September 2015 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Job Announcement: Marine Mammal Technician for Makah Tribe's Marine Mammal Program
by Jonathan Scordino 10 Sep '15

10 Sep '15

The Makah Tribe is seeking to hire a Technician for the Marine Mammal Program. The Technician's job will involve a mix of field and office work. Primary tasks include helping with vessel based marine mammal surveys in Northwest Washington near the Makah Indian Reservation, data entry, and responding to reports of stranded marine mammals. The Tribe currently has funding for the position for roughly 2 years and are actively submitting proposals for more years of funding. The position will pay $11.62 to $13.67 an hour, based on experience and education. Working in Neah Bay is a unique experience but can be challenging for some. It is about 50 miles to the nearest stoplight and we receive over 100 inches of rain a year. For those that can handle the environment of Neah Bay the experience can be quite rewarding. Applications are due to the Makah Tribe's Human Resources Department by 5 pm on September 16th. All questions regarding applying for the position should be sent to Tabitha Herda (tabitha.herda(a)makah.com <mailto:tabitha.herda@makah.com> ). Applications and the full job description can be found at http://makah.com/makah-tribal-info/employment/. Thank you, Jonathan Scordino Marine Mammal Biologist Makah Fisheries Management (360) 645-3176

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Doctoral thesis on Humpback whales in Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia
by Wally Franklin 10 Sep '15

10 Sep '15

MARMAM Colleagues I am pleased to announce acceptance of my Doctoral thesis, which is now available online from Southern Cross University ePublications at: http://epubs.scu.edu.au/theses/422/ <http://epubs.scu.edu.au/theses/422/> TITLE: Abundance, population dynamics, reproduction, rates of population increase and migration linkages of eastern Australian humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) utilising Hervey Bay, Queensland ABSTRACT: Hervey Bay is located to the south of the putative breeding and overwintering grounds of the eastern Australian humpback whale population in the Great Barrier Reef. Previous research has established that large numbers of humpback whales stopover in Hervey Bay during the early stages of the southern migration to Antarctic summer feeding areas. In this study robust design modeling of long-term capture histories of individual humpback whales and analysis of photo-identification data – obtained during observations of humpback whales in Hervey Bay over 21 years (1992 to 2012) and from other locations across the Pacific, eastern Australia, western Australia, east Africa and Antarctic Area IV and V feeding areas - are used to address a core question: What is the role and function of Hervey Bay during the migration of eastern Australian (Group E1) humpback whales? The data are used to investigate the specific questions: how many humpback whales use Hervey Bay within season and over years; how long do humpback whales using Hervey Bay stay in the Bay; is there site-fidelity to Hervey Bay; what proportion of eastern Australian humpback whales are using Hervey Bay, what is the rate of reproduction and rates of population increase of humpback whales using Hervey Bay; and what patterns are evident for migratory movements and interchange with other regions, including potential feeding areas in Antarctica. The estimated yearly abundance of humpback whales visiting Hervey Bay increased from 791 in 1997 (95% CI, 407-1176) to 4406 in 2009 (95% CI, 3343-5470). The trajectory of increase in estimated abundance over the 17 years was near linear and slightly greater than the trajectory of increase in the estimated abundance of the whole eastern Australian humpback whale population. A relatively constant proportion of eastern Australian humpback whales visited Hervey Bay each year (mean = 34%, standard deviation = 5.3%). Between years apparent survival was estimated to be relatively constant over years at 95% (SE = 0.012, 95% CI, 0.918:0.966) and near to the upper limits of biologically plausible survival levels for humpback whales. The near constant proportion of whales occurring in Hervey Bay from the eastern Australian population and the very high site-fidelity of some of those whales in Hervey Bay, suggest that the same cohorts of humpback whales return regularly to Hervey Bay. This study provides the first evidence that a specific sub-group from the eastern Australian humpback whale population uses Hervey Bay and that the sub-group is growing at a greater rate than the eastern Australian population. Between week entry probabilities display a regular form over years, with variation in the proportion of yearly visitors present prior to the beginning of sampling in each season (mean = 17%, SD = 6.5%), which may be related to the shifts in the timing of the migration. Within season abundance is heavily skewed to the first half of the season, with approximately 83% of entries occurring in the first five weeks of the season and 17% of entries occurring during the last five weeks of the season. There are two distinct peaks in abundance within season; the highest in week 3 and the second highest abundance occurs in week 8 each year. The lowest probability of entry (1.2%, 95% CI, 0.0004-0.028) and the lowest between week apparent survival (1.3%, 95% CI, 0.062-0.262) occurs between weeks 5 and 6. These results coincide with the mid-season departure of the mature female, immature and older male, and female cohorts, and the arrival of lactating females with older calves and accompanying mature male escort cohorts that dominate the latter half of the season. Temporary emigration was estimated to be constant over years at 14.1% (SE = 0.038; 95% CI, 0.081:0.234) and is consistent with a hypothesis that two cohorts – each comprising of breeding females depending upon their breeding status - visit Hervey Bay in alternate years. The typical residency time of humpback whales visiting Hervey Bay is about 1.4 – 2.0 weeks (mean = 1.6 weeks, SD = 0.34). The observed proportion of calves to whales in Hervey Bay (weekly average 1997 to 2009 = 17.9%) is consistent with the estimated growth rate of the eastern Australian population and calf survival of humpback whales that utilise Hervey Bay may be higher than for the eastern Australian population as a whole. Modelling of the population trajectory of humpback whales utilising Hervey Bay reveals that observed abundance estimates exhibit a logistic trend with a faster growth rate in the mid-1970s, near linear growth during the early and mid-2000s and a slightly decreasing growth rate by 2009. The average rate of increase in abundance of humpback whales utilising Hervey Bay between 1997 and 2009 was estimated at 14.2% (95%CI 11.1% to 15%). The analysis of all natural marks - including ventral tail fluke marks, dorsal fin shapes and lateral body marks - observed on 79 individual humpback whales over long time-spans ranging from 2 to 21 years, showed very low levels of change in primary and secondary natural marks, no significant difference in the proportion of changes in the natural marks on ventral tail flukes compared the dorsal fin shapes and to the natural lateral body marks. The use of dorsal fin shapes and lateral body marks in conjunction with ventral tail fluke natural marks provides a reliable mechanism to minimise and manage misidentification in large humpback whale photo-identification datasets. Analysis of photo-identification data of fluke matches between New Caledonia and Hervey Bay revealed low levels of intermingling between eastern Australia and New Caledonia, consistent with these populations being discrete breeding populations. Matches between eastern Australia and New Zealand provided the first evidence that eastern Australian humpback whales are travelling through southern New Zealand waters en-route to and from Antarctic feeding areas. Analysis of photo-identification data of fluke matches between the Balleny Islands and Hervey Bay supports the hypothesis that Antarctic Area V waters, in the vicinity of the Balleny islands, is a summer feeding area for some eastern Australian humpback whales, including at least some whales resighted in Hervey Bay. While matching of fluke catalogues from Antarctic Area IV with fluke catalogues from Eastern Australia, Western Australia and East Africa provided evidence that the humpback whales photographed in the Antarctic Area IV feeding area are from a different population to the African and Australian populations. There was weak evidence supporting the hypothesis that the whales photographed in Antarctica are from the Western Australian population. Photo-identification photography data also showed that humpback whales from eastern Australia do not always travel directly to Antarctic Area V to feed and may exhibit a diverse range of feeding destinations after leaving Australian coastal waters This study presents the first evidence that the humpback whales utilising Hervey Bay may be a sub-group of the eastern Australian (E1) humpback whale population. Hervey Bay provides a unique stopover for extended residency early in the southern migration for mature females, either early pregnant or resting, accompanying immature males and females, and lactating females with new calves during the latter season. Humpback whales from Hervey Bay use complex migratory pathways to and from Antarctic feeding areas and are involved in low levels of migratory interchange with nearby Pacific populations. This study provides the first evidence that eastern Australian humpbacks use the southern waters of New Zealand en-route to and from Antarctic feeding areas. Data presented in this study suggests that utilising Hervey Bay as a stopover may contribute to the social development and high survival rates of calves and younger humpback whales. This may provide a reproductive advantage to these eastern Australian humpback whales and be a factor in the relatively high rates of increase in abundance observed in humpback whales using Hervey Bay compared to the eastern Australian breeding populations and to other humpback populations. Wally Franklin PhD, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW wally(a)oceania.org.au <mailto:wally@oceania.org.au>

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Dolphin Research Internships
by Emily Guarino 10 Sep '15

10 Sep '15

Dolphin Research Internships Dolphin Research Center (DRC) is currently accepting applications for Research Interns for the Winter term. DRC is a not-for-profit education and research facility, home to a family of bottlenose dolphins and sea lions. DRC is located on Grassy Key, in the heart of the Florida Keys. Internships at DRC are an exciting way to develop career skills as well as an opportunity to get "behind the scenes" to see how a marine mammal facility operates. Research interns participate in DRC's ongoing behavioral, cognitive, and communication research projects, giving them broad exposure to a variety of research methodologies. Interns receive extensive on-the-job training in observing marine mammal behavior, collecting observational data, working with research equipment, and assisting with experimental research sessions. Specific job duties include: * Collecting observational behavioral data * Preparing stimuli for cognitive research sessions * Assisting with equipment for cognitive research sessions * Setting up hydrophone arrays for communication recordings * Operating video equipment * Entering or scanning data into the computer for analysis * General support of the facility through participation in the volunteer resource pool (facility maintenance, bird care, assisting with public programs, guest interactions, etc.) Publications: Jaakkola, K. (2014). Do animals understand invisible displacement? A critical review. Journal of Comparative Psychology, Vol. 128, No. 3, 225-239 Jaakkola, K., Guarino, E., Rodriguez, M., & Hecksher, J. (2013). Switching strategies: A dolphin's use of passive and active acoustics to imitate motor actions. Animal Cognition, 16, 701-709 Jaakkola, K., Guarino, E., & Rodriguez, M. (2010). Blindfolded imitation in a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 23, 671-688 Jaakkola, K., Guarino, E., Rodriguez, M., Erb, L., & Trone, M. (2010). What do dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) understand about hidden objects? Animal Cognition, 13, 103-120 Jaakkola, K., Fellner, W., Erb, L., Rodriguez, A. M., & Guarino, E. (2005). Understanding the concept of numerically "less" by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Comparative Psychology, 119, 296-303 Internships require a minimum of a 16-week commitment, 40 hours per week. The internship is unpaid, and interns are responsible for providing their own housing. DRC will provide assistance in locating housing and/or matching up interns and volunteers desiring roommates. Successful candidates will be ready and willing to learn, self-motivated, and flexible. Prior research experience is recommended but not required. The deadline to apply is * October 1st*. To apply, you must download the application available at www.dolphins.org. Click "Our Research", and then "Research Internship". The application, and all associated materials (resume, transcript, and letters of rec.) must be mailed to DRC. -------------------------------- Emily Guarino emily(a)dolphins.org<mailto:emily@dolphins.org> Dolphin Research Center 58901 Overseas Hwy. Grassy Key, FL 33050 www.dolphins.org

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New paper: Kogia breviceps strandings in relation to environmental factors
by Wayne Mcfee - NOAA Federal 10 Sep '15

10 Sep '15

Dear MARMAM Colleagues, We are pleased to announce the following NOAA Technical Memorandum publication: Berini, C. R., Kracker, L. M. and W. E. McFee. 2015. Modeling pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps, De Blainville 1838) strandings along the southeast coast of the United States from 1992 to 2006 in relation to environmental factors. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 203. 44 pp. Abstract: Pygmy sperm whales are the second most commonly stranded marine mammal in the Southeastern Unites States (SEUS). They most often strand alive and the causes of these events remain largely unknown. Generalized linear models were built to identify potential relationships among environmental factors and the occurrence of pygmy sperm whale strandings in the SEUS. Two methods were used to model environmental parameters depending on the nature of the data. One method used data from NOAA buoys compiled over a week before a stranding event. Predictor variables included hourly wind direction and speed, wave height, average wave period, barometric pressure, and water temperature. The other method used Sea Surface Temperature data from satellite images compiled monthly, monthly Multivariate El Niño Southern Oscillation Index (MEI), and bathymetric data. Frontal features were extracted from the images using ArcMap Geographic Information System and landscape metrics were computed on these images in FRAGSTATS. The model compiled from buoy data was relatively stronger (AIC = 497.5) at predicting strandings. It indicated that more strandings occurred when there were sustained high wind speeds, low barometric pressures, and swell waves in the week before stranding events. While the other model was relatively weaker (AIC = 718.7), it showed that less numerous fronts and high MEI index were generally associated with a higher number of strandings. This study is a step toward appreciating which environmental factors may contribute to the observed marine mammal stranding patterns as well as the distribution of pygmy sperm whales. It is an attempt at building predictive statistical models that could be useful for the management of cetaceans. The article can be downloaded from: www2.coastalscience.noaa.gov/publications/ Alternatively, you may e-mail me for a pdf at wayne.mcfee(a)noaa.gov Thank you. Wayne McFee NOAA/NOS/NCCOS/CCEHBR 219 Ft. Johnson Rd. Charleston, SC 29412

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2016 European Cetacean Society in Madeira, Portugal
by Luis Freitas 09 Sep '15

09 Sep '15

The 30th Annual European Cetacean Society conference will take place in Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal, from 14 - 16 March 2016, organized by the Madeira Whale Museum (Museu da Baleia da Madeira). Associated workshops will take place on the 12 and 13 March. The theme of the conference is: "Into the Deep - Research and Conservation on Oceanic Marine Mammals". Madeira is a picturesque oceanic Island with a sub-tropical climate, with deep waters close to shore that allow oceanic cetacean species to come close to shore. In total 28 cetacean species are given to Madeira, besides a colony of the Mediterrean monk seal. Many of these species are present in these waters during the time of the conference. For more information check the conference webpage at http://europeancetaceansociety.eu/conference/30th-annual-conference-funchal…. The page will be progressively updated over the next weeks with relevant information. Submission of abstracts and workshop proposals will be welcome from the 14th September (Monday) until the 16 October 2015 (23:45 CET). Looking forward to see you in Madeira 2016 ECS Conference, Luís Freitas Chair of the Conference Organising Committee Head of the Science Unit - Madeira Whale Museum Rua da Garcia Moniz, nº 1 9200 - 031 Caniçal Madeira - Portugal

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REQUEST FOR ARTICLES - SIRENEWS
by Cynthia Taylor 09 Sep '15

09 Sep '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 OCTOBER 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 Assistant Director/Research Scientist <http://www.sea2shore.org/> HI RES S2S LOGO 4411 Bee Ridge Rd. #490 Sarasota, FL 34233 USA 941.232.4587; ctaylor(a)sea2shore.org <http://www.sea2shore.org/> www.sea2shore.org

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Applications open for SCB Marine Small Grants Program (Deadline - Oct 1st)
by SCBMarine Communications 09 Sep '15

09 Sep '15

Dear Friends, The Society for Conservation Biology, Marine Section, is pleased to announce that applications are open for our *new* Small Grants program! The program provides funding ($500 – 700 USD) to marine conservation research projects in areas of acute need, especially for research in the developing world, or for those organizations with limited access to conservation funding. Apply now! Application deadline is Oct. 1st, 2015 Eligibility: members of SCB Marine. If you are not a member yet, follow these simple instructions: - Join or renew your membership at the Society for Conservation Biology (http://conbio.org/membership/become-a-member) - Log in to the member area - In the vertical bar on the right-hand side of the webpage under “My Society Involvement”, click “Join a Section” - Choose “Marine”! Note: SCB members may join up to two sections for free To apply, visit: http://birenheide.com/scbmarinegrants/index.php For more information and guidelines, see: http://conbio.org/groups/sections/marine/small-grants Please apply, and share the news of the program and funding availability with friends and colleagues! Sincerely, SCB Marine Section

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5 minute whale conservation survey
by Alex Kusmanoff 08 Sep '15

08 Sep '15

Hi all As a part of my PhD research into information framing and attitudes toward conservation issues, I am currently conducting a short 5 minute online survey about reasons to protect whales. I am seeking as many participants as possible, from all walks of life, and everybody over 18 is eligible. I would greatly appreciate your participation, and especially if you would share the link with your own contacts and anybody else whom you think may be interested. I am particularly interested in seeking participants who may not ordinarily be conservation oriented, so if you have any such contacts who you think might take part, please forward it to them. The link is: http://tinyurl.com/whale-survey Many thanks in advance! Alex Kusmanoff

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Announcing the publication of: Marine Mammals of the World, 2nd Edition
by Thomas Jefferson 08 Sep '15

08 Sep '15

Announcing the publication of: Marine Mammals of theWorld, 2nd Edition: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Identification By Thomas A. Jefferson, Marc. A. Webber, and RobertL. Pitman. Illustrations by Uko. Gorter. Elseveier link: http://store.elsevier.com/product.jsp?locale=en_US&isbn=9780124095427&_requ… KeyFeatures Contains superb photographs of every species of marine mammal for accurate identification Authors possess nearly 80 years of collective experience with almost all of the species and distinctive geographic forms described in the guide Provides the most detailed and anatomically accurate illustrations currently available, including more than 750 new illustrations Special emphasis is placed on the identification of species in "problem groups," such as the beaked whales, long-beaked oceanic dolphins, and southern fur seals Includes sources for more information Contains updated taxonomy including four new species Description Thisnew edition of Marine Mammals of the World describes and illustratesnewly discovered and rarely photographed species, making it the mostcomprehensive and up-to-date marine mammal identification guide available. Thisedition continues to meet the research-focused needs of marine biologists andconservation biologists by providing a tremendous influx of new photos, takingadvantage of advances in digital and auto-focusing photography, and theemergence of marine mammal studies and "whalewatching" around the world.The book encompasses cetacean, pinniped, and sirenian species, as well asextinct species, and describes basic biology and taxonomic groupings of marinemammals. For more information, contact Tom Jefferson, sclymene(a)aol.com.

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Multilevel animal societies can emerge from cultural transmission
by Mauricio Cantor 08 Sep '15

08 Sep '15

Dear MARMAMers, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to share our new findings on sperm whale societies, published today. The article is available open access at: Cantor M, Shoemaker LG, Cabral R, Flores CO, Varga M, Whitehead H. 2015. Multilevel animal societies can emerge from cultural transmission. Nature Communications. 6:8091 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9091. <http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/150908/ncomms9091/pdf/ncomms9091.pdf> Abstract Multilevel societies, containing hierarchically nested social levels, are remarkable social structures whose origins are unclear. The social relationships of sperm whales are organized in a multilevel society with an upper level composed of clans of individuals communicating using similar patterns of clicks (codas). Using agent-based models informed by an 18-year empirical study, we show that clans are unlikely products of stochastic processes (genetic or cultural drift) but likely originate from cultural transmission via biased social learning of codas. Distinct clusters of individuals with similar acoustic repertoires, mirroring the empirical clans, emerge when whales learn preferentially the most common codas (conformism) from behaviourally similar individuals (homophily). Cultural transmission seems key in the partitioning of sperm whales into sympatric clans. These findings suggest that processes similar to those that generate complex human cultures could not only be at play in non-human societies but also create multilevel social structures in the wild. Thank you so much, Mauricio Cantor Dalhousie University whitelab.biology.dal.ca

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