September 2012 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Demographic history of porpoises in the Black Sea
by michael fontaine 28 Sep '12

28 Sep '12

Dear colleagues, We delighted to announce you the recent release of our paper telling the extraordinary story of harbor porpoises in the Black Sea: Fontaine, M.C., Snirc, A., Frantzis, A., Koutrakis, E., Öztürk, B., Oztürk, A.A., Austerlitz F. (2012). History of expansion and anthropogenic collapse in a top marine predator of the Black Sea estimated from genetic data. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109, E2569–76. Abstract Two major ecological transitions marked the history of the Black Sea after the last Ice Age. The first was the postglacial transition from a brackish-water to a marine ecosystem dominated by porpoises and dolphins once this basin was reconnected back to the Mediterranean Sea (ca. 8,000 y B.P.). The second occurred during the past decades, when overfishing and hunting activities brought these predators close to extinction, having a deep impact on the structure and dynamics of the ecosystem. Estimating the extent of this decimation is essential for characterizing this ecosystem’s dynamics and for formulating restoration plans. However, this extent is poorly documented in historical records. We addressed this issue for one of the main Black Sea predators, the harbor porpoise, using a population genetics approach. Analyzing its genetic diversity using an approximate Bayesian computation approach, we show that only a demographic expansion (at most 5,000 y ago) followed by a contemporaneous population collapse can explain the observed genetic data. We demonstrate that both the postglacial settlement of harbor porpoises in the Black Sea and the recent anthropogenic activities have left a clear footprint on their genetic diversity. Specifically, we infer a strong population reduction (∼90%) that occurred within the past 5 decades, which can therefore clearly be related to the recent massive killing of small cetaceans and to the continuing incidental catches in commercial fisheries. Our study thus provides a quantitative assessment of these demographically catastrophic events, also showing that two separate historical events can be inferred from contemporary genetic data. http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/08/27/1201258109.abstract Best, Michael -- ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º>¸. `·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸·´¯`·.. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> Postdoctoral Research Associate University of Notre Dame Department of Biological Sciences 311 Galvin Life Sciences Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 Office phone: +1-574-631-8045 Fax: +1-574-631-3996 NEW EMAIL : michael.fontaine(a)nd.edu webpage: http://max2.ese.u-psud.fr/utilisateurs/fontaine/michaelfontaine/Home.html _____________________________________________________________________________ Please, adopt an eco-attitude Consider it twice before printing this email

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job opportunity: senior seal researcher
by Bos, Oscar 28 Sep '12

28 Sep '12

Job opportunity: Senior seal researcher at IMARES Wageningen UR, The Netherlands. We are looking for an experienced expert on seal ecology. More information: https://www20.i-grasp.com/fe/tpl_wageningen_ur_01.asp?newlang=1&newms=jj&id…

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Regional Consultation of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) Management Plan for Sea Otter in Canada
by Brekke, Heather 27 Sep '12

27 Sep '12

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is pleased to inform you that the 2012 draft Management Plan for the Sea Otter is now undergoing regional consultations. The Government of Canada downlisted the Sea Otter from a Threatened species to a species of Special Concern under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) in March, 2009. In accordance with SARA, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is responsible for developing a Management Plan for aquatic species listed as Special Concern under SARA. To fulfill this obligation, DFO has developed a draft Management Plan for this species. Management plans are documents that describe species information, threats to the species, management goals and objectives, and measures for the conservation of the species. DFO would like to invite you to provide feedback on the draft Management Plan via the Regional SARA Consultation webpage, at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/saraconsultations <http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/saraconsultations> where the document will be available for comment from September 27th to October 29th, 2012. In doing so, interested parties may provide input to DFO to aid in finalizing the document. If you have any questions, please contact us at (604) 666-7907 or email sara(a)pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca <mailto:sara@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca> . Sincerely, Heather Brekke Marine Species at Risk Recovery Planner Ecosystem Management Branch Fisheries and Oceans Canada E-mail: sara(a)pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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New paper on constraint lines and the aerobic dive limit
by Horning, Markus 27 Sep '12

27 Sep '12

Dear colleagues, the following paper was just published in Frontiers in Aquatic Physiology and is freely available as an Open Acess publication at: http://www.frontiersin.org/aquatic_physiology/10.3389/fphys.2012.00381/abst… Horning M. 2012. Constraint lines and performance envelopes in behavioral physiology: the case of the aerobic dive limit. Front. Physio. 3:381 doi:10.3389/fphys.2012.00381 Abstract: Constraint lines—the boundaries that delimit point clouds in bivariate scattergrams—have been applied in macro-ecology to quantify the effects of limiting factors on response variables, but have not been applied to the behavioral performance and physiological ecology of individual vertebrates. I propose that behavioral scattergrams of air-breathing, diving vertebrates contain informative edges that convey insights into physiological constraints that shape the performance envelopes of divers. In the classic example of repeated cycles of apnea and eupnea in diving, air-breathing vertebrates, the need to balance oxygen consumption, and intake should differentially constrain recovery for dives within or exceeding the aerobic dive limit (ADL). However, the bulk of variance observed in recovery versus dive duration scattergrams originates from undetermined behavioral variables, and deviations from overall stasis may become increasingly apparent at progressively smaller scales of observation. As shown on dive records from 79 Galápagos fur seals, the selection of appropriate time scales of integration yields two distinct recovery boundaries for dive series within and beyond the estimated ADL. An analysis of the corresponding constraint lines is independent of central tendencies in data and avoids violating parametric assumptions for large data sets where variables of interest account for only a small portion of observed variance. I hypothesize that the intercept between these constraint lines represents the effective ADL, and present physiological and ecological considerations to support this hypothesis. __________________________________________________ Dr. Markus Horning, Pinniped Ecology Applied Research Lab Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365, USA Tel. 541.867.0202 Fax 541.867.0128 markus.horning(a)oregonstate.edu<mailto:markus.horning@oregonstate.edu> http://mmi.oregonstate.edu/pearl/ www.sealtag.org<http://www.sealtag.org/>

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Right Whale Trauma Paper
by Michael Moore 27 Sep '12

27 Sep '12

The following paper is available early view in Marine Mammal Science: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2012.00591.x/abstrac… Moore M, Andrews R, Austin T, Bailey J, Costidis A, George C, Jackson K, Pitchford T, Landry S, Ligon A, McLellan W, Morin D, Smith J, Rotstein D, Rowles T, Slay C, Walsh M (2012) Rope trauma, sedation, disentanglement, and monitoring-tag associated lesions in a terminally entangled North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). Marine Mammal Science DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2012.00591.x A chronically entangled North Atlantic right whale, with consequent emaciation was sedated, disentangled to the extent possible, administered antibiotics, and satellite tag tracked for six subsequent days. It was found dead 11 d after the tag ceased transmission. Chronic constrictive deep rope lacerations and emaciation were found to be the proximate cause of death, which may have ultimately involved shark predation. A broadhead cutter and a spring-loaded knife used for disentanglement were found to induce moderate wounds to the skin and blubber. The telemetry tag, with two barbed shafts partially penetrating the blubber was shed, leaving barbs embedded with localized histological reaction. One of four darts administered shed the barrel, but the needle was found postmortem in the whale with an 80º bend at the blubber-muscle interface. This bend occurred due to epaxial muscle movement relative to the overlying blubber, with resultant necrosis and cavitation of underlying muscle. This suggests that rigid, implanted devices that span the cetacean blubber muscle interface, where the muscle moves relative to the blubber, could have secondary health impacts. Thus we encourage efforts to develop new tag telemetry systems that do not penetrate the subdermal sheath, but still remain attached for many months. -- Michael Moore Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 508 289 3228

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REQUEST FOR ARTICLES - SIRENEWS
by Cynthia Taylor 26 Sep '12

26 Sep '12

The editors of Sirenews, the newsletter of the IUCN Sirenia Specialist Group, would like to request articles for the upcoming edition. Updates on manatee and dugong research, management, education, and conservation activities from around the world are encouraged. The deadline for submissions is OCTOBER 15, 2012. Please submit articles to ctaylor(a)sea2shore.org. Thank you - Cynthia Taylor and James Powell Sea to Shore Alliance Cynthia R. Taylor Research Scientist Sea to Shore Alliance 941-232-4587 ctaylor(a)sea2shore.org www.sea2shore.org

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Gray Whale Vocalizations
by Elizabeth Keddy 25 Sep '12

25 Sep '12

The art department at Olympic College is completing a sculpture of a gray whale calf to be on exhibit for students and the general public. In collaboration with the art department, the marine science class is recording audio dialogue to accompany this exhibit. I was wondering if anyone in the MARMAM community has gray whale vocalizations that we could include with the audio. We will give full acknowledgement, of course. We need to have the files by Tuesday, 10/2, in order to complete the sound installation on time for exhibit. Please let me know if you have recordings you'd like to donate. Thank you, Elizabeth Keddy Marine Science Intstructor Olympic College ekeddy(a)olympic.edu

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Right Whale Program Internship Announcement - St. Augustine, FL
by Jackson, Katie 25 Sep '12

25 Sep '12

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) North Atlantic Right Whale Project Internship Announcement - Winter 2012-2013 The FWC's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) is looking for an intern to assist with research and monitoring activities for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale in northeast Florida. The project focuses on vessel-strike mitigation and data collection for federal assessment of the status and recovery of the North Atlantic right whale population. FWRI staff conducts aerial surveys and vessel-based research in the winter (December-March). Intern responsibilities will be based on the applicant's previous experience and may include: · vessel-based surveys; · photo-identification, · data entry and archival tasks; · outreach events; · documenting and verifying public sighting reports of whales; and · general operational tasks. Intern may also participate in whale necropsies and receive training on large whale disentanglement and aerial survey protocols and methods. Field work is weather-dependent, and weekly work schedules vary as a result. Applicants should be available at least five days per week, including weekends, from late November through March, and must be willing to work weekends, holidays and evenings as needed. One intern position is available. There is no compensation for this internship, and applicants will be responsible for their own transportation. The position and housing are contingent on funding for the project. Applications will be accepted through October 7, 2012. Qualifications: Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or authorized to work in the U.S. and possess a valid U.S. Class E driver's license. College juniors and seniors and recent graduates are eligible. Applicants should have some research experience and be: · able to work in a close team environment and get along well with others; · able to work well in adverse field conditions and in a lab/office environment; · able to collect data in a detail-oriented manner; · proficient with computers; · proficient with SLR digital cameras, filters and lenses (preferred); · able to drive a full-sized pickup truck; · able to lift 50 pounds of equipment; · able to swim; and · comfortable speaking to the public. If you are interested in applying for an internship with the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, the following information is required: · A cover letter describing the internship you are applying for; area(s) of academic/research interest; and the dates, days and hours of availability. · A résumé describing training and experience. · Names and contact information for three references. · An unofficial copy of your academic transcript. Please send these items as e-mail attachments to: Interns(a)MyFWC.com<mailto:Interns@MyFWC.com> If electronic submission is not possible, hard copies can be mailed to: Robin Allen Internship Coordinator Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue SE St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5020 Thank you.

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First announcement - 27th European Cetacean Society Conference
by Cristina Brito - Escola de Mar 25 Sep '12

25 Sep '12

Dear Marmamers, We are pleased to announce that the 27th European Cetacean Society Conference will be held in Setúbal, Portugal, from 8-10 of April 2013. It will be hosted by Escola de Mar, Associação Para as Ciências do Mar and Reserva Natural do Estuário do Sado (RNES-ICNF) with the sponsorship and support of the Municipality of Setúbal. The main theme of the conference is ?Interdisciplinary approaches in the study of marine mammals?. It is our expectation that this conference, placed in a context of interdisciplinary research, will show past, recent and current trends as well as new prospects in the study and conservation of marine mammals. Please take note of milestones and important dates: - 23 November 2012: Deadline for abstract and workshop submission; Deadline for support and student grant request - 11 January 2013: Decision of acceptance - 25 January 2013: Deadline for early registration; Deadline for video submission - 1 March 2013: Deadline for late registration - 6-7 April 2013: Workshops - 8-10 April 2013: Main conference Websites, both of the ECS and the 2013 conference, are still being updated and will be made available during the next few weeks. News about the conference will also be regularly updated on the Facebook group of ECS. Join us at: http://www.facebook.com/groups/13162370191/. Conference email is: ecsconference2013(a)gmail.com See you all in Setúbal where tradition and history, the river and the sea, the dolphins and the mountains, will warmly welcome you. Regards from Portugal, Cristina Brito and Marina Sequeira. -- Escola de Mar - Ciência e Consciência nos Oceanos www.escolademar.pt, info(a)escolademar.pt Edifício ICAT - Campus da FCUL Campo Grande 1749-016 Lisboa Portugal

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Harbour porpoises in the French Atlantic coasts
by jean-Luc Jung 24 Sep '12

24 Sep '12

Dear colleagues, I am pleased to announce the publication of the following open access paper in PLoS One Alfonsi E, Hassani S, Carpentier F-G, Le Clec’h J-Y, Dabin W, et al. (2012) A European Melting Pot of Harbour Porpoise in the French Atlantic Coasts Inferred from Mitochondrial and Nuclear Data. PLoS ONE 7(9): e44425. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0044425 Abstract Field surveys have reported a global shift in harbour porpoise distribution in European waters during the last 15 years, including a return to the Atlantic coasts of France. In this study, we analyzed genetic polymorphisms at a fragment of the mitochondrial control region (mtDNA CR) and 7 nuclear microsatellite loci, for 52 animals stranded and by-caught between 2000 and 2010 along the Atlantic coasts of France. The analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial loci provided contrasting results. The mtDNA revealed two genetically distinct groups, one closely related to the Iberian and African harbour porpoises, and the second related to individuals from the more northern waters of Europe. In contrast, nuclear polymorphisms did not display such a distinction. Nuclear markers suggested that harbour porpoises behaved as a randomly mating population along the Atlantic coasts of France. The difference between the two kinds of markers can be explained by differences in their mode of inheritance, the mtDNA being maternally inherited in contrast to nuclear loci that are bi-parentally inherited. Our results provide evidence that a major proportion of the animals we sampled are admixed individuals from the two genetically distinct populations previously identified along the Iberian coasts and in the North East Atlantic. The French Atlantic coasts are clearly the place where these two previously separated populations of harbour porpoises are now admixing. The present shifts in distribution of harbour porpoises along this coast are likely caused by habitat changes that will need to be further studied. Regards Jean-Luc Jung Laboratoire BioGEMME Université de Bretagne Occidentale Brest - France

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