November 2013 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Workshop on Marine Mammal Bycatch in the Pacific
by Nina Young - NOAA Federal 12 Nov '13

12 Nov '13

Workshop at SMM on Bycatch in the Pacific Islands Region There are still several slots for presentations available for the Workshop Assessing Bycatch in Fisheries in the Pacific Islands Region. The workshop will be held on Saturday 7th December Dunedin, NZ. The registration deadline is November 15. If you would like to present a paper on marine mammal bycatch occurring in commercial or artisanal fisheries in the Western, Central or South Pacific (especially the Pacific Islands Region) please contact me. I will provide you with the format for oral presentations and written submissions. A report of this workshop will be produced based on the written reports from each participant. The deadline for submission of papers is November 20, 2013. There is a workshop fee to cover costs of space, AV equipment, lunch and coffee breaks. Nina M. Young Office of International Affairs National Marine Fisheries Service 1315 East West Highway, # 10631 Silver Spring, MD 20910 -- Nina M. Young Office of International Affairs National Marine Fisheries Service 1315 East West Highway, # 10631 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Email: Nina.Young(a)noaa.gov <luis.leandro(a)noaa.gov> Phone: 301-427-8383 Visit us: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ia/

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IMPORTANT: SMM evening event on the science of free-ranging and captive killer whales
by Douglas Wartzok 11 Nov '13

11 Nov '13

Hello everyone: On 12 December 2013, the 20th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Dunedin, New Zealand, will host a panel discussion on the science of free-ranging and captive killer whales. The goals of this session are: 1) To provide an overview of scientific data collected from free-ranging and captive killer whales; and 2) to offer an opportunity for experts to discuss comparative aspects of killer whale biology in these two environments and the implications thereof. The panel members are Drs. Doug DeMaster, Dave Duffus, Robin Baird, Mark Orams, and Naomi Rose. The facilitator will be Dr. Doug Wartzok. This evening event welcomes questions from all conference registrants - to use the hour allotted for the discussion most efficiently, questions will be submitted in advance via the conference website. If you have registered for the conference, please go to My Conference Account<http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl…>, log in, and submit your question. All questions or comments that are submitted via this page will be made public to all members prior to the conference and are not anonymous. The working group that is organizing the session (Doug Wartzok, Helene Marsh, Nick Gales, and Naomi Rose) will select a set of the questions that encompass salient, scientific aspects of the issue. We encourage an open and respectful dialog on this important and controversial topic. Please be considerate in your questions and comments. Any offensive remarks will be removed from the site. If you have any questions please contact the SMM Committee of Scientific Advisors at smm.science(a)gmail.com<mailto:smm.science@gmail.com>. Doug Wartzok Facilitator Killer Whale Panel Douglas Wartzok Chair, Committee of Scientific Advisors Society for Marine Mammalogy Provost and Executive Vice President [Description: Description: Description: Florida International University]<Florida%20International%20University> 11200 SW 8th St, PC 526 Miami, Florida 33199-0001 Phone 305-348-2151 | Fax 305-348-2994 Email wartzok(a)fiu.edu Web http://academic.fiu.edu<http://academic.fiu.edu/>

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Career Opportunities at The Marine Mammal Center
by Rachel Bergren 11 Nov '13

11 Nov '13

Hello! We have recently posted two new career opportunities for the Education and Guest Experience team at The Marine Mammal Center, located in the beautiful Marin Headlands just across the bay from San Francisco. You can learn more about these positions: 1) Education Programs Assistant and 2) Student and Teacher Programs Manager, on our job board at http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/about-us/organization-information/jobs/. We will be posting additional positions over the next few months. Check back often! Cheers, Rachel Bergren Director, Education and Guest Experience TMMC

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Last chance to Register for SMM workshop monitoring impacts of coastal development on marine mammals
by elizabeth.hawkins＠scu.edu.au 11 Nov '13

11 Nov '13

Hi Everyone, This is your last chance to register for the 'Best practice principles for monitoring the effect of coastal development on marine mammals'. The workshop will be held on Saturday 7th December in Dunedin, NZ. We have limited places still available. Anyone who would like to attend this workshop can register up until this Thursday 14th November. Please go to the conference workshop webpage for further information and to register. Conference workshop website link: http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content <http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl e&id=558&Itemid=336> &view=article&id=558&Itemid=336 Kind Regards Liz Workshop Coordinator Elizabeth Hawkins, PhD Executive Officer Founding Director Dolphin Research Australia, Inc. PO Box 1960 Byron Bay, NSW, 2481 E-mail: <mailto:liz@dolphinresearchaustralia.com> liz(a)dolphinresearchaustralia.com Ph: 0407 646 069 Website: <http://www.dolphinresearchaustralia.com/> www.dolphinresearchaustralia.com ABN: 42095866467 Marine Ecology Research Centre Administration Assistant Southern Cross University PO Box 157 Lismore, NSW, 2480 E-mail: mercadmin(a)scu.edu.au Website: <http://www.scu.edu.au/marine-ecology/> http://www.scu.edu.au/marine-ecology/

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Hawaiian odontocetes workshop Dec 7, New Zealand - registration deadline Nov 14!
by Robin Baird 11 Nov '13

11 Nov '13

A list of most of the presentations for the 2nd Biennial Workshop on Science and Conservation of Hawaiian Odontocetes has been posted at http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/hawaii/Dunedinhawaiiworkshop.htm - the workshop will include talks on rough-toothed dolphins, melon-headed whales, false killer whales, spinner dolphins, short-finned pilot whales, and pygmy killer whales, among others, and topics including population genetics, fisheries interactions, acoustics, pollutants, diseases, and conservation. Deadline for workshop registration prior is November 14th http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl… Robin Baird & Erin Oleson Co-organizers =============================================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Research Biologist Cascadia Research Collective 218 1/2 W. 4th Avenue Olympia, WA 98501 USA Follow us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cascadia-Research-Collective/110495958982184> http://www.cascadiaresearch.org<http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/>

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New Book - Review Copies
by Nixon, Charlotte 11 Nov '13

11 Nov '13

Dear all, I am pleased to announce a new recently published title by Earthscan from Routledge: If you are a book review editor or have had a review proposal accepted by a journal/publication and would like to review this title, please email Charlotte.Nixon(a)tandf.co.uk<mailto:charlotte.nixon@tandf.co.uk?subject=Review%20copy%20&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20request%20a%20review%20copy.%0D%0DBook%20I'd%20Like%20to%20Request:%20%0DISBN:%0D%0DMy%20details%20are%20as%20follows:%0D%0DContact%20name:%0DJournal/Publication/Blog%20name%20where%20the%20review%20is%20to%20be%20published:%0DFull%20Delivery%20Address:%0DTelephone%20number:> ensuring you provide a full delivery address, recipient name, contact telephone number and the title of the publication you are reviewing the book for. Whales and Elephants in International Conservation Law and Politics A Comparative Study By Ed Couzens This book examines the current state of international environmental law and wildlife conservation through a comparative analysis of the treatment of whales and elephants. In particular, it describes the separate histories of international governance of both whales and elephants, presenting the various treaties through which conservation has been implemented. Read more...<http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415659055/?utm_source=MARMAM%252…> Published November 2013 by Routledge Please send us your published reviews! We'd be extremely grateful to receive any published reviews - for this or any other Earthscan from Routledge book you may have recently reviewed - so that we can add review quotes to our website and flyers, and circulate them via our social media accounts. Routledge will ensure we always quote your journal name - publicity for you too! Please feel free to email them to Charlotte.Nixon(a)tandf.co.uk<mailto:Charlotte.Nixon@tandf.co.uk>. Best wishes, Charlotte Nixon Marketing Assistant Earthscan/Routledge Charlotte.Nixon(a)tandf.co.uk<mailto:Charlotte.Nixon@tandf.co.uk>

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SMM Marine Mammal Tourism workshop: STUDENT OFFER
by Anna Meissner 10 Nov '13

10 Nov '13

Dear students, Thanks to our sponsor Explore NZ, we as organizers of the forthcoming Marine Mammal Tourism workshop, are pleased to able announce that the first 30 registered students of our workshop will received a complimentary pass for Auckland’s Whale and Dolphin Safari http://www.explorenz.co.nz/Whale-Dolphin-Safari/<https://owa.massey.ac.nz/owa/redir.aspx?C=b8IPjJxliEGMqEkuYXg1Va7fihL4sdAIu…> Retailing normally at $160 per person, this pass will allow you to discover the wonders of Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf and see for yourself our marvelous common dolphins, Bryde’s whales and much more. The upcoming workshop *Marine Mammal Tourism* will take place at the SMM conference in Dunedin, New Zealand. This full day workshop will be held on Saturday 7th December 2013. A complete description is available on the conference workshop website ( http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl…<https://owa.massey.ac.nz/owa/redir.aspx?C=b8IPjJxliEGMqEkuYXg1Va7fihL4sdAIu…> ). To register, please go directly to http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl…<https://owa.massey.ac.nz/owa/redir.aspx?C=b8IPjJxliEGMqEkuYXg1Va7fihL4sdAIu…> On behalf of the organizing committee members Anna Meissner (Massey University), Karen Stockin (Massey University), Emmanuelle Martinez (Pacific Whale Foundation) & Mark Orams (AUT University) . ------------------------------------------------- Anna M. Meissner PhD student Coastal-Marine Research Group Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences Massey University Private Bag 102 904 North Shore City, 0745 Auckland, New Zealand Tel: +64 9 414 0800 ext 41520 Cell: +64 22 603 6646 Fax: +64 9 443 9790 Email: a.m.meissner(a)massey.ac.nz Web: http://cmrg.massey.ac.nz -------------------------------------------------

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IMPORTANT: Update on SMM Special Session on the Humane Killing of Marine Mammals
by SMM Ethics Advisory Committee 10 Nov '13

10 Nov '13

The Society for Marine Mammalogy is moving forward in engaging our membership on the issue of purposefully and humanely killing marine mammals. As you may know this is a complex and sensitive topic given the diversity of cultures and perspectives within our Society. To begin the conversation the Society is undertaking two activities. The first is organizing a working group to use scientific expertise within the Society (physiology, behavior, veterinary medicine, etc.) to develop a list of considerations and best practices that should be taken into account whenever a marine mammal is deliberately killed. This group will summarize available information from the IWC, AVMA and other agencies, and offer new recommendations where appropriate. The Society’s Board feels that this is a reasonable first step that avoids the normative question of determining when it is ethical to kill marine mammals and when it is not. We believe that that the vast majority of our membership believes that, if a marine mammal is going to be killed, regardless of the reason, it should be done in the most humane way the situation allows. The group will develop a white paper and associated on-line resources over the next year and make these resources available to the Society and general public. The second activity will be a special session on the humane killing of marine mammals, to be held at the upcoming biennial conference in Dunedin, New Zealand Dec 9-13, 2013. The purpose of this panel discussion is NOT to attempt a consensus or agree on a Society position, but instead to educate members with regard to current scientific perspectives on these complex technical, ethical and cultural issues. The special session will have the following basic structure: (1) an independent facilitator, (2) introductory speaker(s) who will outline the relevant science, and (3) an expert panel with the capacity to represent a diversity of viewpoints on the issue in answers to questions provided by the Society’s membership. Members of the Society will are invited to submit questions/comments online one month prior to the meeting via the Member Area of the website. The questions will be visible to the entire membership on the Society web site for transparency's sake. The working group organizing the session will select a set of the questions that encompass the aspects of the issue. The expert panel will then discuss the questions. Sir Geoffrey Palmer will facilitate for this special session. Sir Geoffrey is a former Prime Minister of New Zealand and was the New Zealand delegate to the IWC for several years, experience that makes him outstandingly well qualified for the role. The panel currently consists of 5 members: Dr. Nick Gales (Australian Antarctic Division), Dr. Diana Reiss (Hunter College, CUNY), Dr. Paul Jepson (Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London), and Dr. James Kirkwood (Universities Federation for Animal Welfare). We hope you will be able to attend the special session and contribute to the dialog by submitting your questions or comments. You can submit here: http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl… You must be a member of the Society to submit. If you have any questions please send them to smmethics(a)gmail.com

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New report: movements and spatial use of Hawaiian odontocetes
by Robin Baird 10 Nov '13

10 Nov '13

New report available: Baird, R.W., D.L. Webster, S.D. Mahaffy, G.S. Schorr, J.M. Aschettino, and A.M. Gorgone. 2013. Movements and spatial use of odontocetes in the western main Hawaiian Islands: results of a three-year study off O'ahu and Kaua'i. Final report under Grant No. N00244-10-1-0048 from the Naval Postgraduate School. A long-term assessment of odontocete populations throughout the main Hawaiian Islands has involved small-boat surveys using photo-identification, genetic sampling and satellite tagging, to address questions related to population structure and habitat use, among others. Prior to 2010 we had undertaken limited field operations off O'ahu (in 2002 and 2003), and off of Kaua'i (in 2003, 2005 and 2008). Navy training activities may take place throughout the Hawai'i Range Complex, however many of the training exercises are undertaken in the western main Hawaiian Islands, in particular at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) off Kaua'i and Ni'ihau. As part of an effort to reduce uncertainty regarding the population structure, range, and abundance of odontocetes in the western main Hawaiian Islands, to help inform Navy impact assessments, we undertook small-boat based research efforts off O'ahu (in 2010) and off Kaua'i (in 2011 and 2012). These efforts utilized a variety of field methods to obtain data sets relevant to assessing these population characteristics, including photo-identification, collection of biopsy samples for genetic studies, and satellite tagging. Over the three years of the project surveys were undertaken on 66 days (406 hours), covering 6,559 km. Overall there were 191 odontocete sightings, 183 of which were identified to species. Off O'ahu there were 30 sightings of 10 species, while off Kaua'i and Ni'ihau there were 153 sightings of eight species. One hundred and two biopsy samples were collected from seven different species for genetics and toxicology studies. Thirty satellite tags were deployed on five species: pygmy killer whales, false killer whales, bottlenose dolphins, rough-toothed dolphins, and short-finned pilot whales. For all five species, tag data indicate that there are island-associated populations. Our efforts substantially increased what is known about the movements and habitat use of these five species of odontocetes in the western main Hawaiian Islands. The report can be downloaded from http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/hawaii/Bairdetal_NPS_final_report.pdf Robin =============================================================================== Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Research Biologist Cascadia Research Collective 218 1/2 W. 4th Avenue Olympia, WA 98501 USA Follow us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cascadia-Research-Collective/110495958982184> http://www.cascadiaresearch.org<http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/>

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Recent paper on new feeding ground for Fin Whale in the Mediterranean
by Ceto News 10 Nov '13

10 Nov '13

Hello everyone, the following paper was recently published: Exploring thermal and trophic preference of Balaenoptera physalus in the central Tyrrhenian Sea: a new summer feeding ground?.Arcangeli, A., Orasi, A., Carcassi, S. P., & Crosti, R. (2013).Marine Biology(DOI) 10.1007/s00227-013-2348-8 Abstract In the 1990s, the central Tyrrhenian Sea was regarded as a transit region for fin whales’ (Balaenoptera physalus) summer migration. In recent years, a much higher presence of fin whales during the entire summer season was reported in the region. The hypothesis that the central Tyrrhenian Sea may have become a summer feeding ground was tested gathering data from summer presence of whales in the region (40–42.5°N; 9–13°E) and investigating whether it might be related to sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration, considered as proxies of food availability. Results showed that whales always aggregate in the more productive portions of the investigated area; the general productivity of the area, however, did not directly influence the frequency of occurrence of whales. We concluded that the complex dynamics of the balance between feeding activities and avoiding pressures may have led fin whales to use the region as an opportunistic feeding ground. The final publication is available at link.springer.com. It is fully accessible to all users at libraries and institutions that have purchased a SpringerLink license at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00227-013-2348-8or you can ask to the correspondence author: antonella.arcangeli(a)isprambiente.it

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