March 2015 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New paper on the potential use of fluoride as ecological tracer in fin whale populations
by Morgana Vighi 05 Mar '15

05 Mar '15

Dear MARMAMers, We are pleased to announce that the following paper has been published online: Morgana Vighi, I. García-Nisa, A. Borrell, A. Aguilar The fin whale, a marine top consumer, exposes strengths and weaknesses of the use of fluoride as ecological tracer AbstractFluoride is retained in bone tissues of animals and its availability in the environment varies between regions according to natural and anthropogenic sources. These properties suggest this element as a suitable tracer of origin, distribution or movements of animals. In marine environments, krill builds-up fluoride concentrations that are transferred to its predators. In this study we examine the ability of bone fluoride concentrations to discriminate two separate populations of a krill consumer, the fin whale. Background levels of the sampling areas (Western Iceland and North-Western Spain) were determined through the analysis of krill samples. As expected, due to the high load of volcanic-derived fluoride in Icelandic waters, krill from W Iceland showed much higher fluoride concentrations than that from NW Spain. Concentrations in whales’ bone were correlated with sex and age, increasing linearly with age in females and showing significantly lower values and a different age-related pattern of accumulation in males. Fluoride concentrations in whales’ bone were much higher than in krill, indicating accumulation of the element but, rather unexpectedly, the area of origin had no influence on concentrations. This apparent contradiction may be explained either by the integration in bone of food consumed in other areas, or by the activation of homeostatic responses at very high levels of fluoride exposure. It is concluded that fluoride can be a useful tracer only if age and sex data are integrated into the analysis, year-round information on diet is available and/or the investigated population is exposed to mild levels of this element. PDF copy of the work will be available for free downloaded until April 23, 2015, from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653515001253# For any questions do not hesitate to contact me at: morgana.vighi(a)gmail.com Best regards, Morgana Vighi -- Morgana Vighi University of Barcelona Departamento de Biologia Animal Avenida Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona +34 633656763 +39 3388269806

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REQUEST FOR ARTICLES - SIRENEWS
by Cynthia Taylor 05 Mar '15

05 Mar '15

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 APRIL 1, 2015. Please submit articles to <mailto:ctaylor@sea2shore.org> 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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New paper: seal activity budgets
by Debbie Russell 05 Mar '15

05 Mar '15

Dear all We have a paper in early view online in Oikos http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/oik.01810/abstract Russell, DJF , McClintock, BT , Matthiopoulos, J , Thompson, P , Thompson, D , Hammond, PS , Jones, EL , MacKenzie, M, Moss, S & McConnell, BJ. Intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of activity budgets in sympatric grey and harbour seals Investigation of activity budgets in relation to seasonal, intrinsic (age, sex) and extrinsic (time of day, spatial) covariates enables an understanding of how such covariates shape behavioural strategies. However, conducting such investigations in the wild is challenging, because of the required large sample size of individuals across the annual cycle, and difficulties in categorising behavioural states and analysing the resulting individual-referenced and serially correlated data. In this study, from telemetry tags deployed on 63 grey seals *Halichoerus grypus* and 126 harbour seals *Phoca vitulina* we used behavioural data, and movement data within a Bayesian state–space model (SSM), to define population-level activity budgets around Britain. Using generalised estimating equations (GEEs) we then examined how time spent in four states (resting on land (hauled out), resting at sea, foraging and travelling) was influenced by seasonal, intrinsic and extrinsic covariates. We present and discuss the following key findings. 1) We found no evidence that regional variation in foraging effort was linked to regional population trajectories in harbour seals. 2) Grey seals demonstrated sex-specific seasonal differences in their activity budgets, independent from those related to reproductive costs. 3) In these sympatric species there was evidence of temporal separation in time hauled out, but not in time foraging. 4) In both species, time spent resting at sea was separated into inshore (associated with tidal haul out availability) and offshore areas. Time spent resting at sea and on land was interchangeable to some extent, suggesting a degree of overlap in their functionality. This may result in a relaxation of the constraints associated with a central place foraging strategy. More generally, we demonstrate how a large dataset, incorporating differing tag parameters, can be analysed to define activity budgets and subsequently address important ecological questions. Please contact me for any more information. Best wishes Debbie -- *********************************************** Dr Debbie Russell Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM) Office: +44 (0)1334 467281 Wednesdays: +44 (0)1334 461808 Postal address: SMRU Gatty Marine Laboratory University of St Andrews St Andrews Fife KY16 8LB UK Twitter: @DjfRussell @SMRU_StAndrews *********************************************** The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland : No SC013532

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New paper on global whaling totals
by Phillip Clapham - NOAA Federal 04 Mar '15

04 Mar '15

The following was just published online: Rocha, R.C., Clapham, P.J. & Ivashchenko, Y.V. 2014. Emptying the oceans: a summary of industrial whaling catches in the 20th century. Marine Fisheries Review 76(4): 37-48. ABSTRACT: Late 19th century technological advances for capturing whales, when combined with the expansion of processing capabilities in the early 20th century, created an industry that could catch and quickly render virtually any whale in any ocean. Here, using the current International Whaling Commission (IWC) database and other sources, we provide the first accounting of the total global catch by industrial whaling operations in the 20th century. In sum, we estimate that nearly 2.9 million large whales were killed and processed during the period 1900-1999. Of this total, 276,442 were killed in the North Atlantic, 563,696 in the North Pacific, and 2,053,956 in the Southern Hemisphere. The years 1925 – 1939 in the Southern Hemisphere and 1946 – 1975 in both hemispheres saw the highest totals of whales killed. For the entire 20th century, the largest catches were of fin, *Balaenoptera physalus*, and sperm whales, *Physeter macrocephalus*, with 874,068 and 761,523 taken, respectively; these comprised more than half the total of all large whales taken. As has been noted in other publications, as one species began to decline, another was sought and hunted to take its place. In addition to reported catches, it is now known that the USSR conducted illegal whaling for more than 30 years. The true Soviet catch totals for the Southern Hemisphere were corrected some years ago, and a more recent assessment of the actual number of whales killed by Soviet factory fleet ships in the North Pacific between 1948 and 1979 has provided us with more accurate numbers with which to calculate the overall global catch. The estimate for the total global catch by the USSR is 534,204 whales, of which 178,811 were not reported to the IWC. The paper is open access and available for free at: http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/mfr764/mfr7643.pdf Phil Clapham -- Phillip J. Clapham, Ph.D. Leader, Cetacean Assessment and Ecology Program National Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle, WA 98115, USA tel 206 526 4037 fax 206 526 6615 email phillip.clapham(a)noaa.gov

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ACCOBAMS Training Course in Cetacean Conservation in Malta (16-20 March 2015)
by Accobams 04 Mar '15

04 Mar '15

ACCOBAMS Training Course in Cetacean Conservation in Malta (16-20 March 2015) The Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area ( <http://www.accobams.org/> ACCOBAMS) will implement, thanks to a Voluntary contribution from Monaco, a training course in cetacean conservation in Malta, from 16 to 20 March 2015. The ACCOBAMS training course in cetacean conservation covers the following topics: * Species of Cetaceans (identification, anatomy, physiology, adaptation and parasitology) * Threats to Cetaceans (interaction, pollution, collisions and noise) * Study Skills (observation/ rating population, photo-identification and passive acoustics) * Legal and Legislative Framework on the Conservation of Cetaceans Lectures will be delivered by ACCOBAMS experts and marine biologists. The training course in the conservation of cetaceans has already been provided in French to more than 300 University students in five ACCOBAMS Parties. Students should have a prior knowledge of biology and/or environmental conservation in order to be able to follow this Unit. The Unit consists of 28 lecturing hours spread over 5 days from the 16-20 March. The course shall be assessed through a written assignment at the end of the course. The course programme can be found <https://www.um.edu.mt/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/238504/LAS3002_Programme.…> here and the full course description can be found <http://www.um.edu.mt/clas/studyunit/las3002> here. To apply, fill in the online form by clicking <https://www.um.edu.mt/clas/regformlas3002> here. Deadline for applying is Monday 9 March. The course fee is €50. Late applications will be received until 12 March with a €20 late application fee. This Unit will be accredited by the Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences and will be considered as part of the Programme in the Liberal Arts and Sciences (PLAS). The 4 ECTS credits obtained for this Unit will be valid towards a PLAS award. Unit Coordinator: Ms Carmen Mifsud (Marine Biologist) Co-lecturers: Dr Léa David (Marine Conservation Biologist; Member, ACCOBAMS Scientific Committee) Dr Sandro Mazzariol (Researcher, University of Padua; Veterinary Expert in Cetaceans) Dr Chedly Rais (Expert in Conservation, ACCOBAMS) Prof. Tullio Scovazzi (Professor of International Law, Univ. of Milano-Bicocca; Legal expert, ACCOBAMS) Dr Adriana Vella (Senior Lecturer, Dept of Biology, UoM; Chair, Scientific Committee, 29th ECS Conference; ACCOBAMS Partner) The ACCOBAMS teaching module will be implemented in Malta also in collaboration with BICREF's and CBRG-UoM. Please do not hesitate to contact the ACCOBAMS Secretariat ( <mailto:msalivas@accobams.net> msalivas(a)accobams.net) should you need more information. The ACCOBAMS Permanent Secretariat Maÿlis SALIVAS Scientific Officer Jardin de l’UNESCO Terrasses de Fontvieille 98000 Monaco msalivas(a)accobams.net <mailto:msalivas@accobams.net> Tel : +377 9898 4275 Fax : +377 9898 4208 <http://www.accobams.org> www.accobams.org

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JOB OPPORTUNITY FOR A FRENCH SPEAKING ON-BOARD NATURALIST FOR ELDING WHALE WATCHING REYKJAVIK, ICELAND SUMMER 2015.
by Megan Wittaker 04 Mar '15

04 Mar '15

JOB OPPORTUNITY FOR A FRENCH SPEAKING ON-BOARD NATURALIST FOR ELDING WHALE WATCHING REYKJAVIK, ICELAND SUMMER 2015. Elding Whale Watching Reykjavik is a family owned company established in 2000. We are the original operator in Reykjavik, abide by IceWhale guidelines as well as integrating our own and are the first environmentally certified whale-watching company in Iceland. We work together with IFAW, and every year we attend WhaleFest in the UK and are listed by Planet Whale. Elding also provides a platform for marine biologists to study the cetaceans we encounter on our tours to help build our knowledge and understanding. For further information please visit our website at www.elding.is . Elding is looking for full-time whale watching naturalists for the summer season in 2015 and maybe longer if all works out for both parties. We are looking for those that are fluent in English (main language spoken in on tours) and French. All applicants must be National Residents of Iceland, have appropriate Working Visas or have a passport from an EEA country. PLEASE DO NOT APPLY IF YOU ARE NOT FLUENT IN FRENCH. Duration: The position will start on May 1 st (maybe earlier) until 31 st September. Shifts work on a 2-2-3 schedule (two days on, two off etc. and you have three day off every other weekend, Fri-Sun). Flexibility is required in this employment due to the unpredictability of passenger numbers each day. We may need to call you on scheduled days off to work. We ask that any long holidays, 6 days or more, can be done before you start or after you finish but we usually can arrange an extra day or two extension on your weekend off once or twice during your working season. Salary will be discussed at a later date but looking at about 290,000ISK/month. Employment Duties * Narrating clearly and fluently to passengers the biology, conservation and ecology of the marine life found in Faxafloi Bay and other areas around Iceland. * Adapting the narration to the passengers, environment and behaviour of the animals. * Spotting wildlife for passengers * Cleaning – Cleaning – the main cleaning is done at the end of the day or when cancelled due to bad weather and yes it also means cleaning up vomit and toilets. * Looking after the welfare and security of passengers onboard. * Bar work – Each vessel has a bar where light refreshments are sold * Hospitality – this is done both onboard and in the office when needed * Other work/tasks – i.e. selling tickets, distributing brochures, answering the phone, translating documents etc… Important skills/qualifications * A strong interest and education in marine science specifically cetaceans and marine birds * A good knowledge of conservation issues related to marine life * Confidence to narrate and interacted with large groups of the public * Must be a quick learner, adaptive, a very good SENSE OF HUMOUR, hard working, outgoing and generally a very positive person (finding beauty in the little things) * Be able to work calmly and politely under pressure and sometimes in stressful situations. * Must have experience on boats preferably of boats above 17m and not acceptable to seasickness easily * Good spotting skills * Maritime safety and First Aid Certified is an advantage but not necessary. * Photography skills are desirable * Willingness to work long hours outdoors in sometimes unfavorable weathers i.e strong winds, snow, hail, rain etc. * A Team Player - no job is too small or too big for any of our staff members. * Physically fit - there may be some heavy lifting. i.e. moving cases of drinks or working with heavy ropes, being on your feet for most the day. We are also looking for guides that would like to be involved in the research voluntarily through the summer. Taking data on the occasional Sunday and involved with the photo Identification. How to apply: Please email your cv, covering letter in English specifying any relevant experience you may have with the contact details of two referees to Megan Whittaker ( megan(a)elding.is ). Deadline for applications is no later than 20th March and those that are successful will be contacted no later than the end of March for a formal interview. Megan Whittaker Head Guide Elding Whale Watching Ægisgarður 5, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland Tel. (+354) 519 5090 Elding Whale Watching Elding Viðey Tours Tel: ( +354) 519 5000 elding(a)elding.is www.elding.is / www.videy.com Add us on Facebook Elding Whale Watching Reykjavík Follow us on Twitter: EldingWhale Check our Videos on YouTube: Reykjavik Activities Elding is EarthCheck Certified and our boats carry the Blue Flag. In 2008 we received the Environmental Award of the Icelandic Tourist Board and in 2012 we received VAKINN EnviroGold and Endorsed Travel Service by the Icelandic Tourist Board. - check out our environmental policy Please think of the environment; please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to.

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Research Assistants needed at SWMRP in Bunbury, Western Australia
by John Symons 03 Mar '15

03 Mar '15

Program: The South West Marine Research program is a long-term, multi-faceted project on the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins of South West Australia. This program is based in Bunbury (south of Perth) and is a collaboration between Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit (www.mucru.org<http://www.mucru.org/>) and numerous industry and non-profit partners. The research focuses on dolphin population dynamics, abundance, social structure and behaviour, habitat use, conservation genetics, effects of human activity and foraging ecology. http://mucru.org/our-research/research-projects/south-west-marine-research-… Position: Here, I am specifically seeking research volunteers to assist with data collection and processing. Long-term data will be used to investigate effects of human activity on the population of bottlenose dolphin in this area, in order to aid in future conservation and management efforts. Fieldwork is conducted from Busselton to Binningup within a 540 km2 area consisting of coastal beaches, inshore bays, estuarine inlets and a river. Using a rigid sampling design, this research is conducted year round via standardised line transect surveys (up to 5 nm offshore) from a small research vessel. For further information on the boat-based photo-identification procedure, see the following open-access publication: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0076574 Additionally, land based data collection of vessel usage within the study area is conducted using distance sampling methods from a land based station in Bunbury. This experience will be most useful to students or anyone hoping to pursue a career in behavioural ecology, population biology, marine conservation or marine science. Office: Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit, South West Marine Research Program office is based at the Dolphin Discovery Center in Bunbury. http://dolphindiscovery.com.au/ Duties: Field: spotting wildlife, data collection, boat driving, photo identification. Office: Data entry, fin matching, project organisation. Land based: Use of binoculars with bearing and reticles for distance sampling of vessel traffic within the study area. Computer programs used for data are: FinBase, ACDSee, Logger, Microsoft Access, Excel, and Word. Assistants should: Be adaptable, patient, and enthusiastic as fieldwork is highly weather dependent. Fieldwork will vary between weekdays and weekends. When the weather permits fieldwork could be long and on consecutive days. Land based components of the research may be conducted in poor weather conditions including wind and rain. Due to the training required, applicants must be willing to the project full-time for a minimum of two months. Applicants willing to participate for an extended duration will be given preference. Preferred skills/traits: 1. Enrolled in or completed a degree in biology, marine science, animal behaviour or a related field. 2. Previous field experience with wildlife (field data collection, photo-identification, boat handling skills). 3. Be enthusiastic, team oriented and have a positive attitude as well as a genuine interest in wildlife science. 4. No history of debilitating seasickness. Time Period: Seeking skilled research assistants for periods beginning in August 2015 through January 2015 with a commitment greater than 2 months preferred. I have one position on the team available from April 2015. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide monetary compensation or living provisions and research assistants will be responsible for their own travel to Western Australia and living expenses. Please note that the Bunbury backpackers provide good discounts for assistants of the Dolphin Discovery Center. If you are interested in volunteering or interning, please provide a cover letter including your time of availability, a short CV and contact information for at least 2 references to the attention of John Symons (J.Symons(a)murdoch.edu.au<mailto:J.Symons@murdoch.edu.au>). Short-listed candidates will be contacted to schedule an interview. John Symons PhD Candidate Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit School of Veterinary and Life Sciences Murdoch University South Street Murdoch WA 6150 Australia

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CMS Dugong MOU Secretariat - Contact List Information Request
by Corallie Hunt 02 Mar '15

02 Mar '15

CMS Dugong MOU Secretariat Contact List Information Request To ensure accurate and effective network communications, the CMS Dugong MOU Secretariat is updating its contact list and is seeking assistance to revise and add to our existing information. To aid us in this task, we would appreciate if you could complete the form below as fully as possible if you are, or have been, actively engaged in dugong or seagrass-specific projects between 2013 to current. This information will assist us in our efforts to facilitate and coordinate the conservation of dugongs (and seagrass ecosystems) across their range. Please return the completed form to the Dugong MOU Secretariat, CMS Office Abu Dhabi at: CmsOffice.ae(a)cms.int<mailto:CmsOffice.ae@cms.int> With thanks, Dr Donna Kwan Programme Officer - Dugongs Dugong MOU Secretariat CMS Office Abu Dhabi Contact Information Form By submitting this form, I agree to the CMS Dugong MOU Secretariat adding the following information to their contact list. Signature: ____________________________________ Contact Name: Position: Organisation Name: Country: Organisation Type: (E.g. NGO, CBO, Government Dept. etc.) Email Address: Physical Address: Contact Number: Interest: (E.g. monitoring, research, conservation, ecosystem services) Project Details: (Please provide a short summary of any dugong or seagrass-specific projects undertaken) Funding Details: (Please provide some details about the size of the project/s and source/s of funding) Additional Information: [cid:image001.png@01D054FE.FDFA4C90] [cid:image002.png@01D054FE.FDFA4C90] Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs and their Habitats throughout their Range [cid:image003.jpg@01D054FE.FDFA4C90] UNEP/CMS Office - Abu Dhabi * c/o Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi PO Box 45553 United Arab Emirates T + 971 2 6934 305 F +971 2 4997 252 * CmsOffice.ae(a)cms.int<mailto:CmsOffice.ae@cms.int> * www.cms.int/species/raptors<http://www.cms.int/species/raptors> * www.cms.int/species/dugong<http://www.cms.int/species/dugong>

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Sound Analysis Workshop, March 30th to April 3rd, 2015
by Liz D. Rowland 02 Mar '15

02 Mar '15

The Bioacoustics Research Program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA will be running a 5-day Sound Analysis Workshop between March 30th and April 3rd, 2015. The maximum number of participants is 11 and we have one seat available due to a cancellation. For information on the workshop, see http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp/workshop (the details are on the pdf, see link at the bottom of the website). This will be the 20th session we have run, and nearly 200 people have attended from around the world. There are no eligibility criteria, but we do ask interested people to fill in a survey form before we accept them to check that the workshop will meet their needs. The fee is $1400 for a non-student and $1050 for a registered student. If you're interested, please contact Liz Rowland, edr6(a)cornell.edu<mailto:edr6@cornell.edu>. First come, first served!

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Paper in Print: Vessel strike mortalities to large whales
by Julie van der Hoop 02 Mar '15

02 Mar '15

We are pleased to announce the following paper has now been published *in print*, and *online open access* <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/conl.12105/abstract> in Conservation Letters. This paper is relevant to the *new proposed critical habitat to North Atlantic right whales in US waters* <http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/stories/2015/february/RightWh…>. van der Hoop, J. M., Vanderlaan, A. S. M., Cole, T. V. N., Henry, A. G., Hall, L., Mase-Guthrie, B., Wimmer, T. and Moore, M. J. (2015), Vessel Strikes to Large Whales Before and After the 2008 Ship Strike Rule. Conservation Letters, 8: 24--32. doi: 10.1111/conl.12105 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/conl.12105/abstract To determine effectiveness of Seasonal Management Areas (SMAs), introduced in 2008 on the U.S. East Coast to reduce lethal vessel strikes to North Atlantic right whales, we analyzed observed large whale mortality events from 1990--2012 in the geographic region of the "Ship Strike Rule" to identify changes in frequency, spatial distribution, and spatiotemporal interaction since implementation. Though not directly coincident with SMA implementation, right whale vessel-strike mortalities significantly declined from 2.0 (2000--2006) to 0.33 per year (2007--2012). Large whale vessel-strike mortalities have decreased inside active SMAs, and increased outside inactive SMAs. We detected no significant spatiotemporal interaction in the 4-year pre- or post-Rule periods, although a longer time series is needed to detect these changes. As designed, SMAs encompass only 36% of historical right whale vessel-strike mortalities, and 32% are outside managed space but within managed timeframes. We suggest increasing spatial coverage to improve the Rule's effectiveness. ---------------------------------------------------------- Julie van der Hoop PhD Candidate MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography Woods Hole MA 02543 http://www.whoi.edu/profile/jvanderhoop/

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