April 2012 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Florida Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s 2nd Annual Research Symposium – Registration and Abstract Deadline April 10!
by Mintzer,Vanessa J 04 Apr '12

04 Apr '12

The Florida Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy (FSCSMM) 2nd Annual Research Symposium - Registration and Abstract Deadline is April 10! Please go to the FSCSMM's website to find the registration form, flyer, and updated information regarding the FSCSMM’s second annual research symposium on April 27-28, 2012 at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, FL. The website can be found by clicking on the following link: http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl… . If you have any questions about the symposium please email us at floridasmm(a)gmail.com. We are very excited about this upcoming event, and we hope to see you there! Your Florida Student Chapter Representatives, Michelle Davis Jason Ferrante Mary Gryzbek Vanessa Mintzer -- Vanessa J. Mintzer PhD Candidate School of Natural Resources and Environment University of Florida vjs(a)ufl.edu

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New paper: A novel mammalian social structure in Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.): complex male alliances in an open social network
by Srdan Randic 04 Apr '12

04 Apr '12

Dear Marmam readers, The following paper has recently been published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Randic, S., Connor, R. C., Sherwin, W. B., and Krutzen, M. (2012) A novel mammalian social structure in Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops*sp.): complex male alliances in an open social network. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0264 ABSTRACT: Terrestrial mammals with differentiated social relationships live in ‘semi-closed groups’ that occasionally accept new members emigrating from other groups. Bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops* sp.) in Shark Bay, Western Australia, exhibit a fission–fusion grouping pattern with strongly differentiated relationships, including nested male alliances. Previous studies failed to detect a group membership ‘boundary’, suggesting that the dolphins live in an open social network. However, two alternative hypotheses have not been excluded. The *community defence model* posits that the dolphins live in a large semi-closed ‘chimpanzee-like’ community defended by males and predicts that a dominant alliance(s) will range over the entire community range. The *mating season defence* model predicts that alliances will defend mating-season territories or sets of females. Here, both models are tested and rejected: no alliances ranged over the entire community range and alliances showed extensive overlap in mating season ranges and consorted females. The Shark Bay dolphins, therefore, present a combination of traits that is unique among mammals: complex male alliances in an open social network. The open social network of dolphins is linked to their relatively low costs of locomotion. This reveals a surprising and previously unrecognized convergence between adaptations reducing travel costs and complex intergroup–alliance relationships in dolphins, elephants and humans. The paper can be accessed via the website: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/03/20/rspb.2012.0… or via email requests to: Richard Connor (rconnor(a)umassd.edu) or Srđan Randić (srdan.randic(a)u-psud.fr) Best wishes, Srđan ------------------------- Srdan Randic Laboratoire Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution Université Paris-Sud XI Batiment 362 F-91405 Orsay Cedex France

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computer assisted dorsal fin matching software programs
by Marthajane Caldwell 03 Apr '12

03 Apr '12

Greetings List Members, I am interested in computer assisted dorsal fin matching software programs. Any information regarding the efficacy as well as pros and cons of such programs would be greatly appreciated. Please contact me directly at marthajane_c(a)yahoo.com rather than replying to MARMAM. Thank you for your time and consideration of this request, Mj Caldwell ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marthajane Caldwell, Ph.D., Marine Mammal Behavioral Ecology Studies, Inc. 8429 Cresthill Avenue Savannah, GA 31406 marthajane_c(a)yahoo.com 912-655-1765 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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16th Northwest Student Chapter Meeting for the Society of Marine Mammalogy
by Robertson, Frances 03 Apr '12

03 Apr '12

16th Northwest Student Chapter Meeting for the Society of Marine Mammalogy Register for the meeting at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/L8NTW83<http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SNKSQMG> Our apologies for cross-posting. This year’s meeting is to be held at the University of British Columbia on the 5 May 2012. Meeting registration and abstract submission is now open. The deadline for registration is the 15 April. We welcome all those interested to attend, student or not. Highlights of the meeting: * Student presentations * Plenary presentations * Saturday night potluck dinner (optional) * Sunday morning tour (optional) Registration and abstract submission: Registration for the 2012 NW Student Chapter meeting for the Society of Marine Mammalogy is now open. The deadline for registration will be the 15 April. This year we have produced an online form in order to make the process of registration quicker and easier for you. Please ensure you click the “done” button when you have completed the survey or it will not submit your response. Please follow the link below for registration. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/L8NTW83<http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SNKSQMG> The registration fee for the meeting will be finalized after all registrations have been received, but in the past has ranged between $15 and $20. This registration fee includes breakfast, lunch, and snacks, but does not cover additional costs for the Saturday dinner, Sunday event, or accommodations in Vancouver. We do have limited accommodations available with students, and we will be able to offer these preferentially to those who are presenting or participating in the optional social events. While we encourage everyone working with or interested in marine mammal research to attend, only students are eligible to present at the meeting. All students are encouraged to present their work, whether this be a completed project, an update, a side-project, or a proposal. Due to the growing numbers of attendees over recent years we are trying something new this year. We would like to include a poster session in order to provide an opportunity to everyone that wishes to share their work at the meeting. If you are interested in presenting, please include the title of your presentation and an abstract (approximately 250 words) on your registration form, and indicate whether you would prefer an oral or poster presentation. We will do our best to accommodate everyone’s preferences. If you are interested in a list of presentations given at previous chapter meetings, go to <http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl…> <http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl…> http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl… <http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl…> Social Events: On Saturday evening, we will be hosting a potluck dinner. Food will be provided by the students of the Marine Mammal Research Unit. We just ask that attending guests provide beverages. On Sunday morning, we will be hosting a tour of behind-the-scenes tour of the Steller sea lion and Northern fur seal research facility at the Vancouver Aquarium (http://www.vanaqua.org/) Event details will be confirmed prior to the meeting and will depend on the number of registrants. There will be no fee for this event, however, there may be a small cost associated with transportation and parking. We look forward to seeing you at this year’s meeting and hearing of your work. Further details will be sent out closer to the meeting. Should you have any questions regarding the registration and/or abstract submission, feel free to email f.robertson(a)fisheries.ubc.ca<mailto:f.robertson@fisheries.ubc.ca>, m.wong(a)fisheries.ubc.ca or b.wright(a)fisheries.ubc.ca<mailto:m.wong@fisheries.ubc.ca> Cheers, Frances, Mandy and Brianna Northwest Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy<http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl…> ________________________________ Frances C. Robertson PhD Candidate Marine Mammal Research Unit Fisheries Centre University of British Columbia Canada: 604 339 4967 US: 360 420 4403 www.distantfin.net

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Potential Job Opportunity - Norfolk, VA
by Kumar, Anurag CIV NAVFAC LANT, EV 03 Apr '12

03 Apr '12

All, Potential Job Opportunity - Norfolk, VA Seeking qualified candidates with educational emphasis in marine species biology/ecology (marine mammals, sea turtles, fish, seabirds, etc.), underwater acoustics and skills in research, written and oral communication. Job Duties: The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic, Conservation Division in Norfolk, Virginia is currently seeking potential candidates with outstanding research, written and oral communication skills for a career position in the Marine Resources Section in the Environmental Business Line. The person selected for this position will directly support Navy training for the U.S. Fleet Forces and the U.S. Pacific Fleet around the world. Duties will include preparation, management, and review of marine resources assessments; essential fish habitat (EFH) assessments, marine species density estimates; marine mammal, sea turtle, and sea bird surveys; technical reports; Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 documentation; Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) requests; marine species mitigation and monitoring plans; National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation; and environmental studies assessing the environmental impacts of proposed Navy/Marine Corps training operations and homeporting/home basing actions. The person selected will be expected to participate in consultations with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), coordinate projects with a multi-disciplinary team, and participate in project management for research and compliance documents. Experience or knowledge of the following is highly desirable: marine mammal, sea turtle, seabird or fisheries biology; scientific study design; principals of underwater acoustic analysis; statistical principles and methods; ESRI Geographic Information System (GIS) products; environmental legislation and DoD/Navy policy. Position level is a GS-401-12 (Salary Range: $68,809 to $89,450 depending on education and experience.) Applicants are encouraged to send a resume (no more than 2 pages long) to Erin Swiader (jennifer.swiader(a)navy.mil) by April 15. r/Anu Kumar

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MEPS theme session: Mechanisms of Physical-Biological Coupling Forcing Biological "Hotspots"
by Elliott Hazen 03 Apr '12

03 Apr '12

Dear colleagues, We are planning a theme section in Marine Ecology Progress Series (MEPS) on the topic of "Mechanisms of Physical-Biological Coupling Forcing Biological Hotspots" based on a PICES 2011 topic session. We intend thisMEPS theme section will examine variability in physical processes that result in marine hotspots and also examineissues of spatial and temporal scale in the formation and persistence of biological hotspots. We recognize the term hotspot can be defined in multiple ways and feel this theme section can help narrow down the concept of a marine hotspot. Manuscripts that pass peer review will be accepted for publication in MEPS regardless of whether we have sufficient manuscripts for a theme section or not. Please contact Elliott Hazen (ehazen(a)alumni.duke.edu) and Rob Suryan (rob.suryan(a)oregonstate.edu) if you are interested in submitting manuscripts. We anticipate all manuscripts to be submitted by 1 July 2012. If interested, please respond to the following questions by 15 April: 1) Will you submit a manuscript, and if so please send along the topic and title (and abstract if you have it)? 2) Can your manuscript be ready for a July 1st submission deadline? It is not necessary to have been a part of the PICES S2 session to contribute, so please post the attached notice or forward to colleagues who might be interested in submitting a manuscript to the MEPS theme section. Thank you. Sincerely, Elliott Hazen Rob Suryan Yutaka Watanuki Flyer here: http://db.tt/VyPtDaBs

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KAI Marine Services Program of Internships for Applied Research - 2012
by Valeria 03 Apr '12

03 Apr '12

KAI Marine Services will undertake 4 marine research campaigns in the Mediterranean Sea in the summer of 2012. KAI offers an Internship Program for Applied Research to grant students the opportunity of conducting field work related to the scientific objectives of these campaigns (observation and tracking of cetaceans and marine turtles, measurement of underwater noise, and improvement of fishing techniques to reduce sea turtle by-catch). The research campaigns will depart from Mahón (Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain) and will be conducted on the following dates: . Toftevaag I: July 14th- 21st 2012 . Toftevaag II: July 22nd- 29th 2012 . Toftevaag III: August 4th - 11th 2012 . Toftevaag IV: August 12th - 19th 2012 The research work conducted on board the Toftevaag since 1990 has constituted a very significant contribution to national, regional and international marine biodiversity strategies and more specifically the conservation of cetaceans. The campaigns to be conducted in 2012 are part of the EC LIFE+ NATURE Project INDEMARES. The system of volunteering and cost sharing which requires a contribution of 1800 Euros per participant constitutes the matching fund to make shipboard surveys possible. The Toftevaag has used this method since 1992, allowing for the training of many students and the participation of over 2200 volunteers from 63 nations. Selected publications resulting from these campaigns: * Gregory K. Silber, Angelia S.M. Vanderlaan, AnaT. Arceredillo, Lindy Johnson, Christopher T. Taggart, Moira W. Brown, Shannon Bettridge, Ricardo Sagarminaga. In press. The role of the maritime organization in reducing vessel threat to whales: Process, options, actions and effectiveness: Journal of Marine Policy. * Eckert, S.A., Moore, J.E., Dunn, D.C., Sagarminaga, R., Eckert, K.L. and Halpin, P.N. 2007. A hierarchical state-space model of loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) movement behavior in relation to oceanography in the Alboran Sea. * Cañadas, A., R. Sagarminaga, R. de Stephanis, E. Urquiola and P.S. Hammond. 2005. Habitat selection models as a conservation tool: proposal of marine protected areas for cetaceans in Southern Spain. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 15:495-521. For more information contact Valeria Vergara + 604 220 7593, valeria(a)kaimarineservices.com (North America) or Ricardo Sagarminaga and Ana Tejedor Arceredillo +34 619108797, ric(a)kaimarineservices.com (Spain)

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Effectiveness of MPAs (Global Ecolgy and Biogeography manuscript)
by rebecca scott 03 Apr '12

03 Apr '12

Hi all, In response to the recent distribution of Andrew Gormley's paper on the effectiveness of MPAs for marine mammals, I thought some of you might be interested in our recent paper in Global Ecology and Biogeography on the effectiveness of MPAs for another marine megavertebtrate: Scott et al. (2012) Global analysis of satellite tracking data shows that adult green turtles are significantly aggregated in Marine Protected Areas. Global Ecology and Biogeography. DOI: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2011.00757.x http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2011.00757.x/abstract Please see abstract below/contact me if you are interested in receiving a PDF copy of this manuscript. Abstract: Aim Tracking technologies are often proposed as a method to elucidate the complex migratory life histories of migratory marine vertebrates, allowing spatially explicit threats to be identified and mitigated. We conducted a global analysis of foraging areas of adult green turtles (Chelonia mydas) subject to satellite tracking (n= 145) and the conservation designation of these areas according to International Union for Conservation of Nature criteria. Location The green turtle has a largely circumtropical distribution, with adults migrating up to thousands of kilometres between nesting beaches and foraging areas, typically in neritic seagrass or algal beds. Methods We undertook an assessment of satellite tracking projects that followed the movements of green turtles in tropical and subtropical habitats. This approach was facilitated by the use of the Satellite Tracking and Analysis Tool (http://www.seaturtle.org) and the integration of publicly available data on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Results We show that turtles aggregate in designated MPAs far more than would be expected by chance when considered globally (35% of all turtles were located within MPAs) or separately by ocean basin (Atlantic 67%, Indian 34%,Mediterranean 19%, Pacific 16%). Furthermore,we show that the size, level of protection and time of establishment of MPAs affects the likelihood of MPAs containing foraging turtles, highlighting the importance of large, well-established reserves. Main conclusions Our findings constitute compelling evidence of the worldwide effectiveness of extant MPAs in circumscribing important foraging habitats for a marine megavertebrate Best wishes, Rebecca Scott, NERC funded PhD student, Supervisors: Professor Graeme Hays, Professor Rory Wilson and Dr Robert Marsh School of Bioscience, Swansea University, Singleton Park Swansea, SA2 8PP Websites: http://www.wix.com/beckyscott130/rebeccascott http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/rebecca-scott/36/612/49

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Passive Acoustic Technician Training Course - Second announcement
by Julie Oswald 02 Apr '12

02 Apr '12

This is the second announcement for the Passive Acoustic Technician Training course hosted by Bio-Waves, Inc. from Monday April 30th through Friday May 4th, 2012 in La Jolla, California. There are only a few spots left, so interested participants are encouraged to register soon. The course combines theoretical instruction with hands-on demonstrations and training to give participants a working knowledge of passive acoustic monitoring hardware, software and data management. The goal of this training course is to provide individuals with the necessary tools and basic skills to prepare them for work as bio-acoustic field technicians. This five day course will be held at the San Diego Supercomputer Center, La Jolla, California. If enough interest is shown, there will also be an at-sea day on Saturday, May 5th so that participants can test towed-array operations underway. This sea day is offered at a higher cost to the instruction only option, and is dependent upon a required minimum number of participants selecting this option (confirmation of the sea day will only be available when the minimum has been met). This Passive Acoustic Technician Training course provides information and practical training related to the following subjects: -the physics of underwater sound -instruction on the setup, troubleshooting and repair of towed hydrophone arrays -software used to detect, localize and classify sounds produced by marine mammals -guidelines for effective acoustic data collection and management. At the conclusion of this intensive hands-on course, participants will have gained a working knowledge of practical aspects of towed hydrophone array system design, maintenance and operations. All participants will receive a set of materials for reference in the field. To register or obtain more information about the course please visit www.bio-waves.net. Please contact education(a)bio-waves.net with any questions. We look forward to seeing you at the end of the month!

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Publication Request
by Cathy Bacon 02 Apr '12

02 Apr '12

Hello All, I am in need of a report and was hoping that someone on the list would have it or has access to it. NMML and ARLIS do not have it. We have explored other possibilities as well. The report I need is: Hall, J.D., M.L.Gallagher, K.D. Brewer, and D.K. Ljungblad. 1991. Passive acoustic monitoring program at the ARCO Alaska, Inc. "Fireweed" prospect September-October 1990. Report from Coastal & Offshore Pacific Corporation,Walnut Creek, CA for ARCO Alaska, Inc., Anchorage, AK. Please send to cathyebacon(a)gmail.com Thank you in advance, Cathy -- Cathy Bacon Marine Mammal Research Assistant/Marine Biologist Smultea Environmental Sciences, LLC (SES) www.smultea.com

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