March 2011 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Reply to SOCAL-10 project report available Brandon Southall
by Stranded No More 16 Mar '11

16 Mar '11

8 cetaceans including endangered blue whales stranded in California during or shortly after SOCAL-10. We would like to know why this information is not given in the final report. In 2009 only 3 large whales stranded in California during the whole year. September 2010 - Fin whale, Ocean Beach - Humpback whale calf, Pacifica - 3 Blue whales, Santa Barbara Channel, Long Beach Harbor - pilot whale, Humboldt County October 4, 2010 -2 blue whales (female+fetus), Bean Hollow State Park in San Mateo County StrandedNoMore email: strandednomore at gmail.com > > >

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Navy is recruiting for a Senior Marine Biologist
by Goodman, Layna CIV NAVFAC 16 Mar '11

16 Mar '11

LOOKING TO HIRE: SENIOR MARINE BIOLOGIST The position is located in Silverdale, Washington, one hour west of Seattle. We, as Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest (NAVFAC NW), are a complex, multi-mission team where Civil Engineer Corps officers, civilians and contractors work together as engineers, architects, contract specialists, scientists, biologists and professionals to plan, construct, sustain, repair the Navy's infrastructure on shore facilities, operations and the fleet. NAVFAC NW an opening for a Senior Marine Biologist (GS-13). As the Senior Marine Biologist, the incumbent provides technical leadership and regulatory support in the areas of marine and fisheries biology to all naval activities within the geographic area of responsibility. The ideal candidate will have prior experience in marine acoustics and environmental compliance. The announcement will be open from 3/15/2011 and closes on 03/25/2011. The salary range for this position is $87,306 - $113,490 per year. This vacancy is posted on the USAJOBS website at www.usajobs.gov. Search for "marine biologist" on the USAJOBS website and click on the link. Applicants may apply to either announcement number NW1-0401-13-QK977553-HQ-IN (all us citizens may apply) or NW1-0401-13-QK977553-IN (current or former Federal employees). We appreciate your help in recruiting for this position and ask that you forward this announcement to interested candidates.

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Field assistants required for a boat-based survey on cetaceans in Egyptian Red Sea
by Maddalena Fumagalli 16 Mar '11

16 Mar '11

The Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA) is seeking applications from field assistants for the summer expeditions within the Red Sea Dolphin Project (http://redseadolphinproject.wordpress.com/info/) The project is the first scientific survey completely dedicated to the study of dolphins and whales presence, abundance, distribution and habitat preferences in the Southern Egyptian Red Sea. The 2011 summer season research will be conducted on board the 35m long HEPCA research vessel. The study area covers the Egyptian Red Sea from Marsa Alam all the way south to the Sudanese border (about 450km) in a strip of marine waters up to 50 Km wide. The majority of the time will be spent at sea or anchored in offshore reef (depending on sea conditions). Navigation at night might also be conducted. Every 10 days the boat docks for water and fuel supply and to embark/land eco-volunteers. Summer survey is divided in two legs: First leg: 4th of June - 3rd of July 2011 Second leg: 21st of July - 9th of August 2011 Candidates must be available for, at least, one leg. Application for both legs are preferred but applicants need to provide for their own accommodation and food expenses during the spell of time between the cruises. Applicants are required to conduct visual and acoustic survey of cetaceans and should be ready to work long hours (from sunrise to sunset, and occasionally also during night-time navigation) in demanding weather conditions, 7 days a week. High motivation and ability to concentrate for several hours are essential. Duties include: ·Learn all research protocols; ·Entry data in real time (databases are on Access and Base); ·Crop, sort and manage fin images for photoID; ·Perform underwater photo-identification data collection; ·Assist with behavioural and genetic data collection; ·Carry on Bleach Watch Monitoring (diving or snorkelling, training provided); ·Clean and maintain equipment; ·Hold lectures on various research and environmental topics; ·Entertain, help and assist eco-volunteers on board; ·Keep their own and common spaces clean and safe. Previous experience in the field - preferably on marine mammals- is required. Applicants must be patient, adaptable and sociable as they are expected to work and live as part of a team and share small spaces with up to 25 people (including researchers, crew and eco-volunteers) on board. As meals are prepared by the crew and shopping made once every 10 days in remote areas, fussy eaters are discouraged from applying (vegetarianism can be accommodated). Other requirement: ·Proficiency in English, good writing, public speaking skills are a must; ·Proficiency in swimming; ·SCUBA diving license preferred but not required; ·Basic computer literacy with a working knowledge PC operating system and proficiency with MS Office. Familiarity with software including Microsoft Access, Pamguard, Distance, GIS, Photoshop would be very helpful but not required. Successful interns are kindly asked to bring their own laptop computer. Successful field assistant will work in a beautiful and pristine marine subtropical area. This project will be an excellent opportunity to gain experience in visual and acoustic marine mammal survey, photo-identification, habitat sampling and general data collection, and develop practical skills. Successful candidates will share double ensuite cabins and contribute to living and research expenses with a total amount of 300 Euro for the first leg, and 200 Euro for the second. Applicants will need also to arrange their own travel (and travel insurance) to Hurghada. Transport from/to Hurghada and the field site is provided on arrival and departure. Successful candidates are expected to come to Hurghada minimum 2 days before the start of the expedition to attend training sessions. In these days, they will be responsible for their own accommodation and food expenses. To apply for a Red Sea Dolphin Project internship, send a brief email to maddalena(a)hepca.com <mailto:maddalena@hepca.com>stating name, contact information, availability and attach an updated and relevant CV. Deadline for applications is April 10, 2011. Potential successful candidates will be contacted for an interview to be held at the end of April 2011. Maddalena Fumagalli Marine Biologist HEPCA - Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation association Hurghada New Marina - Building B2 Hurghada- Red Sea- Egypt Tel:+2 065 344 50 35/ 065 3447728 maddalena(a)hepca.com <mailto:maddalena@hepca.com> www.hepca.com <http://www.hepca.com>

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19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals (Tampa, Florida) – 1st Call for Abstracts
by Cheryl Bonnes 16 Mar '11

16 Mar '11

*19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals – 1st Call for Abstracts* Abstract submission is now open for the 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals which will be held in Tampa, FL from 26 November to 2 December 2011. Please visit http://www.marinemammalscience.org/abstracts to learn more and submit your abstract. Abstract submission will be open until midnight EDT May 31, 2011. Workshop proposals are also being accepted now at http://www.marinemammalscience.org/workshops. Workshops will be held on November 25 and 26, 2011. The deadline to propose a workshop is April 15, 2011. Please stay tuned for registration details; early bird registration opens May 16, 2011. For questions, please e-mail conference(a)marinemammalscience.org <mailto:conference@marinemammalscience.org> OR for questions specific to abstract submission abstracts(a)marinemammalscience.org Posted by Cheryl Bonnes (cheryl.bonnes(a)noaa.gov)

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Paper: Common dolphin morphotypes: Niche segregation or taxonomy?
by Ana Pinela 16 Mar '11

16 Mar '11

To whom it may concern: The following paper has been published in Journal of Zoology: Common dolphin morphotypes: Niche segregation or taxonomy?A. M. Pinela, A. Borrell, A. Aguilar Article first published online: 2 MAR 2011DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2011.00798.x Abstract: In the extensive geographical distribution of the common dolphin, several morphotypes of uncertain taxonomic status, identified by the relative length of their rostra, have been established. We investigated variation in skull morphometrics and isotopic signatures of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N) in individuals from the subtropical waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, in order to assess population structure and taxonomic status. The distribution of the relative rostral lengths (RL) of individuals followed a cline with no subgrouping. Both δ13C and δ15N showed high variability, which suggests that individuals use habitat heterogeneously. δ15N correlated with RL, indicating that longer beaked individuals either feed at a higher trophic level and/or inhabit waters located further offshore than shorter beaked animals. Although δ13C and δ15N were correlated, RL and δ13C failed to show any correlation, possibly because the incremental effect of trophic level on δ13C has been offset by the potential allopatric distribution of the morphotypes. We conclude that both the long-beaked and short-beaked forms of common dolphin do occur off Mauritania but, in contrast to other areas, the existence of more than one species in the region is questioned because both stable isotopes and skull morphometric appear to reflect differential use of habitat rather than taxonomy. Even though proposed previously by some authors, this is the first time that skull differentiation in common dolphins has been demonstrated to be likely due to niche segregation and not to speciation. This reveals that caution is needed when considering that long-beaked and short-beaked common dolphins from outside the eastern North Pacific fall into the taxonomic model described for this region. Here is the link to the Abstract page: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2011.00798.x/abstract If you are interested in a reprint please write to one of these e-mail addresses: ana.pinela(a)gmail.com or anapinela(a)ub.edu Thank you very much in advance. Best regards, Ana Pinela Ana Pinela, Ph.D. Candidate University of Barcelona Faculty of Biology Dpt. Animal Biology Av. Diagonal 645 08028 Barcelona Spain

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Marine Mammal Observer and Passive Acoustic Training Course Poole Dorset UK March 28th 2011
by Yvonne Miles - Scanning Ocean Sectors 15 Mar '11

15 Mar '11

Scanning Ocean Sectors are holding an MMO course in Poole Dorset UK at the The RNLI Lifeboat College West Quay Road Poole Dorset BH15 1HZ England Tel: 0870 833 2000 *The dates for the MMO Course 28th to the 30th March 2011* *The dates for the PAMO course 31st March 2011 * Please register at the Scanning Ocean Sectors website http://www.scanningoceansectors.org/training-courses/mmo-register/ immediately if you wish to attend the course, the registration is open at standard payment rate for a period of one week and places are limited We look forward to seeing you on this course in POOLE, Dorset, UK Scanning Ocean Sectors – Is a Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) training company and Joint Nature Conservation Committee – JNCC, recognised course for industry and research. We have years of research behind the EFFECTIVE training of MMOs with courses adapted to the requirements of the clients, and taught by professionals in their specialised fields. With fully trained and experienced MMOs facilitating. Our training is to ensure INDUSTRY gets the MMOs they require, that they are PROFESSIONALLY trained, EFFICENT and EFFECTIVE in the job, and are prepared for all necessary actions. Each student is graded in their certificates to ensure the *quality standard* of the MMO industry is gaining. -- Yvonne Miles *Managing Director* *Scanning Ocean Sectors* yvonne(a)scanningoceansectors.org www.scanningoceansectors.org www.marinemammaljobs.com

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Summary of responses on remora voucher specimens
by Sociedad Ecológica SEA VIDA 14 Mar '11

14 Mar '11

Dear MARMAMers Further to my request on information of suckerfish collected directly from cetaceans I want to share a summary of the responses I had: - Four specimens of R. australis were collected from blue whales in Uruguay and are housed at the USNM. Records and related data are available online at: http://vertebrates.si.edu/fishes/fishes_collections.html. - Six R. australis were collected from Delphinus delphis in the Pacific ocean, related to tuna seiners operations and are housed at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Museum. - An increase have recently been noted in the presence of a freswater fish (Hypostomus plecostomus, also known as suckerfish), on manatees in Florida. - Pictures of a suckerfish were taken in 2003 during a during a capture-release health assessment of bottlenose dolphins near Charleston, South Carolina. - A pdf of the article: Feeding of sea lampreys Petromyzon marinus on minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata in the St Lawrence Estuary, Canada (2011)by O.C. Nichols and U.T. Tscherter was received. - I also received several pictures of free ranging marine mammals with unidentified remoras attached. - At the end of the message, I have included some bibliographic references that could be of interest for members of this list. As I mentioned in my original message, it looks as though there are not many museum specimens that have been collected directly from cetaceans. It is kind of interesting as most of us field researchers are very familiar with the image of (unidentified) remoras hitchiking on cetaceans. My team will keep working on this issue and I appreciate a lot any more news on the topic to be forwarded to my gmail address: bolanos.jimenez(a)gmail.com I am very grateful to Meghan Bills, Manuel Correia, Manuel Fernandez, Dagmar Fertl, Denise Herzing, Roee Maor, James Mead, Antonio Mignucci, Eduardo Morteo, Kimberly New, Kevin Robinson, Stephanie Snyder, Vic Springer, Leonardo Wedekin, Jeff Williams and Eric Zolman for their help and the time they devoted to provide me with responses. Some important references: Fertl, D. & Landry, A.M., 1999. Sharksucker (Echeneis naucrates) on a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and a review of other cetacean–remora associations. Marine Mammal Science, 15, 859–863. Sazima, I. & Grossman, A., 2006. Turtle riders: remoras and marine turtles in Southwest Atlantic. Neotropical Ichthyology, 4, 123–126. Sazima, I., Moura, R.L. & Rodrigues, M.C.M., 1999. A juvenile sharksucker, Echeneis naucrates (Echeneidae), acting as a station-based cleaner fish. Cybium, 23, 377–380. Sazima, I., Sazima, C. & Silva-Jr, J.M., 2003. The cetacean offal connection: feces and vomits of spinner dolphins as a food source for reef fishes. Bulletin of Marine Science, 72, 151–160. Silva-Jr, J.M. & Sazima, I., 2003. Whalesuckers and spinner dolphin bonded for weeks: does host fidelity pay off? Biota Neotropica, 3, 1–5. Silva-Jr, J.M. & Sazima, I., 2006. Whalesuckers on spinner dolphins: an underwater view. JMBA2 – Biodiversity Records, 6 pp. http://www.mba.ac.uk/jmba/jmba2biodiversityrecords.php Silva-Jr, J.M., Silva, F.J.L. & Sazima, I., 2005. Rest, nurture, sex, release, and play: diurnal underwater behaviour of the spinner dolphin at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, SW Atlantic. Aqua Journal of Ichthyology and Aquatic Biology, 9, 161–176.

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First call for volunteers required for a behavioural response study on humpback whales in Australia
by Michael Noad 14 Mar '11

14 Mar '11

FIRST CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED FOR A BEHAVIOURAL RESPONSE STUDY ON HUMPBACK WHALES IN AUSTRALIA The Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Lab at the University of Queensland is seeking applications from volunteers for a seven week behavioural response study (BRS) on humpback whales from September 7 to October 30 this year. The study will examine how humpback whale behaviour is affected by noise from seismic airguns. It is the second in a series of studies, known as the Behavioural Responses of Australian Humpback whales to Seismic Surveys (BRAHSS) project, that will examine this issue over four years in collaboration with the University of Sydney, Curtin University, and the Australian Marine Mammal Centre. The 2011 study will be conducted at Peregian Beach on the Sunshine Coast, just north of Brisbane, and follows several successful studies of humpback whale vocalisations and behaviour at the same site during the Humpback whale Acoustic Research Collaboration (HARC) as well as a very successful first year of BRAHSS in 2010 (www.uq.edu.au/whale<http://www.uq.edu.au/whale>; www.sydney.edu.au/usims/brahss<http://www.sydney.edu.au/usims/brahss>). Volunteers are required mainly to conduct land-based observations of the whales as they pass our study site. Approximately 3,000 whales should migrate southwards within 10km of Peregian Beach during the field period making the site ideal for land-based tracking and observations of behaviour. We will also have a fixed hydrophone array moored offshore allowing us to record ambient noise and whale vocalisations and acoustically track singing whales in real time as well a second array of acoustic recorders deployed in the area for propagation modelling and recording the airgun signals. Some whales will be tagged with Dtags or satellite tags. Although volunteers will be used to help out on the boats, opportunities for volunteers to participate in boat work are limited and most time will be spent doing land-based observations. Volunteers will also have opportunities to participate in the acoustic recording and tracking of whales. Individual volunteers will spend approximately five hours daily (in two shifts) counting and observing passing whales from the land. Volunteers will get at least one day off per week, usually during bad weather. Due to the complex nature of the study, volunteers will receive detailed training at the beginning of the project and therefore successful applicants must be available for the entire duration of the project. Volunteers must be sociable as they will be expected to work and live as part of teams with shared cooking and cleaning duties. We expect that there will be up to 60 people (researchers, staff and volunteers) at the site. Volunteers must organise and pay for their own transport to the study site (close to Brisbane international airport) but food and accommodation are provided once there. As meals are communal, fussy eaters are discouraged from applying! (vegetarians are fine). This project will suit people with a background in science (including recent graduates and graduate students as well as higher level undergraduate students) keen to gain experience in cetacean survey techniques, acoustics and behavioural response studies. Applicants should also be highly motivated and able to concentrate for several hours at a time. Those with previous survey experience of marine mammals or other taxa will be preferred. Applicants should reply with an email to Michael Noad (mnoad(a)uq.edu.au<mailto:mnoad@uq.edu.au>), Rebecca Dunlop (r.dunlop(a)uq.edu.au<mailto:r.dunlop@uq.edu.au>) and Elise Godwin (e.godwin(a)uq.edu.au<mailto:e.godwin@uq.edu.au>) outlining why they would be suitable for this survey, why they would like to participate, an outline of previous relevant experience, and any other relevant details. The email should include an attached CV and the names and contact details of two professional referees. The closing date for applications is 31 May and successful applicants will be notified during June. A second call for volunteers will be placed on Marmam in early May. The research project is being funded by the Joint Industry Programme on E&P Sound and Marine Life (JIP) (www.soundandmarinelife.org<http://www.soundandmarinelife.org> ) and the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (www.boemre.gov<http://www.boemre.gov> ) as part of a broad investigation into the potential interaction between the sounds that are generated by the offshore petroleum industry and the marine environment. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Michael Noad BVSc PhD Senior Lecturer, Veterinary Anatomy Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory School of Veterinary Science The University of Queensland - Gatton Campus, Qld 4343, Australia. P. +61 (0)7 5460 1876 F. +61 (0)7 5460 1922 M. +61 (0)416270567 W. www.uq.edu.au/vetschool/cetacean-ecology-acoustic-laboratory<http://www.uq.edu.au/vetschool/cetacean-ecology-acoustic-laboratory> W. www.uq.edu.au/whale<http://www.uq.edu.au/whale> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Marine Mammal Research Internship
by Jamie Klaus 14 Mar '11

14 Mar '11

Marine Mammal Research Internship at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) Program Description The IMMS Research Internship Program is designed as a way for students interested in a career in marine mammal science to gain valuable research experience in a real-world setting. Interns will be trained in all aspects of dolphin photo-id research and will participate in other current research projects at IMMS. Interns will also participate in other operations at IMMS including stranding response, education, and animal care. Our goal is to give Interns a well-rounded experience in a variety of areas while providing expert training and experience in marine mammal research. Principle Duties and Requirements Interns must: * Commit to a minimum of at least 12 weeks. * Be available to work Mon-Fri from 8:30 AM to 4 PM and must be available for all boat trips. * Have strong sense of responsibility, work ethic, attention to detail, and ability to admit mistakes. * Produce high quality research efforts and exhibit strong interpersonal skills. * Principle Duties include: data entry, searching and cataloging journal articles, learning all research protocols, cropping and sorting photo-id fin images, learning to use photo-id programs such as Darwin (fin matching software), and FinBase (Microsoft Access), and boat based field research. * Secondary Duties involve: Working with animal care staff, attending marine mammal and sea turtle necropsies, responding to strandings, assisting with educational tours. * Field days: Interns must be able to spend many hours on the water in sometimes extreme seasonal conditions. Seasonal temperatures range from over 100 ˚F in summer to 30 ˚F in winter. Field days typically exceed eight hours and occur once or twice a week. May include overnight trips. To Apply Please visit our website at http://imms.org/internship.php

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New Developments in the Detection of Marine Mammal Vocalisations in Passive Sonar Spectrograms
by Thomas Lampert 14 Mar '11

14 Mar '11

Within the Department of Computer Science at the University of York, UK, we have been conducting research into the problem of detecting tracks (narrowband frequencies) in spectrogram images. This research has resulted in several publications, some of which we believe may be of interest to your community as they give insight into the detection of marine mammal vocalisations in passive sonar data. The research was initiated by conducting a broad survey of existing algorithms that have been applied to the problem of spectrogram track detection and this resulted in the paper "A Survey of Spectrogram Track Detection Algorithms", Applied Acoustics, (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2009.08.007) also available from http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/arch/publications/byyear/2009/Lampert10Survey.pdf. Our most recent work has been concerned with the development of several novel low-level track detection operators and applying computer vision and pattern recognition algorithms to the problem. The results of this research have been published in the paper "A Detailed Investigation into Low-Level Feature Detection in Spectrogram Images", Pattern Recognition, (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.patcog.2011.02.014) also available from http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/arch/publications/byyear/2011/file.2011-03-10.82433 94815. We also have a paper under review titled "Active Contour Detection of Narrowband Frequency Tracks in Spectrogram Images", IEEE Transactions in Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, which extends our previously presented work (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.patrec.2009.09.021) and describes a high-level track detection algorithm. Implementations of the algorithms that have been used within these papers are available from http://stdetect.googlecode.com. This implementation is geared towards recreating the results presented in the publications; however, for evaluation we have included functions to call the detection methods directly. It is our hope that this research may benefit the conservation and monitoring of marine mammals. We are keen to hear from anyone interested in this work (and please pass this information to anyone who you think may be interested). Yours sincerely, Tom Lampert _____________________________________ Dr. Thomas Lampert Research Associate Advanced Computer Architecture Group Department of Computer Science University of York. Phone: +44 (0)1904 325641 Office: CSE/219 Website: http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/tomal/ Email Disclaimer: http://www.york.ac.uk/docs/disclaimer/email.htm

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