Dear MARMAM Editors,
Perhaps this article in /Oceanus/ magazine would interest your readers
Buoys Help Avert Whale-Ship Collisions
/Specially engineered mooring system detects whales and warns ships/
To turn a pie-in-the-sky dream of a real-time whale warning system into
an up-and-running reality, a long line of people with competing
interests and complementary expertise had to find ways to collaborate:
Texas-based energy corporation representatives and New England
conservationists, biologists and engineers, and officials from a
smorgasbord of governmental regulatory agencies.
http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/viewArticle.do?id=57146§ionid=1000
Sincerely,
Lonny Lippsett
Managing editor
Oceanus magazine
Wildlife Trust
Right Whale Aerial Survey Observers
Job Announcement
Wildlife Trust, a non-profit international research and conservation
organization, is seeking temporary, seasonal aerial observers for marine
mammal surveys from November 2009 through April 2010. These observer
positions are in anticipation of research activities to be conducted in the
southeast United States, specifically coastal Georgia and South Carolina.
This project would require observers to fly up to four days per week, up to
eight hours per day in a small, twin engine, high wing aircraft primarily to
locate North Atlantic right whales in the Southeast U.S. calving ground.
Surveys will be flown daily, weather permitting, and observers must be
willing to work weekends and holidays during the survey period. Observers
will be required to participate in aviation and marine safety and survival
training.
This is a temporary, 40 hour/week position at a salary rate of $14/hr.
Health benefits are not provided with this position. Housing will be
provided for the duration of the project. These positions are contingent
upon funding.
Qualifications:
Previous aerial or marine mammal survey experience and experience in
photo-identification of large cetaceans is strongly desired. Applicants
should be experienced in database entry and other computer applications
including photo processing software. The ability to live and work well in a
team environment and withstand up to 8 hours per day in a small aircraft is
required. We are currently accepting applications from US citizens and
permanent residents.
Application Process:
Please send cover letter, resume, and three references to
<mailto:taylor@wildlifetrust.org> taylor(a)wildlifetrust.org by September 18,
2009.
Cynthia Taylor
Aquatic Conservation Program
Wildlife Trust
233 Third St. N., Suite 300
St. Petersburg, FL 33701 USA
941.232.4587
www.wildlifetrust.org
This is the last announcement for the workshop on Phylogenetic Tools For
Cetacean Studies that will take place on October 11th a day before the 18th
Biennial Conference. CLOSING REGISTRATION DATE IS SEPTEMBER 9TH. The
workshop website for specific information and materials is:
http://sites.google.com/site/phylogeneticcetacean/
*Theme of the workshop*: Two simple phylogenetic tools for cetacean
studies: analyzes of independent contrasts and conservation priorities. In
1985 Felsenstein work on "Phylogenetic Independence" changed the way
biologists nowadays test hypotheses in comparative studies of behavior,
acoustics, conservation, physiology, etc, emphasizing the need to account
for phylogenetic relationship among species. Nevertheless, many mammalian
studies continue to use standard statistical methods, often ignoring the
problem of non-independence. Standard regression analyses fail to
acknowledge that similarity in the character in question may be due to
common ancestry. Failing to account for known dependencies among related
species can give misleading results, which is why methods such as
'independent contrasts' are becoming the standard for analyzing how
parameters relate to one another. Phylogenies also can inform on
conservation. Much information exists on extinction risk of species (e.g.
IUCN categories), but risk of extinction alone may not be a good guide to
how to allocate conservation effort. Species may differ dramatically in the
unique evolutionary history they preserve. For example the duck billed
platypus represent an ancient lineage represented very few extant species.
Extinction of such species would thus erase much unique evolutionary
history. In contrast, any single species of Hawaiian Drosophila represents
relatively little unique evolutionary history for much of its history is
preserved in numerous close relatives. We will discuss a newly developed
method that uses both extinction risk, as well as phylogenetic diversity, to
assess conservation priorities. We will provide attendees with data
matrices that will be used in the workshop. We will demonstrate how the
evolutionary analysis packet Mesquite can be used to analyze
phylogenetically independent contrasts, and to assess conservation
priorities. We hope that the workshop provides people with a better
understanding of the importance and use of phylogenetics to address
evolutionary questions in our field, and in particular familiarize attendees
with the use of two simple but important methods.
Organizers: Laura J. May-Collado & Ingi Agnarsson
Date: October 11, 2009
Time: 9am - 12 a.m. (Half Day)
Location: RM 202
Cost: $25 CAN (payment at location)
Registration cost will include hot and cold drinks, snacks, and visual
equipment.
--
Laura J. May-Collado, Ph.D.
Associate Researcher & Instructor
Department of Biology
University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras
Office CN326
Phone:1-787-7640000 Ext2584
Affiliate Assistant Professor
Department of Environmental Science & Policy; George Mason University
Email: lmaycollado(a)gmail.com
Personal Home Page: www.delphinids.com
