April 2014 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New publication on the humpback whale skin microbiome
by Amy Apprill 04 Apr '14

04 Apr '14

Dear colleagues, I am pleased to share our recent open-access publication on the humpback whale skin microbiome: Apprill A, Robbins J, Eren, AM, Pack AA, Reveillaud J, Mattila D, Moore M, Niemeyer M, Moore KMT, Mincer TJ. 2014. Humpback whale populations share a core skin bacterial community: towards a health index for marine mammals? PLOS ONE, e90785. open access: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0090785 Abstract: Microbes are now well regarded for their important role in mammalian health. The microbiology of skin -- a unique interface between the host and environment - is a major research focus in human health and skin disorders, but is less explored in other mammals. Here, we report on a cross-population study of the skin-associated bacterial community of humpback whales (/Megaptera novaeangliae/), and examine the potential for a core bacterial community and its variability with host (endogenous) or geographic/environmental (exogenous) specific factors. Skin biopsies or freshly sloughed skin from 56 individuals were sampled from populations in the North Atlantic, North Pacific and South Pacific oceans and bacteria were characterized using 454 pyrosequencing of SSU rRNA genes. Phylogenetic and statistical analyses revealed the ubiquity and abundance of bacteria belonging to the /Flavobacteria/ genus /Tenacibaculum/ and the /Gammaproteobacteria/ genus /Psychrobacter/ across the whale populations. Scanning electron microscopy of skin indicated that microbial cells colonize the skin surface. Despite the ubiquity of /Tenacibaculum/ and /Psychrobater/ spp., the relative composition of the skin-bacterial community differed significantly by geographic area as well as metabolic state of the animals (feeding versus starving during migration and breeding), suggesting that both exogenous and endogenous factors may play a role in influencing the skin-bacteria. Further, characteristics of the skin bacterial community from these free-swimming individuals were assembled and compared to two entangled and three dead individuals, revealing a decrease in the central or core bacterial community members (/Tenacibaculum/ and /Psychrobater/ spp.), as well as the emergence of potential pathogens in the latter cases. This is the first discovery of a cross-population, shared skin bacterial community. This research suggests that the skin bacteria may be connected to humpback health and immunity and could possibly serve as a useful index for health and skin disorder monitoring of threatened and endangered marine mammals. Kind regards, Amy Amy Apprill Assistant Scientist Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 266 Woods Hole Rd, Woods Hole MA 02543 508-289-2649

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Reminder: Upcomming PAMTech courses
by Jamie Macaulay 04 Apr '14

04 Apr '14

Hi Everyone Just a reminder that the Introduction and Practical PAM courses are taking place on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th May on the beautiful Isle of Mull, Scotland. The intro course <http://pamtech.eu/introduction-to-pamguard/4572298308>(Friday 2nd May) introduces participants to PAMGUARD, a leading open source software suite for passive acoustics. The one day course intends to provide a basic foundation in passive acoustic software allowing participants to then gain experience as PAM operators under supervision or go on to our practical and/or advanced courses. The practical course <http://pamtech.eu/practical-pamguard/4573095717> (3rd and 4th May) runs over two days. On the first day (classroom based) we will be introducing participants to more advanced aspects of PAMGUARD e.g. setting up your own settings files, using more complex hydrophone arrays and integrating with hardware.The second day will be spent at sea on Silurian, a research vessel used in some of the most cutting edge PAM research in the UK. On board you will learn how to use a modern PAM setup, deal with common problems and hopefully detect some real porpoises and/or dolphins. Getting to Mull is not as hard as it might seem. Take the train to Glasgow and then Oban and grab a ferry. You can then take a bus to Tobermory. There are still spaces available and you can book here<http://pamtech.eu/pam-courses/4572112117> . Please get in touch if you'd like any more information about these, or the other courses that we run, or have a look at our website (pamtech.eu) Cheers The PAMTech Team

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New Review about anthropogenic and naturally-produced brominated compounds in cetaceans
by Mariana Alonso 03 Apr '14

03 Apr '14

Dear all, I am pleased to announce our new publication: Mariana B. Alonso, Alexandre Azevedo, João Paulo M. Torres, Paulo R. Dorneles, Ethel Eljarrat, Damià Barceló, José Lailson-Brito Jr. and Olaf Malm (2014) *"**Anthropogenic (PBDE) and naturally-produced (MeO-PBDE) brominated **compounds in cetaceans **-- **A review"* *Science of the Total Environment 481: 619-634 * ABSTRACT: This paper reviews the available data on brominated flame retardants, the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), as well as on the naturally-produced methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) in cetacean tissues around the world. Levels and possible sources of both compound classes are discussed. Odontocete cetaceans accumulate higher PBDE concentrations than mysticete species. PBDE contamination was higher in cetaceans from the Northern hemisphere, whereas MeO-PBDE levels were higher in animals from the Southern hemisphere. Southern resident killer whales from NE Pacific presented the highest levels reported in biota, followed by bottlenose dolphins from North Atlantic (U.K. and U.S. coast). Many species presented PBDE concentrations above threshold levels for health effects in odontocetes. Time trend studies indicate that PBDE concentrations in odontocetes from Japan, China, U.S. and Canada coastal zones have increased significantly over the past 30 years. Studies from U.K. waters and NE Atlantic showed a decrease and/or stability of PBDE levels in cetacean tissues in recent decades. The highest MeO-PBDE concentrations were found in dolphins from Tanzania (Indian Ocean), bottlenose dolphins from Queensland, Australia (SW Pacific), and odontocetes from coastal and continental shelf waters off southeastern Brazil (SW Atlantic). The upwelling phenomenon and the presence of coral reef complexes in these tropical oceans may explain the large amounts of the naturally-produced organobromines. Considering that these bioaccumulative chemicals have properties that could cause many deleterious effects in those animals, future studies are required to evaluate the potential ecotoxicological risks. The full text and pdf is available from: *http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969714001843 <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969714001843>* For any questions or pdf requests please email: *alonso.mb(a)gmail.com <alonso.mb(a)gmail.com>* Best wishes, Mariana *..............................................* *Mariana Batha Alonso, PhD * Postdoctoral Research Fellow Southern California Coastal Water Research Project 3535 Harbor Blvd. Suite 110 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 USA Phone: +1 714 624 9377 skype: mariana.batha.alonso Biophysics Institute (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Aquatic Mammal and Bioindicator Lab (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Bioacoustics Internship at USCB - Summer 2014
by MONTIE, ERIC 03 Apr '14

03 Apr '14

Dear Colleagues, Please see the announcement below for an internship in marine bioacoustics during summer 2014. Sincerely, Dr. Eric Montie Eric W. Montie Assistant Professor of Biology Department of Natural Sciences University of South Carolina Beaufort One University Boulevard Bluffton, SC 29909 Office Phone: (843) 208-8107 Fax: (843) 208-8294 Email: emontie(a)uscb.edu Bioacoustics Internship Organization: Marine Sensory and Neurobiology Lab, Department of Natural Sciences, University of South Carolina Beaufort, Bluffton, South Carolina Salary: Unpaid Internship. Applicant is responsible for securing housing in the area. Position Information: Part or Full time (20-40 hrs per week); Monday through Friday; Flexible hours. Position is from June 1st-September 1st. Applicant must be available for 3 months; however position can be extended, and the start date is flexible. Location: This position is located at the University of South Carolina Beaufort at the Bluffton campus. Bluffton, SC is located only 20 minutes from Hilton Head Island, SC. The campus is 10 minutes from the May River and 15 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean. About Our Lab: Our research lab strives to understand the sensory and neurobiology of marine organisms. Specifically, we are interested in brain architecture, hearing of fish and marine mammals, and acoustic communication of aquatic vertebrates. The more applied part of our research program focuses on studies that investigate how natural and man-made stressors impact the brain, hearing, and acoustic communication. These stressors include man-made chemicals, harmful algal blooms, noise pollution, and climate change. We use techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging, auditory evoked potentials, and passive acoustics using long-term monitoring devices. This research involves work on biomedical models such as zebrafish, as well as wild marine organisms like spotted seatrout, red drum, and bottlenose dolphins. Duties Include: (1) Sound production studies with fish and bottlenose dolphins (mostly fish). (2) Maintenance of water quality sensors in the May River. (3) Zebrafish husbandry and breeding The internship will focus on analyzing and interpreting previously collected acoustic data using our DSG-Ocean Recorders. There will be some opportunities for field work, consisting primarily of equipment maintenance. Qualifications: Experience with Adobe Audition, Excel, and MATLAB preferred, but not required. The internship is designed for undergraduates who are interested in gaining experience in marine bioacoustics. Undergraduates should have at least one full academic year completed. Good organizational skills are a necessity. How to Apply: Please email a C.V. and two reference letters with contact information to Dr. Eric Montie (emontie(a)uscb.edu) and Alishia Zyer (zyer(a)uscb.edu) Both parties must be notified via email. If you have questions concerning the position, please email or phone (843) 208-8107.

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New paper: δ15N Value Does Not Reflect Fasting in Mysticetes.
by Joan Giménez Verdugo 03 Apr '14

03 Apr '14

We are pleased to announce the publication of the paper: Aguilar A, Giménez J, Gómez–Campos E, Cardona L, Borrell A (2014) δ15N Value Does Not Reflect Fasting in Mysticetes. PLoS ONE 9(3): e92288. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092288 Abstract: The finding that tissue δ15N values increase with protein catabolism has led researchers to apply this value to gauge nutritive condition in vertebrates. However, its application to marine mammals has in most occasions failed. We investigated the relationship between δ15N values and the fattening/fasting cycle in a model species, the fin whale, a migratory capital breeder that experiences severe seasonal variation in body condition. We analyzed two tissues providing complementary insights: one with isotopic turnover (muscle) and one that keeps a permanent record of variations in isotopic values (baleen plates). In both tissues δ15N values increased with intensive feeding but decreased with fasting, thus contradicting the pattern previously anticipated. The apparent inconsistency during fasting is explained by the fact that a) individuals migrate between different isotopic isoscapes, b) starvation may not trigger significant negative nitrogen balance, and c) excretion drops and elimination of 15N-depleted urine is minimized. Conversely, when intensive feeding is resumed in the northern grounds, protein anabolism and excretion start again, triggering 15N enrichment. It can be concluded that in whales and other mammals that accrue massive depots of lipids as energetic reserves and which have limited access to drinking water, the δ15N value is not affected by fasting and therefore cannot be used as an indicatior of nutritive condition. A PDF copy of the work can be downloaded from: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0092288 Please do not hesitate to contact us for any question regarding our work. Best regards, Joan Gimenez -- *Joan Giménez Verdugo* PhD Student *Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC)* *Department of Conservation Biology* Avenida Americo Vespucio s/n 41092 Sevilla www.ebd.csic.es Mail: joan.gimenez(a)csic.es Phone: +34619176849

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ECS conference 2014 travel and accomodation
by Thierry Jauniaux 03 Apr '14

03 Apr '14

Dear all, Don't forget to visit the page http://liege.europeancetaceansociety.eu/conference/travel-and-accommodation Tomorrow Friday April 4, there is an unexpected partial public transportation (TEC) strike in Belgium but only for the busses, no impact for the trains If you are arriving by Brussels National Airport that is not a problem as there is a train station underground within the airport, downstair following train station or gare (French). Train is the faster and easier way between Brussels National airport and Liege Then there are automates to obtain train ticket to LUIK (Liege in Dutch, Brussels National airport being in the Dutch part of Belgium). Stop at the main Liege train station: "Gare de Liege Guillemin" From Brussels South Charleroi airport (Ryan air), between the airport and Charleroi train station, there is private shuttle (taxi) and also public bus. I have contacted the public bus company and the line between the airport and the train station is a priority and should not be to much concerned by the strike. At the airport it is possible to buy (automate) combined ticket for the bus to the train station and for the train to Liege (Charleroi in the French speaking part of Belgium). Stop at the main Liege train station: "Gare de Liege Guillemin" The strike is only for Friday and will partial. Regards Thierry Thierry Jauniaux, DMV, PhD, ECS Conference 2014 Liege 5-9 April http://liege.europeancetaceansociety.eu/conference/28th-annual-conference

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New publication: right whaling around New Zealand and east Australia
by Emma Carroll 03 Apr '14

03 Apr '14

Dear All, we are pleased to announce the publication of a new paper on right whaling industry around New Zealand and Australia, published recently in PLoS One: CITATION Carroll EL, Jackson JA, Paton D, Smith TD (2014) Two Intense Decades of 19th Century Whaling Precipitated Rapid Decline of Right Whales around New Zealand and East Australia. PLoS ONE 9(4): e93789. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0093789 ABSTRACT Right whales (Eubalaena spp.) were the focus of worldwide whaling activities from the 16th to the 20th century. During the first part of the 19th century, the southern right whale (E. australis) was heavily exploited on whaling grounds around New Zealand (NZ) and east Australia (EA). Here we build upon previous estimates of the total catch of NZ and EA right whales by improving and combining estimates from four different fisheries. Two fisheries have previously been considered: shore-based whaling in bays and ship-based whaling offshore. These were both improved by comparison with primary sources and the American offshore whaling catch record was improved by using a sample of logbooks to produce a more accurate catch record in terms of location and species composition. Two fisheries had not been previously integrated into the NZ and EA catch series: ship-based whaling in bays and whaling in the 20th century. To investigate the previously unaddressed problem of offshore whalers operating in bays, we identified a subset of vessels likely to be operating in bays and read available extant logbooks. This allowed us to estimate the total likely catch from bay-whaling by offshore whalers from the number of vessels seasons and whales killed per season: it ranged from 2,989 to 4,652 whales. The revised total estimate of 53,000 to 58,000 southern right whales killed is a considerable increase on the previous estimate of 26,000, partly because it applies fishery-specific estimates of struck and loss rates. Over 80% of kills were taken between 1830 and 1849, indicating a brief and intensive fishery that resulted in the commercial extinction of southern right whales in NZ and EA in just two decades. This conforms to the global trend of increasingly intense and destructive southern right whale fisheries over time. OPEN ACCESS LINK http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0093789

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Fwd: New publication - Population genetics of coastal common bottlenose dolphins in Southwestern Atlantic
by Pedro Fruet 02 Apr '14

02 Apr '14

Dear all, We are glad to announce a recent publication in Conservation Genetics: *"Remarkably low genetic diversity and strong population structure in common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from coastal waters of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean". Conservation Genetics. *(DOI) *10.1007/s10592-014-0586-z.* Authors: Pedro F. Fruet; Eduardo R. Secchi; Fábio Daura-Jorge; Els Vermeulen; Paulo A. C. Flores; Paulo César Simões-Lopes; Rodrigo Cézar Genoves; Paula Laporta; Juliana C. Di Tullio; Thales Renato O. Freitas; Luciano Dalla Rosa; Victor Hugo Valiati; Luciano B. Beheregaray; Luciana M. Moller ABSTRACT Knowledge about the ecology of bottlenose dolphins in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean is scarce. Increased by-catch rates over the last decade in coastal waters of southern Brazil have raised concerns about the decline in abundance of local dolphin communities. Lack of relevant data, including information on population structure and connectivity, have hampered an assessment of the conservation status of bottlenose dolphin communities in this region. Here we combined analyses of 16 microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences to investigate genetic diversity, structure and connectivity in 124 biopsy samples collected over six communities of photographically identified coastal bottlenose dolphins in southern Brazil, Uruguay and central Argentina. Levels of nuclear genetic diversity were remarkably low (mean values of allelic diversity and heterozygosity across all loci were 3.6 and 0.21, respectively), a result that possibly reflects the small size of local dolphin communities. On a broad geographical scale, strong and significant genetic differentiation was found between bottlenose dolphins from southern Brazil-Uruguay (SB-U) and Baia San Antonio (BSA), Argentina (AMOVA mtDNA ΦST = 0.43; nuclear FST = 0.46), with negligible contemporary gene flow detected based on Bayesian estimates. On a finer scale, moderate but significant differentiation (AMOVA mtDNA ΦST = 0.29; nuclear FST = 0.13) and asymmetric gene flow was detected between five neighbouring communities in SB-U. Based on the results we propose that BSA and SB-U represent two distinct Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs), and that communities from SB-U comprise five distinct Management Units (MUs). Under this scenario, conservation efforts should prioritize the areas in Southern Brazil where dolphins from three MUs overlap in their home ranges and where by-catch rates are reportedly higher. The article is fully accessible to all users at libraries and institutions that have purchased a SpringerLink license. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10592-014-0586-z<http://www.springer.com/alert/urltracking.do?id=L4703959Me9a0c5Sb0e9055> or PDF of the article can be requested by sending an email to pfruet(a)gmail.com Cheers, Pedro ---------------------------------------------------------------- Pedro F. Fruet Universidade Federal do Rio Grande Museu Oceanográfico Rio Grande, RS, Brasil. email: pfruet(a)gmail.com <pfruet(a)gmail.com.br> www.botosdalagoa.com.br & Molecular Ecology Lab. Flinders University, SA http://molecularecology.flinders.edu.au e-mail: pedro.fruet(a)flinders.edu.au ----------------------------------------------------------------

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18th Annual NWSSMM Meeting Registration and Info
by katrinan＠uvic.ca 02 Apr '14

02 Apr '14

Calling all northwest marine mammalogy students! We are pleased to announce that the 18th annual spring meeting of the Northwest Student Chapter of the Society of Marine Mammalogy (NWSSMM) will take place on the weekend of May 3rd - 4th 2014, at Western Washington University (WWU) in Bellingham, WA. We would like to invite all graduate and undergraduate students in the Pacific Northwest (BC, Yukon, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Northern California and Idaho) doing research on marine mammals to present their work at this conference. The purpose of the meeting is to gather students in a relaxed atmosphere to share research ideas, tribulations, and triumphs. It is an opportunity to meet others across the region, collaborate, and generally have a good time in a supportive and informal setting. **This year we are encouraging those students that are in the planning and proposal stage of their projects to present a poster, and for those researchers with results to give an oral presentation. This will allow each speaker more time to present their work, and provide a chance those in the preparatory stages more time to receive feedback and field questions during the poster sessions. We are also happy to accept guests that are not presenting, but are interested in the research being done in this region. Oral presentations and poster sessions will take place on Saturday May 3rd on the WWU campus. On Sunday May 4th we will be hosting outdoor activities in the Bellingham area. We will be either A) taking a tour of WWU's Shannon Point Marine Center and taking a wildlife-watching trip on one of their research vessels (additional charge of about $20/person), or B) hiking in the beautiful nearby Chuckanut Mountains (no extra charge). Please indicate on the registration survey which activity you would prefer and we will offer the most popular activity. The registration fee for the conference will be $15 USD. This will cover conference materials as well as breakfast, lunch and light snacks on Saturday. That evening we will be hosting a conference dinner at a local restaurant. All attendees are encouraged to attend, but this will not be covered by the registration fee. Free accommodations for the weekend are available with WWU students on a first-come, first-served basis. If you wish to book other accommodations, these arrangements can be made on your own. Registration and abstract submissions for posters and oral presentations are being accepted until April 15th, 2014. Registration will be done via this SurveyMonkey survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/J953HN7 If you have any questions or would like any clarification about the upcoming meeting, please do not hesitate to contact the planning committee via Erin D'Agnese at dagnese(a)students.wwu.edu or Kat Nikolich at nikolik(a)students.wwu.edu. We look forward to seeing you all in Bellingham very soon!

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New paper on agent-based modelling of bottlenose dolphin behavioral dynamics and interactions with tourism
by Enrico Pirotta 02 Apr '14

02 Apr '14

Dear MARMAM colleagues, We are pleased to announce that the following paper has been made available online: Enrico Pirotta, Leslie New, John Harwood, David Lusseau (2014). Activities, motivations and disturbance: An agent-based model of bottlenose dolphin behavioral dynamics and interactions with tourism in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand. Ecological Modelling 282: 44–58. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2014.03.009 ABSTRACT: Agent-based models can be used to simulate spatially-explicit animal behavioral processes and their interactions with human activities. This approach can be applied to predict the potential effects of such activities on animal behavior and individual condition that could lead, in turn, to alterations in vital rates and, ultimately, long-term population change. We developed an agent-based model to describe the effect of interactions with tourism on the behavior of bottlenose dolphins in Doubtful Sound (New Zealand). The model describes the temporal variation of the individuals’ hidden motivational states, the way in which these states interact to determine the activity of groups of dolphins, and the feedback influence of the group’s activity on individual motivations and condition. Moreover, it realistically simulates the movement of dolphin groups in the fiord. The model also includes tour boat behavior, incorporating the way key geographical features attract these boats. In addition to tourism effects, we accounted for the spatial heterogeneity in both dolphin activities and shark predation risk. The final simulation platform generated a realistic representation of the social and behavioral dynamics of the dolphin and boat populations, as well as observed patterns of disturbance. We describe how this tool could be used to ensure effective management of the interactions between anthropogenic factors and bottlenose dolphins in Doubtful Sound, and how it could be adapted to evaluate the effects of human disturbance on other comparable populations. We then fitted the dolphin component of the model to data collected during visual studies of the Doubtful Sound dolphin population between 2000 and 2002 using a Bayesian multi-state modeling framework. However, when the parameter estimates from this fitting process were used in the agent-based model, biologically realistic representations of the population were not generated. Our results suggest that visual data from group follows alone are not sufficient to inform such agent-based models. Information on the spatial structure of the animals’ activities and an appropriate measure of individual condition are also required for successful model parameterization. KEY WORDS: Agent-based model, animal behavior, Bayesian, human disturbance, multi-state model, wildlife tourism A PDF copy of the work can be downloaded from: http://www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S0304380014001537 Please do not hesitate to contact me for any question regarding our work. Best Regards, Enrico Pirotta

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