March 2010 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New paper on 3D resting behavior of northern elephant seals
by Yoko Mitani 15 Mar '10

15 Mar '10

Dear Colleagues, The following paper has been published: Three-dimensional resting behaviour of northern elephant seals: drifting like a falling leaf Yoko Mitani, Russel D. Andrews, Katsufumi Sato, Akiko Kato, Yasuhiko Naito and Daniel P. Costa Biol. Lett. (2010) 6, 163–166 Abstract: During their long migrations through the Pacific, northern elephant seals, Mirounga angustirostris, never haul out on land and they rarely spend more than a few minutes at a time at the surface. They are almost constantly making repetitive, deep dives, raising the question of when do they rest? One type of dive, the drift dive, characterized by a time-depth profile with a phase of lower than average descent speed is believed to be a resting dive. To examine the behaviour of seals during drift dives, we measured body position and three-dimensional diving paths of six juvenile seals. We found that seals rolled over and sank on their backs during the drift phase, wobbling periodically so that they resembled a falling leaf. This enabled seals to drastically slow their descent rate, possibly so that negatively buoyant seals can rest without ending up in the abyss. This reduces the work required to return to the surface to breath, and allows them time to rest, process food or possibly sleep during the descent phase of these dives where they are probably less susceptible to predation. Keywords: northern elephant seals; drift dives; three-dimensional diving behaviour Reprints (pdf) available from the first author (yo_mitani(a)fsc.hokudai.ac.jp) Cheers, Yoko Yoko MITANI Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Change Analysis Field Science Center for the Northern Biosphere Hokkaido University 3-1-1 Minato, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-8611 JAPAN TEL&FAX: +81-138-40-8836 E-mail: yo_mitani(a)fsc.hokudai.ac.jp

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New Articles
by David S. Janiger 15 Mar '10

15 Mar '10

Hi, All Here's the latest posting of new PDF's that are available. File sizes have been included. Abstracts also available on request. Make all requests to: janiger(a)cox.net 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)cox.net djaniger(a)nhm.org Janiger Journals ALEKSEEV, A. YU.; A. YU. REGUZOVA; E. I. ROZANOVA; A. V. ABRAMOV; YU. V. TUMANOV; I. N. KUVSHINOVA and A. M. SHESTOPALOV. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF MARINE BIOLOGY 35(6):494-497. 2009. Original Russian text in Biologiya Morya Detection of specific antibodies to morbilliviruses, Brucella and Toxoplasma in the Black Sea dolphin Tursiops truncatus ponticus and the beluga whale Delphinapterus leucas from the Sea of Okhotsk in 2002-2007. 0.109 MB ALVES-STANLEY, CHRISTY D.; GRAHAM A. J. WORTHY and ROBERT K. BONDE. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 402:255-267. 2010. Feeding preferences of West Indian manatees in Florida, Belize, and Puerto Rico as indicated by stable isotope analysis. 0.335 MB ANDREWS, KIMBERLY R.; LESZEK KARCZMARSKI; WHITLOW W. L. AU; SUSAN H. RICKARDS; CYNTHIA A. VANDERLIP; BRIAN W. BOWEN; E. GORDON GRAU and ROBERT J. TOONEN. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 19(4):732-748. 2010. Rolling stones and stable homes: Social structure, habitat diversity and population genetics of the Hawaiian spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris). 0.634 MB ANTON, DONALD K. BOSTON COLLEGE ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS LAW REVIEW 36(2):319-351. 2009. Antarctic whaling: Australia's attempt to protect whales in the Southern Ocean. 1.842 MB ARRAUT, E. M.; M. MARMONTEL; J. E. MANTOVANI; E. M. L. M. NOVO; D. W. MACDONALD and R. E. KENWARD. JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY (LONDON) 280(3):247-256. 2010. The lesser of two evils: Seasonal migrations of Amazonian manatees in the western Amazon. 0.534 MB ASMUTIS-SILVIA, REGINA. BOSTON COLLEGE ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS LAW REVIEW 36(2):483-495. 2009. A multi-faceted approach is necessary to protect endangered species: A case study of the critically imperiled North Atlantic right whale. 0.680 MB BELLANTE, A.; M. SPROVIERI; G. BUSCAINO; D. SALVAGIO MANTA; G. BUFFA; V. DI STEFANO; A. BONANNO; M. BARRA; B. PATTI; C. GIACOMA and S. MAZZOLA. CHEMISTRY AND ECOLOGY 25(5):311-323. 2009. Trace elements and vanadium in tissues and organs of five species of cetaceans from Italian coasts. 0.433 MB BOGOMOLNI, ANDREA L.; KATIE R. PUGLIARES; SARAH M. SHARP; KRISTEN PATCHETT; CHARLES T. HARRY; JANE M. LAROCQUE; KATHLEEN M. TOUHEY and MICHAEL MOORE. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 88(2):143-155. 2010. Mortality trends of stranded marine mammals on Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts, USA, 2000 to 2006. 0.548 MB BOISSERIE, JEAN-RENAUD; FABRICE LIHOREAU; MAEVA ORLIAC; REBECCA E. FISHER; ELEANOR M. WESTON and STEPHANE DUCROCQ. ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 158(2):325-366. 2010. Morphology and phylogenetic relationships of the earliest known hippopotamids (Cetartiodactyla, Hippopotamidae, Kenyapotaminae). 1.052 MB BRILLANT, SEAN W. and EDWARD A. TRIPPEL. ICES (INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE EXPLORATION OF THE SEAS) JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE 67(2):355-364. 2010. Elevations of lobster fishery groundlines in relation to their potential to entangle endangered North Atlantic right whales in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. 0.524 MB BURDETT, LESLIE G. and CARL A. OSBORNE. JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES 46(1):311-315. 2010. Enterolith with a stingray spine nidus in an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). 0.357 MB BURNS, J. M.; N. SKOMP; N. BISHOP; K. LESTYK and M. HAMMILL. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY 213(5):740-748. 2010. Development of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism in cardiac and skeletal muscles from harp and hooded seals. 0.293 MB CATTET, MARC R. L. and MARTYN E. OBBARD. JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES 46(1):246-250. 2010. Use of hyaluronidase to improve chemical immobilization of free-ranging polar bears (Ursus maritimus). 0.178 MB CAUDRON, A. K.; S. S. NEGRO; M. FOWLER; L. BOREN; P. PONCIN; B. C. ROBERTSON and N. J. GEMMELL. AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 57(6):409-421. 2009. Alternative mating tactics in the New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri): when non-territorial males are successful too. 0.317 MB CHEN, LIAN and GUANG YANG. GENES & GENETIC SYSTEMS 84(4):307-313. 2009. A genomic scanning using AFLP to detect candidate loci under selection in the finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides). 0.546 MB CHILDERHOUSE, SIMON J.; STEPHEN M. DAWSON; DAVID J. FLETCHER; ELISABETH SLOOTEN and B. LOUISE CHILVERS. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 91(1):165-176. 2010. Growth and reproduction of female New Zealand sea lions. 0.815 MB COZZI, BRUNO; MATTIA PANIN; CAMILLA BUTTI; MICHELA PODESTA and ALESSANDRO ZOTTI. ANATOMICAL RECORD: ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 293(2):235-242. 2010. Bone density distribution patterns in the rostrum of delphinids and beaked whales: Evidence of family-specific evolutive traits. 0.350 MB CRAIG, ROBIN KUNDIS. BOSTON COLLEGE ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS LAW REVIEW 36(2):353-388. 2009. Beyond Winter v. NRDC: A decade of litigating the Navy's active sonar around the environmental exemptions. 1.621 MB CRAWFORD, MATTHEW D. BOSTON COLLEGE ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS LAW REVIEW 36(2):497-534. 2009. The timing of challenges to compel critical habitat designation under the Endangered Species Act: Should courts toll the general federal statute of limitations? 2.061 MB CYPRIANO-SOUZA, ANA LUCIA; GABRIELA P. FERNANDEZ; CARLOS ANDRE LIMA-ROSA; MARCIA H. ENGEL and SANDRO L. BONATTO. JOURNAL OF HEREDITY 101(2):189-200. 2010 Microsatellite genetic characterization of the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breeding ground off Brazil (breeding stock A). 0.268 MB DAVID, ROBERT G. NORTHERN HISTORY 47(1):117-134. 2010. Whitehaven and the northern whale fishery. 0.091 MB DE LA TORRIENTE, ANA; RENATO A. QUINONES; DIEGO A. MIRANDA-URBINA and FIDEL ECHEVARRIA. ICES (INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE EXPLORATION OF THE SEAS) JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE 67(2):294-303. 2010. South American sea lion and spiny dogfish predation on artisanal catches of southern hake in fjords of Chilean Patagonia. 0.505 MB DE OLIVEIRA, LARISSA ROSA; DIOGO MEYER; JOSEPH HOFFMAN; PATRICIA MAJLUF and JOAO S. MORGANTE. JOURNAL OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM 89(8):1717-1725. 2009. Evidence of a genetic bottleneck in an El Nino affected population of South American fur seals, Arctocephalus australis. 0.166 MB FAUQUIER, D. A.; M. J. KINSEL; M. D. DAILEY; G. E. SUTTON; M. K. STOLEN; R. S. WELLS and F. M. D. GULLAND. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 88(1):85-90. 2009. Prevalence and pathology of lungworm infection in bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus from southwest Florida. 0.702 MB FELIX, FERNANDO; NATALIA BOTERO and JESSICA FALCONI. LATIN AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AQUATIC MAMMALS 6(2):193-197. 2007. Observation of a blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) feeding in coastal waters of Ecuador. 0.885 MB FIRESTONE, JEREMY. BOSTON COLLEGE ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS LAW REVIEW 36(2):389-400. 2009. Policy considerations and measures to reduce the likelihood of vessel collisions with great whales. 0.678 MB FITZGERALD, ERICH M. G. ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 158(2):367-476. 2010. The morphology and systematics of Mammalodon colliveri (Cetacea: Mysticeti), a toothed mysticete from the Oligocene of Australia. 3.941 MB FULTON, TARA LYNN and CURTIS STROBECK. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES B BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 277(1684):1065-1070. 2010. Multiple markers and multiple individuals refine true seal phylogeny and bring molecules and morphology back in line. 0.388 MB GARAFFO, GRISELDA V.; SILVANA L. DANS; ENRIQUE A. CRESPO; MARIANA DEGRATI; PAULA GIUDICI and DOMINGO A. GAGLIARDINI. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 91(1):54-65. 2010. Dusky dolphin: Modeling habitat selection. 1.051 MB GARRIGUE, CLAIRE; ALEXANDRE N. ZERBINI; YGOR GEYER; MADS PETER HEIDE-JORGENSEN; WAKAO HANAOKA and PHIL CLAPHAM. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 91(1):109-115. 2010. Movements of satellite-monitored humpback whales from New Caledonia. 2.292 MB GOLDBOGEN, JEREMY A.; JEAN POTVIN and ROBERT E. SHADWICK. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES B BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 277(1683):861-868. 2010. Skull and buccal cavity allometry increase mass-specific engulfment capacity in fin whales. 0.521 MB GONENER, SEDAT and SABRI BILGIN. TURKISH JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES 9(2):151-157. 2009. The effect of pingers on harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena bycatch and fishing effort in the turbot gill net fishery in the Turkish Black Sea coast. 0.407 MB GRAHAM, MELISSA A. and MICHAEL NOONAN. AQUATIC MAMMALS 36(1):9-18. 2010. Call types and acoustic features associated with aggressive chase in the killer whale (Orcinus orca). 0.657 MB GRIMM, DAVID and GREG MILLER (reporting). SCIENCE (WASHINGTON D. C.) 327(5969):1070-1071. 2010. Is a dolphin a person? 0.239 MB HARCOURT, ROBERT GEOFFREY; EMMA TURNER; AILSA HALL; JOSEPH R. WAAS and MARK HINDELL. JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY A NEUROETHOLOGY, SENSORY, NEURAL AND BEHAVIORAL PHYSIOLOGY 196(2):147-154. 2010. Effects of capture stress on free-ranging, reproductively active male Weddell seals. 0.258 MB HASHAGEN, KENNETH A.; GREGORY A. GREEN and BILLY ADAMS. NORTHWESTERN NATURALIST 90(2):160-162. 2009. Observations of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska. 0.521 MB HASSRICK, J. L.; D. E. CROCKER; N. M. TEUTSCHEL; B. I. MCDONALD; P. W. ROBINSON; S. E. SIMMONS and D. P. COSTA. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY 213(4):585-592. 2010. Condition and mass impact oxygen stores and dive duration in adult female northern elephant seals. 0.484 MB HAUKSSON, ERLINGUR. SURTSEY RESEARCH 12:167-170. 2009. Seals in Surtsey, the period 1980-2005. 0.105 MB HEMILA, SIMO; SIRPA NUMMELA and TOM REUTER. JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY A NEUROETHOLOGY, SENSORY, NEURAL AND BEHAVIORAL PHYSIOLOGY 196(3):165-179. 2010. Anatomy and physics of the exceptional sensitivity of dolphin hearing (Odontoceti: Cetacea). 0.636 MB HUNTER, MARGARET KELLOGG; DAMIEN BRODERICK; JENNIFER R. OVENDEN; KIMBERLY PAUSE TUCKER; ROBERT K. BONDE; PETER M. MCGUIRE and JANET M. LANYON. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES 10(2):368-377. 2010. Characterization of highly informative cross-species microsatellite panels for the Australian dugong (Dugong dugon) and Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) including five novel primers. 0.144 MB HUTCHINGS, JEFFREY A. and MARCO FESTA-BIANCHET. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS 17:45-51. 2009. Scientific advice on species at risk: A comparative analysis of status assessments of polar bear, Ursus maritimus. 0.085 MB HYVARINEN, H.; A. PALVIAINEN; U. STRANDBERG and I. J. HOLOPAINEN. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 74(4):268-279. 2009. Aquatic environment and differentiation of vibrissae: Comparison of sinus hair systems of ringed seal, otter and pole cat. 1.093 MB ILIFF, MIKE. MARINE POLICY 34(3):360-366. 2010. The Hogarth initiative on the future of the International Whaling Commission. 0.146 MB ILIFF, MIKE. MARINE POLICY 34(3):461-467. 2010. Contemporary initiatives on the future of the International Whaling Commission. 0.137 MB IVANOV, M. P. JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 45(6):696-705. 2009. Original Russian Text published in Zhurnal Evolyutsionnoi Biokhimii i Fiziologii, 2009, Vol. 45, No. 6, pp. 575-582. Study of dolphin communicational behavior: procedure, motor and acoustic parameters. 0.188 MB JONES, K. E. and A. GOSWAMI. JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY (LONDON) 280(3):297-308. 2010. Quantitative analysis of the influences of phylogeny and ecology on phocid and otariid pinniped (Mammalia; Carnivora) cranial morphology. 0.353 MB KASTELEIN, RONALD A.; LEAN HOEK; PAUL J. WENSVEEN; JOHN M. TERHUNE and CHRIST A. F. DE JONG. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 127(2):1135-1145. 2010. The effect of signal duration on the underwater hearing thresholds of two harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) for single tonal signals between 0.2 and 40 kHz. 0.804 MB KEECH, A. L.; D. A. S. ROSEN; R. K. BOOTH; A. W. TRITES and S. K. WASSER. GENERAL AND COMPARATIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY 166(1):180-185. 2010. Fecal triiodothyronine and thyroxine concentrations change in response to thyroid stimulation in Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus). 0.215 MB LAIDRE, KRISTIN L.; MADS PETER HEIDE-JORGENSEN; PATRICK HEAGERTY; ANTHONY COSSIO; BO BERGSTROM and MALENE SIMON. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 402:269-284. 2010. Spatial associations between large baleen whales and their prey in West Greenland. 1.201 MB LAMBERT, OLIVIER; GIOVANNI BIANUCCI and KLAAS POST. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 91(1):19-26. 2010. Tusk-bearing beaked whales from the Miocene of Peru: Sexual dimorphism in fossil Ziphiids? 1.248 MB LANFEAR, ROBERT and SIMON Y. W. HO. MITOCHONDRIAL DNA 21(1):3-4. 2010. Tracking the demographic history of seals using mitochondrial DNA. 0.047 MB LAPTIKHOVSKY, VLADIMIR. JOURNAL OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM 89(8):1597-1600. 2009. Oceanographic factors influencing the distribution of South American fur seal, Arctocephalus australis around the Falkland Islands before the breeding season. 0.265 MB LEAPER, RUSSELL; DAVID M. LAVIGNE; PETER CORKERON and DAVID W. JOHNSTON. ICES (INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE EXPLORATION OF THE SEAS) JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE 67(2):316-320. 2010. Towards a precautionary approach to managing Canada's commercial harp seal hunt. 0.090 MB LEHTONEN, ESA and PETRI SUURONEN. FISHERIES RESEARCH (AMSTERDAM) 102(1-2):214-216. 2010. Live-capture of grey seals in a modified salmon trap. 0.414 MB LIPPSETT, LONNY. OCEANUS 47(2):14-21. 2009. Drawing a line in the sea. An unusual partnership puts 'ears' in the ocean to avert whale-ship collisions. 2.092 MB MARX, FELIX G. and MARK D. UHEN. SCIENCE (WASHINGTON D. C.) 327(5968):993-996. 2010. Climate, critters, and cetaceans: Cenozoic drivers of the evolution of modern whales. 0.142 MB MCLEOD, BRENNA A.; MOIRA W. BROWN; TIMOTHY R. FRASIER and BRADLEY N. WHITE. CONSERVATION GENETICS 11(1):339-345. 2010. DNA profile of a sixteenth century western North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). 0.304 MB MCLEOD, BRENNA A. and BRADLEY N. WHITE. JOURNAL OF HEREDITY 101(2):235-239. 2010 Tracking mtDNA heteroplasmy through multiple generations in the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). 0.230 MB MELLISH, J. E.; A. G. HINDLE and M. HORNING. ANTARCTIC SCIENCE 22(1):25-29. 2010. A preliminary assessment of the impact of disturbance and handling on Weddell seals of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. 0.121 MB MELLISH, JO-ANN E.; PAMELA A. TUOMI; ALLYSON G. HINDLE and MARKUS HORNING. VETERINARY ANAESTHESIA AND ANALGESIA 37(2):123-131. 2010. Chemical immobilization of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) by ketamine/midazolam combination. 0.344 MB MOORE, MICHAEL J. BOSTON COLLEGE ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS LAW REVIEW 36(2):309-317. 2009. Current issues facing North Atlantic right whales and stakeholders. 0.475 MB NAKAGAWA, EMIKO; MARI KOBAYASHI; MASATSUGU SUZUKI and TOSHIO TSUBOTA. ZOOLOGICAL SCIENCE 27(3):263-268. 2010. Genetic variation in the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) and spotted seal (Phoca largha) around Hokkaido, Japan, based on mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences. 0.274 MB PARSONS, E. C. M. and NAOMI A. ROSE. TOURISM IN MARINE ENVIRONMENTS 6(1):51-57. 2009. Whale watching and the International Whaling Commission: A report of the 2008 whale-watching subcommittee meeting. 0.053 MB PARSONS, E. C. M.; N. A. ROSE and T. M. TELECKY. MARINE POLICY 34(3):384-388. 2010. The trade in live Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins from Solomon Islands - A CITES decision implementation case study. 0.130 MB POMPE-GOTAL, J.; E. SREBOCAN; H. GOMERCIC and A. PREVENDAR CRNIC. VETERINARNI MEDICINA 54(12):598-604. 2009. Mercury concentrations in the tissues of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and striped dolphins (Stenella coeruloalba) stranded on the Croatian Adriatic coast. 0.364 MB RAMP, CHRISTIAN; MARTINE BERUBE; PER PALSBOLL; WILHELM HAGEN and RICHARD SEARS. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 400:267-276. 2010. Sex-specific survival in the humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. 0.225 MB REHTANZ, MANUELA; SHIN-JE GHIM; WAYN MCFEE; BETHANY DOESCHER; GERALDINE LACAVE; PATRICIA A. FAIR; JOHN S. REIF; GREGORY D. BOSSART and ALFRED B. JENSON. JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES 46(1):136-145. 2010. Papillomavirus antibody prevalence in free-ranging and captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). 0.338 MB RICHARDS, RHYS. NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 36(4):447-459. 2009. Past and present distributions of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis). 1.991 MB RIESER, ALISON. BOSTON COLLEGE ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS LAW REVIEW 36(2):401-429. 2009. Whales, whaling, and the warming oceans. 1.793 MB RIVERA, REBECCA; HENDRIK H. NOLLENS; STEPHANIE VENN-WATSON; FRANCES M. D. GULLAND and JAMES F. X. WELLEHAN, JR. JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY 91(1):166-173. 2009. Characterization of phylogenetically diverse astroviruses of marine mammals. 0.228 MB SAKAI, MAI; TADAMICHI MORISAKA; KAZUNOBU KOGI; TORU HISHII and SHIRO KOHSHIMA. BEHAVIOURAL PROCESSES 83(1):48-53. 2010. Fine-scale analysis of synchronous breathing in wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus). 0.370 MB SCARPACI, C.; M. LUCK and E. C. M. PARSONS. TOURISM IN MARINE ENVIRONMENTS 6(1):39-50. 2009. Recent advances in whale-watching research: 2008-2009. 0.075 MB SINHA, R. K.; SAMIR KUMAR SINHA; GOPAL SHARMA and D. K. KEDIA. CURRENT SCIENCE 98(2):230-236. 2010. Surfacing and diving behaviour of free-ranging Ganges river dolphin, Platanista gangetica gangetica. 0.422 MB SJARE, BECKY and GARRY B. STENSON. ICES (INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE EXPLORATION OF THE SEAS) JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE 67(2):304-315. 2010. Changes in the reproductive parameters of female harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) in the Northwest Atlantic. 0.810 MB SOTO, SARA; DOLORS FONDEVILA; BEATRIZ GONZALEZ; ENCARNA GOMEZ-CAMPOS and MARIANO DOMINGO. JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES 46(1):320-325. 2010. Multifocal granulomatous panniculitis with ceroid pigment in two Mediterranean striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba). 1.942 MB STRAHAN, RICHARD MAX. BOSTON COLLEGE ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS LAW REVIEW 36(2):431-481. 2009. A new paradigm for conservation of great whales in the urban sea of the United States - species in need of a "Green Knight". 3.093 MB SUZUKI, MIWA. JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY B BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY 180(2):229-238. 2010. Expression and localization of aquaporin-1 on the apical membrane of enterocytes in the small intestine of bottlenose dolphins. 1.055 MB TOLEDO, GUSTAVO and ALFREDO LANGGUTH. ZOOLOGIA 26(4):663-673. 2009. Data on biology and exploitation of West Atlantic sperm whales, Physeter macrocephalus (Cetacea: Physeteridae) off the coast of Paraiba, Brazil. 0.626 MB TORDA, GERGELY; PEDRO LOPEZ SUAREZ and LUIS FELIPE LOPEZ JURADO. ZOOLOGIA CABOVERDIANA 1(1):71-73. 2010. First records of Fraser's Dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei for the Cape Verde Islands. 0.110 MB VAN WAEREBEEK, K.; P. K. OFORI-DANSON and J. DEBRAH. WEST AFRICAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY 15:61-90. 2009. The cetaceans of Ghana, a validated faunal checklist. 1.149 MB VAN WAEREBEEK, KOEN; LUIS SANTILLAN and EDITH SUAZO. BOLETIN DEL MUSEO NACIONAL DE HISTORIA NATURAL CHILE 58:75-82. 2009 On the native status of the southern right whale Eubalaena australis in Peru. 0.560 MB VUKOVIC, S.; H. LUCIC; A. ZIVKOVIC; M. DURAS GOMECIC; T. GOMERCIC and A. GALOV. ANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA 39(1):59-66. 2010. Histological structure of the adrenal gland of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the Adriatic Sea. 0.681 MB WALKER, KRISTEN A.; JO-ANN E. MELLISH and DANIEL M. WEARY. APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE 122(1):58-62. 2010. Behavioural responses of juvenile Steller sea lions to hot-iron branding. 0.133 MB WANG, DONGLI; WEILIN L. SHELVER; SHANNON ATKINSON; JO-ANN MELLISH and QING X. LI. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 58(2):478-488. 2009. Tissue distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides and potential toxicity to Alaskan northern fur seals assessed using PCBs congener specific mode of action schemes. 0.279 MB WARD, ERIC J.; HARIDAS CHIRAKKAL; MANUELA GONZALEZ-SUAREZ; DAVID AURIOLES-GAMBOA; ELIZABETH E. HOLMES and LEAH GERBER. JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY 47(1):47-56. 2010. Inferring spatial structure from time-series data: Using multivariate state-space models to detect metapopulation structure of California sea lions in the Gulf of California, Mexico. 0.405 MB WATSON, DEBORAH M.; CHRIS LALAS and PHILIP J. SEDDON. NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH 43(5):1053-1060. 2009. Calibrations to estimate absolute numbers of New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) pups from direct counts. 0.227 MB WELLEHAN, JAMES F. X.; FAHONG YU; STEPHANIE K. VENN-WATSON; ERIC D. JENSEN; CYNTHIA R. SMITH; WILLIAM G. FARMERIE and HENDRIK H. NOLLENS. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 10(2):254-260. 2010. Characterization of San Miguel sea lion virus populations using pyrosequencing-based methods. 0.126 MB WENZEL, FREDERICK W.; JUDITH ALLEN; SIMON BERROW; CORNELIS J. HAZEVOET; BEATRICE JANN; ROSEMARY E. SETON; LISA STEINER; PETER STEVICK; PEDRO LOPEZ SUAREZ and PADRAIG WHOOLEY. AQUATIC MAMMALS 35(4):502-510. 2009. Current knowledge on the distribution and relative abundance of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) off the Cape Verde Islands, eastern North Atlantic. 2.016 MB WIEMANN, ANNIKA; LISELOTTE W. ANDERSEN; PER BERGGREN; URSULA SIEBERT; HARALD BENKE; JONAS TEILMANN; CHRISTINA LOCKYER; IWONA PAWLICZKA; KRZYSZTOF SKORA; ANNA ROOS; THOMAS LYRHOLM; KIRSTEN B. PAULUS; VALERIO KETMAIER and RALPH TIEDEMANN. CONSERVATION GENETICS 11(1):195-211. 2010. Mitochondrial control region and microsatellite analyses on harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) unravel population differentiation in the Baltic Sea and adjacent waters. 0.703 MB WILSON, JOANNA Y.; MICHAEL J. MOORE and JOHN J. STEGEMAN. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM) 96(3):216-224. 2010. Catalytic and immunochemical detection of hepatic and extrahepatic microsomal cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) in white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus). 0.411 MB YANG, WEI-CHENG; JER-MING HU and LIEN-SIANG CHOU. ZOOLOGICAL STUDIES 49(1):132-151. 2010. Phylogenetic analyses of MHC Class II genes in bottlenose dolphins and their terrestrial relatives reveal pathogen-driven directional selection. 1.361 MB ZIMMERMAN, DAWN M.; TERRY DEW; MICHAEL DOUGLASS and EDWARD PEREZ. VETERINARY SURGERY 39(2):234-238. 2010. Femoral fracture repair using a locking plate technique in an adult captive polar bear (Ursus Maritimus). 0.578 MB

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Pinniped research and tourism in New Zealand
by Jenipher Cate 15 Mar '10

15 Mar '10

Tourism impacts on the New Zealand fur seal at differing breeding colonies throughout New Zealand: We are looking for volunteers to participate in the New Zealand fur seal and Tourism research project at four focal breeding colonies along the south island of New Zealand (Banks Peninsula, Kaikoura, Abel Tasman National Park, and Cape Foulwind). Data are collected from multiple platforms including shore, tour vessels and kayak. Skills that will be obtained include behavioural data collection from a research vessel, behavioural data collection from shore, collection of photographic, video and behavioural data from shore and tour vessels, and additional research tasks and data entry and analyses. We are seeking candidates with previous experience working with Pinnipeds or animal behaviour, although prior experience is not required. You must be comfortable working in the field in a variety of conditions and with a small group of international scientists and students. As travel to field sites requires hiking, applicants should be comfortable working outside for up to 8 hours, walking on steep terrain, and able to hike for up to an hour each way. A portion of this project requires camping and kayaking for up to a week at a time. The next field season begins November 15th 2010 and runs through March 2011 Additional field seasons include the following November through March 2011-2012. Minimum duration of volunteer positions are two months, with a 3-month commitment preferred. This is a great volunteer opportunity for university credit or personal interest. All travel expenses to field sites will be covered by primary investigator. Project funding is limited and you must be able to provide your own transportation to the field site, housing, food and cell phone. Base of operation will be located in Akaroa New Zealand. To apply, please provide a letter of interest, C.V. and contact information for 3 references to: Jenipher Cate at jrc135(a)uclive.ac.nz<mailto:jrc135@uclive.ac.nz> . Thank you, Jenipher Cate, MSc University of Canterbury Marine Mammal Behaviour Private Bag 4800 Ilam, Christchurch New Zealand Jenipher Cate, MSc Marine Mammal Behaviour University of Canterbury, New Zealand

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Right Whale Sedation Paper in PLoS One
by mmoore＠whoi.edu 15 Mar '10

15 Mar '10

A paper has been published in PLoS One titled: Sedation at Sea of Entangled North Atlantic Right Whales (Eubalaena glacialis) to Enhance Disentanglement Authored by: Michael Moore, Michael Walsh, James Bailey, David Brunson, Frances Gulland, Scott Landry, David Mattila, Charles Mayo, Christopher Slay, Jamison Smith, Teresa Rowles It can be downloaded open access at http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0009597 So no need to email for a reprint... For those of you unfamiliar with the PLoS journal series, readers are welcome to comment on the paper - a more egalitarian peer review perhaps. Here is the abstract: Background The objective of this study was to enhance removal of fishing gear from right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) at sea that evade disentanglement boat approaches. Titrated intra muscular injections to achieve sedation were undertaken on two free swimming right whales. Methodology/Principal Findings Following initial trials with beached whales, a sedation protocol was developed for right whales. Mass was estimated from sighting and necropsy data from comparable right whales. Midazolam (0.01 to 0.025 mg/kg) was first given alone or with meperidine (0.17 to 0.25 mg/kg) either once or four times over two hours to whale #1102 by cantilevered pole syringe. In the last attempt on whale #1102 there appeared to be a mild effect in 2030 minutes, with duration of less than 2 hours that included exhalation before the blowhole fully cleared the water. Boat avoidance, used as a measure of sedation depth, was not reduced. A second severely entangled animal in 2009, whale #3311, received midazolam (0.03 mg/kg) followed by butorphanol (0.03 mg/kg) an hour later, delivered ballistically. Two months later it was then given midazolam (0.07 mg/kg) and butorphanol (0.07 mg/kg) simultaneously. The next day both drugs at 0.1 mg/kg were given as a mixture in two darts 10 minutes apart. The first attempt on whale #3311 showed increased swimming speed and boat avoidance was observed after a further 20 minutes. The second attempt on whale #3311 showed respiration increasing mildly in frequency and decreasing in strength. The third attempt on whale #3311 gave a statistically significant increase in respiratory frequency an hour after injection, with increased swimming speed and marked reduction of boat evasion that enabled decisive cuts to entangling gear. Conclusions/Significance We conclude that butorphanol and midazolam delivered ballistically in appropriate dosages and combinations may have merit in future refractory free swimming entangled right whale cases until other entanglement solutions are developed. ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.

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Abstracts - Aquatic Mammals, vol 36, issue 1 (2010)
by Dagmar Fertl 15 Mar '10

15 Mar '10

Apologies to those of you who will get duplicate emails due to cross-posting. The following are abstracts from the most recent issue of Aquatic Mammals, the scientific peer-reviewed journal of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals (EAAM). Abstracts are presented as a courtesy to the EAAM and the journal editors - Drs. Kathleen Dudzinski (managing editor: kdudzinski(a)dolphincommunicationproject.org) and Justin Gregg (co-editor; justin(a)dolphincommunication.com) The journal publishes papers dealing with all aspects of the care, conservation, medicine and science of aquatic mammals. The journal receives support of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and the International Marine Animal Trainers' Association (IMATA). For more information on the journal, please go to: http://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/. Contact information is provided for the corresponding author for each article. Please do not contact the listserve editors or me for pdfs or copies of the articles. Thank you for your continued interest in the journal and these postings. With regards, Dagmar Fertl Ziphius EcoServices dfertl(a)gmail.com http://www.ziphiusecoservices.com Balmer, B. C.*, L. H. Schwacke, and R. S. Wells. 2010. Linking dive behavior to satellite-linked tag condition for a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) along Florida's northern Gulf of Mexico coast. Aquatic Mammals 36(1):1-8. *E-mail: bbalmer(a)mote.org Satellite-linked telemetry is a valuable method to identify small cetacean movement patterns and dive behavior. Data collection from satellite-linked tracking is less labor intensive than comparable radio tracking studies in which intensive field work is required post-tagging. However, there are few studies that have assessed the effects of satellite-linked transmitter attachment and retention on the tagged individual. Dolphin X08, a 24-y-old, male bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) captured and released along the northern Gulf coast of Florida during a health assessment project, was tagged with a SPLASH satellite-linked transmitter (Wildlife Computers, Redmond, WA, USA) to remotely obtain data on movement patterns and dive behavior. In addition to the satellite-linked transmitter, a VHF radio transmitter was mounted to X08's dorsal fin to provide short-term movement pattern data and to allow for position acquisition to observe X08 with the satellite-linked transmitter. X08's satellite-linked tag transmitted location data for 54 days and dive duration data for 35 of those days. X08's VHF tag transmitted for over 94 days and allowed for complete monitoring of the satellite-linked tag's life. Dive duration data changed throughout the course of the satellite-linked tag transmissions. These dive data, along with follow-up observations, suggest that as the stability of the satellite-linked tag on the dorsal fin decreased, the number of longer dives increased, possibly to mitigate the amount of time that the satellite-linked tag came into contact with the water surface. This study was the first to identify movement patterns and dive durations of a bottlenose dolphin along the northern Gulf coast of Florida as well as to monitor satellite-linked tag condition throughout the transmission period. ********* Graham, M. A.*, and M. Noonan. 2010. Call types and acoustic features associated with aggressive chase in the killer whale (Orcinus orca). Aquatic Mammals 36(1):9-18. * E-mail: noonan(a)canisius.edu Instances of aggressive chase over a 5-mo period were investigated in captive killer whales (Orcinus orca). Such episodes were found to be quite rare, occurring only eight times in 1,872 h of observation. A consistent vocal pattern was found to be associated with agonistic episodes that differed markedly from the pattern recorded during non-aggressive, time-matched control periods. In general, vocalizations associated with aggressive chase were characterized by amplitude and frequency modulated pulses of approximately 190 ms in duration. In addition, three specific call types were found to occur only during chase events. As a whole, these particular call types and associated features are offered as an acoustic signature of agonism in the killer whale. It is hoped that these sounds might aid researchers in interpreting heretofore enigmatic killer whale vocalizations recorded from wild populations. ************** Bashir, T.*, A. Khan, P. Gautam, and S. K. Behera. 2010. Abundance and prey availability assessment of Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica) in a stretch of upper Ganges River, India. Aquatic Mammals 36(1):19-26. * E-mail: tbashir(a)wii.gov.in The present study was conducted between January and June 2007 to assess the abundance and density of Ganges River dolphin (Platanista ganget-ica gangetica) and their prey in a 28-km stretch of the River Ganges between Narora Barrage and Anupshahar. Two different sampling methods were used to estimate dolphin densities. Estimated density was 2.58 ± 0.40 individuals/km2 (mean ± 1 SE) using the direct count method and 4.97 ± 0.60 individuals/km2 using the boat-based, line-transect distance methods, with an encounter rate of 0.52 ± 0.068 individuals/km and detection probability of 0.647. No significant differences between the upstream and downstream counts (t = 1.29, df = 9, p > 0.05) were detected. The adult male to adult female ratio was 0.66: 1.00, whereas the calf to adult female ratio was 0.42: 1.00. We collected 16 fish species of length class varying from 3.5 to 20 cm (range of preferred size of dolphin prey) with a total density of 176.42 fish/km2 and a total average biomass of 5.36 kg/km2. Dolphin density showed a significant positive relationship (R2 = 0.587) with density of Reba fish (Cirrhinus reba) (β = 0.31, p = 0.00) and Baam fish (Mastacembelus armatus) (β = 0.50, p = 0.04) and also with water depth (β = 0.17, p = 0.03). Presence of dolphins varied across different water depth categories (χ2 = 106.38, df = 3, p < 0.01) and different parts of the river (χ2 = 21.68, df = 2, p = 0.00) with more than 50% of dolphin sightings occurring in confluences, indicating their preference for deep water pools. *********** Karamanlidis, A. A.*, V. Paravas, F. Trillmich, and P. Dendrinos. 2010. First observations of parturition and postpartum behavior in the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) in the eastern Mediterranean. Aquatic Mammals 36(1):27-31. * E-mail: akaramanlidis(a)gmail.com Understanding reproductive behavior, especially the circumstances surrounding parturition and the events following the first days postpartum, is essential in developing effective conservation strategies for endangered pinnipeds. In the case of the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), difficulties in documenting events, such as parturition, are compounded by the very low population numbers and the inaccessibility of the habitat occupied by the species. In this study, the authors report the first observations of parturition for the species from the central Aegean Sea, Greece in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Using a state-of-the-art infrared remote-monitoring system two births were documented and important information on the total duration of the events, the total duration of attempted suckling, as well as, information on the presentation of the pups, their sex and habitat were recorded. This new information on the reproductive biology of the species in this part of its range outline the importance of suitable reproductive caves for the conservation of the species and the urgency of protecting them. In addition, considering the high cost and logistics of the study, monitoring the species on a large scale to effectively protect it, will require the development of new, low-cost and time-efficient methodologies. ************* Filby, N. E.*, K. J. Sanderson, E. Martinez, and K. A. Stockin. 2010. Distribution and population demographics of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in the Gulf St. Vincent, South Australia. Aquatic Mammals 36(1):33-45. *E-mail: nicole.filby(a)live.vu.edu.au Within Australian waters, short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) are exposed to a variety of human-induced impacts, including aquaculture and fisheries. Nonetheless, the occurrence and distribution of common dolphins within these waters remains unknown. Data detailed herein represent the first report of the occurrence and distribution of common dolphins from Australian waters. The density and relative abundance of common dolphins within Gulf St. Vincent (GSV), South Australia, was examined between September 2005 and May 2008 using systematic boat surveys. During 1,850 km of survey effort, a total of 108 independent groups, involving 564 common dolphins, were observed. Group size ranged from 2 to 21 individuals (mean = 5.26, SD = 3.687), with immature dolphins found in larger group sizes. Adults were the most frequent age class observed in this population (60.3%, n = 340), with neonates and calves observed most frequently between December and April. Sighting frequency was 3 groups/100 km² travelled, with an encounter rate of 16 common dolphins/100 km². The western longitude and southern latitude sections of GSV were used most frequently by this species, with most groups recorded in water depths of 35 to 40 m (mean = 37.2 m, SD = 1.4), and in areas 21 to 31 km from land (mean = 27.4 km, SD = 2.6). Common dolphin density was estimated to be 0.5 dolphins/100 km2, with a population estimate of 1,957 dolphins within their preferred habitat (waters deeper than 14 m). Results suggest the GSV is important for this species and that common dolphins use these waters as a nursery area. ********* Lanyon, J. M.*, H. L. Sneath, T. Long, and R. K. Bonde. 2010. Physiological response of wild dugongs (Dugong dugon) to out-of-water sampling for health assessment. Aquatic Mammals 36(1):46-58. * E-mail: j.lanyon(a)uq.edu.au The dugong (Dugong dugon) is a vulnerable marine mammal with large populations living in urban Queensland waters. A mark-recapture program for wild dugongs has been ongoing in southern Queensland since 2001. This program has involved capture and in-water sampling of more than 700 dugongs where animals have been held at the water surface for 5 min to be gene-tagged, measured, and biopsied. In 2008, this program expanded to examine more comprehensively body condition, reproductive status, and the health of wild dugongs in Moreton Bay. Using Sea World's research vessel, captured dugongs were lifted onto a boat and sampled out-of-water to obtain accurate body weights and morphometrics, collect blood and urine samples for baseline health parameters and hormone profiles, and ultrasound females for pregnancy status. In all, 30 dugongs, including two pregnant females, were sampled over 10 d and restrained on deck for up to 55 min each while biological data were collected. Each of the dugongs had their basic temperature-heart rate-respiration (THR) monitored throughout their period of handling, following protocols developed for the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). This paper reports on the physiological response of captured dugongs during this out-of-water operation as indicated by their vital signs and the suitability of the manatee monitoring protocols to this related sirenian species. A recommendation is made that the range of vital signs of these wild dugongs be used as benchmark criteria of normal parameters for other studies that intend to sample dugongs out-of-water. ******** Berman-Kowalewski, M.*, F. M. D. Gulland, S. Wilkin, J. Calambokidis, B. Mate, J. Cordaro, D. Rotstein, J. St. Leger, P. Collins, K. Fahy, and S. Dover. 2010. Association between blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) mortality and ship strikes along the California coast. Aquatic Mammals 36(1):59-66. * E-mail: mberman(a)sbnature2.org Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) are distributed worldwide, and although severely depleted by commercial whaling, their abundance off the California coast now appears to be increasing. Little is known about natural causes of mortality of blue whales, but human-related mortality continues despite legal protection. Ship strikes are a significant mortality factor for other species of baleen whale, and changes in shipping traffic have been advocated to minimize further deaths. Between 1988 and 2007, 21 blue whale deaths were reported along the California coast, typically one or two cases annually. Three pulses in strandings were observed, with three carcasses observed in fall 1988, three in 2002, and four in fall 2007. Two of the four animals in 2007 were first observed dead in the Santa Barbara Channel and had wounds typical of a ship strike. Blue whale strandings were spatially associated with locations of shipping lanes, especially those associated with the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and were most common in the fall months. ******** Yurk, H.*, O. Filatova, C. O. Matkin, L. G. Barrett-Lennard, and M. Brittain. 2010. Sequential habitat use by two resident killer whale (Orcinus orca) clans in Resurrection Bay, Alaska, as determined by remote acoustic monitoring. Aquatic Mammals 36(1):67-78. *E-mail: yurk(a)zoology.ubc.ca Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are sighted regularly in coastal Alaska during the summer, but little is known about their movements through the area during the winter when weather and light limit the use of boat-based surveys. Acoustic monitoring provides a practical alternative because each extended resident killer whale family group or pod has a unique dialect that can be discerned by differences in their repertoires of stereotyped calls. The repertoires of resident killer whale pods in the northern Gulf of Alaska were updated from earlier studies, and the results used to determine the identity of pods that were recorded on remote hydrophones in Resurrection Bay, Alaska, in the fall, winter, and spring of 1999 to 2004. In total, seven pods of resident killer whales were identified acoustically, comprising four related pods from AB clan and three from AD clan. The frequencies of occurrence of the clans differed between the November to March recording period when AB clan occupied the area, and the April-May period when AD clan was predominant. The sequential use of this habitat during periods of relative prey scarcity has the effect of limiting intergroup resource competition and is consistent with earlier findings that demonstrated divergent resource specialization by sympatric killer whale populations. ****** Lynn, B. L., C. Reichmuth, R. J. Schusterman, and F. M. D. Gulland. 2010. Filial imprinting in a Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus). Aquatic Mammals 36(1):79-83. * E-mail: brian.l.lynn(a)gmail.com The Marine Mammal Center hand reared a male Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) after it was found abandoned as a neonate in June 2006. Following release in April 2007, the animal repeatedly approached humans on the shore, necessitating long-term captive placement. To evaluate the extent of this preference for human contact, we conducted three behavioral assessments: (1) a stationary preference test, (2) a following test, and (3) a vocal playback test. This sea lion demonstrated an overall penchant for human interaction and a strong preference for the voice of one of his early caretakers. Filial imprinting, a developmental phenomenon extensively studied in birds but less so in mammals, is suggested as the cause of this aberrant social behavior. The long-term effects of imprinting in mammals, including impacts on reproductive success, remain poorly understood. This observation with a Steller sea lion is the first documented case of probable imprinting in this species. ***** Schusterman, R. J. 2010. Historical perspectives: Pinniped psychobiology: The early years. Aquatic Mammals 36(1):84-110. Dr. Ron Schusterman provides a historical perspective of, and his integral role in, the exploration of the sensory systems, perception, cognition, and communication of pinnipeds. Ron Schusterman passed away on February 11, 2010, during the final editorial work on this manuscript. The material presented in this article was partially drawn from writings for a book that he was working on about his life in science and with animals. _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/210850553/direct/01/

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Course Announcement - Dolphin Research Center
by Emily Guarino 15 Mar '10

15 Mar '10

Dolphin Research Center, a not-for-profit research and educational organization, would like to announce a summer course in Cognitive and Behavioral Marine Mammal Research. The program is a seven-day, in-depth, hands-on immersion into the field of marine mammal science. The course material surveys a wide-range of knowledge, theories and ongoing research concerning dolphins. By working with staff on DRC research studies, students gain a greater understanding of dolphins' cognitive abilities and social behavior, as well as deeper insight into research concepts and methodology. Seminar Topics & Focused Activities Include: Review of Dolphin Anatomy & Physiology, Physiological Research, Research Project Design, DRC's Current Research, Marine Mammal Cognition, Research Law Requirements, Behavior & Ecology, and Research in Acoustics & Communication. Hands-On Activities Include: Assisting research staff in conducting current cognitive research sessions, learning and conducting observation sessions, participating in additional research activities. Cost: The cost of the course is $1700.00 (US). Tuition includes all seminars, activities, meals and lodging Dates: June 19-25 OR August 21-26, 2010 For more information please visit http://www.dolphins.org/dolphin_lab_campAdult_careerFocused.php, or contact us at 305/289-1121 x 225 or education(a)dolphins.org. DRC Publications: Jaakkola, K., Guarino, E., Rodriguez, M., Erb, L., & Trone, M. (2010). What do dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) understand about hidden objects? Animal Cognition, 13, 103-120. Jaakkola, K., Fellner, W., Erb, L., Rodriguez, A. M., & Guarino, E. (2005). Understanding the concept of numerically "less" by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Comparative Psychology.

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Call for papers: Passive'10, June 21-25, Brest, France
by Philippe Courmontagne 11 Mar '10

11 Mar '10

Call for papers - IEEE Passive'10 <http://passive2010.seatechweek.com> http://passive2010.seatechweek.com The IEEE OES (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - Oceanographic Engineering Society) PASSIVE 2010 workshop is part of the Sea Tech Week conference (Brest - France, June 21-25). The purpose of the workshop is to provide a forum to identify the long term role of passive remote sensing systems and the long term sensing technology advances required to enhance the performances of those passive systems for future and operational use. Passive remote sensing techniques have a meaningful and challenging role in addressing the measurement needs of several research and operational programs (defense purposes, environmental monitoring .). The need to rapidly respond to these new surveillance and security challenges requires advanced software architectures allowing easier cost-effective enhancements of existing software applications. The workshop will address all passive system applications (underwater, surface and near-surface systems) from signal interpretation to processing algorithms to system conception. Indeed, the purpose of the workshop is to provide a forum to identify the long term role of passive remote sensing systems and the long term sensing technology advances required to enhance the performances of those passive systems deemed most promising for future and operational use. Particular themes of the conference include, but are not restricted to: . Processing algorithms (detection, identification, localization and Tracking), . Marine mammals study, . Non-cooperative Target Recognition; Computer-Aided Detection/Computer-Aided Classification, . Tracking methods and physics-based tracking algorithm, . Multi-sensor, Multi-target Data Association and Fusion, . System integration. Deadlines for abstract and final paper submission are the following: * Abstract: March 19, 2010 * Acceptance notification: April 30, 2010 * Final paper upload: May 14, 2010

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Job Announcement: Applications Engineering Scientist, Cornell University
by Aaron N. Rice 11 Mar '10

11 Mar '10

*Applications Engineering Scientist (Position 12154)** *Research Associate Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca, NY *Position Description:* Located at the Imogene Powers Johnson Center for Birds and Biodiversity in the 220-acre Sapsucker Woods sanctuary, the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology is the world's leading resource for conservation, research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. The lab is a vibrant unit within Cornell's College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. Several full-time faculty teach undergraduate courses, advise graduate students, and manage world-class, mission-driven programs. Our management and staff are committed to the highest standards of ethics and excellence in all areas of our work, and our Board leadership includes faculty from Cornell and other universities, successful entrepreneurs and managers from the business and non-profit sectors, and conservation-minded citizens from throughout the United States and beyond. The Bioacoustics Research Program integrates the fields of behavioral biology, software engineering, hardware engineering, and engineering to answer questions regarding animal acoustic communication and to use technology as a means of monitoring populations of threatened and endangered species, primarily in marine environments. BRP is searching for an interdisciplinary, multi-talented engineer with extensive experience in the scientific process to serve as an Applications Engineering Scientist. This person will provide high-level oversight, organization and structure to the analytical processes applied to the analysis of very large and taxonomically variable bioacoustic data sets, design the structure and technical requirements for scientific research and software systems, including customized signal processing and analytical solutions to increase efficiency and effectiveness of research projects. In collaboration with other BRP staff, conduct basic and applied research and publish on bioacoustics and acoustic communication. As a member of the BRP Senior Leadership Team, participate in and contribute to the strategic planning, design and operation of BRP's vigorous and active research program involving multi-disciplinary research and development at a national and international level. *Required Qualifications:* Candidates with a PhD in engineering, physical acoustics, bio-engineering, or related field are encouraged to apply. Must have proven experience in the integration of large-scale, multi-layered projects requiring a systems engineering approach as well as experience in developing and implementing technical requirements, specifications, and documentation for data processing systems through the application of engineering and scientific procedures. Must have a strong record of enhancing the performance of a team through productive collaboration and effective staff management along with a record of repeated success in conducting research and managing projects. Must have a record of successfully reporting and meeting schedules and milestones along with excellent oral and written communication skills. *Preferred Qualifications:* Signal processing and algorithm research and development; bioacoustic analysis relative to animal communication; and staff supervision or management. *APPLICATION PROCEDURE: * Send a letter of application, complete resume, list of references and academic transcripts to: Susan Taggart, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, 283A Johnson Center for Birds & Biodiversity, Ithaca, NY 14850. Inquiries about position specifics can be directed to Chris Clark, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY 14850. Phone: 607-254-2405; Email cwc2(a)cornell.edu <mailto:cwc2@cornell.edu>. Review of applicants will continue until the position is filled. Cornell University, located in Ithaca, New York, is an inclusive, dynamic, and innovative Ivy League university and New York's land-grant institution. Its staff, faculty, and students impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas and best practices to further the university's mission of teaching, research, and outreach. * * * *

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new paper on aspergillosis in the middle ear of a harbour porpoise
by Susanne Prahl 11 Mar '10

11 Mar '10

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Research opportunity for PhD or master candidates available by now
by Carina Ramm 10 Mar '10

10 Mar '10

Research opportunity for PhD or master candidates available by now Dear marmamer's, we are two German PhD students studying behaviour and ecology of the cetacea in the waters off 'Eua Island, Kingdom of Tonga. We collect data by daily trips with an offshore capable 10.5m sail boat. Our focus is on offshore whales and dolphins but not restricted to one species. We are looking for a PhD or master student who will help us with our data collection and boat maintenance in Tonga as soon as possible. In return she / he can collect data for her / his own thesis as well, provided that this does not interfere to much with our own work. The opportunity to collect data from our sail boat together with us is offered since a crew of three instead of two people would improve our ability to collect data as well. We can not provide supervision, but the opportunity to carry out field work in Tongan offshore waters and therefore in a geographic area and an ecosystem which is hardly researched yet. Tongan waters underlie less anthropogenic influences than most other oceanic regions in the world, especially waters around 'Eua Island. We are looking for a master student or PhD candidate who would stay in Tonga for at least 3 months. There are no research costs (for boat, fuel ect.) but travel costs, food and accommodation can not be covered by us since we are completely self-funded. The last two points however can be organised cheaply in 'Eua. We expect high motivation, good English skills, knowledge about whales and how to approach them, ability of identifying cetacean species at sea (we will provide a small catalogue with pictures in advance), knowledge about and preferentially experience in photo ID, open mind and the ability and will to discuss when useful. Sailing experience would be a plus. Please send your application to: carina.ramm(a)gmail.com kind regards Carina Ramm & Tim Arnold Carina Ramm Institute of Polar Ecology University of Kiel Germany

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