and locomotion. 0.202 MB PARSONS, E. C. M.; SARAH J. DOLMAN; MICHAEL JASNY; NAOMI A. ROSE; MARK P. SIMMONDS and ANDREW J. WRIGHT. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 58(5):643-651. 2009. A critique of the UK's JNCC seismic survey guidelines for minimising acoustic disturbance to marine mammals: Best practise? 0.239 MB PRYASLOVA, JULIA P.; OLEG I. LYAMIN; JEROME M. SIEGEL and LEV M. MUKHAMETOV. BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH 201(1):80-87. 2009. Behavioral sleep in the walrus. 0.389 MB RENNIE, S.; C. E. HANSON; R. D. MCCAULEY; C. PATTIARATCHI; C. BURTON; J. BANNISTER; C. JENNER and M.-N. JENNER. JOURNAL OF MARINE SYSTEMS 77(1-2):21-44. 2009. Physical properties and processes in the Perth Canyon, Western Australia: Links to water column production and seasonal pygmy blue whale abundance. 3.727 MB ROSSI-SANTOS, MARCOS R. and PAULO A. C. FLORES. THE OPEN MARINE BIOLOGY JOURNAL 3:70-76. 2009. Feeding strategies of the Guiana dolphin Sotalia guianensis. 0.662 MB ROSSI-SANTOS, MARCOS R. and PAULO A. C. FLORES. THE OPEN MARINE BIOLOGY JOURNAL 3:77-82. 2009. Commensalism between Guiana dolphins Sotalia guianensis and sea birds in the North Bay of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. 0.688 MB ROUTTI, HELI; ROBERT J. LETCHER; SHAOGANG CHU; BERT VAN BAVEL and GEIR W. GABRIELSEN. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 43(10):3494-3499. 2009. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and their hydroxylated analogues in ringed seals (Phoca hispida) from Svalbard and the Baltic Sea. 0.275 MB SALBERG, ARNT-BORRE; TOR ARNE OIGARD; GARRY B. STENSON; TORE HAUG and KJELL T. NILSSEN. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES 66(3):847-858. 2009. Estimation of seal pup production from aerial surveys using generalized additive models. 0.698 MB SCHRAMM, YOLANDA; S. L. MESNICK; J. DE LA ROSA; D. M. PALACIOS; M. S. LOWRY; D. AURIOLES-GAMBOA; H. M. SNELL; S. ESCORZA-TREVINO. MARINE BIOLOGY (BERLIN) 156(7):1375-1387. 2009. Phylogeography of California and Galapagos sea lions and population structure within the California sea lion. 0.595 MB SEIXAS, TERCIA G.; HELENA A. KEHRIG; ANA PAULA M. DI BENEDITTO; CRISTINA M. M. SOUZA; OLAF MALM and ISABEL MOREIRA. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 58(4):629-634. 2009. Essential (Se, Cu) and non-essential (Ag, Hg, Cd) elements: What are their relationships in liver of Sotalia guianensis (Cetacea, Delphinidae)? 0.225 MB SMODLAKA, H.; R. W. HENRY and R. B. REED. ANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA-JOURNAL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE SERIES C 38(3):161-168. 2009. Macroscopic anatomy of the great vessels and structures associated with the heart of the ringed seal (Pusa hispida). 0.963 MB SMODLAKA, H.; R. W. HENRY and R. B. REED. ANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA-JOURNAL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE SERIES C 38(3):177-183. 2009. Macroscopic anatomy of the ringed seal [Pusa (Phoca) hispida] lower respiratory system. 0.739 MB SUPIN, ALEXANDER YA.; PAUL E. NACHTIGALL and MARLEE BREESE. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 125(4):2432-2442. 2009. Forward-masking based gain control in odontocete biosonar: An evoked-potential study. 0.274 MB TOLLIT, DOMINIC J.; ANGELA D. SCHULZE; ANDREW W. TRITES; PETER F. OLESIUK; SUSAN J. CROCKFORD; THOMAS S. GELATT; ROLF R. REAM and KRISTINA M. MILLER. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 19(4):889-905. 2009. Development and application of DNA techniques for validating and improving pinniped diet estimates. 0.807 MB TREUDE, TINA; CRAIG R. SMITH; FRANK WENZHOFER; ERIN CARNEY; ANGELO F. BERNARDINO; ANGELOS K. HANNIDES; MARTIN KRUGER and ANTJE BOETIUS. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 382:1-21. 2009. Biogeochemistry of a deep-sea whale fall: Sulfate reduction, sulfide efflux and methanogenesis. 1.012 MB TUCKER, STRAHAN; W. DON BOWEN; SARA J. IVERSON; WADE BLANCHARD and GARRY B. STENSON. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 384:287-302. 2009. Sources of variation in diets of harp and hooded seals estimated from quantitative fatty acid signature analysis (QFASA). 0.364 MB ZYDELIS, RAMUNAS; BRYAN P. WALLACE; ERIC L. GILMAN and TIMOTHY B. WERNER. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 23(3):608-616. 2009. Conservation of marine megafauna through minimization of fisheries bycatch. 0.246 MB

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PSO availabilty ASAP
by jennifer scott 15 Jun '09

15 Jun '09

Greetings all, Rogers Environmental has an immediate opening for a PSO/MMO to join a two week seismic survey in the GOM (sorry for the short notice, however port departure date is THIS SUNDAY in Louisianna). Due to insurance purposes, you must have a TX address. Please have current certifications, including sea survival in your resume. Forward your resumes to Rhoni Lahn at biologist(a)att.net Thank you for your interest, -- Jennifer M. Scott Freelance Biologist Marine / Coastal Resources 361-774-7559

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Rough-toothed dolphin - white calf
by Marijke de Boer 15 Jun '09

15 Jun '09

Hi there, I am currently conducting a cetacean survey in the offshore waters of West Africa and encountered a group of rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis). Amongst them was an all-white calf swimming next to its mother and I managed to take photographs of this animal. The encounter lasted several hours and the photographs revealed that there were at least 50 individuals. I am wondering if this has been documented elsewhere and would be interested in hearing more on white (rough-toothed) dolphins and whether it would be of interest to publish a note regarding my observation. Kind Regards and please could you be so kind to respond directly to my e mail address, Marijke de Boer marijke.deboer(a)yahoo.co.uk

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Job Announcement
by Nicole Mihnovets 15 Jun '09

15 Jun '09

Position: Assistant Director, Global Marine Program Division: Global Conservation Program Reports to: Director, Marine Program Location: New York City, New York The Wildlife Conservation Society seeks a bright, committed, diligent, and promising conservationist to help plan, manage and administer a large and complex global marine conservation program. Background The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has been dedicated to conserving the earth's biodiversity since its establishment in 1898 as the New York Zoological Society (NYZS). Our efforts are concentrated in many of the world's developing countries, where biological diversity is greatest and pressure on nature is most intense. The WCS Global Marine Program focuses on conserving outstanding seascapes - large marine and coastal areas of outstanding significance and conservation potential, principally in coral reef ecosystems - and wildlife species iconic of wildness in the seas and essential for healthy, resilient ocean ecosystems. Headquartered in the Bronx Zoo, the Program employs approximately 100 people and has an annual operating budget of about $5.5M. Current major projects include seascape conservation in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Fiji, Belize, Kenya, and Madagascar, and species conservation focused on sea turtles (Nicaragua, Panama, western Africa), marine mammals (Africa and Southeast Asia), and sharks (Belize, Madagascar). Position Objectives The Assistant Director supports the strategic development and oversees effective operation of the Global Marine Program and its innovative, science-based conservation projects, currently focused in thirteen countries around the world. Specifically, the Assistant Director: * oversees annual planning and day-to-day Program operation, including field support and administration; * leads development of funding proposals and supports and supervises reports to funders and partners; * provides guidance for field project development and implementation; * facilitates communication and coordination among projects, with other elements of WCS, and between WCS and other institutions; and, * supports the strategic development of the Global Marine Program, including developing and evaluating priorities for growth and opportunities to increase Program impact and effectiveness. Qualifications Required: * Ph.D. in field biology, conservation, or a relevant social science, or Masters Degree together with extensive relevant experience; * Thorough understanding of marine conservation issues and relevant science and a commitment to the mission of WCS and the goals of the Global Marine Program; * At least three years program management experience, including budget development and oversight, work plan development, staff evaluations, and demonstrated grant-writing and financial management skills; * Excellent interpersonal and communications skills, including writing, editing, and the ability to work sensitively and productively with a diverse global team; * Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize tasks and work on multiple projects simultaneously; * Ability to take direction and to work both independently and as a member of a team; * Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, adjusting to changing program priorities and responding to opportunities; and, * Ability to travel internationally. Preferred: * Experience managing a field-based, marine conservation project, ideally in a developing country; * GIS skills; and * Fluency in French or Spanish. To apply, please email a letter with the subject line "Marine AD" describing your interest in the position, fit with the position qualifications, availability, and salary expectations, and a current curriculum vitae to: hr "at" wcs.org & marineprogram "at" wcs.org Applications for this position will be received until the position is filled. WCS is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

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New paper on bottlenose dolphins behaviour
by Bruno Diaz 14 Jun '09

14 Jun '09

Dear colleagues, I am pleased to inform you of my last publication on bottlenose dolphins feeding behaviour. The following paper is now available which considers the likely effects of prey abundance on dolphin's behaviour. Diaz Lopez, B., 2009. The bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus foraging around a fish farm: Effects of prey abundance on dolphins’ behavior. Current Zoology(formerly Acta Zoologica Sinica), 2009, 55(4). Abstract: The extent to which prey abundance influences both bottlenose dolphin foraging behavior and group size in the presence of human activities has not previously been studied. The primary aim of this study was to identify and quantify how wild bottlenose dolphins respond, individually and as groups, to the relative abundance of prey around a fish farm. Detailed views of dolphins’ behavior were obtained by focal following individual animals whilst simultaneously collecting surface and underwater behavioral data. A total of 2150 dive intervals were analyzed, corresponding to 342 focal samples, lasting over 34 hours. Bottlenose dolphins remained submerged for a mean duration of 46.4 seconds and a maximum of 249 seconds. This study provides the first quantified data on bottlenose dolphin diving behavior in a marine fin-fish farm area. This study’s results indicate that within a fish farm area used intensively by bottlenose dolphins for feeding, dolphins did not modify dive duration. Additionally, underwater observations confirmed that dolphins find it easier to exploit a concentrated food source and it appears that hunting tactic and not group size plays an important role during feeding activities. Thus, bottlenose dolphins appear capable of modifying their hunting tactics according to the abundance of prey. When top predators display behavioral responses to activities not directed at them, the task of studying all possible effects of human activities can become even more challenging [Current Zoology 55(4):–2009]. Keywords: Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, diving behavior, foraging behavior, prey abundance, human activities, hunting tactics, aquaculture. If you are interested in a reprint, please email Bruno Diaz Lopez at bruno(a)thebdri.com It can be also downloaded from the Current zoology website http://www.actazool.org/paperdetail.asp?id=11221 or BDRI's website www.thebdri.com Regards, Bruno Diaz Lopez Chief Researcher / Marine Zoologist Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute BDRI V.Armando Diaz Nº4 07020 Golfo Aranci (SS) Italy www.thebdri.com info(a)thebdri.com tel.+ 39 346 081 5414 tel. + 0789 183 1197

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