June 2011 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Acoustic Releases
by Anita Murray 27 Jun '11

27 Jun '11

Dear Marmers, We are interested in purchasing several acoustic release mechanisms for our underwater acoustic recorders, and are interested in people's opinions regarding the various commercially available acoustic releases. If you have had any experience with acoustic releases we would greatly appreciate hearing your recommendations. Thank you for your help. Cheers, Anita Murray {}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{} Anita Murray BSc, MA PhD Candidate Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory School of Veterinary Science University of Queensland Gatton, QLD 4343 Australia P. +61-7-5460-1877 (UQ internal 50877) E. a.murray5(a)uq.edu.au<https://sn2prd0102.outlook.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=jHGQ-pIMTkuk0_6USKDlSWUmbmI…> W. www.uq.edu.au/whale<https://sn2prd0102.outlook.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=jHGQ-pIMTkuk0_6USKDlSWUmbmI…> {}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

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IUCN Red List classification for the Fiordland bottlenose dolphins
by Rohan Currey 25 Jun '11

25 Jun '11

Dear colleagues, This is to advise you that the IUCN has recently classified the Fiordland (NZ) subpopulation of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) as Critically Endangered A3bcd; C1 in their 2011.1 update of the Red List of Threatened Species. The full assessment is available here: http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/194300/0 The assessment was based on the following recently published paper: Currey, R.J.C., Dawson, S.M. and Slooten, E. 2009. An approach for regional threat assessment under IUCN Red List criteria that is robust to uncertainty: The Fiordland bottlenose dolphins are critically endangered. Biological Conservation, 142: 1570–1579. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2009.02.036 Numerous globally abundant species are exposed to human impacts that threaten the viability of regional populations. Assessing and characterising the risks faced by these populations can have significant implications for biodiversity conservation, given the ecological importance of many such species. To address these risks, the IUCN is starting to conduct assessments of regional populations in addition to species-level assessments of conservation status. Here, we demonstrate a threat assessment process that is robust to uncertainty, applying the IUCN criteria to a regional population of bottlenose dolphins in Fiordland, New Zealand. We compiled available population-specific information to assess the population under the five Red List criteria. We estimated there were 205 Fiordland bottlenose dolphins (CV = 3.5%), using current estimates of abundance for two sub-populations and stochastic modelling of an earlier estimate for the third sub-population. Population trajectory and extinction risk were assessed using stochastic age-structured Leslie matrix population models. The majority of model runs met the criteria for classification as critically endangered (C1: 67.6% of runs) given the number of mature individuals (123; CV = 6.7%) and the predicted rate of population decline (average decline: 31.4% over one generation). The evidence of isolation of the population confirms this was an appropriate regional classification. This approach provided an assessment that was robust to uncertainty. A PDF copy of the paper is available here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2009.02.036 Alternatively, send requests to: rohan.currey(a)gmail.com Regards, Dr Rohan Currey

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NOAA Fisheries releases final 2010 Marine Mammal SARs
by Jonathan Shannon 24 Jun '11

24 Jun '11

NOAA Fisheries has released the final versions of the 2010 Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports (SARs). You can access the 2010 reports, as well as past SARs, online at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/sars/region.htm Highlights of the 2010 reports: _Alaska__ Reports_ In the Alaska region, 23 reports were revised. Most revisions included updates of abundance and/or mortality estimates. None of the updates resulted in change of status of a stock. A new SAR for an unidentified stock of narwhal has been added in the Alaska region. _Atlantic Reports_ SARs for 17 Atlantic Stocks were updated (9 strategic and 8 non-strategic) and 4 Gulf of Mexico stocks (2 strategic and 2 non-strategic). The updates included revised abundance and/or mortality estimates for these stocks, and one update resulted in a modified status of a stock (long-fined pilot whale is now considered strategic). Seven stocks of Atlantic coastal bottlenose dolphins previously grouped into a single report were split into separate reports. Three stocks of coastal bottlenose dolphins previously grouped into a single report for Northern Gulf of Mexico Coastal were split into separate reports. Two previously separated stocks of Gulf of Mexico, Bay, Sound, and Estuary stocks of bottlenose dolphins were combined into a single stock (Sarasota Bay/Little Sarasota Bay). A new SAR is included for a Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands stock of sperm whales in the Caribbean Sea. _Pacific Reports_ In the Pacific region, SARs were revised for 51 stocks, and 12 SARs were added. Abundance estimates were updated for 41 stocks, and these updates did not change the status of most stocks; the status of the short-finned pilot whales stock was changed from strategic to non-strategic. The former Hawaii stock of spinner dolphin was renamed as the Hawaii pelagic stock, and five new near-shore stocks of spinner dolphins were identified in the Hawaiian Exclusive Economic Zone. The SAR for the Hawaii stock of bottlenose dolphin was renamed the Hawaii pelagic stock, and four new near-shore stocks were identified. American Samoa stocks were added for spinner dolphins, false killer whales, and rough-tooth dolphins; the status of each of the three new American Samoa stocks is unknown. There was substantial revision of the SAR for the Pacific Islands Stock Complex of false killer whales, including stock identity and range, a newly recognized fishery, proration of incidental mortality and serious injury among stocks and fisheries, and abundance estimates for animals south of the U.S. EEZ around Hawaii. Best Regards, Jonathan Shannon -- Jonathan Shannon NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr Outreach Specialist * (301) 427-8431 * New phone number jonathan.shannon(a)noaa.gov

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deadline Friday: early registration for workshop on acoustic detection/classification/localization/density estimation
by Dave Mellinger 23 Jun '11

23 Jun '11

Early registration for this workshop is due by the end of the workday TOMORROW, Friday, June 24: Fifth International Workshop on Detection, Classification, Localization, and Density Estimation of Marine Mammals using Passive Acoustics Timberline Lodge, Mt. Hood, Oregon, USA Aug. 22-25 http://www.bioacoustics.us/dcl.html The deadline for early registration was extended slightly because we neglected to send out this final reminder until now. -Dave Mellinger -Sara Heimlich

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new publication on dolphin/chimpanzee comparative socioecology
by hpearson＠notes.cc.sunysb.edu 23 Jun '11

23 Jun '11

Please post to MARMAM. The following article has just been published. Pdf available upon request by e-mailing: Heidi.Pearson(a)stonybrook.edu Pearson, H.C. 2011. Sociability of female bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): understanding evolutionary pathways toward social convergence. Evolutionary Anthropology 20: 85-95 On the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus) occasionally pass through Admiralty Bay in large, fast-traveling groups of 100 or so individuals. Watching such a group race and splash through the water is reminiscent of a stampeding herd of ungulates, cetaceans’ closest terrestrial ancestors. At other times, smaller social groups of bottlenose dolphins appear in the bay and provide a glimpse of the behavioral complexity that dolphins share with their distant relatives, the primates. Despite being evolutionarily separated for 95 million years and evolving in vastly different environments, cetaceans and primates share striking similarities in behavior, socioecological problem-solving, life-history patterns, and cognitive capacity. By comparing attributes shared by primates and cetaceans, distraction from phylogenetic ‘‘noise’’ is minimized and our understanding of evolutionary pathways is enhanced. In particular, cetaceans provide a powerful outgroup for studying the evolution of primate social organization. ---------------------------- Heidi Pearson, Ph.D. Lecturer, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Stony Brook University 111 Natural Sciences 239 Montauk Highway Southampton, NY 11968 Phone: 631-632-5117 Fax: 631-632-5075 E-mail: Heidi.Pearson(a)sunysb.edu

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CLININCAL TREATMENT, MANAGEMENT AND RESCUE OF MARINE ANIMALS COURSE (CRAM FOundation)
by CRAM - Vet 23 Jun '11

23 Jun '11

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SMM Gulf Coast Student Chapter Announces 2nd Student Research Symposium
by Courtney Smith 22 Jun '11

22 Jun '11

Dear colleagues, The Gulf Coast Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy is pleased to announce its 2nd Annual Student Research Symposium to be held at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Thad Cochran Center in Hattiesburg, MS, August 27-28th, 2011. An icebreaker event is planned for the evening of August 26th. This meeting is intended to facilitate and foster scientific discussion and collaboration among marine mammal students and professionals working in the Gulf Coast region. Whether you are an established professional or student, undergraduate or graduate, we invite you to attend! This year’s symposium features a keynote address by Dr. Ruth Carmichael, Senior Marine Scientist of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and Assistant Professor of Marine Science at the University of Southern Alabama. Dr. Carmichael’s research focuses on the population ecology of West Indian manatees (*Trichechus manatus*) in Alabama waters. Also on the agenda are student research presentations and workshops geared toward professional development - including a MATLAB introductory workshop. Following the symposium, attendees are welcome to join GCSC members for an afternoon of canoeing down the Okatoma Creek. If you are interested in attending, please visit our website<http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl…>for further details and registration information. Abstracts should be submitted to Courtney Smith (at Courtney.e.smith(a)eagles.usm.edu) no later than 5:00 pm ET Friday, August 5th . Presentation space is limited, and priority will be given to students. Following the guidelines for the traditional SMM Biennial talks, student presentations should be no longer than 12 minutes (followed by 3 minutes for questions). We encourage students working in the Gulf Coast region to present their research, regardless of the stage of the project. For those students traveling long distances to join us, we have a limited number of free accommodations that may be arranged with local students. Please note the need for accommodations on your registration form and we suggest you register early, as space is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Any further details pertaining to this event will be posted on our website. Please contact Courtney Smith at the above email address if you have any questions regarding the symposium. We look forward to seeing you! Take care, Courtney -- ------------------------------------------------------- Courtney Smith M.A. Student Marine Mammal Behavior & Cognition Lab Department of Psychology University of Southern Mississippi 118 College Dr. #5025 Hattiesburg, MS 3940

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New paper: Short-term reactions and long-term responses of bottlenose dolphins to biopsy sampling
by Gabriela de Tezanos Pinto 22 Jun '11

22 Jun '11

Dear MARMAM, A new paper is now available: *Short-term reactions and long-term responses of bottlenose dolphins (**Tursiops truncatus) to remote biopsy sampling* * * G Tezanos-Pinto and CS Baker New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research iFirst, 2011, 1_17 To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/00288330.2011.583256 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00288330.2011.583256 ABSTRACT We analyse short-term individual and groupbehavioural reactions and long-term individual responses of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in New Zealand to remote skin biopsy sampling. The biopsy system employed uses a small stainless steel tip (5-mm diameter, 9-mm length) mounted on a lightweight polycarbonate projectile, fired from a modified veterinary rifle with adjustable pressure. Individual and group behavioural reactions were scored on a 5-point scale from 0 (no reaction) to 5 (strenuous reaction). A total of 187 individual and 145 group behavioural reactions were recorded from the Bay of Islands subpopulation, while 38 individual and 39 group behavioural reactions were recorded from the Doubtful Sound subpopulation. Short-term reactions (B1 min duration) were ranked from low or mild (levels 1_2), as evidenced by startle responses, to moderate (level 3), as evidenced by multiple leaps of the sampled individual. Most attempts (99%) resulted in only mild reactions with only two attempts resulting in moderate reactions. There were no strenuous reactions by individuals or groups and no significant differences in behavioural reactions between the two subpopulations. Analyses of resighting rates and capture probabilities based on individual identification records for 40 of the biopsied dolphins showed no evidence of long-term avoidance responses. Wound healing was documented in for 10 dolphins across periods of 3 days to 7 months. Results reported here agree with previous findings showing that remote biopsy sampling causes only short-term reactions in both the targeted individual and its group. PDF's can be requested to: gaby(a)pachamama.co.nz Thank you, Gabriela Tezanos-Pinto The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand Phone (64) 9-255 5560 E-mail: gaby(a)pachamama.co.nz

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new publication | Passive Acoustic Monitoring in Cetaceans | walter zimmer
by Martin Griffiths 22 Jun '11

22 Jun '11

Dear list members Cambridge University Press is proud to announce the publication of Walter Zimmer's new book, Passive Acoustic Monitoring in Cetaceans. >From the back cover... Passive acoustic monitoring is increasingly used by the scientific community to study, survey and census marine mammals, especially cetaceans, many of which are easier to hear than to see. PAM is also used to support efforts to mitigate potential negative effects of human activities such as ship traffic, military and civilian sonar and offshore exploration. Walter Zimmer provides an integrated approach to PAM, combining physical principles, discussion of technical tools and application-oriented concepts of operations. Additionally, relevant information and tools necessary to assess existing and future PAM systems are presented, with Matlab code used to generate figures and results so readers can reproduce data and modify code to analyse the impact of changes. This allows the principles to be studied whilst discovering potential difficulties and side effects. Aimed at graduate students and researchers, the book provides all information and tools necessary to gain a comprehensive understanding of this interdisciplinary subject. Contents Acknowledgements; Introduction; Part I. Underwater Acoustics (The Basics): 1. Principles of underwater sound; 2. Cetacean sounds; 3. Sonar equation; Part II. Signal Processing (Designing the Tools): 4. Detection methods; 5. Classification methods; 6. Localisation and tracking; Part III. Passive Acoustic Monitoring (Putting It All Together): 7. Applications of PAM; 8. Detection functions; 9. Simulating sampling strategies; 10. PAM systems; 11. References and literature; Index. Bibliographic information 366 pages 112 b/w illus. 15 tables Review 1 Advance praise: 'This book is unusual in that it combines underwater acoustics, signal processing and ecology in practical applications of passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) to both marine mammals and anthropogenic noise ? also sets the benchmark for a similar approach to PAM in air ? Two useful practical aspects of the book make PAM more accessible ? First, explicit description and examples of the use of the programme MatLab clarify the processing underlying PAM. Second, detailed discussion of the hardware and software requirements increase the chances of successful deployment ? a 'must read' ? Anyone with an interest in marine mammals, whether this interest is in acoustics, ecology, behaviour or conservation, will gain an insight into the important role of sound in the life of marine mammals and how sound can give a much-needed, yet unobtrusive, window on the marine world.' Peter McGregor, Cornwall College Review 2 'Sound is the medium of choice to sense things in the ocean. Cetaceans evolved acoustic senses to take advantage of ocean sound, but even a decade ago, humans required a ship full of electronics to do so. Now all a student needs is a laptop connected to some hydrophones. Zimmer's book is the first to provide the critical knowledge to enable you to understand the methods required to detect, classify, locate and track marine mammal vocalizations. It is a must have for anyone interested in this growing research area.' Peter L. Tyack, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sales Points ? Theory is complemented with Matlab, enabling comparison of mathematical description with real functional code ? Datasets are provided allowing readers to use codes and data to reproduce figures and examples, as well as to implement their own ideas and modifications ? Incremental approach develops theory where needed so data can be manipulated without first having to cover all of the theory Ordering information See http://www.cambridge.org/us/knowledge/isbn/item6049627/?site_locale=en_US or http://www.amazon.co.uk/Passive-Acoustic-Monitoring-Cetaceans-Walter/dp/052… for ordering information. Thank you for your attention, Warm regards Martin ************************************ Dr Martin Griffiths Commissioning Editor, Life Sciences Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building Shaftesbury Road Cambridge, CB2 8RU tel: +44(0)1223 325776 (office) mob: +44(0)7903593890 Cambridge Life Sciences Animal Behavior Biological Anthropology and Primatology Evolutionary Biology Neuroscience Preparing your book proposal

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ICES WGMME 2011 report
by Murphy, Sinead 21 Jun '11

21 Jun '11

Dear All The 2011 report of the ICES Working Group on Marine Mammal Ecology (WGMME) can be downloaded at http://www.ices.dk/workinggroups/ViewWorkingGroup.aspx?ID=32 A number of Terms of Reference were addressed during this year's meeting in Berlin including: a) Review and report on any new information on population sizes, population/stock structure and management frameworks for marine mammals; b) Outline and review the effects of tidal farms (construction and operation) on marine mammals and provide recommendations on research needs, monitoring and mitigation schemes; c) Outline marine planning practices that could take account of the presence of cetaceans, and what information ICES might be able to feed into that process; d) Catalogue the Marine Protected Areas for marine mammals in the ICES area and evaluate the efficacy of MPAs for cetaceans; e) Finalize production of the Cooperative Research Report on the framework for surveillance and monitoring of marine mammals applicable to the ICES area; f) Update on development of database for seals, status of intersessional work; g) Review the outputs of the ICES SIBAS Workshop on 'Biodiversity indicators for assessment and management' and report on: What data, information and marine mammal science are you aware of that would contribute to biodiversity advice, with an emphasis on the trade-offs between fishing and conservation that are relevant to ICES client needs as described in the ICES SIBAS report? The ICES Annual Science Conference 2011 will be held in Gdańsk, Poland from the 19th to 23rd September. For further information see http://www.ices.dk/iceswork/asc/2011/index.asp. Best wishes, Sinéad Murphy Chair of WGMME ******************************************************************************* Dr Sinéad Murphy Marie Curie Research Fellow Coastal-Marine Research Group Institute of Natural Sciences Massey University Private Bag 102 904 Auckland 0745 New Zealand Phone: + 64 (0) 9 414 0800 ext. 41524 Fax: +64 (0) 9 443 9790 Email: s.n.murphy(a)massey.ac.nz<mailto:s.n.murphy@massey.ac.nz> Courier address: Massey University, Building 5, Gate 4, Old Albany Highway, Albany, Auckland and Institute of Zoology Zoological Society of London Regent's Park London, UK NW1 4RY Email:sinead.murphy@ioz.ac.uk ***********************************************************************

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