March 2015 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Aquarium of the Pacific Marine Mammal Photo ID internship for Summer
by Kera Mathes 11 Mar '15

11 Mar '15

Join the Boats Coordinator at the Aquarium of the Pacific on data collection for blue whales, fin whales, and other cetaceans during our daily whale watching cruises, as well as interpreting data to guests at the Aquarium. This is a great opportunity for college students and recent graduates to gain valuable experience. Commitment: 20 hours/week for 16 weeks starting in May or June Responsibilities include, but are not limited to * Taking dorsal fin photos of animals encountered during daily whale watching cruises (these are opportunistic sightings as we are a public whale watching boat) * Maintain detailed data logs of sightings and enter them into databases * Answer questions and interpret to guests on board. * Photo processing and IDing individual blue whales if seen during daily trips * Interact with Aquarium guests using whale data at Aquarium and on whale watching boats * Maintain Whale App database For more information and the online application, visit http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/volunteer/college_internships/ Application deadline is March 31, 2015 Kera Mathes Education Specialist Aquarium of the Pacific (562) 951-1651 KMathes(a)lbaop.org<mailto:KMathes@lbaop.org> "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead

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ECS workshop Communicating marine mammal science to students & the general public
by Volker Smit 11 Mar '15

11 Mar '15

Dear all, we would like to announce the following upcoming workshop: Communicating marine mammal science to students & the general public Place and date: ECS conference 2015 in Malta, Intercontinental Hotel, 21st of March 2015. The aims of the workshop are to: . share information about sources related to marine science education, . exchange ideas and knowledge on the latest science teaching tools, . exchange experience in addressing students and the media, . foster general networking with all stakeholders, including students and the public, . exchange experiences on outreach work and education, . support ECS and teachers across Europe to address educational questions relating to the conservation of marine species, including marine mammals. The organization of the workshop is supported by The Ministry of Education & Employment of MALTA. To register, please send an e-mail to Volker Smit at "cetaceos(a)gmx.de". The fee for participants, including coffee and tea breaks, will be - due to sponsorship - not higher then 10 euros and should be paid in cash on site. *To view or download the programme* please visit the second workshop on the follwing list on the ECS webpage: http://www.europeancetaceansociety.eu/conference/workshops-programme Kind regards, Volker Smit Science Coordinator Gustav Heinemann Comprehensive School 45473 Mülheim/Ruhr Email: _cetaceos(a)gmx.de_ Web: _http://www.gustav-ghs.de/cms/index.php_ and Vice-President M.E.E.R. e.V. Bundesallee 123 D-12161 Berlin T +49-(0)30-644 97 230 www.m-e-e-r.org

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Volunteer Manatee Observers Needed for Stuart Regatta
by Irene Arpayoglou 11 Mar '15

11 Mar '15

The Stuart Sailfish Regatta is in need of volunteer manatee observers for their upcoming races on May 15-17, in Stuart, Florida. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Maggie Northup at fishychic7(a)yahoo.com<mailto:fishychic7@yahoo.com> http://stuartsailfishregatta.com/ Irene Arpayoglou, MS Marine Biology, Coastal Zone Management Adjunct Instructor iarpayoglou(a)keiseruniversity.edu<mailto:iarpayoglou@keiseruniversity.edu>

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New publication: Historical distribution of the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)
by MONSARRAT Sophie 11 Mar '15

11 Mar '15

Dear all, We are pleased to announce the publication of the following article in Diversity and Distributions: Monsarrat, S., Pennino, M. G., Smith, T. D., Reeves, R. R., Meynard, C. N., Kaplan, D. M., & Rodrigues, A. S. (2015). Historical summer distribution of the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis): a hypothesis based on environmental preferences of a congeneric species. Diversity and Distributions. Abstract Aim To obtain a plausible hypothesis for the historical distribution of North Atlantic right whales (NARWs) (Eubalaena glacialis) in their summer feeding grounds. Previously widespread in the North Atlantic, after centuries of hunting, these whales survive as a small population off eastern North America. Because their exploitation began before formal records started, information about their historical distribution is fragmentary. Location North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Methods We linked historical records of North Pacific right whales (E. japonica; from 19th-century American whaling logbooks) with oceanographic data to generate a species distribution model. Assuming that the two species have similar environmental preferences, the model was projected into the North Atlantic to predict environmental suitability for NARWs. The reliability of these predictions was assessed by comparing the model results with historical and recent records in the North Atlantic. Results The model predicts suitable environmental conditions over a wide, mostly offshore band across the North Atlantic. Predictions are well supported by historical and recent records, but discrepancies in some areas indicate lower discriminative ability in coastal, shallow-depth areas, suggesting that this model mainly describes the summer offshore distribution of right whales. Main conclusions Our results suggest that the summer range of the NARW consisted of a relatively narrow band (width c. 10° in latitude), extending from the eastern coast of North America to northern Norway, over the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, south of Greenland and Iceland, north of the British Isles and in the Norwegian Sea. These results highlight possibilities for additional research both on the history of exploitation and on the current summer distribution of this species. In particular, better survey coverage of historical whaling grounds could help inform conservation efforts for this endangered species. More generally, this study illustrates the challenges and opportunities in using historical data to understand the original distribution of highly depleted species. The article is available online in early view (DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12314<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ddi.12314/abstract>) or by e-mail request (sophie.monsarrat(a)cefe.cnrs.fr<mailto:sophie.monsarrat@cefe.cnrs.fr>) Regards, Sophie Monsarrat PhD Student Center for Functional and Evolutionnary Ecology, CNRS UMR 5175 1919 route de Mende Montpellier, France sophie.monsarrat(a)cefe.cnrs.fr<mailto:sophie.monsarrat@cefe.cnrs.fr>

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ECS workshop MARINE MAMMALS PATHOLOGY
by IJsseldijk, L.L. (Lonneke) 10 Mar '15

10 Mar '15

Hi all, We would like to announce the following upcoming workshop: 'MARINE MAMMALS PATHOLOGY: UPDATE OF THE NECROPSY PROTOCOL ON DISSECTION TECHNIQUES AND TISSUE SAMPLING'. Place and date: ECS conference 2015 in Malta, Intercontinental Hotel, 22nd March 2015. AIM: The protocol used during necropsies of (small) cetaceans is the tissue sampling and necropsy protocol written in 1991 by Thijs Kuiken and Manuel Garcia Hartmann. Increasing knowledge and experiences on this topic makes it necessary to update the protocol including also considerations for pinnipeds and large cetaceans, together with international experts of this field of research. The organization of the workshop is supported by ASCOBANS. There are limited places available, so please send an e-mail to Lonneke IJsseldijk (L.L.ijsseldijk(a)uu.nl) to register. The day fee for participants, including coffee and tea breaks, is 25 euros and should be paid in cash on site. Program outline: 22nd March 2015, full day workshop 9:00 Registration - Lonneke IJsseldijk and Heidrun Frisch 9:30 Start of the workshop 9:30 General introduction and participants' round table - Thierry Jauniaux Stranding networks in ASCOBANS area and ACCOBAM area 10:00 Small cetaceans protocol by Thierry Jauniaux 10:20 Seal necropsy, sampling and findings by Ursula Siebert 10:40 Large cetacean necropsy, sampling and findings by Sandro Mazzariol 11:00 Coffee break 11:30 Mass strandings by Andrew Brownlow & Sandro Mazzariol 11:50 Sound related mortalities by Paul Jepson 12:10 Sound related techniques by Maria Morrell 12:30 Lunch break 14:00 Aggressive behaviour of grey seals on porpoises by Lonneke IJsseldijk 14:20 Aggressive behaviour of grey seals on other seals by Dave Thompson & Abbo van Neer 14:40 Aggressive behaviour of dolphins on porpoises by Rob Deaville 15:00 Coffee break 15:15 Bycatch cases - discussion of case reports from different areas 16:15 Round table Kind regards, Lonneke IJsseldijk & Thierry Jauniaux Lonneke L. IJsseldijk, BSc Project coördinator Cetaceans Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University Department of Pathobiology T +31 30 253 5312, M +31 6 244 556 98 L.L.IJsseldijk(a)uu.nl Yalelaan 1, PO Box 80158, 3508 TD Utrecht The Netherlands

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Special Issue of Endangered Species Research - Anthropogenic Ocean Noise
by Brandon Southall 09 Mar '15

09 Mar '15

MARMAM readers, On behalf of my colleagues and co-guest editors for a special issue of Endangered Species Research (ESR) on Anthropogenic Ocean Noise (Drs. Doug Nowacek and Wendy Dow-Peniak), I would like to draw your attention to the description and announcement of this issue. The title and a short description are given below, with more details on submissions for the special issue and ESR generally are available at: <http://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/esr-specials/21st-century-paradigms-for…> /* *//*21st Century Paradigms for Measuring and Managing the Effects of Anthropogenic Ocean Noise */ Anthropogenic noise in the ocean has received considerable attention in recent years. Observational and manipulative experiments have provided insights into impacts of noise on animals as well as, in some cases, a lack of effects. The study of anthropogenic noise in the ocean has matured considerably, in part due to lessons learned and new tools developed for assessing similar issues in terrestrial systems (some illustrative examples of which we propose including). In considering the recent progress in this rapidly expanding field, this issue will highlight studies that explore both the increasing understanding of effects of noise on animals and some of the practical and regulatory human dimensions of this subject. The study of potential effects on animals has matured experimentally and theoretically, with careful experiments addressing specific questions and emerging issues related to the development of new areas and new industries. Furthermore, advances in sophisticated modelling methods of sound footprints and noise exposure over increasingly large spatio-temporal areas are facilitating the advancement of theory. Our appreciation of the human dimension of this issue has also developed, with practical considerations for the application of emerging science in regulatory policy. Many of these realizations that will be explored within the special issue involve a broadening of the taxonomic and ecological scope of potential effects, as well as synoptic measurements and assessment of non-traditional variables (e.g., noise exposure context). This Theme Section fits squarely within ESR’s mission to provide knowledge needed for practicing human stewardship, in this case stewardship of the oceans. And while not all of the species proposed for discussion are threatened or endangered, the marine habitat is threatened and thus so are the creatures that exist and rely on it. We envision this Theme Section to inform regional, national and international conservation strategies aimed at understanding and managing anthropogenic noise in the ocean. Through various fora, stakeholders in this issue include: noise producers, regulators, conservation organizations, academic and private sector scientists, and society at large. This issue will attempt to encapsulate issues relevant to all of these stakeholders within the overall context of science and management of ocean noise. Sincerely, Brandon Southall -- Brandon L. Southall, Ph.D. President, Senior Scientist, SEA, Inc. Research Associate, University of California, Santa Cruz Adjunct Associate Professor, Duke University Marine Laboratory 9099 Soquel Drive, Suite 8, Aptos, CA 95003, USA 831.332.8744 (mobile); 831.661.5177 (office); 831.661.5178 (fax) Brandon.Southall(a)sea-inc.net; www.sea-inc.net

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New publication - Tsai and Boessenecker 2015 Eschrichtius Pleistocene California
by Cheng-Hsiu Tsai 09 Mar '15

09 Mar '15

Dear colleagues We are pleased to announce a new article: Cheng-Hsiu Tsai and Robert W. Boessenecker (2015). An Early Pleistocene gray whale (Cetacea: Eschrichtiidae) from the Rio Dell Formation of northern California. Journal of Paleontology, 89, pp 103-109 doi:10.1017/jpa.2014.9 Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0022336014000092 Abstract.—The earliest fossil gray whale (Eschrichtius) from the eastern North Pacific is reported from the Lower Pleistocene Rio Dell Formation of Humboldt County, Northern California. This specimen, a tympanic bulla and posterior process, is identical in morphology to extant Eschrichtius robustus and differs from Pliocene Eschrichtius sp. from the western North Pacific (Japan). Thus, it suggests that the modern bulla morphology of the gray whale had been acquired by the Early Pleistocene. The absence of fossil Eschrichtius in the Pliocene of the eastern North Pacific may indicate that the extant gray whale lineage originated in the western North Pacific during the Pliocene before invading the eastern North Pacific during the Early Pleistocene. Further discoveries of Plio-Pleistocene gray whale fossils will help test this hypothesis and properly interpret the evolutionary history of eschrichtiid clade. Available at http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0022336014000092 or email Tsai: cheng-hsiu.tsai(a)otago.ac.nz<mailto:cheng-hsiu.tsai@otago.ac.nz>; craniata(a)gmail.com<mailto:craniata@gmail.com> Regards and all the best, Tsai Cheng-Hsiu Tsai （蔡政修) PhD student, Department of Geology, University of Otago 360 Leith Walk (Courier) or PO Box 56 (Postal) Dunedin 9054, New Zealand Email: cheng-hsiu.tsai(a)otago.ac.nz<mailto:cheng-hsiu.tsai@otago.ac.nz>; craniata(a)gmail.com<mailto:craniata@gmail.com>

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Reminder: Abstract submissions OPEN for the 21st Biennial in San Francisco!
by Ellen M Hines 09 Mar '15

09 Mar '15

[cid:image001.png@01D05A57.39663AC0] Abstract Submissions are OPEN for the 21st Biennial <https://www.marinemammalscience.org/author/admin/> We are currently accepting abstract submissions for workshops, oral, speed and poster presentations for the 21st Biennial Society for Marine Mammalogy Conference, to take place in San Francisco from December 13-18, 2015. The submission deadline is May 15th, 2015. Workshops will be held on December 12-13th. Early bird registration for the conference will open on April 6, 2015. We are bringing together an exciting group of plenary speakers and panels PLUS an unforgettable SMM birthday celebration to close the conference (the Society was founded in San Francisco 21 years ago). We are looking forward to receiving your abstract submissions and hope to see you in San Francisco in December! If you are interested in sponsorships, exhibiting or advertising in our program, please contact us. It¹s gonna be great, Ellen Hines and Frances Gulland Conference Chairs Dan Costa and Sarah Allen Scientific Program Chairs Ellen Hines, PhD Associate Director & Professor of Geography Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies San Francisco State University 3152 Paradise Drive Tiburon, CA 94920 USA 1 415 338 3512 Fax: 1 415 338 6243 ehines(a)sfsu.edu<mailto:ehines@sfsu.edu> http://rtc.sfsu.edu/research/in_hines.html

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Postdoctoral fellowship - spatial ecology
by Kit Kovacs 09 Mar '15

09 Mar '15

Kit Kovacs and Christian Lydersen at the Norwegian Polar Institute would like to announce the following postdoctoral fellowship for a spatial ecologist to work on ICE-whales. Cheers kit Kit M. Kovacs, Prof. Biodiversity Research Section Leader Norwegian Polar Institute 9296 Tromsø Norway The Norwegian Polar Institute carries out scientific research, mapping and environmental monitoring in the Arctic and the Antarctic. The Institute advises Norwegian authorities in strategic and thematic matters relating to the Polar Regions, represents Norway internationally on various occasions and is Norway's competent environmental authority in Antarctica. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Institute has a staff of approximately 160 located in Tromsø, Svalbard (Spitsbergen) and Antarctica. For further information on the Norwegian Polar Institute, please visit www.npolar.no<http://www.npolar.no>. Postdoctoral Research Fellow in cetacean spatial ecology (3 years) The Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromsø, Norway invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position in cetacean spatial ecology. The position is a 3 year fixed-term position, with a possible extension of 1 year, depending on funding. The work will be conducted in our Research Department, within the Biodiversity Research Section. Work Content The position is affiliated with the project "Norway's ice-associated cetaceans in a changing Arctic" which will explore climate change impacts on the three ice associated endemic arctic cetaceans (bowhead, narwhal and white whales), in the context of the broader cetacean community in the Barents Sea. Qualifications Candidates must hold a PhD in vertebrate spatial ecology, preferably from studies on mammals. The PhD must be completed in order for an application to be considered. The candidate must have demonstrated spatial analyses skills as well as being competent with data management and statistical analyses (experience with Excel, Access, R programming and multivariate statistics). Experience with cetacean abundance surveys and at-sea identification of northern hemisphere whale species, and experience from working with CTD-SRDLs (Conductivity-Temperature-Depth Satellite Relay Data Loggers) data are considered assets. Field experience from Polar Regions will also be viewed favorably, as will a good publication record. The successful candidate must be a good team worker, who is accustomed to working in cross-disciplinary, international teams and who is interested in the impacts of climate change on cetacean populations, particularly in the Arctic. Good English skills are required. General The work place for this job is Tromsø, Norway. The salary will be commensurate with the qualifications of the successful candidate, under the Norwegian state salary code 1352 post doctor, scale 57-64 (currently 482,800-549,400 NOK per year). The position is open immediately. The main objective of Post-doctoral Research Fellow appointments is to enhance qualification for more senior academic positions. No one can be appointed to more than one fixed-term period as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution. Tromsø is a city of 70.000 residents situated in northern Norway at nearly 70°N. Tromsø is known as a good place to experience the midnight sun, polar night, varied outdoor activities and a lively cultural and entertainment environment. It is also a major, and expanding, center for research, with numerous government and private research institutions and a major university. 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. All qualified candidates with different backgrounds are thus encouraged to apply. The Norwegian Polar Institute is an IW-enterprise (Inclusive Workplace) and adjustments will be made to the workplace to make accommodation for health issues, if necessary. Further inquiries about the position may be directed to section leader of Biodiversity Kit Kovacs, tel. +47 77 75 05 26, e-mail: kovacs(a)npolar.no<mailto:kovacs@npolar.no> or senior researcher Christian Lydersen, tel. +47 77 75 05 23, e-mail: lydersen(a)npolar.no<mailto:lydersen@npolar.no>. The application deadline is 30th March 2015. The application should include details of your relevant qualifications and experience, CV, list of publications, copies of your transcripts and names of at least two references. A complete application must be submitted electronically via www.jobbnorge.no<http://www.jobbnorge.no>. All applications are handled in confidentially until the application deadline. Thereafter, a public list of applicants will be prepared. Applicants who wish to reserve their applications from the public list must give reasons for this in their applications. Information about an applicant can be made public even if the applicant has requested not be included from the public list of applicants, cf. Freedom of Information Act, Section 25, 2nd paragraph.

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Postdoc - cetacean acoustics
by Kit Kovacs 09 Mar '15

09 Mar '15

Kit Kovacs and Christian Lydersen at the Norwegian Polar Institute would like to announce the following postdoctoral fellowship for an acoustician. Cheers kit Kit M. Kovacs, Prof. Biodiversity Research Section Leader Norwegian Polar Institute 9296 Tromsø Norway The Norwegian Polar Institute carries out scientific research, mapping and environmental monitoring in the Arctic and the Antarctic. The Institute advises Norwegian authorities in strategic and thematic matters relating to the Polar Regions, represents Norway internationally on various occasions and is Norway's competent environmental authority in Antarctica. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Institute has a staff of approximately 160 located in Tromsø, Svalbard (Spitsbergen) and Antarctica. For further information on the Norwegian Polar Institute, please visit www.npolar.no<http://www.npolar.no>. Postdoctoral Research Fellow in cetacean acoustics (2 years) The Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromsø, Norway invites applications for a postdoctoral research fellow position in cetacean acoustics. The position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow is a fixed-term position for a period of 2 years with a possible extension of 1 year, depending on funding. The work will be conducted in our Research Department, within the Biodiversity Research Section. Work Content The position is affiliated with a project exploring climate change impacts on the three ice associated endemic arctic cetaceans, in the context of the broader cetacean community in the Barents Sea. A primary data source for this work will be data records from AURAL recorders. Qualifications Candidates must hold a completed PhD in marine mammal acoustic biology or a closely related field. The PhD must be completed and approved in order for the application to be considered. We are seeking a candidate who has a solid background in cetacean acoustics. The candidate must have good skills with acoustics analytical software of various types (e.g. Ishmael, RAVEN, TRITON) as well as data management and statistical analyses skills (competence with Excel, Access, R programming and multivariate statistics). Experience with Passive Acoustic Monitoring (including Arctic acoustic repertoires and ambient noise levels) and experience with AURAL recorders is desirable. Field experience from Polar Regions will be viewed favorably, as well as a good publication record. We seek a candidate that is keenly interested in the impacts of climate change, including ocean noise, on cetacean populations. The researcher should be a good team worker, who is accustomed to working in cross-disciplinary, international teams. In addition, we are looking for a structured researcher who also work well independently. Good written and spoken communication skills in English are required. General The work place is Tromsø, Norway. The salary will be commensurate with the qualifications of the successful candidate, under the Norwegian state salary code 1352 post doctor, scale 57-64 (currently 482,800-549,400 NOK per year). The position is open immediately. The main objective of the appointment as a post-doctoral research fellow is to qualify for work in senior academic positions. No one may be appointed to more than one fixed-term period as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution. Tromsø is a city of 70.000 residents situated in northern Norway at nearly 70°N. Tromsø is known as a good place to experience the midnight sun, polar night, varied outdoor activities and a lively cultural and entertainment environment. It is also a major, and expanding, center for research, with numerous government and private research institutions and a major university. 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. All qualified candidates with different backgrounds are encouraged to apply. The Norwegian Polar Institute is an IW-enterprise and adjustments will be made to the workplace regarding health issues, if necessary. Further inquiries about the position may be directed to section leader of Biodiversity Kit Kovacs, tel. +47 77 75 05 26, e-mail: kovacs(a)npolar.no<mailto:kovacs@npolar.no> or senior researcher Christian Lydersen, tel. +47 77 75 05 23, e-mail: lydersen(a)npolar.no<mailto:lydersen@npolar.no>. The application deadline is 30th March 2015. The application should include details of your relevant qualifications and experience, CV, list of publications, copies of your transcripts and names of at least two references. A complete application must be submitted electronically via www.jobbnorge.no<http://www.jobbnorge.no>. All applications are handled in confidentially until the application deadline. Thereafter, a public list of applicants will be prepared. Applicants who wish to reserve their applications from the public list must give reasons for this in their applications. Information about an applicant can be made public even if the applicant has requested not be included from the public list of applicants, cf. Freedom of Information Act, Section 25, 2nd paragraph.

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