August 2010 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New paper on Onassis's whaling operations 1950-1956
by Klaus Barthelmess 24 Aug '10

24 Aug '10

Hello, The dirtiest story of modern German - if not worldwide - whaling history has finally been told in a peer-reviewed, German journal and is available online: Klaus Barthelmess: ³Die Gegner der OLYMPIC CHALLENGER. Wie amerikanische Geheimdienste, Norweger und Deutsche das Walfangabenteuer des Aristoteles Onassis beendeten² [The opponents of OLYMPIC CHALLENGER. How American secret services, Norwegians and Germans brought about an end to the Onassis whaling venture], in: Polarforschung, 79 (3), 2009 [published 2010], pp. 155-176. available online at: http://epic.awi.de/Publications/Bar2010f.pdf An 11-page appendix of 17 hitherto classified documents in Norwegian transcription - with German translation - bears testimony to a story of bribery, treason, and sleazy political deals in which Onassis - usually credited with more notoriety than fame - rather appears as the victim. With almost a dozen acting parties from half the globe, some of them acting in secrecy, I dare say it is a story worthy of a thriller movie. Suggestions of a script author and producer welcome ;-) English abstract and picture captions are provided for the article. There is also a table of the whaling infractions committed by OLYMPIC CHALLENGER. Regards Klaus Barthelmess barthval at t-online.de

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Research Director position announcement
by Jenny Atkinson 23 Aug '10

23 Aug '10

Position: Research Director Location: Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington, USA The Whale Museum is seeking a Research Director. Year-round FT. Established in 1979 as the first U.S. museum dedicated to whales living in the wild, The Whale Museum promotes stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research. While The Whale Museum has conducted a large amount of research on killer whales and other marine mammals, there is ample room for the Museum's research program to grow. The main focus of our work are the endangered Southern Resident killer whales but there are other marine mammal species of importance in our region, including Minke whales, harbor porpoise, Dall's porpoise, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and other species. Current department projects focus on: acoustics, vessel effects and marine mammal health. Partnerships with other organizations and researchers are critical to our work. Current partnerships include, but are not limited to, NOAA-NWR (regional marine mammal sightings database), The SeaDoc Society (the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network and marine mammal diseases), and Beam Reach Marine Science & Sustainability School (SeaSound and www.orcasound.net; includes maintenance of a significant hydrophone array on the westside of the Island). The Research Director is expected to actively engage in research as well as track research in the region in order to translate scientific work into public educational exhibits for display in The Whale Museum. The Research Director reports to the Museum Executive Director, overseeing a department which includes one part-time staff member, summer interns and volunteers. The Research Director maintains an in-town office as well as one at the Lime Kiln Point Lighthouse Research Facility. The successful candidate will have understanding of and experience with research priorities related to the endangered Southern Resident killer whales. The Research Director is expected to grant write for a portion of their salary. Qualifications: Ph.D. in a relevant field, demonstrated history of peer-reviewed publication, excellent technological skills (i.e., database management, ARC-GIS), grant writing, and department & project management experience. Electronic submissions are encouraged. It is suggested that a PDF compiled with the requested information be submitted. Send cover letter, resume and up to five references (either reference letter or contact information for each reference) by Sept. 7 to: Jenny L. Atkinson Executive Director The Whale Museum P. O. Box 945 Friday Harbor, WA 98250 Email: jenny(a)whalemuseum.org Website: www.whalemuseum.org

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2010 ACS CONFERENCE Early Bird Registration Ends SEPTEMBER 1
by Uko Gorter 23 Aug '10

23 Aug '10

Dear MARMAM subscribers, A reminder to all of you, that the EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION to our ACS conference will END on SEPTEMBER 1. So sign up now! There is a direct link to our registration page from the ACS website: www.acsonline.org The full program and event details are listed below the event ticket information. Questions? Contact Kaye Reznick at acsoffice(a)acsonline.org or call 310-548-6279 The Embassy Suites Hotel is offering a special conference rate of $169/ night. You can make your hotel reservation separately by calling 831-393-1115 AMERICAN CETACEAN SOCIETY WHALES 2010, A New Decade of Conservation 12th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. November 12-14, 2010 Embassy Suites Hotel, Monterey Bay-Seaside, California. www.acsonline.org This is shaping up to be an incredible conference with amazing speakers and special guests. Don't miss it, sign up today. We look forward to seeing you... Cheryl McCormick PhD, Executive Director Kaye Reznick, Business Manager American Cetacean Society National Headquarters P.O. Box 1391 San Pedro, CA 90733-1391 310-548-6279 www.acsonline.org

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New Articles
by David S. Janiger 23 Aug '10

23 Aug '10

Hi, All Here's the latest posting of new PDF's that are available. Because I wasn't able to process the two special issues in time for this posting, I have included the links to their websites (listed below). If you have trouble downloading the PDFs you want, just email me after this evening for them. Once again I find myself at a slow speed connection. So PDFs won't be up on the FTP server till later this evening. File sizes have been included. Abstracts also available on request. Make all requests to: janiger(a)cox.net (The janiger(a)bcf.usc.edu mail account is still not working correctly) 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 AKAMATSU, TOMONARI; KIYOMI NAKAMURA; RYO KAWABE; SEISHIRO FURUKAWA; HIROMI MURATA; AKIHIRO KAWAKUBO and MASAYUKI KOMABA. MARINE BIOLOGY (BERLIN) 157(8):1879-1887. 2010. Seasonal and diurnal presence of finless porpoises at a corridor to the ocean from their habitat. 0.553 MB AUGE, A. A. and B. L. CHILVERS. NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 37(2):107-119. 2010. Behavioural responses and attraction of New Zealand sea lions to on-land female decoys. 0.292 MB BAKER, C. S.; B. L. CHILVERS; R. CONSTANTINE; S. DUFRESNE; R. H. MATTLIN; A. VAN HELDEN and R. HITCHMOUGH. NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH 44(2):101-115. 2010. Conservation status of New Zealand marine mammals (suborders Cetacea and Pinnipedia), 2009. 0.131 MB BEARZI, MADDALENA and CRAIG STANFORD. AMERICAN SCIENTIST 98:402-409. 2010. A bigger, better brain. Observations of chimpanzees and dolphins strengthen the notion that humanlike intelligence may not be uniquely human, 0.448 MB BELLIERE, EDWIGE N.; FERNANDO ESPERON; MANUEL ARBELO; MARIA J. MUNOZ; ANTONIO FERNANDEZ and JOSE M. SANCHEZ-VIZCAINO. ARCHIVES OF VIROLOGY 155(8):1307-1311. 2010. Presence of herpesvirus in striped dolphins stranded during the cetacean morbillivirus epizootic along the Mediterranean Spanish coast in 2007. 0.208 MB BILSKY, ERIC A. MICHIGAN JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL LAW 30(3):599-641. 2009. Conserving marine wildlife through world trade law. 0.281 MB BLIX, ARNOLDUS SCHYTTE; LARS WALLOE; EDWARD B. MESSELT and LARS P. FOLKOW. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY 213(15):2610-2616. 2010. Selective brain cooling and its vascular basis in diving seals. 0.973 MB BOSSELAERS, MARK and KLAAS POST. GEODIVERSITAS 32(2):331-363. 2010. A new fossil rorqual (Mammalia, Cetacea, Balaenopteridae) from the Early Pliocene of the North Sea, with a review of the rorqual species described by Owen and Van Beneden. 3.336 MB BUTINA, TATYANA V.; NATALJA N. DENIKINA and SERGEY BELIKOV. VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY 144(1-2):192-197. 2010. Canine distemper virus diversity in Lake Baikal seal (Phoca sibirica) population. 0.510 MB CASTELBLANCO-MARTINEZ, DELMA NATALY; BENJAMIN MORALES-VELA; HECTOR A. HERNANDEZ-ARANA and JANNETH PADILLA-SALDIVAR. LATIN AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AQUATIC MAMMALS 7(1-2):39-46. 2009. Diet of the manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Chetumal Bay, Mexico. 0.396 MB CHILVERS, B. LOUISE; IAN S. WILKINSON and DARRYL I. MACKENZIE. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL, BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL STATISTICS 15(2):259-278. 2010. Predicting life-history traits for Female New Zealand sea lions, Phocarctos hookeri: Integrating short-term mark-recapture data and population modeling 0.504 MB COLEGROVE, KATHLEEN M.; JAMES F. X. WELLEHAN, JR.; REBECCA RIVERA; PETER F. MOORE; FRANCES M. D. GULLAND; LINDA J. LOWENSTINE; ROBERT W. NORDHAUSEN and HENDRIK H. NOLLENS. JOURNAL OF VETERINARY DIAGNOSTIC INVESTIGATION 22(4):628-632. 2010. Polyomavirus infection in a free-ranging California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) with intestinal T-cell lymphoma. 3.350 MB COSCARELLA, M. A.; S. N. PEDRAZA and E. A. CRESPO. JOURNAL OF ETHOLOGY 28(3):463-470. 2010. Behavior and seasonal variation in the relative abundance of Commerson's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) in northern Patagonia, Argentina. 0.425 MB DE O. SANTOS, MARCOS C.; JULIA E. DE F. OSHIMA; EDUARDO DO S. PACIFICO and EDNILSON DA SILVA. ZOOLOGIA 27(3):324-330. 2010. Guiana dolphins, Sotalia guianensis (Cetacea: Delphinidae), in the Paranagua Estuarine Complex: Insights on the use of area based on the photo-identification technique. 1.885 MB DIAZ-AGUIRRE, FERNANDO; SERGIO NAVARRETE; CARLA SALINAS; LUCIANO HIRIART; VICTOR CASTILLO; ATTIA ZEREGA; RICHARD RITTER and CONSUELO CASTILLA. LATIN AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AQUATIC MAMMALS 7(1-2):85-87. 2009. First report on the long-term presence of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) off central Chile. 0.269 MB FERGUSON, STEVEN H.; LARRY DUECK; LISA L. LOSETO and SEBASTIAN P. LUQUE. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 411:285-297. 2010. Bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus seasonal selection of sea ice. 1.645 MB FIELD, DANIEL J.; REGINA CAMPBELL-MALONE; JEREMY A. GOLDBOGEN and ROBERT E. SHADWICK. ANATOMICAL RECORD: ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 293(7):1240-1247. 2010. Quantitative computed tomography of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) mandibles: Mechanical implications for rorqual lunge-feeding. 0.273 MB FONTAINE, MICHAEL C.; KRYSTAL A. TOLLEY; JOHAN R. MICHAUX; ALEXEI BIRKUN, JR.; MARISA FERREIRA; THIERRY JAUNIAUX; ANGELA LLAVONA; BAYRAM OZTURK; AYAKA A. OZTURK; VINCENT RIDOUX; EMER ROGAN; MARINA SEQUEIRA; JEAN-MARIE BOUQUEGNEAU and S. J. E. BAIRD. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES B BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 277(1695):2829-2837. 2010. Genetic and historic evidence for climate-driven population fragmentation in a top cetacean predator: The harbour porpoises in European water. 0.549 MB FRERE, CELINE H.; MICHAEL KRUTZEN; ANNA M. KOPPS; PATRICK WARD; JANET MANN and WILLIAM B. SHERWIN. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES B BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 277(1694):2667-2673. 2010. Inbreeding tolerance and fitness costs in wild bottlenose dolphins. 0.228 MB FRIEDLAENDER, ARI S.; DAVID W. JOHNSTON and PATRICK N. HALPIN. PROGRESS IN OCEANOGRAPHY 86(1-2):261-266. 2010. Effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation on sea ice breeding habitats of harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) across the North Atlantic. 0.620 MB GLABICKY, NICHOLAS; ALICIA DUBRAVA and MICHAEL NOONAN. POLAR BIOLOGY 33(8):1145-1147. 2010. Note Social-sexual behavior seasonality in captive beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas). 0.182 MB GONZALEZ-SUAREZ, M.; D. AURIOLES-GAMBOA and L. R. GERBER. CIENCIAS MARINAS 36(2):199-211. 2010. Past exploitation of California sea lions did not lead to a genetic bottleneck in the Gulf of California. 0.224 MB HANKE, WOLF; MATTHIAS WITTE; LARS MIERSCH; MARTIN BREDE; JOHANNES OEFFNER; MARK MICHAEL; FREDERIKE HANKE; ALFRED LEDER and GUIDO DEHNHARDT. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY 213(15):2665-2672. 2010. Harbor seal vibrissa morphology suppresses vortex-induced vibrations. 1.210 MB HEIDE-JORGENSEN, M. P.; K. L. LAIDRE; D. BORCHERS; T. A. MARQUES; H. STERN and M. SIMON. POLAR RESEARCH 29(2):198-208. 2010. The effect of sea-ice loss on beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in West Greenland. 1.349 MB HENAUT, YANN; SYLVIA P. BECERRA LOPEZ; SALIMA MACHKOUR-M'RABET; BENJAMIN MORALES-VELA; PETER WINTERTON and FABIENNE DELFOUR. MAMMALIA 74(2):141-146. 2010. Activities and social interactions in captive Antillean manatees in Mexico. 0.149 MB HOFFMAN, JOSEPH I.; JAUME FORCADA and WILLIAM AMOS. JOURNAL OF HEREDITY 101(5):539-552. 2010 Exploring the mechanisms underlying a heterozygosity-fitness correlation for canine size in the Antarctic fur seal Arctocephalus gazella. 0.267 MB HOFFMAN, JOSEPH I.; NORA HANSON; JAUME FORCADA; PHIL N. TRATHAN and WILLIAM AMOS. JOURNAL OF HEREDITY 101(5):527-538. 2010 Getting long in the tooth: A strong positive correlation between canine size and heterozygosity in Antarctic fur seals Arctocephalus gazella. 0.383 MB HOFFMAN, MICHAEL D.; NEWELL GARFIELD and ROGER W. BLAND. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 128(1):490-494. 2010. Frequency synchronization of blue whale calls near Pioneer Seamount. 0.387 MB HOFMEYR, G. J. GREG; MARTHAN N. BESTER; STEVE P. KIRKMAN; CHRISTIAN LYDERSEN and KIT M. KOVACS. POLAR BIOLOGY 33(9):1171-1178. 2010. Intraspecific differences in the diet of Antarctic fur seals at Nyroysa, Bouvetoya. 0.441 MB ITOU, TAKUYA; HIROSHI KOIE; TAKAO SEGAWA; MASAKO KATO; MAKIO YANAGISAWA; KEIICHI UEDA; RYO KUWANO; MIWA SUZUKI; TADAAKI MORITOMO and TAKEO SAKAI. VETERINARY JOURNAL 185(2):216-217. 2010. Bone marrow biopsy from the flipper of a dolphin. 0.477 MB JABER, J. R.; J. PEREZ; R. ZAFRA; P. HERRAEZ; F. RODRIGUEZ; M. ARBELO; A. ESPINOSA DE LOS MONTEROS and A. FERNANDEZ. JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PATHOLOGY 143(1):45-51. 2010. Cross-reactivity of anti-human, anti-porcine and anti-bovine cytokine antibodies with cetacean tissues. 0.930 MB JANSEN, JOHN K.; PETER L. BOVENG; SHAWN P. DAHLE and JOHN L. BENGTSON. JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 74(6):1186-1194. 2010. Reaction of harbor seals to cruise ships. 0.436 MB JOHNSON, WESLEY R.; MANOLITO TORRALBA; PATRICIA A. FAIR; GREGORY D. BOSSART; KAREN E. NELSON and PAMELA J. MORRIS. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 1(6):555-562. 2009. Novel diversity of bacterial communities associated with bottlenose dolphin upper respiratory tracts. 0.215 MB KELKAR, NACHIKET; JAGDISH KRISHNASWAMY; SUNIL CHOUDHARY and DIPANI SUTARIA. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 24(4):1130-1140. 2010. Coexistence of fisheries with river dolphin conservation. 0.412 MB KELLY, BRENDAN P.; ORIANA H. BADAJOS; MERVI KUNNASRANTA; JOHN R. MORAN; MICAELA MARTINEZ-BAKKER; DOUGLAS WARTZOK and PETER BOVENG. POLAR BIOLOGY 33(8):1095-1109. 2010. Seasonal home ranges and fidelity to breeding sites among ringed seals. 1.542 MB KLINCK, HOLGER; DAVID K. MELLINGER; KAROLIN KLINCK; JULIA HAGER; LARS KINDERMANN and OLAF BOEBEL. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 128(1):474-479. 2010. Long-range underwater vocalizations of the crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophaga). 0.668 MB KUHN, RACHEL A.; HERMANN ANSORGE; SZYMON GODYNICKI and WILFRIED MEYER. ACTA THERIOLOGICA 55(3):211-222. 2010. Hair density in the Eurasian otter Lutra lutra and the sea otter Enhydra lutris. 0.407 MB LANCASTER, MELANIE L.; SIMON D. GOLDSWORTHY and PAUL SUNNUCKS. BMC EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 10(143): 9pp. 2010. Two behavioural traits promote fine-scale species segregation and moderate hybridisation in a recovering sympatric fur seal population. 0.730 MB LEW, DANIEL K.; DAVID F. LAYTON and ROBERT D. ROWE. MARINE RESOURCE ECONOMICS 25(2):133-154. 2010. Valuing enhancements to endangered species protection under alternative baseline futures: The case of the Steller sea lion. 0.833 MB LI YU; WEI JIN; JIA-XIN WANG; XIN ZHANG; MENG-MENG CHEN; ZHOU-HAI ZHU; HANG LEE; MUYEONG LEE and YA-PING ZHANG. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION 27(7):1467-1477. 2010. Characterization of TRPC2, an essential genetic component of VNS chemoreception, provides Insights into the evolution of pheromonal olfaction in secondary-adapted marine mammals. 0.411 MB LOCH, CAROLINA; PAULO C. SIMOES-LOPES and CESAR J. DREHMER. ZOOLOGIA 27(3):477-482. 2010. Numerical anomalies in the dentition of southern fur seals and sea lions (Pinnipedia: Otariidae). 4.146 MB MARTINEAU, DANIEL. VETERINARY JOURNAL 185(2):101-102. 2010. A new approach to bone biopsy in cetaceans. 0.126 MB MCINTYRE, T.; P. J. N. DE BRUYN; I. J. ANSORGE; M. N. BESTER; H. BORNEMANN; J. PLOETZ and C. A. TOSH. POLAR BIOLOGY 33(8):1037-1048. 2010. A lifetime at depth: Vertical distribution of southern elephant seals in the water column. 0.368 MB MCINTYRE, TREVOR; CHERYL A. TOSH; JOACHIM PLOTZ; HORST BORNEMANN and MARTHAN N. BESTER. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 412:293-304. 2010. Segregation in a sexually dimorphic mammal: A mixed-effects modelling analysis of diving behaviour in southern elephant seals. 2.011 MB NINO-TORRES, CARLOS ALBERTO; TANIA ZENTENO-SAVIN; SUSAN C. GARDNER and JORGE URBAN R. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 25(4):381-390. 2010 Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) from the Gulf of California. 0.335 MB O'CORRY-CROWE, GREGORY; CHRISTIAN LYDERSEN; MADS PETER HEIDE-JORGENSEN; LAUREN HANSEN; LEV M. MUKHAMETOV; OUTI DOVE and KIT M. KOVACS. POLAR BIOLOGY 33(9):1179-1194. 2010. Population genetic structure and evolutionary history of North Atlantic beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from West Greenland, Svalbard and the White Sea . 0.997 MB PEDEMERA-ROMANO, C.; D. AURIOLES; R. A. VALDEZ; D. M. BROUSSET; M. C. ROMANO and F. GALINDO. ANIMAL WELFARE 19(3):275-280. 2010. Serum cortisol in California sea lion pups (Zalophus californianus californianus). 0.114 MB PROFFITT, KELLY M.; JAY J. ROTELLA and ROBERT A. GARROTT. OIKOS 119(8):1255-1264. 2010. Effects of pup age, maternal age, and birth date on pre-weaning survival rates of Weddell seals in Erebus Bay, Antarctica. 0.258 MB PULLIN, ANDREW S. and NICK SALAFSKY. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 24(4):915-917. 2010. Save the Whales? Save the Rainforest? Save the Data! 0.184 MB PYENSON, NICHOLAS D. PALEOBIOLOGY 36(3):453-480. 2010. Carcasses on the coastline: Measuring the ecological fidelity of the cetacean stranding record in the eastern North Pacific Ocean 0.982 MB REISINGER, RYAN R. and MARTHAN N. BESTER. POLAR BIOLOGY 33(9):1289-1291. 2010. Note Long distance breeding dispersal of a southern elephant seal. 0.237 MB RICCA, MARK A.; A. KEITH MILES; BRENDA E. BALLACHEY; JAMES L. BODKIN; DANIEL ESLER and KIMBERLY A. TRUST. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 60(6):861-872. 2010. PCB exposure in sea otters and harlequin ducks in relation to history of contamination by the Exxon Valdez oil spill. 0.383 MB SAKAI, YUKIKO; RYOTA HAYASHI; KOICHI MURATA; TADASU K. YAMADA and MITSUHIKO ASAKAWA. JAPANESE JOURNAL OF ZOO AND WILDLIFE MEDICINE 14(1):81-84. 2009. Records of barnacle, Xenobalanus globicipitis Steenstrup, 1851 and whale lice, Cyamus sp. from a wild killer whale captured in the western North Pacific, off Kii Peninsula, Japan. 0.959 MB SHAUGHNESSY, PETER D.; JANE MCKENZIE; MELANIE LANCASTER; SIMON GOLDSWORTHY and TERRY E. DENNIS. AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 58(2):94-103. 2010. Australian fur seals establish haulout sites and a breeding colony in South Australia. 0.442 MB SHIXIA XU; WENHUA REN; XUMING ZHOU; KAIYA ZHOU and GUANG YANG. JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EVOLUTION 71(1):6-22. 2010. Sequence polymorphism and geographical variation at a positively selected MHC-DRB gene in the finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides): Implication for recent differentiation of the Yangtze finless porpoise? 0.600 MB SILBER, GREGORY K.; JONATHAN SLUTSKY anD SHANNON BETTRIDGE. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY 391(1-2):1-9. 2010. Hydrodynamics of a ship/whale collision. 1.260 MB SMITH, PAUL A.; KYLE H. ELLIOTT; ANTHONY J. GASTON and H. GRANT GILCHRIST. POLAR BIOLOGY 33(8):1149-1153. 2010. Note Has early ice clearance increased predation on breeding birds by polar bears? 0.195 MB SZEWCIW, L. J.; D. G. DE KERCKHOVE; G. W. GRIME and D. S. FUDGE. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES B BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 277(1694):2597-2605. 2010. Calcification provides mechanical reinforcement to whale baleen a-keratin. 1.208 MB TAGUCHI, MIOKO; HAJIME ISHIKAWA and TAKASHI MATSUISHI. MAMMAL STUDY 35(2):133-138. 2010. Seasonal distribution of harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in Japanese waters inferred from stranding and bycatch records. 29148 MB TAO CHEN; SAMUEL K. HUNG; YONGSONG QUI; XIAOPING JIA and THOMAS A. JEFFERSON. MAMMALIA 74(2):117-125. 2010. Distribution, abundance, and individual movements of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in the Pearl River Estuary, China. 0.258 MB VERNA, CAROLINE; ALBAN RAMETTE; HELENA WIKLUND; THOMAS G. DAHLGREN; ADRIAN G. GLOVER; FRANCOISE GAILL and NICOLE DUBILIER. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY 12(8):2355-2370. 2010. High symbiont diversity in the bone-eating worm Osedax mucofloris from shallow whale-falls in the North Atlantic. 1.936 MB VILLEGAS-AMTMANN, STELLA and DANIEL P. COSTA. FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY 24(4):785-795. 2010. Oxygen stores plasticity linked to foraging behaviour and pregnancy in a diving predator, the Galapagos sea lion. 0.660 MB Special Issues: APPLIED ACOUSTICS 71(11). 2010. (Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on Detection, Classification and Localization of Marine Mammals using Passive Acoustics and 1st International Workshop on Density Estimation of Marine Mammals Using Passive Acoustics, University of Pavia, Collegio Cairoli, Italy, 10-13 Sep 2009) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0003682X INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY 23(3). 2010. http://www.comparativepsychology.org/

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Seeking Cetacea Skin Biopsy Samples
by Claire Morgan 23 Aug '10

23 Aug '10

To whom this may be of Intrest: I am part of a bioinformatics research group in *Dublin, Ireland * working on mammalian molecular evolution. Our group has been awarded funding to perform sequencing analyses on marine mammals. I am currently in need of *skin** biopsies* (aswell as other tissues), so that i will be able to conduct RNA-seq analysis to sequence the Cetacean Transcriptome. We are currently trying to sample whales across the Cetacean phylogeny. If there is anyone who has access to skin biopsy samples of RNA quality, or will be sampling whales over the next few months and is interested in setting up a collaboration, we would very much like to hear back from you. Thank you in advance. Claire Morgan -- Claire Morgan Bioinformatics & Molecular Evolution Group School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, IRELAND. Ph: +353-1-700-5365 Email: claire.morgan6(a)mail.dcu.ie Web: bioinf.dcu.ie ********************************

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South Georgia Sub-Antarctic Island Meeting
by Gregory, Susan 23 Aug '10

23 Aug '10

South Georgia Town Meeting 28th September 2010 At the start of the millennium the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) commissioned the British Antarctic Survey to design, build and operate a new base at King Edward Point on South Georgia. The base was opened in 2001 and it replaced the military garrison which had been established in 1982. Since then the prime purpose of the base has been to undertake applied fisheries research in support of management of commercial fisheries in the SGSSI Maritime Zone. The Government of SGSSI now seeks to expand the range of scientific research at King Edward point and make the facilities available for science projects at rates that are comparable with those at similarly equipped facilities at other remote locations. The town meeting at BAS in September is being held to discuss science currently being done at South Georgia, to stimulate interest in the scientific opportunities that exist at King Edward Point and provide information on the accommodation, scientific facilities, logistic support, means of reaching the Island etc that prospective scientific visitors will need. The meeting will include presentations covering the range of current scientific work at South Georgia and there will be plenty of time built in for scientific discussion, briefings on practical aspects and questions. The draft programme and further details can be found at: http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/about_bas/events/south_georgia/ If you are interested in finding out more about the opportunity to bring your science to South Georgia we encourage you to come and participate in the Town Meeting. Please register your interest with Penny Goodearl at the British Antarctic Survey: p.goodearl(a)bas.ac.uk or phone 00 44 (0)1223 221254 - there is no registration fee - lunch and refreshments will be available in the 'Icebreaker' at BAS. Please feel free to circulate this e-mail to other interested parties. Sue Gregory Fisheries Research Technician British Antarctic Survey High Cross Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0ET Tel: +44 (0)1223 221386

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Underwater blasting & dredging impacts on coastal dolphins, dugong and other marine wildlife in Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia
by Stuart Blanch 22 Aug '10

22 Aug '10

Dear marine mammal researchers I am seeking information and your assistance regarding the potential impacts from underwater blasting and dredging on coastal dolphins and dugong, as well as threatened marine turtles and fish, from shipping channels associated with the proposed INPEX <http://inpex.com.au/> LNG plant in Darwin Harbour in tropical Northern Australia. Marine wildlife at risk: . The dolphins are Australian snubfin (Orcaella heinsohni), Indo-Pacific Humpback (Sousa chinensis) and Indo-Pacific bottlenose (Tursiops aduncus). . In addition, pods of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) occasionally visit the harbour. . Dugong (Dugong dugon), which inhabit the seaward-end of the harbour and are principally threatened by dredging, underwater noise and potentially boat strike . IUCN Red-listed marine turtles that use the harbour are flatback, green and hawksbill turtles. . Tropical marine and estuarine fish which inhabit the harbour. INPEX's draft EIS for an LNG (natural gas) processing and export facility Oil & gas company INPEX has lodged a draft <http://inpex.com.au/ichthys-draft-environmental-impact-statement/welcome.as px> EIS proposing to build a massive liquified natural gas plant in Darwin Harbour in tropical Northern territory. The plan involves constructing a jetty, ship turning basin, and a long shipping channel through the relatively ecologically intact Darwin Harbour. Dredging the route for the shipping channel involves underwater blasting <http://inpex.com.au/media/20786/ichthys_eis_ch7.pdf> (cf p357) to remove a large rocky underwater navigation hazard (Walker Shoal) which sits in the middle of their preferred channel route as they claim poses unacceptable risks to LNG tankers once construction is completed in about 2015. The shipping channel is to be dredged <http://inpex.com.au/media/20786/ichthys_eis_ch7.pdf> (cf p305) for up to 3.5 years in the first instance to remove 16.9 million cubic meters of soft sediments using a backhoe dredge (and perhaps a cutter suction dredge). In addition, future maintenance dredging is required over the 40+ year lifespan of the project. Underwater blasting impacts on coastal dolphins? The blasting would occur 3 times a day over more than 1 year to remove Walker Shoal which INPEX maintains presents an unacceptable safety hazard to large LNG tankers because it is very shallow (6m depth at low tide) and very hard. What would the impact of this blasting be on dolphins, as well as marine turtles and fish? INPEX admit blasting could kill and / or exclude dolphins and other marine wildlife from that part of the harbour. INPEX's proposed mitigation measures include using trained spotters on nearby ships to call a halt to blasting if dolphins surface within the kill zone (radius: 500m, apparently based on an assumed temporary threshold shift volume of 183 decibels), as well as active accoustic monitoring by triangulating the location of submerged dolphins using underwater accoustic meters. INPEX say latter approach is a world first, which we interpret as being untried and hence unproven. INPEX appears to have no reliable data on the likely impacts of the blasting on coastal dolphins in partly enclosed harbours. They seem to have undertaken no modelling of underwater pressure wave impacts on marine wildlife. They appear to rely on two studies, neither of which is apparently cited in the draft EIS: one from Binningup in southwest Western Australia on underwater attenuation of low frequency noise, and a report by 'ICI' on physical impacts on from blasting on dead dogs in the water (I am not joking). Instead, the draft EIS seems to rely on a very limited (and un-cited) number of peer reviewed research papers as well as grey literature, a lot of which seems to address underwater sonar impacts on whales from oil & gas exploration in deep water, rather than on coastal dolphins in partly enclosed turbid tropical harbours such as Darwin Harbour. We would appreciate any information (particularly peer reviewed papers) you could provide to us regarding underwater noise impacts on coastal dolphins, noise attenuation in partly enclosed harbours, adequacy of passive and active accoustic monitoring in turbid partly enclosed harbours, best practice underwater accoustic modelling in harbours. Also, is anyone aware of low-noise alternatives to removing very dense underwater rock, such as other ways of dredging or blasting? Dredging impacts on coral, sea grass and mangrove habitats INPEX state they expect a decline in the health of soft corals in the harbour due to plumes of fine sediments resuspended during dredging, but state they think tropical soft corals are highly resilient to periodically being coated in sediments. They state only about 1 mm of sediments are likely to be deposited on the corals, and this is likely to be removed during large tides (hence at least monthly). INPEX estimates mangrove and sea grass death due to dredging and subsequent sediment deposition to be minor and manageable, eg, 'only' 0.2% of the harbour's mangroves will be lost. Re-suspension of sediments in slack water areas is thought to be an ongoing but relatively minor issue, though their models indicate many depositional areas in mangroves and where tributaries enter the harbour. If you have any information on dredging impacts on tropical marine mammals, including dolphins and dugong, as well as marine turtles, I would appreciate any information you could send our way. Submissions close 10 September If you have experience and knowledge about the potential impacts on coastal dolphins, dugong and otjer marine wildlife from underwater blasting and dredging, I urge you to provide a submission to the draft EIS. Submissions close 10 September. Dr Stuart Blanch | Coordinator logo_colour_landscape_reverse_layout_signage T (08) 8941 7439 | M 0448 887 303 | E <mailto:communications@ecnt.org> coordinator(a)ecnt.org | W <http://www.ecnt.org/> http://www.ecnt.org/ GPO Box 2120, Darwin NT 0801 | Unit 3/98 Woods Street, Darwin Northern Territory - Australia

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Special Issue of the International Journal of Comparative Psychology
by Stan Kuczaj 22 Aug '10

22 Aug '10

I am pleased to announce the publication of the following special issue of the International Journal of Comparative Psychology: Research withe Captive Marine Mammals is Important - Part 1 The table of contents for this issue is listed below: Research with captive marine mammals is important: An introduction to the special issue Stan A. Kuczaj II The value of ex situ cetacean populations in understanding reproductive physiology and developing assisted reproductive technology for ex situ and in situ species management and conservation efforts J. K. O’Brien and T. R. Robeck Research with Navy marine mammals benefits animal care, conservation and biology Dorian S. Houser, James J. Finneran, and S. H. Ridgway How studies of wild and captive dolphins contribute to our understanding of individual differences and personality Lauren E. Highfill and Stan A. Kuczaj II What can captive whales tell us about their wild counterparts? Identification, usage, and ontogeny of contact calls in belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) Valeria Vergara, Robert Michaud, and Lance Barrett-Lennard What laboratory research has told us about dolphin cognition Louis M. Herman Cognitive research with dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) at Disney’s The Seas: A program for enrichment, science, education, and conservation Heidi E. Harley, Wendi Fellner, and M. Andy Stamper Dolphin cognition: Representations and processes in memory and perception Eduardo Mercado III and Caroline M. DeLong Observational learning in wild and captive dolphins Deirdre B. Yeater and Stan A. Kuczaj II Bottlenose dolphins' (Tursiops truncatus) theory of mind as demonstrated by responses to their trainers’ attentional states Masaki Tomonaga, Yuka Uwano, Sato Ogura, and Toyoshi Saito Inaugurating the study of animal metacognition J. David Smith Journal publication trends regarding cetaceans found in both wild and captive environments: What do we study, and where do we publish? Heather Hill and Monica Lackups This issue has just appeared on the IJCP website (see below) and all articles are available for free download. (You may also download the entire issue at once if you choose). http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwscp/ejournal.html#i233 A second issue on this topic will be published in November of this year. Sincerely, Stan Kuczaj Editor, IJCP s.kuczaj(a)usm.edu<mailto:s.kuczaj@usm.edu>

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Navy Asks For Public Input At Open House Scoping Meetings
by Shoemaker, Mandy L CIV NAVFAC LANT, EV53MS 21 Aug '10

21 Aug '10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS RELEASE 25-10 19 August 2010 NAVY ASKS FOR PUBLIC INPUT AT OPEN HOUSE SCOPING MEETINGS The Navy is holding public meetings to gather public input for the Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS) which will evaluate potential environmental effects associated with training and testing activities in the Western North Atlantic Ocean, the lower Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The Navy initiated the scoping process to identify community concerns and issues for analysis in the EIS/OEIS. The Navy seeks the public's involvement and input which are a fundamental part of the Navy's EIS/OEIS development. As part of the public participation process, the Navy has planned meetings to obtain public input on the scope of the EIS. The AFTT region covers approximately 2.6 million square nautical miles and encompasses the at-sea portions of Navy range complexes and research, development, testing and evaluation (RDT&E) ranges along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. With the exception of the lower Chesapeake Bay, inland waters and land-based portions of these range complexes and RDT&E ranges are not a part of the AFTT region and will not be analyzed. Piers and channels at existing Navy ports, Navy shipyards and contractor shipyards in the AFTT region where Navy ship and submarine sonar maintenance and testing occur are also included in the AFTT EIS/OEIS. Please refer to attached map. The public is encouraged to attend the Navy's open-house style scoping meetings for additional information about the proposed action and to provide written and oral comments on concerns to be addressed in the EIS/OEIS. The public may arrive any time during the open house. There will be no formal presentation; however, Navy experts will be on hand to answer questions about the proposed action and general inquiries about the NEPA process. All written comments must be postmarked or received during the comment period to be considered in the Draft EIS/OEIS process. Written comments must be postmarked by Sept. 14 and mailed to: Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic ATTN: AFTT EIS/OEIS PM - Code EV22LL 6506 Hampton Boulevard Norfolk, VA 23508-1278 Comments may also be submitted online at www.AFTTEIS.com or at one of five open house scoping meetings being held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the following locations: Monday, August 23, 2010: Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston Street, Boston, Mass. Wednesday, August 25, 2010: Virginia Beach Convention Center, 1000 19th Street, Virginia Beach, Va. Thursday, August 26, 2010: Crystal Coast Civic Center, 3505 Arendell Street, Morehead City, N.C. Tuesday, August 31, 2010: The Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, 1000 Water Street, Jacksonville, Fla. Wednesday, September 1, 2010: Gulf Coast Community College, 5230 West Highway 98, Panama City, Fla. -USN- NOTE: Media interested in attending any of the scoping meetings or in need of additional information should contact Ms. Julie Ann Ripley, Environmental Media Officer at U.S. Fleet Forces Command at (757) 836-4423 or (910) 381-8385. Media are asked to arrive one-half hour prior to the start of the meeting and are welcome to remain following any interviews. VR/ Julie Ann Ripley US Fleet Forces Command Public Affairs Environmental Media O 757 836 4423 F 757 836 3601 julie.a.ripley(a)navy.mil julie.a.ripley(a)navy.smil.mil

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SOCAL-10 Behavioral Response Study
by Brandon Southall 20 Aug '10

20 Aug '10

MARMAM followers, Please note the following information about a behavioral response study about to begin in southern California to study diving, foraging, and vocal behavior in various marine mammals and their responses to controlled sound exposures. This project, called SOCAL-10, will focus on various mysticete and odontocete cetaceans, and is intended to provide both baseline and experimental data relevant to understanding how marine mammals may be affected by human sounds, with a particular focus on mid-frequency military sonar signals. SOCAL-10 is an interdisciplinary collaboration of experts in marine mammal biology and behavior with extensive field experience in safely measuring responses to controlled sound exposures (please see the links below for a full list of participants and sponsors). This project will take place during August and September 2010 in coastal areas from San Diego to Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands, as well as an offshore area on and around the U.S. Navy’s training range near San Clemente Island. It is being conducted under NMFS permit # 14534, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary permit #2010-004, and a federal consistency determination (CD-29-10) from the California Coastal Commission. For more information on the project, please go to <www.sea-inc.net/SOCAL10> where you will find: - A one-page overview, slightly more detailed summary, and frequently asked questions about the project <http://www.sea-inc.net/resources/SOCAL10_summary.pdf> - An even more detailed summary of the project with additional references and connections to other work <http://www.sea-inc.net/resources/SOCAL10_summaryext.pdf> - A slide presentation discussing the objectives, experimental design, protocols, and other information about SOCAL-10 <http://www.sea-inc.net/resources/SOCAL10_overview.pdf>. A video version of this presentation being explained will be available shortly as well. - Links to other information, including a from-the-field blog on the project that will begin around the beginning of the project on 22 August <http://sea.typepad.com/> *SOCAL-10 Project Overview* SOCAL-10 is the first phase of a multi-year effort (~2010-2015), notionally referred to as SOCAL-BRS (Behavioral Response Study). This research collaboration is designed to increase understanding of marine mammal behavior and reactions to sound. Direct, scientific information about these responses to different human sounds is very limited, but critically needed by both regulatory agencies to support informed conservation management decisions and requirements and militaries for effective operational planning to minimize environmental risk. This project extends previous BRS efforts conducted in the Bahamas and Mediterranean Sea in 2007-2009 and is being coordinated with related and successful field efforts (e.g., population surveys of Navy range areas, satellite tagging before active sonar operations) underway in southern California. SOCAL- 10 will use controlled exposure experiments (CEE) to carefully measure behavioral responses of individual animals to sound exposure. It is part of an integrated, international effort using similar experimental approaches and observational tracking of animals during real activities. Each method has pros and cons, but a comprehensive approach is proving useful in addressing difficult questions. Project participants have presented and discussed SOCAL-10 in over a dozen public events thusfar and the project will remain committed to open, transparent, and timely communication of results both with the general public and with military and regulatory agencies. Thanks for your interest and I encourage you to track our progress on the project blog. Brandon Southall SOCAL-10 chief scientist on behalf of our co-PIs and other SOCAL-10 team members Brandon L. Southall, Ph.D. President, Senior Scientist, SEA, Inc. Research Associate, University of California, Santa Cruz 911 Center Street, Suite B, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA 831.427.9529 (office); 831.427.9542 (fax) Brandon.Southall(a)sea-inc.net; www.sea-inc.net

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