September 2012 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Interactive timeline about spinner dolphin science and management
by Heather Heenehan 04 Sep '12

04 Sep '12

*From Norris to Now: An Interactive timeline about the evolution of spinner dolphin science and management * * * This interactive web-based timeline of scientific, historical, cultural and management events is a public resource to help educate people about spinner dolphins in Hawaii. http://www.spinnerdolphin.net/Timeline/ The timeline arose from part of Heather Heenehan’s Master Project<http://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/10161/3609/HHeenehan_…>for the Master of Environmental Management degree at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment (which can be read here http://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/handle/10161/3609) Heenehan was advised by Dr. David Johnston and Dr. Zackary Johnson. The initial entries were populated into the timeline by students as part of an assignment in Duke’s Marine Mammals: Biology, Ecology and Conservation class during Summer Session II in 2012. After these initial entries, the timeline was published for the general public, and new users can register and load events into the timeline. All entries will be moderated before they are posted to the site. We hope that you will find the timeline to be interesting and informative and give you a sense of the social construction of spinner dolphins in Hawaii. This was a well-studied population from the 1970′s to the 1990′s (by Ken Norris and his colleagues) and the timeline looks at spinner science and management issues from the time that Captain Cook arrived to today. Currently the timeline includes events primarily occurring in the United States and mainly in Hawaii but we welcome any and all international events that relate to spinner dolphins or any events nationally or internationally that have had a hand in the social construction of these dolphins. We hope that you will consider contributing an event to the timeline. Adding an event is simple! Just create a login and then follow the instructions here: http://www.spinnerdolphin.net/Timeline/adding-events/ If you have any questions about the timeline or would like more information please contact Heather Heenehan (hlh18(a)duke.edu) The timeline is created with the Curator theme for WordPress developed by Molitor. It can be purchased here http://themeforest.net/item/the-curator-premier-wp-timeline-theme-for-artis… . -Heather Heather Heenehan BS, Bachelor of Science, Environmental Science, University of Connecticut MEM, Master of Environmental Management, Coastal Environmental Management, Duke University PhD Student, Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University

1 0

Two publications on north-western Australian delphinids and Environmental Impact Assessment
by Simon Allen 03 Sep '12

03 Sep '12

G¹day Marmamers, MUCRU (http://mucru.org/) are pleased to announce the publication of the following two articles in the latest issue of Pacific Conservation Biology (abstracts below). The data paper is the first peer-reviewed publication on coastal dolphins of north-western Australia, while the Forum Essay discusses the short-comings in the current Environmental Impact Assessment processes in Western Australia. The lack of baseline data on many wildlife populations and the impacts of large-scale coastal development there-on represent conservation issues across northern Australia and are likely to be relevant in numerous locations globally. Please drop either of us a line if you¹d like the PDFs (Lars: L.Bejder(a)murdoch.edu.au or Simon: S.Allen(a)murdoch.edu.au) Kind regards, Simon and Lars ----- Allen SJ, Cagnazzi DD, Hodgson AJ, Loneragan NR and Bejder L 2012. Tropical inshore dolphins of north-western Australia: Unknown populations in a rapidly changing region. Pacific Conservation Biology 18: 56-63. Australian Snubfin Orcaella heinsohni, Indo-Pacific Humpback Sousa chinensis and Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins Tursiops aduncus inhabit Australia¹s tropical north-western coastline, a region undergoing extensive port development associated with the massive expansion of the oil, gas and mining industries. The current lack of data on dolphin population sizes or trends precludes impact assessments of developments on these protected species. Furthermore, the Western Australian and Commonwealth Government conservation listings of tropical inshore dolphins do not reflect their international listings. From April to July, 2010, we conducted ad hoc boat-based surveys (n=55) of inshore delphinids at seven sites across north-western Australia from Coral Bay in the south (23.1°S: 113.8°E) to Cable Beach in the north (17.9°S: 122.2°E). We documented the locations of these three species from which we obtained photo-identification and biopsy data, as well as reports of Australian Snubfin Dolphin sightings from researchers and community groups. The data from this limited field effort confirm that Indo-Pacific Humpback and Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphins occur in the waters adjacent to each north-western Australian urban centre and show that the range of the Australian Snubfin Dolphin extends considerably further south-west than previously reported. Given the scale of coastal developments and the vulnerability of isolated cetacean populations to fragmentation or extirpation, assessments of the viability of dolphin populations are required. Our data suggest that the Australian Snubfin, Indo-Pacific Humpback and Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins need to be considered as likely to be impacted by coastal developments across north-western Australia. Bejder L, Hodgson A, Loneragan N and Allen S 2012. Coastal dolphins in north-western Australia: The need for re-evaluation of species listings and short-comings in the Environmental Impact Assessment process. Pacific Conservation Biology 18: 2225. Little is known about the distribution, abundance and behavioural ecology of dolphins in the tropical north-west of Australia. This region is remote, and until recently, has had a relatively low human population. Two of Australia¹s tropical coastal dolphin species, the Australian Snubfin Orcaella heinsohni and Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins Sousa chinensis (³Snubfin Dolphin² and ³Humpback Dolphin², hereafter) are known to occur in the region. Australia-wide, the only scientific publications on these two species come from a few studies from eastern Queensland, where both species live in ³populations² of 50100 individuals that are genetically isolated from one another; have small home ranges; and are found in near-shore areas, typically within 3-5 km of the coastline. In eastern Australia, both species forage on coastal/estuarine fish and cephalopods, which is further evidence of their reliance on the near-shore environment. According to population sizes in Queensland, and the extent of potentially suitable habitat along the north-west coast, the total numbers in Western Australia are likely to be in the low thousands of individuals (i.e., < 5 000). The combination of these life-history characteristics may render Snubfin and Humpback Dolphins particularly vulnerable to local extinctions due to human activities such as habitat modification and increased shipping and boating activity. In this Essay, we review the current extent of coastal developments in the waters of north-west Australia. Then we discuss the conservation and management implications of this in relation to coastal dolphins, particularly Snubfin and Humpback Dolphins. We also appraise the current, non-targeted methods being used to survey marine mammal populations for environmental impact assessments (EIAs), highlighting their inadequacy for coastal dolphins. Finally, we make recommendations that should improve government decision making processes for the long term. ----- Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit Centre for Fish, Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystems Research School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology Murdoch University 90 South St., Murdoch Western Australia 6150 ( Tel (61-8) 9360 2823 Ê Fax (61-8) 9360 6303 Mob (61-0) 416 083 653 * s.allen(a)murdoch.edu.au Web http://mucru.org/group-members/simon-allen/ <http://www.mucru.org/> <http://www.facebook.com/MUCRU>

1 0

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT: Fishery Biologist, Silver Spring, MD
by Nicole Le Boeuf 03 Sep '12

03 Sep '12

Greetings all, The NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources is pleased to announce the following vacancy in Silver Spring, MD - http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/325354900 The announcement will remain open until September 6, 2012. Regards, Nicole -- Nicole R. LeBoeuf Chief, Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Conservation Division Office of Protected Resources National Marine Fisheries Service (301) 427-8402 office (240) 688-7289 mobile

1 0

Recent News Articles on Serious Dolphin Conservation Issues
by Trevor Spradlin 01 Sep '12

01 Sep '12

Dear MARMAM Subscribers: Three major newspapers in the U.S. have published articles over the past 2 weeks about the serious conservation issues facing dolphins in the wild from the careless and reckless actions of private boaters, commercial operators and tourists who feed or harass the animals: 1. The Miami Herald – “Dolphins at the mercy of the clueless and the cruel” (September 1, 2012): http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/01/2979063/dolphins-at-the-mercy-of-the-… 2. Tampa Bay Times – “Scars of human folly show on Florida’s bottlenose dolphins” (August 27, 2012): http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/scars-of-human-folly-show… 3. The New York Times – “The Dolphin Lover’s Conundrum” (August 14, 2012): http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/14/the-dolphin-lovers-conundrum/ The most recent one in The Miami Herald is by the award winning investigative journalist and best-selling author Carl Hiaasen. As many folks in the marine mammal community know, Mr. Hiaasen is well known for his strong conservation ethic and has written about marine mammal issues before. He has a large following so his attention to these issues should help raise additional and much needed awareness to inform the public about the harmful and dangerous human activities placing dolphins and other species of marine mammals at risk. Major thanks to the staff at NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Chicago Zoological Society, Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and many others in the community for all their efforts to protect dolphins. ******************** Trevor R. Spradlin, M.Res. Marine Mammal Biologist Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program Office of Protected Resources NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service Tel: 301-427-8479 E-mail: Trevor.Spradlin(a)noaa.gov

1 0

Postdoctoral fellowship available
by Kit Kovacs 01 Sep '12

01 Sep '12

A job listing that is of likely interest to our readership.......(though it is penguins as well as seals). http://www.jobbnorge.no/job.aspx?jobid=85287 Postdoctoral Fellowship - Biodiversity NPI is seeking a Postdoctoral fellow (3-yr term) to work within the Biodiversity Programme on diet, space use and habitat selection of pygoscelid penguins (and possibly also seals) in the sub Antarctic in relation to krill fishing (and climate change). Field sites will include the South Orkneys Islands and Bouvetøya in the South Atlantic. Qualifications We are seeking a candidate who has a solid background in biology with direct research experience dealing with marine predator diving and spatial data. The candidate must have good skills in Excel, Access, R programming and multivariate statistics. Education level must include a PhD in animal ecology. Previous experience in field camps is essential; field experience from Polar Regions in particular will be viewed favorably. A good publication record (according to career stage) will also be viewed very positively. Good English skills are required. Salary The salary will follow the Norwegian State salary code 1352 (Postdoctoral Fellows), scale 57-64, depending on qualifications (468,400 - 533,000 nok; 77,150 - 87,800 US dollars). General The position is a 3-year term. The work place is NPI, Tromsø, Norway. The project is part of a bilateral research effort between Norway and the United Kingdom. Project PIs are Drs. Kit M. Kovacs and Christian Lydersen (NPI) and Dr. Phil Trathan (British Antarctic Survey). This position will be awarded pending final confirmation of project financing (expected mid September). The Norwegian State Administration strives to mirror the diversity of its population and thereby achieve a balanced mix of age, gender and ethnic backgrounds among its employees. Hence, candidates with immigrant backgrounds and women are encouraged to apply for the position. Further inquires about the position can be directed to Dr. Kit M. Kovacs (kit.kovacs(a)npolar.no; +47 77 75 05 26) or Dr. Christian Lydersen (christian.lydersen(a)npolar.no; +47 77 75 05 23). The application deadline is 15th September 2012. The application should include a CV, names of at least two references, and details of your relevant qualifications and experience. The application must be submitted electronically via www.jobbnorge.no.

1 0