April 2012 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

ABSTRACT: Multilevel Societies of Female Sperm Whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in the Atlantic and Pacific: Why Are They So Different?
by Hal Whitehead 14 Apr '12

14 Apr '12

Just published in the International Journal of Primatology: Multilevel Societies of Female Sperm Whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in the Atlantic and Pacific: Why Are They So Different? Hal Whitehead, Ricardo Antunes, Shane Gero, Sarah N. P. Wong, Daniel Engelhaupt & Luke Rendell. 2012. Int. J. Primatol. Abstract: We can examine the evolution of multilevel societies using comparative studies. Intraspecific comparisons are valuable because confounding factors are reduced. Female sperm whales live in multilevel societies. However, studies at several locations have found substantial and consistent differences in social structure between the eastern Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, even though nuclear DNA shows no significant differentiation between the populations. In the Pacific, female sperm whales live in nearly permanent social units that typically contain about 11 females and immatures of multiple unrelated matrilines. These units form temporary groups with other units for periods of days, apparently exclusively with other units from the same cultural clan. Clans contain thousands of females, are not distinct in nuclear DNA, but are sympatric and have distinctive culturally determined vocalizations and movement patterns. In the North Atlantic social units rarely group with other units, and there is no evidence for sympatric cultural clans. Possible drivers of these contrasts include oceanographic differences, predation, the effects of whaling, and culture. We suggest that protection against predation by killer whales is the primary reason for grouping in the Pacific, and as killer whales do not seem such a threat in the Atlantic, social units there rarely form groups, and have not evolved the clans that primarily function to structure interunit interactions. This analysis highlighted several factors that may influence the evolution of multilevel societies, ranging from the attributes of resources, to predation, anthropogenic effects, culture, and even the cultures of other species. Available at: http://whitelab.biology.dal.ca/labpub.htm Hal Whitehead, Dalhousie University: hwhitehe(a)dal.ca

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Reminder: Comment by April 20th, 5-Year Review for North Pacific and North Atlantic Right Whales under ESA
by Jonathan Shannon 13 Apr '12

13 Apr '12

Greetings MARMAM members, NOAA Fisheries Service is conducting a 5-year review of the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) and North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) under the Endangered Species Act. We request your submission of the best available scientific and commercial data since our last review in 2006 by April 20, 2012. You may submit comments on this document, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2012-0057, by any of the following: • Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal www.regulations.gov. To submit comments via the e-Rulemaking Portal, first click the “submit a comment” icon, then enter NOAA-NMFS-2012-0057 in the keyword search. Locate the document you wish to comment on from the resulting list and click on the “Submit a Comment” icon to the right of that line. • Mail or hand-delivery: Angela Somma, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, Endangered Species Division, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Best Regards, Jonathan Shannon NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources http://nmfs.noaa.gov/pr Outreach Specialist 301.427.8431 jonathan.shannon(a)noaa.gov

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PhD oppurtunity on humpback whales
by Paul Lukacs 13 Apr '12

13 Apr '12

Ph.D. Research Assistantship is available in the Wildlife Biology Program at The University of Montana. Research will focus on the conservation and management of humpback whales relative to shipping and cruise tourism in Alaska. The study will utilize a variety of field-based efforts with spatial modeling to better understanding the dynamics between ships and whales. Student will conduct surveys of whales from the bow of cruise ships as part of a long-term study in and near Glacier Bay National Park, and utilize a variety of data sets and simulations to make inferences and predictions regarding best management and operation conditions of ships. Student should have strong quantitative skills (spatial modeling using GIS, R, ADMB or other relevant software is preferred), an interest in wildlife conservation, and an ability to work independently. The student should also meet the minimum requirements for admission to the graduate degree program in Wildlife Biology at The University of Montana. Interested students should send a cover letter describing your interest and relevant experience, CV, unofficial transcripts, GRE scores, and contact information for 3 references to Dr. Paul Lukacs (paul.lukacs(a)umontana.edu<mailto:paul.lukacs@umontana.edu>). For more information about the Wildlife Biology Program at UM see http://www.cfc.umt.edu/WBIO and for Dr. Lukacs' lab see http://www.cfc.umt.edu/lukacslab. _________________________________________ Paul M. Lukacs Assistant Professor Wildlife Biology Program College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula, MT 59812 Phone: (406) 243-5675 Website: http://www.cfc.umt.edu/LukacsLab _________________________________________

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Thesis on the protection of whales in international law
by Eline Van den Broeck 13 Apr '12

13 Apr '12

Hi all! I am a first year master law student at the Free University of Brussels, Belgium - http://www.vub.ac.be . This year I am preparing my master thesis concerning the protection of whales in international law. Purpose of this preparation is to start writing my thesis with a decent background on the subject. I have already found numerous articles but, like in all researches, it can always be more! So, I am looking for articles subjecting whales in a juridical manner and/or people who can teach me more about whaling approaches. Some examples: information about the relation between the IWC and the ICRW, articles on the case "Whaling in the Antarctic - Australia v. Japan" brought before the ICJ and any other previous cases concerning whales (in an international context), actions of conservation groups, texts about whaling practices in Norway and Iceland, the moratorium v. revised management,.... One little disadvantage is that it is mandatory to write my thesis in Dutch. Although, if many people are interested in the outcome (expected at the end of June 2013), I am willing to translate it in English in the second half of 2013). Anyone who is interested in helping me can reach me at following address: van.den.broeck.eline(a)gmail.com Hopeful and with kindest regards, Eline Van den Broeck

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New Articles
by David S. Janiger 13 Apr '12

13 Apr '12

Hi, All Well, I decided to take some time off from the postings and now I pay the price. Quite a few this time around. 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 ACKLEH, AZMY S.; GEORGE E. IOUP; JULIETTE W. IOUP; BAOLING MA; JOAL J. NEWCOMB; NABENDU PAL; NATALIA A. SIDOROVSKAIA and CHRISTOPHER TIEMANN. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 131(3):2306-2314. 2012. Assessing the Deepwater Horizon oil spill impact on marine mammal population through acoustics: Endangered sperm whales. 0.386 MB ANDERSEN, MAGNUS; ANDREW E. DEROCHER; OYSTEIN WIIG and JON AARS. POLAR BIOLOGY 35(4):499-508. 2012. Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) maternity den distribution in Svalbard, Norway. 0.589 MB ANDERSEN, S. M.; J. TEILMANN; R. DIETZ; N. M. SCHMIDT and L. A. MILLER. AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS 22(1):113-121. 2012. Behavioural responses of harbour seals to human-induced disturbances. 0.195 MB ANDERWALD, PIA; PETER G. H. EVANS; RONNIE DYER; ANDREW DALE; PETER J. WRIGHT and A. RUS HOELZEL. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 450:259-274. 2012. Spatial scale and environmental determinants in minke whale habitat use and foraging. 1.149 MB ASARO, MICHAEL J. MARINE POLICY 36(4):915-921. 2012. Geospatial analysis of management areas implemented for protection of the North Atlantic right whale along the northern Atlantic coast of the United States. 0.773 MB AUTHIER, MATTHIEU; ILHAM BENTALEB; AURORE PONCHON; CELINE MARTIN and CHRISTOPHE GUINET. PLOS ONE 7(4) e30218. 11pp. 2012. Foraging fidelity as a recipe for a long life: Foraging strategy and longevity in male southern elephant seals. 0.486 MB AVILA-FORCADA, SARA; ADAN L. MARTINEZ-CRUZ and CARLOS MUNOZ-PINA. MARINE POLICY 36(3):613-622. 2012. Conservation of vaquita marina in the northern Gulf of California. 0.253 MB BEARZI, MADDALENA. OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT 60:56-59. 2012. Cetaceans and MPAs should go hand in hand: A case study in Santa Monica Bay, California. 0.130 MB BECK, SUZANNE; SANNA KUNINGAS; RUTH ESTEBAN and ANDREW D. FOOTE. BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY 23(2):246-253. 2012. The influence of ecology on sociality in the killer whale (Orcinus orca). 0.613 MB BELLANTE, A.; M. SPROVIERI; G. BUSCAINO; G. BUFFA; V. DI STEFANO; D. SALVAGIO MANTA; M. BARRA; F. FILICIOTTO; A. BONANNO; C. GIACOMA and S. MAZZOLA. ITALIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 79(1):151-160. 2012. Stranded cetaceans as indicators of mercury pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. 0.545 MB BENSON, ETIENNE. HISTORICAL STUDIES IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES 42(1):30-61. 2012. Endangered science: The regulation of research by the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection and Endangered Species Acts. 0.216 MB BISCHOFF, NICOLE; BENJAMIN NICKLE; THOMAS W. CRONIN; STEPHANI VELASQUEZ and JEFFREY I. FASICK. VISUAL NEUROSCIENCE 29(2):95-103. 2012. Deep-sea and pelagic rod visual pigments identified in the mysticete whales. 0.936 MB BLOIS-HEULIN, CATHERINE; MELODIE CREVEL; MARTIN BOEYE and ALBAN LEMASSON. BMC NEUROSCIENCE 13(9): 8pp. 2012. Visual laterality in dolphins: Importance of the familiarity of stimuli. 0.301 MB BRAJE, TODD J.; TORBEN C. RICK; JON M. ERLANDSON; MEGAN ANDERSON and ROBERT L. DELONG. JOURNAL OF FIELD ARCHAEOLOGY 36(4):312-321. 2011. Conflicts in natural and cultural resource management: Archaeological site disturbances by seals and sea lions on California's Northern Channel Islands. 0.643 MB BUTLER, J. R. A. ANIMAL CONSERVATION 14(6):599-601. 2011. Commentary. The challenge of knowledge integration in the adaptive co-management of conflicting ecosystem services provided by seals and salmon. 0.127 MB BYTINGSVIK, JENNY; ELISABETH LIE; JON AARS; ANDREW E. DEROCHERE; OYSTEIN WIIG and BJORN M. JENSSEN. SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 417-418:117-128. 2012. PCBs and OH-PCBs in polar bear mother-cub pairs: A comparative plasma levels in 1998 and 2008. 0.807 MB CABALLERO, S.; V. ISLAS-VILLANUEVA; G. TEZANOS-PINTO; S. DUCHENE; A. DELGADO-ESTRELLA; R. SANCHEZ-OKRUCKY and A. A. MIGNUCCI-GIANNONI. ANIMAL CONSERVATION 15(1):95-112. 2012. Phylogeography, genetic diversity and population structure of common bottlenose dolphins in the Wider Caribbean inferred from analyses of mitochondrial DNA control region sequences and microsatellite loci: Conservation and management implications. 0.919 MB CASTELLOTE, MANUEL; CHRISTOPHER W. CLARK and MARC O. LAMMERS. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 147(1):115-122. 2012. Acoustic and behavioural changes by fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in response to shipping and airgun noise. 0.564 MB CHOUDHARY, SUNIL; SUSHANT DEY; SUBHASHISH DEY; VIVEKSHEEL SAGAR; TARUN NAIR and NACHIKET KELKAR. AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS 22(1):11-25. 2012. River dolphin distribution in regulated river systems: Implications for dry-season flow regimes in the Gangetic basin. 3.458 MB CROCKER, DANIEL E.; RUDY M. ORTIZ; DORIAN S. HOUSER; PAUL M. WEBB and DANIEL P. COSTA. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY PART A: MOLECULAR AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 161(4):388-394. 2012. Hormone and metabolite changes associated with extended breeding fasts in male northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris). 0.340 MB DA SILVA, VERA M. F.; A. R. MARTIN and NIVIA A. S. DO CARMO. ICUN SPECIES MAGAZINE OF THE SPECIES SURVIVAL COMMISSION 53:10-11. 2011. Boto bait. Amazonian fisheries pose threat to elusive dolphin species. 0.125 MB DALLA ROSA, LUCIANO; FERNANDO FELIX; PETER T. STEVICK; EDUARDO R. SECCHI; JUDITH M. ALLEN; KIM CHATER; ANTHONY R. MARTIN and MANUELA BASSOI. POLAR RESEARCH 31. 4pp. 2012. Feeding grounds of the eastern South Pacific humpback whale population include the South Orkney Islands. 0.601 MB DALLA ROSA, LUCIANO; JOHN K. B. FORD and ANDREW W. TRITES. CONTINENTAL SHELF RESEARCH 36:89-104. 2012. Distribution and relative abundance of humpback whales in relation to environmental variables in coastal British Columbia and adjacent waters. 2.658 MB DANERI, G. A.; A. R. CARLINI; A. NEGRI; A. L. ALLCOCK and A. CORBALAN. POLAR BIOLOGY 35(4):585-592. 2012. Predation on cephalopods by Weddell seals, Leptonychotes weddellii, at Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula. 0.600 MB DAVIDSON, ANA D.; ALISON G. BOYER; HWAHWAN KIM; SANDRA POMPA-MANSILLA; MARCUS J. HAMILTON; DANIEL P. COSTA; GERARDO CEBALLOS and JAMES H. BROWN. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 109(9):3395-3400. 2012. Drivers and hotspots of extinction risk in marine mammals. 1.147 MB DE MIRANDA, JR., MICHAEL A.; AMBER E. SCHLATER; TODD L. GREEN and SHANE B. KANATOUS. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY 215(5):806-813. 2012. In the face of hypoxia: Myoglobin increases in response to hypoxic conditions and lipid supplementation in cultured Weddell seal skeletal muscle cells. 0.555 MB DENNISON, S.; M. J. MOORE; A. FAHLMAN; K. MOORE; S. SHARP; C. T. HARRY; J. HOPPE; M. NIEMEYER; B. LENTELL and R. S. WELLS. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES B BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 279(1732):1396-1404. 2012. Bubbles in live-stranded dolphins. 0.326 MB DIAZ-AGUIRRE, FERNANDO; CARLA SALINAS; SERGIO NAVARRETE; VICTOR CASTILLO and CONSUELO CASTILLA. AQUATIC MAMMALS 38(1):76-80. 2012. Short note First record of the commensal barnacle (Xenobalanus globicipitis) on common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Chile. 0.676 MB DIETZ, RUNE; FRANK F. RIGET; ANDERS GALATIUS; CHRISTIAN SONNE; JONAS TEILMANN and ROSSANA BOSSI. SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 414:732-737. 2012. Spatial trends of perfluorochemicals in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from Danish waters. 1.030 MB DOIRON, ELYSE E.; PHILIPPE A. ROUGET and JOHN M. TERHUNE. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 90(2):237-247. 2012. Proportional underwater call type usage by Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in breeding and nonbreeding situations. 0.322 MB DUNCAN, COLLEEN; GILBERT J. KERSH; TERRY SPRAKER; KELLY A. PATYK; KELLY A. FITZPATRICK; ROBERT F. MASSUNG and TOM GELATT. VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES 12(3):192-195. 2012. Coxiella burnetii in northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) placentas from St. Paul Island, Alaska. 0.385 MB DUNGAN, SARAH Z.; KIMBERLY N. RIEHL; ASHLEY WEE and JOHN Y. WANG. JOURNAL OF MARINE ANIMALS AND THEIR ECOLOGY 4(2):3-9. 2011. A review of the impacts of anthropogenic activities on the critically endangered eastern Taiwan Strait Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis). 0.704 MB DURBAN, J. W. and R. L. PITMAN. BIOLOGY LETTERS 8(2):274-277. 2011. Antarctic killer whales make rapid, round-trip movements to subtropical waters: Evidence for physiological maintenance migrations? 0.588 MB FIELD, CARA L.; ALLISON D. TUTTLE; INGA F. SIDOR; AKINYI NYAOKE; KATHLEEN M. DEERING; KELLY GILBERT-MARCHETERRE; GUILLERMO RISATTI; TRACEY SPOON; JENNY MEEGAN; TRACY A. ROMANO; SALVATORE FRASCA, JR. and J. LAWRENCE DUNN. JOURNAL OF ZOO AND WILDLIFE MEDICINE 43(1):144-152. 2012. Systemic mycosis in a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) with detection of Cystofilobasidiales DNA. 0.447 MB FOSTER, EMMA A.; DANIEL W. FRANKS; LESLEY J. MORRELL; KEN C. BALCOMB; KIM M. PARSONS; ASTRID VAN GINNEKEN and DARREN P. CROFT. ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR 83(3):731-736. 2012. Social network correlates of food availability in an endangered population of killer whales, Orcinus orca. 0.505 MB FRIE, ANNE KIRSTINE; GARRY B. STENSON and TORE HAUG. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 90(3):376-392. 2012. Long-term trends in reproductive and demographic parameters of female Northwest Atlantic hooded seals (Cystophora cristata): Population responses to ecosystem change? 0.440 MB FROUIN, HELOISE; MICHEL LEBEUF; MIKE HAMMILL and MICHEL FOURNIER. SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 417-418:98-107. 2012. Transfer of PBDEs and chlorinated POPs from mother to pup during lactation in harp seals Phoca groenlandica. 0.841 MB GAGE, LAURIE J. JOURNAL OF MARINE ANIMALS AND THEIR ECOLOGY 4(2):25-28. 2011. Captive pinniped eye problems, we can do better! 0.379 MB GEISLER, JONATHAN H. ; STEPHEN J. GODFREY and OLIVIER LAMBERT. JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY 32(1):198-211. 2012. A new genus and species of Late Miocene inioid (Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the Meherrin River, North Carolina, U.S.A. 0.835 MB GRAHAM, I. M.; R. N. HARRIS; I. MATEJUSOVA and S. J. MIDDLEMAS. ANIMAL CONSERVATION 14(6):587-598. 2011. Do 'rogue' seals exist? Implications for seal conservation in the UK. 0.345 MB GRAHAM, I. M.; R. N. HARRIS and S. J. MIDDLEMAS. ANIMAL CONSERVATION 14(6):604-607. 2011. Response Seals, salmon and stakeholders: Integrating knowledge to reduce biodiversity conflict. 0.538 MB GREGGOR, ALISON LINDA. CURRENT ZOOLOGY 58(2):271-286. 2012. A functional paradigm for evaluating culture: An example with cetaceans. 0.282 MB GROWCOTT, ABRAHAM; PASCAL SIRGUEY and STEPHEN M. DAWSON. PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING AND REMOTE SENSING 78(3):237-246. 2012. Development and assessment of a digital stereo photogrammetric system to measure cetaceans at sea. 5.472 MB HARRINGTON, LAUREN A.; GRAEME C. HAYS; LAURA FASOLA; ANDREW L. HARRINGTON; DAVID RIGHTON and DAVID W. MACDONALD. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 93(1):198-210. 2012. Dive performance in a small-bodied, semi-aquatic mammal in the wild. 1.008 MB HEIDE-JORGENSEN, MADS PETER; KRISTIN L. LAIDRE; LORI T. QUAKENBUSH and JOHN J. CITTA. BIOLOGY LETTERS 8(2):270-273. 2011. The Northwest Passage opens for bowhead whales. 0.477 MB HOFFMAN, JOSEPH IVAN and JAUME FORCADA. MAMMALIAN BIOLOGY: ZEITSCHRIFT FUER SAUGETIERKUNDE 77(1):71-73. 2012. Extreme natal philopatry in female Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella). 0.135 MB HOOKER, S. K.; A. FAHLMAN; M. J. MOORE; N. AGUILAR DE SOTO; Y. BERNALDO DE QUIROS; A. O. BRUBAKK; D. P. COSTA; A. M. COSTIDIS; S. DENNISON; K. J. FALKE; A. FERNANDEZ; M. FERRIGNO; J. R. FITZ-CLARKE; M. M. GARNER; D. S. HOUSER; P. D. JEPSON; D. R. KETTEN; P. H. KVADSHEIM; P. T. MADSEN; N. W. POLLOCK; D. S. ROTSTEIN; T. K. ROWLES; S. E. SIMMONS; W. VAN BONN; P. K. WEATHERSBY; M. J. WEISE; T. M. WILLIAMS and P. L. TYACK. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES B BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 279(1731):1041-1050. 2012. Deadly diving? Physiological and behavioural management of decompression stress in diving mammals 0.571 MB HORNING, MARKUS and JO-ANN E. MELLISH. PLOS ONE 7(1) e30173. 10pp. 2012. Predation on an upper trophic marine predator, the Steller sea lion: Evaluating high juvenile mortality in a density dependent conceptual framework. 0.309 MB HUBER, SANDRA; LUTZ AHRENS; BARD-JORGEN BARDSEN; URSULA SIEBERT; JAN OVE BUSTNES; GISLI A. VIKINGSSON; RALF EBINGHAUS and DORTE HERZKE. SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 419:216-224. 2012. Temporal trends and spatial differences of perfluoroalkylated substances in livers of harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) populations from Northern Europe, 1991-2008. 0.527 MB HURD, IAN. ETHICS & INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 26(1):103-112. 2012 Almost saving whales: The ambiguity of success at the International Whaling Commission. 0.065 MB JEFFERSON, THOMAS A. JOURNAL OF MARINE ANIMALS AND THEIR ECOLOGY 4(2):29-36. 2011. Saving the vaquita: Are we doing all we can? Workshop report summary. 0.546 MB JOHNSTON, DAVID W.; MATTHEW T. BOWERS; ARI S. FRIEDLAENDER and DAVID M. LAVIGNE. PLOS ONE 7(1) e29158. 8pp. 2012. The effects of climate change on harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus). 0.754 MB KASTELEIN, RONALD A.; NELE STEEN; ROBIN GRANSIER; PAUL J. WENSVEEN and CHRIST A. F. DE JONG. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 131(3):2325-2333. 2012. Threshold received sound pressure levels of single 1-2 kHz and 6-7 kHz up-sweeps and down-sweeps causing startle responses in a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) 0.979 MB KEENER, WILLIAM; ISIDORE SZCZEPANIAK; ADAM ; MARC WEBBER and JONATHAN STERN. JOURNAL OF MARINE ANIMALS AND THEIR ECOLOGY 4(2):19-24. 2011. First records of anomalously white harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from the Pacific Ocean. 0.492 MB KINOSHITA, K.; M. KIWATA; R. KUWANO; N. SATO; T. TANAKA; M. NAGATA; H. TAIRA and H. KUSUNOKI. THERIOGENOLOGY 77(5):933-939. 2012. Temporal association of serum progesterone concentrations and vaginal cytology in walruses (Odobenus rosmarus). 1.728 MB KLOEPPER, LAURA N.; PAUL E. NACHTIGALL; MEGAN J. DONAHUE and MARLEE BREESE. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY 215(8):1306-1312. 2012. Active echolocation beam focusing in the false killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens. 0.778 MB KOBLITZ, JENS C.; MAGNUS WAHLBERG; PETER STILZ; PETER T. MADSEN; KRISTIAN BEEDHOLM and HANS-ULRICH SCHNITZLER. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 131(3):2315-2324. 2012. Asymmetry and dynamics of a narrow sonar beam in an echolocating harbor porpoise. 0.450 MB KOT, BRIAN C. W.; MICHAEL T. C. YING and FIONA M. BROOK. PLOS ONE 7(1) e30218. 10pp. 2012. A comparison of portable ultrasound and fully-equipped clinical ultrasound unit in the thyroid size measurement of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin. 0.561 MB KOT, BRIAN C.; MICHAEL T. C. YING; FIONA M. BROOK and REIMI E. KINOSHITA. JOURNAL OF ZOO AND WILDLIFE MEDICINE 43(1):33-49. 2012. Evaluation of two-dimensional and three-dimensional ultrasound in the assessment of thyroid volume of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus). 0.767 MB LANYON, JANET M.; HELEN L. SNEATH and TREVOR LONG. JOURNAL OF ZOO AND WILDLIFE MEDICINE 43(1):20-32. 2012. Evaluation of exertion and capture stress in serum of wild dugongs (Dugong dugon). 0.359 MB LASKA, DEBORAH; TODD SPEAKMAN and PATRICIA A. FAIR. JOURNAL OF MARINE ANIMALS AND THEIR ECOLOGY 4(2):10-18. 2011. Community overlap of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) found in coastal waters near Charleston, South Carolina. 1.023 MB LEAPER, REBECCA and CARA MILLER. ANTARCTIC SCIENCE 23(6):503-529. 2011. Management of Antarctic baleen whales amid past exploitation, current threats and complex marine ecosystems. 0.420 MB LECLERC, LISA-MARIE; CHRISTIAN LYDERSEN; TORE HAUG; KEVIN A. GLOVER; AARON T. FISK and KIT M. KOVACS. POLAR RESEARCH 30. 4pp. 2011. Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) scavenge offal from minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) whaling operations in Svalbard (Norway). 0.376 MB LEE, YUONG-NAM; HIROTO ICHISHIMA and DUCK K. CHOI. JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY 32(1):231-234. 2012. First record of a platanistoid cetacean from the Middle Miocene of South Korea. 0.918 MB LEMIEUX LEFEBVRE, SEBASTIEN; ROBERT MICHAUD; VERONIQUE LESAGE and DOMINIQUE BERTEAUX. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 450:243-257. 2012. Identifying high residency areas of the threatened St. Lawrence beluga whale from fine-scale movements of individuals and coarse-scale movements of herds. 1.620 MB LIANG, ZHANG; GUO LONGXIANG and MEI JIDAN. PROCEDIA ENGINEERING 29:2922-2926. 2012. Analysis and identification of cetacean sounds based on time-frequency analysis. 0.215 MB LOWTHER, A. D.; R. G. HARCOURT; S. D. GOLDSWORTHY and A. STOW. ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR 83(3):691-701. 2012. Population structure of adult female Australian sea lions is driven by fine-scale foraging site fidelity. 0.562 MB MADSEN, P. T.; F. H. JENSEN; D. CARDER and S. RIDGWAY. BIOLOGY LETTERS 8(2):211-213. 2011. Dolphin whistles: A functional misnomer revealed by heliox breathing. 0.315 MB MATHEWS, PATRICK D.; VERA M. F. DA SILVA; FERNANDO C. W. ROSAS; JOSE A. D'AFFONSECA NETO; STELLA M. LAZZARINI; DANIELLA C. RIBEIRO; JITENDER P. DUBEY; SILVIO A. VASCONCELLOS and SOLANGE M. GENNARI. JOURNAL OF ZOO AND WILDLIFE MEDICINE 43(1):85-88. 2012. Occurrence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and Lepstospira spp. In manatees (Trichechus inunguis) of the Brazilian Amazon. 0.187 MB MATKIN, CRAIG O.; JOHN W. DURBAN; EVA L. SAULITIS; RUSSEL D. ANDREWS; JANICE M. STRALEY; DENA R. MATKIN and GRAEME M. ELLIS. FISHERY BULLETIN 110(2):143-155. 2012. Contrasting abundance and residency patterns of two sympatric populations of transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the northern Gulf of Alaska. 1.161 MB MCDONALD, BIRGITTE I.; MICHAEL E. GOEBEL; DANIEL E. CROCKER and DANIEL P. COSTA. PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL ZOOLOGY 85(2):134-147. 2012. Biological and environmental drivers of energy allocation in a dependent mammal, the Antarctic fur seal pup. 0.556 MB MCDONALD, BIRGITTE I.; MICHAEL E. GOEBEL; DANIEL E. CROCKER and DANIEL P. COSTA. PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL ZOOLOGY 85(3):243-254. 2012. Dynamic influence of maternal and pup traits on maternal care during lactation in an income breeder, the Antarctic fur seal. 0.349 MB MIRALLES, RAMON; GUILLERMO LARA; JOSE ANTONIO ESTEBAN and ALBERTO RODRIGUEZ. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 131(3):2173-2179. 2012. The pulsed to tonal strength parameter and its importance in characterizing and classifying beluga whale sounds. 0.255 MB MOLLER, LUCIANA M. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 21(3):745-764. 2012. Sociogenetic structure, kin associations and bonding in delphinids. 0.177 MB MOON, HYO-BANG; YONG-ROCK AN; SEOK-GWAN CHOI; MINKYU CHOI and HEE-GU CHOI. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 31(3):477-485. 2012. Accumulation of PAHs and synthetic musk compound in minke whales (Balanoptera acutorostrata) and long-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus capensis) from Korean coastal waters. 0.179 MB MOORE, SUE E.; RANDALL R. REEVES; BRANDON L. SOUTHALL; TIMOTHY J. RAGEN; ROBERT S. SUYDAM and CHRISTOPHER W. CLARK. BIOSCIENCE 62(3):289-295. 2012. A new framework for assessing the effects of anthropogenic sound on marine mammals in a rapidly changing arctic. 0.308 MB MOORE, SUE E.; KATHLEEN M. STAFFORD; HUMFREY MELLING; CATHERINE BERCHOK; OYSTEIN WIIG; KIT M. KOVACS; CHRISTIAN LYDERSEN and JACKIE RICHTER-MENGE. POLAR BIOLOGY 35(3):475-480. 2012. Comparing marine mammal acoustic habitats in Atlantic and Pacific sectors of the High Arctic: Year-long records from Fram Strait and the Chukchi Plateau. 0.731 MB NEWHALL, ARTHUR E.; YING-TSONG LIN; JAMES F. LYNCH; MARK F. BAUMGARTNER and GLEN G. GAWARKIEWICZ. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 131(2):1814-1825. 2012. Long distance passive localization of vocalizing sei whales using an acoustic normal mode approach. 0.864 MB NIEUKIRK, SHARON L.; DAVID K. MELLINGER; SUE E. MOORE; KAROLIN KLINCK; ROBERT P. DZIAK and JEAN GOSLIN. JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 131(2):1102-1112. 2012. Sounds from airguns and fin whales recorded in the mid-Atlantic Ocean, 1999-2009. 0.649 MB OOSTHUIZEN, W. CHRIS; MARTHAN N. BESTER; CHERYL A. TOSH; CHRISTOPHE GUINET; DOMINIQUE BESSON and P. J. NICO DE BRUYN. ANTARCTIC SCIENCE 23(6):567-577. 2011. Dispersal and dispersion of southern elephant seals in the Kerguelen province, Southern Ocean. 0.329 MB ORTEGA-ORTIZ, JOEL G.; DANIEL ENGELHAUPT; MARTHA WINSOR; BRUCE R. MATE and A. RUS HOELZEL. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 21(3):732-744. 2012. Kinship of long-term associates in the highly social sperm whale. 1.122 MB OSBORN, STEVEN; LES DALTON; CHRISTOPHER DOLD and TODD ROBECK. JOURNAL OF ZOO AND WILDLIFE MEDICINE 43(1):193-196. 2012. Management of twin pregnancy and perinatal concerns in a belgua (Delphinapterus leucas). 0.367 MB PACE, DANIELA SILVIA; MARINA PULCINI and FRANCESCA TRIOSSI. BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY 23(2):254-264. 2012. Anthropogenic food patches and association patterns of Tursiops truncatus at Lampedusa island, Italy. 0.448 MB PANEBIANCO, MARIA VICTORIA; MARIA FERNANDA NEGRI and HUMBERTO LUIS CAPPOZZO. ANIMAL REPRODUCTION SCIENCE 131(1-2):41-48. 2012. Reproductive aspects of male franciscana dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei) off Argentina. 0.908 MB PANOVA, E. M.; R. A. BELIKOV; A. V. AGAFONOV and V. M. BEL'KOVICH. OCEANOLOGY 52(1):79-87. 2012. Originally published in Okeanologiya Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 85-94. 2012. The relationship between the behavioral activity and the underwater vocalization of the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas). 0.562 MB PITCHER, BENJAMIN J.; ROBERT G. HARCOURT and ISABELLE CHARRIER. ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR 83(3):681-690. 2012. Individual identity encoding and environmental constraints in vocal recognition of pups by Australian sea lion mothers. 1.085 MB PONNAMPALAM, LOUISA S. RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY 60(1):221-231. 2012. Opportunistic observations on the distribution of cetaceans in the Malaysian South China, Sulu and Sulawesi Seas and an updated checklist of marine mammals in Malaysia. 0.139 MB PONNAMPALAM, LOUISA S. TOURISM IN MARINE ENVIRONMENTS 7(2):81-93. 2011. Dolphin watching in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman: Tourist perceptions and actual current practice. 0.149 MB PUGLIESE, MARK C.; STEFANIE ANNE BOETTGER and FRANK E. FISH. JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY 273(4):453-459. 2012. Barnacle bonding: Morphology of attachment of Xenobalanus globicipitis to its host Tursiops truncatus. 1.182 MB RIOFRIO-LAZO, MARJORIE; DAVID AURIOLES-GAMBOA and BURNEY J. LE BOEUF. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 450:229-241. 2012. Ontogenetic changes in feeding habits of northern elephant seals revealed by d15N and d13C analysis of growth layers in teeth. 0.641 MB RISCH, DENISE; PETER J. CORKERON; WILLIAM T. ELLISON and SOFIE M. VAN PARIJS. PLOS ONE 7(1) e29741. 6pp. 2012. Changes in humpback whale song occurrence in response to an acoustic source 200 km away. 0.365 MB ROTANDER, ANNA; BERT VAN BAVEL; FRANK RIGET; GUOJON ATLI AUOUNSSON; ANUSCHKA POLDER; GEIR WING GABRIELSEN; GISLI VIKINGSSON; BJARNI MIKKELSEN and MARIA DAM. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION 164:118-124. 2012. Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in sub-Arctic and Arctic marine mammals, 1986-2009. 0.792 MB ROTANDER, ANNA; BERT VAN BAVEL; FRANK RIGET; GUOJON ATLI AUOUNSSON; ANUSCHKA POLDER; GEIR WING GABRIELSEN; GISLI VIKINGSSON; BJARNI MIKKELSEN and MARIA DAM. SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 416:482-489. 2012. Methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) are major contributors to the persistent organobromine load in sub-Arctic and Arctic marine mammals, 1986-2009. 1.120 MB RUSH, ELIZABETH M.; ANNA L. OGBURN and MICHAEL M. GARNER. JOURNAL OF ZOO AND WILDLIFE MEDICINE 43(1):110-119. 2012. Multicentric neurofibromatosis with rectal prolapse in a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). 0.698 MB SANTORA, JARROD A. POLAR BIOLOGY 35(5):801-806. 2012. Habitat use of hourglass dolphins near the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. 0.390 MB SCHMITT, TODD L. and ROGER L. SUR. JOURNAL OF ZOO AND WILDLIFE MEDICINE 43(1):101-109. 2012. Treatment of ureteral calculus obstruction with laser lithotripsy in an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). 0.295 MB SHAPIRO, KAREN; MELISSA MILLER and JONNA MAZET. JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES 48(2):394-404. 2012. Temporal association between land-based runoff events and California sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) protozoal mortalities. 0.572 MB SHIANG-LIN HUANG; LESZEK KARCZMARSKI; JIALIN CHEN; RUILIAN ZHOU; WENZHI LIN; HAIFEI ZHANG; HAIYAN LI and YUPING WU. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 147(1):234-242. 2012. Demography and population trends of the largest population of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins. 2.182 MB SHIXIA XU; JIANFENG JU; XUMING ZHOU; LIAN WANG; KAIYA ZHOU and GUANG YANG. PLOS ONE 7(1) e30423. 9pp. 2012. Considerable MHC diversity suggests that the functional extinction of baiji is not related to population genetic collapse. 0.359 MB SILVA, MONICA A.; RUI PRIETO; SARA MAGALHAES; MARIA I. SEABRA; MIGUEL MACHETE and PHILIP S. HAMMOND. AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS 22(1):122-133. 2012. Incorporating information on bottlenose dolphin distribution into marine protected area design. 0.327 MB SINISCALCHI, MARCELLO; SALVATORE DIMATTEO; ANNA MARIA PEPE; RAFFAELLA SASSO and AGNELO QUARANTA. PLOS ONE 7(1) e30001. 6pp. 2012. Visual lateralization in wild striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) in response to stimuli with different degrees of familiarity. 0.338 MB SKEATE, ELEANOR R.; MARTIN R. PERROW and JAMES J. GILROY. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 64(4):872-881. 2012. Likely effects of construction of Scroby Sands offshore wind farm on a mixed population of harbour Phoca vitulina and grey Halichoerus grypus seals. 0.791 MB SONGHAI LI; PAUL E. NACHTIGALL; MARLEE BREESE and ALEXANDER YA. SUPIN. PLOS ONE 7(1) e29793. 13pp. 2012. Hearing sensation levels of emitted biosonar clicks in an echolocating Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. 1.510 MB STONE, BRETT M.; DAVID J. BLYDE; JEREMIAH T. SALIKI and JOHN M. MORTON. JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES 48(1):47-55. 2012. Morbillivirus infection in live stranded, injured, trapped, and captive cetaceans in southeastern Queensland and northern New South Wales, Australia. 0.091 MB THOMAS, AUSTEN C.; MONIQUE M. LANCE; STEVEN J. JEFFRIES; BENJAMIN G. MINER and ALEJANDRO ACEVEDO-GUTIERREZ. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES 441:225-239. 2011. Harbor seal foraging response to a seasonal resource pulse, spawning Pacific herring. 1.540 MB TORRES, DANIEL; JORGE ACEVEDO; DANIEL E. TORRES; ROMEO VARGAS and ANELIO AGUAYO-LOBO. POLAR BIOLOGY 35(3):469-473. 2012. Vagrant subantarctic fur seal at Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island, Antarctica. 0.371 MB VALQUI, JUAN. MAMMALIAN BIOLOGY: ZEITSCHRIFT FUER SAUGETIERKUNDE 77(2):75-83. 2012. The marine otter Lontra felina (Molina, 1782): A review of its present status and implications for future conservation. 0.645 MB VELEZ-JUARBE, JORGE and NICHOLAS D. PYENSON. JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY 32(2):476-484. 2012. Bohaskaia monodontoides, a new monodontid (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Delphinoidea) from the Pliocene of the western North Atlantic Ocean. 0.470 MB VERYERI, NURAY GUVEN. ZOOLOGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST 55:129-132. 2012. Short communications. Postmortem examinations of stranded dolphins found on the Black Sea coast near Ordu, Turkey (Mammalia: Cetacea). 0.665 MB WILEY, DAVID; COLIN WARE; ALESSANDRO BOCCONCELLI; DANIELLE CHOLEWIAK; ARI FRIEDLAENDER; MICHAEL THOMPSON and MASON WEINRICH. BEHAVIOUR 148(5-6):575-602. 2011. Underwater components of humpback whale bubble-net feeding behaviour. 0.525 MB WISZNIEWSKI, JOANNA; SHANNON CORRIGAN; LUCIANO B. BEHEREGARAY and LUCIANA M. MOLLER. JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY 81(2):423-431. 2012. Male reproductive success increases with alliance size in Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus). 0.210 MB WITTNICH, CARIN. JOURNAL OF MARINE ANIMALS AND THEIR ECOLOGY 4(2):1-2. 2011. Editorial Conservation through education - Will it work for marine mammals? 0.175 MB XU, XINRONG; ZHENHUA ZHANG; LIGE MA; PENG MA; PENG LI; GUANG YANG and KAIYA ZHOU. ACTA THERIOLOGICA 57(2):99-109. 2012. Site fidelity and association patterns of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins off the east coast of Zhanjiang, China. 0.659 MB

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Gulf Apex Predator prey seeking graduate student for Fall 2012
by Bree Witteveen 12 Apr '12

12 Apr '12

April 12, 2012 The University of Alaska Fairbanks Gulf Apex Predator-prey project (http://seagrant.uaf.edu/map/gap/index.php) is seeking an MSc student to work with existing humpback and fin whale population and foraging data. There is some flexibility as to the exact project, but will involve sighting histories, stable isotope signatures, and prey distribution. The student's project will require *no additional fieldwork*, but there will likely be opportunities to participate in on-going GAP related field projects. Knowledge of or experience with marine mammal biology, statistics, GIS and stable isotope ecology ideal, but not required. *Support in the form of tuition and a stipend is provided for the first year of the program only.* The student, with assistance from faculty advisor, will be required to secure any additional funding required until project competition. The student will pursue an MSc in Oceanography or Marine Biology through the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. Program specifics are described here: http://www.sfos.uaf.edu/prospective/graduate/marinebio.php http://www.sfos.uaf.edu/prospective/graduate/oceanography.php Please submit a letter of interest and a CV to Dr. Bree Witteveen bree.witteveen(a)alaska.edu <mailto:bree.witteveen@alaska.edu>. Due to UAF application deadlines, applications will only be considered until April 23rd, 2012. --

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UF Aquatic Animal Health Distance Learning Opportunities
by Larkin,Iskande V 12 Apr '12

12 Apr '12

Registration is NOW OPEN for the summer and fall semester Aquatic Animal Health Distance Learning courses through the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. Learn from anywhere in the world! This summer we are offering a brand new course-- Manatee Health and Conservation! * Registration options are available for students seeking university credit or continuing education. These courses are designed for undergraduate students interested in this field of study as well as veterinary/graduate students and professionals already immersed in aquatic animal medicine. Spaces are LIMITED, Register TODAY! Summer & Fall 2012 Courses: * Aquatic Wildlife Health Issues<http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu/education/courses/distance-learning-courses/a…> (Summer) Aquatic Wildlife Health Issues is a 3 credit course which introduces students (upper level undergraduate and graduate) and professionals (with an AA or higher degree) to the natural history, anatomy, physiology, behavior and common health issues of aquatic species: whales and dolphins, seals and sea lions, manatees, sea turtles, crocodilians, fish and invertebrates. >Registration ends May 11th * Manatee Health and Conservation<http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu/education/courses/distance-learning-courses/m…> (Summer) Manatee Health and Conservation is a 3 credit course that provides students (upper level undergraduate and graduate) and professionals (with an AA or higher degree) a detailed overview of manatee natural history, health assessment, and research findings and explores conservation issues. >Registration ends May 11th * Aquatic Animal Conservation Issues<http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu/education/courses/distance-learning-courses/a…> (Fall) Aquatic Animal Conservation Issues is a 3 credit course that will expose students (upper level undergraduate and graduate) and professionals (with an AA or higher degree) to some of the controversial issues surrounding aquatic animal species ranging from invertebrates to marine mammals, with emphasis on marine mammals, but also including sea turtles, fisheries, and marine ecosystems. >Registration is Now Open! For more information contact us: Iske Larkin, PhD <mailto:ivlarkin@ufl.edu> Education Coordinator (352) 294-4095 ivlarkin(a)ufl.edu<mailto:ivlarkin@ufl.edu> AAH Distance Learning Webpage http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu/education/courses/distance-learning-courses/ AAH Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/UFAquatic [Description: Description: AAH logo blue E-Mail Sig] Iske V. Larkin, PhD Research Assistant Professor & Education Coordinator Aquatic Animal Health Program Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida PO Box 100136 2015 SW 16th Ave Gainesville, Florida 32610 For packages 32608 Office phone - 352-294-4095 Work cell - 352-494-1742 Fax - 352-392-8289 Program web page: http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/extension/aquatic/

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New publication on seasonal and diel variation in North Atlantic right whale up-calls
by Sarah Mussoline 12 Apr '12

12 Apr '12

Colleagues, The following paper was recently published in Endangered Species Research and I thought some of you may be interested. The article is freely available for download at http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v17/n1/ or by request to me. Kind regards, Sarah Mussoline Mussoline SE, Risch D, Hatch LT, Weinrich MT, Wiley DN, Thompson MA, Corkeron PJ, Van Parijs SM. 2012. Seasonal and diel variation in North Atlantic right whale up-calls: implications for management and conservation in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Endangered Species Research 17: 17-26. Abstract: Ship strikes are a major cause of anthropogenic mortality for the endangered North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis. Year-round data on animal presence are critical to managing ship strike mortality. Marine autonomous recording units were deployed throughout the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS, Massachusetts Bay, USA) for 13 mo from January 2006 to February 2007 and on Jeffreys Ledge (JL, Gulf of Maine, USA) for 7 mo from November 2004 to May 2005 to determine whether passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) can improve information on right whale occurrence. Automated detection and manual review were used to determine presence and absence of right whale up-calls. In SBNMS, up-calls were detected year round, except during July and August, and calling rates were highest from January through May, peaking in April. In JL, up-calls occurred throughout all recording months, with the highest numbers from November through February. Up-calls were heard extensively in the wintertime throughout SBNMS and JL, suggesting that these areas are important overwintering grounds for right whales. Additionally, up-calls showed a strong diel trend in both areas, with significantly more calls occurring during twilight than dark and light periods. These data indicate that right whales are present more often and over longer time periods in the western Gulf of Maine than previously thought using conventional visual techniques. Finally, this study demonstrates the utility of PAM in providing a detailed and long-term picture of right whale presence in an area that poses a significant risk of anthropogenic mortality. Sarah Mussoline Research Assistant Biology Department Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution MS #33, Redfield 256 Woods Hole, MA 02543 smussoline(a)whoi.edu (508)289-3479 phone

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Request for Script Reader
by Samantha Christopher 11 Apr '12

11 Apr '12

Dear Marmam reader, My name is Sam Christopher, and I am a master's candidate in screenwriting at the University of Southern California. I am currently writing a movie script for submission to the Sloan Foundation scholarship competition (http://cinema.usc.edu/sloan/) which looks for scientifically accurate scripts. I'm looking for a reader who is a "professor or working professional in the science field related to the material" to read the script and confirm that the material is scientifically accurate. The script is called "Fluke," and is about an aspiring marine biologist who gets a job on a sailboat. I’ve worked on sailboats before, so I feel very comfortable with the “boat life” aspects of the story—but I am looking for help whenever my main character talks about whales (specifically, North Atlantic Right Whales). As far as the timeline, is concerned, I'll have it ready to get to you on Monday (the 16th), and I'd need it back in order to revise by Sunday (the 22nd) The script itself is about 110 pages long (but scripts have far fewer words per page than, say, books—100-120 is the page range for average movie scripts). If interested, please contact samantlc(a)usc.edu. I really appreciate anyone who's willing to take a look at my work. Thank you so much! Sam Christopher samantlc(a)usc.edu MFA, Writing for Screen and Television '13 USC

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Join a cetacean research survey in the Scottish Hebrides - REDUCED RATES
by Olivia Harries 10 Apr '12

10 Apr '12

The Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust (HWDT) are recruiting participants to join a boat based research expedition off the west coast of Scotland running from 16th – 22nd May 2012. The berths are being offered at an exclusive cost of £600 (usually £850). Itinerary Rendezvous location is in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. You will spend 7 days onboard, with 5 full days at sea on survey effort. Full training in survey methods will be provided before and during the research survey. The area surveyed will depend largely on recent sightings, weather and at the Science Officer and Skippers discretion. Departure from the vessel will be from Tobermory. Research Aims The data collected by HWDT is vital for the effective monitoring of marine life within the survey area. Research methodology involves systematic line-transect surveys and passive acoustic monitoring using a towed hydrophone. The data that HWDT gathers is used to estimate relative abundance, describe fine-scale spatial and temporal distribution, identify high-use habitats and monitor anthropogenic impacts. The visual and acoustic data collected during the research survey contributes to HWDT’s extensive dataset. HWDT works closely with conservation and management agencies to identify species and their habitats that are suitable for protection. Research Area A combination of complex water mixing and varied seabed topography, as well as the influence of the Gulf Stream, has resulted in the Hebrides being one of the most productive areas in Europe. However, despite the diversity of cetacean species in the region, management strategies allowing for the conservation of priority species have yet to be implemented. There are resident populations of bottlenose dolphin, harbour porpoise and a small, unique population of orca which frequent the area. Commonly sighted species are minke whales, common dolphins, white beaked dolphins and basking sharks. Other wildlife regularly encountered includes grey and common seals, otters and numerous sea bird species. White-sided, Risso's dolphins and humpback whales have also been sighted from onboard Silurian. The Vessel Silurian, HWDT’s research vessel, has been owned and operated by HWDT since 2001, and was previously used in the filming of The Blue Planet. Large and sturdy, this is the perfect vessel for conducting scientific surveys in the Hebrides. She is 16 metres long and can sleep 10 people comfortably. There are three participant cabins in the forward section of the vessel. Each of these contains two berths and a small amount of storage space for personal belongings. There are two bathrooms onboard, crew quarters, a galley and a saloon. Participant Requirements and Duties This is an excellent opportunity for those who wish to gain experience in the field; invaluable if you wish to pursue a career studying cetaceans. Past experience isn’t a prerequisite, although would be favourable. Good eyesight and hearing is required to run an efficient survey, as is a good pair of sea legs. Participants will gain experience in marine mammal and seabird identification, visual and acoustic data collection including software use (Logger, PAMGUARD and Rainbow Click), photo identification training and the skills acquired from living and working aboard a yacht. The research expedition will involve early starts and late finishes, optimising the daylight hours available. Participant tasks are rotated on an hourly basis. All participants are required to help out with the day to day running of the vessel, sharing cooking and cleaning duties. Evenings will be spent anchored in a remote bay, where you may have the opportunity to venture ashore. In the event of foul weather, contingency activities will be provided. For more information, please contact Morven Summers: volunteercoordinator(a)hwdt.org or 01688 302620

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