March 2015 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Marine Scientist opportunity (Virginia Beach, VA)
by Yager, Keegan 20 Mar '15

20 Mar '15

HDR EOC's Virginia Beach, VA office is currently in need of a Marine Scientist focused on Marine Species Monitoring projects worldwide. The ideal candidates will have Project Manager consulting expertise along with an extensive marine science background with specific interests focused on marine mammal abundance, distribution, behavioral responses to stimuli, and/or understanding the effects of underwater sound on marine mammals. This individual must possess excellent communication skills, a demonstrated history of reliability, strong work ethic, solid time management skills, and a demonstrated history of team-oriented performance. This position will assist in a wide range of project management and team support roles with our current clients. The ability to manage multiple projects from conception, planning, budgeting, reporting, and completion is key to succeeding in this role. Anticipated concentration of work assignments would be concentrated on the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Ocean areas. Must be detail oriented to perform work accurately in a team-oriented environment and have the demonstrated ability to direct the work of a variety of scientists; in addition to participating in offshore monitoring activities aboard small boats, aircraft, and large ships. Successful candidates must have a minimum of 3+ years of experience managing scientific research projects focused on marine mammal biology in a consulting or university-related research capacity; ideally this would include a background of direct interface with customers in a combination with Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA) compliance. Knowledge of U.S. Navy training, oil and gas development, construction noise monitoring, or offshore renewable energy activities a plus. Masters Degree or higher in Marine Biology or a related field required. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Demonstrated history of reliability, strong work ethic, solid time management skills are all musts. Travel up to 20% may be required. Applicant's employment is contingent up on their ability to obtain clearance at the 'Secret' level. HDR is an architectural, engineering and consulting firm that excels at complex projects and solving challenges for clients. More than 8,500 professionals, including architects, engineers, consultants, scientists, planners and construction managers, in over 200 locations worldwide, pool their solutions beyond the scope of traditional A/E/C firms. For more information or to apply go to the link below: https://hdr.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=137608 Keegan Yager Regional Recruiter HDR 11 Stanwix St, Suite 800 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 keegan.yager(a)hdrinc.com hdrinc.com/follow-us<http://hdrinc.com/follow-us>

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Diet Estimation Paper
by Bromaghin, Jeffrey 20 Mar '15

20 Mar '15

Dear colleagues, I am pleased to announce the publication of research investigating the performance of diet estimators based on quantitative fatty acid signature analysis (QFASA), a method that has been widely utilized for marine species. Citation: Bromaghin, J. F., K. D. Rode, S. M. Budge, and G. W. Thiemann. 2015. Distance measures and optimization spaces in quantitative fatty acid signature analysis. Ecology and Evolution 5(6):1249-1262. Abstract: Quantitative fatty acid signature analysis has become an important method of diet estimation in ecology, especially marine ecology. Controlled feeding trials to validate the method and estimate the calibration coefficients necessary to account for differential metabolism of individual fatty acids have been conducted with several species from diverse taxa. However, research into potential refinements of the estimation method has been limited. We compared the performance of the original method of estimating diet composition with that of five variants based on different combinations of distance measures and calibration-coefficient transformations between prey and predator fatty acid signature spaces. Fatty acid signatures of pseudopredators were constructed using known diet mixtures of two prey data sets previously used to estimate the diets of polar bears *Ursus maritimus* and gray seals *Halichoerus grypus*, and their diets were then estimated using all six variants. In addition, previously published diets of Chukchi Sea polar bears were re-estimated using all six methods. Our findings reveal that the selection of an estimation method can meaningfully influence estimates of diet composition. Among the pseudopredator results, which allowed evaluation of bias and precision, differences in estimator performance were rarely large, and no one estimator was universally preferred, although estimators based on the Aitchison distance measure tended to have modestly superior properties compared to estimators based on the Kullback–Leibler distance measure. However, greater differences were observed among estimated polar bear diets, most likely due to differential estimator sensitivity to assumption violations. Our results, particularly the polar bear example, suggest that additional research into estimator performance and model diagnostics is warranted. The paper is available at the following URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.1429/abstract Regards, Jeff ----------------------------------------------- Jeffrey F. Bromaghin, PhD Research Statistician USGS Alaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage, AK 99508 907-786-7086 jbromaghin(a)usgs.gov <https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=jbromaghin@usgs.gov> *http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/quantitative_ecology/index.php <http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/quantitative_ecology/index.php>*

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Volunteer courses on "Tracking Great Pelagics around the Balearic Islands 2015"
by Sylvia Frey 20 Mar '15

20 Mar '15

Dear MARMAMers ALNITAK together with OceanCare & KAI Marine announce their 2015 expeditions on “Tracking Great Pelagics around the Balearic Islands”, held in Menorca (Mediterranean Sea) from 25 July 2015 till 21 August 2015 (in total 4 expeditions of 6 days duration each). A financial contribution to survey cost of Euro 980 per Person and expedition is a requisite to join the crew. These expeditions are a unique opportunity for anyone interested in learning about the study of marine biodiversity, participating actively in a visual and acoustic survey of this project dedicated to the improvement of management guidelines and provision of the necessary scientific foundation for the mitigation of risks to target species such as loggerhead sea turtle, sperm whale, Cuvier's beaked whale, and Risso's dolphins. Participants will learn basic concepts of navigation and shipboard surveys, participating in lookouts, cetacean sighting recording, acoustic recording, photo-identification image collection, sea turtle tagging, and recording data on human activities. During the six day courses, lectures will be given by experienced researchers, to introduce participants to the methods implemented during the survey and the application to conservation of the results. For further information on available dates and course contents, or to download detailed information, please visit: http://www.oceancare.org/en/projectsandcampaigns/researchprogrammes/menorca/ or contact us by mail: ricardo(a)alnitak.info or info(a)oceancare.org Best regards, Sylvia OceanCare Sylvia Frey Director Science & Education www.oceancare.org

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Picture request rough-toothed dolphin, sperm whale, short-finned pilot whale
by Danielle Kreb 20 Mar '15

20 Mar '15

dear colleagues, Herewith I would like to ask if you have any picture that you want to share with the organization Yayasan Konservasi RASI with whom I work for a cetacean conservation project in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. We are compiling a popular identification guidebook on marine protected species inside the Derawan Islands Marine Park. We don't have good pictures of rough-toothed dolphins, short-finned pilot whales, and sperm whales. We would very much appreciate if you are willing to share your picture. Your name/ copright will be fully accredited. The picture will only be used for this one-time use. Many thanks in advance, With kind regards, Danielle -- -------------------------- Danielle Kreb (Ph.D.) Scientific Program Advisor Yayasan Konservasi RASI Rare Aquatic Species of Indonesia Komplek Pandan Harum Indah (Erlyza) Blok C, No. 52 Samarinda 75124 Kalimantan Timur, Indonesia Tel/ fax: + 62.541.744874 Mobile: 081346489515 http://www.ykrasi.org Facebook group/page: Rare Aquatic Species of Indonesia

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Volunteer opportunities with the Alaska Whale Foundation in Southeast Alaska
by szabo＠alaskawhalefoundation.org 19 Mar '15

19 Mar '15

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DCLDE 2015 Registration Open
by John Hildebrand 19 Mar '15

19 Mar '15

The 7th International Workshop on Detection, Classification, Localization and Density Estimation (DCLDE) will be held July 13-15, 2015 in La Jolla, CA. We are pleased to announce that registration for DCLDE 2015 is now open! Visit the website (www.cetus.ucsd.edu/dclde) to proceed with registration. Students: We highly recommend all students to apply for student support before registering as selected recipients will receive a discount code covering the cost of registration (equivalent to $370 or the cost of early bird registration). International students may receive additional assistance to help with housing expenses. Upcoming Deadlines: Student Support Applications are due April 1, 2015 Abstract Submissions are due April 1, 2015 Lastly, if anyone anticipates needing childcare during the workshop, please send us an e-mail. Depending upon the number of interested participants, we may be able to help coordinate childcare. For any questions or concerns, please send us an e-mail at dclde2015(a)gmail.com Thank you! John Hildebrand DCLDE 2015 Organizing Committee

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Save the Manatee Club Seeks Science & Conservation Staff Member
by Katie Tripp 19 Mar '15

19 Mar '15

Save the Manatee Club, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, is seeking a staff member for its Science and Conservation Department to work in the Club's Maitland, FL office. This employee will assist the Director of Science and Conservation in matters of policy, management, science, and education directly linked to the organization's mission to protect manatees and their habitat. Job responsibilities include reviewing and commenting on waterfront development applications; interacting with agency personnel via phone, email, and in-person communication; developing and updating education and outreach materials; reading and analyzing technical literature; advocating for manatees and their habitat via written comments and testimony at public hearings; answering questions from members of the public an supporting them in grassroots advocacy efforts; providing educational presentations to audiences ranging from children to senior citizens; managing databases; collecting and processing citizen manatee sighting reports; coordinating mailing of donations to partner organizations in other countries; working on implementing projects funded by grants; and supervising interns. Travel is required. The successful applicant will have a strong environmental policy and environmental science background; excellent technical, persuasive, and creative writing skills; comfort and facility with public speaking; a strong work ethic; self-motivation; the ability to work as part of a team as well as independently; a positive attitude; strong moral character; and a passion for protecting manatees and their habitat. The starting salary will range from $24,000-$28,000 depending on experience. Medical, dental, and retirement benefits are available. At a minimum, a B.S. in the biological sciences, environmental policy, or pre-law is required. Interested applicants should send academic transcripts (unofficial), CV with references, a statement of interest and qualification in the position, and creative and technical writing samples to ktripp(a)savethemanatee.org<mailto:ktripp@savethemanatee.org> by 11:59 PM on Saturday March 28th, 2015. Katie Tripp, Ph.D. Director of Science and Conservation Save the Manatee Club 500 N. Maitland Ave. Maitland, FL 32751 Office: 407-539-0990 e-mail: ktripp(a)savethemanatee.org

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2015 UC Davis Wildlife and Exotic Animal Medicine Symposium
by Julie Sheldon 19 Mar '15

19 Mar '15

Hello! This is a reminder that you are cordially invited to the *2015 Wildlife and Exotic Animal Symposium *hosted by the Wildlife and Aquatic Animal Medicine (WAAM) and the Avian and Exotic Animal Medicine (AEMC) Clubs at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine! *WHEN*: April 11-12th, 2015 *WHERE*: UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine or Interactive Online Webinar *WHAT*: Lectures, panel discussions and an ultrasound wetlab with experts in the fields of zoo, free-ranging wildlife, and companion exotic animal medicine! CE credits available for veterinarians and technicians. *HOW*: Register *HERE* <http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ce/wildlife/wildlife_and_exotic_animal_medici…> Questions: waam.ucd(a)gmail.com Thank you and we hope to see you in April! Sincerely, Julie D. Sheldon DVM Candidate, Class of 2016 Wildlife and Aquatic Animal Medicine Club President Bayer Animal Health Student Representative UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

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Distance sampling user survey
by David Lawrence Miller 18 Mar '15

18 Mar '15

The Distance Development Team would like to hear how we can improve our software for distance sampling analysis and design. If you have ever conducted any kind of distance sampling analyses we would love to hear from you. We have put together a short questionnaire to find out what developments would be of most use to you. Please submit your responses by March 31st 2015 and forward this e-mail to any others who may find it interesting. Link to the survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1v89Aaju40yBxF5s6GlpXcM7RTW3nmSRKMeTeg6x6qq… Thanks from the Distance Development Team!

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Job posting for a French speaking MMO/PSO
by Geo-Marine Consultants 18 Mar '15

18 Mar '15

Geo-Marine Consultants are looking for an experienced, French speaking MMO/PSO for an upcoming seismic project. Please send your CV asap to info(a)geo-mar.com Regards, P. Giogli ------ Director Geo-Marine Consultants 26 York Street, London, W1U 6PZ www.geo-mar.com info(a)geo-mar.com Tel. +44 207 183 0423 | +44 07960901325 | +30 6976626293

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