October 2016 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

River dolphin internships in the Brazilian Amazon
by Tony 08 Oct '19

08 Oct '19

RIVER DOLPHIN RESEARCH INTERNSHIPS IN BRAZIL STARTING SOON Once again, Projeto Boto is recruiting for 9-month internships in the Mamirauá Reserve, Amazon State, Brazil. We require fit, enthusiastic, hard-working fieldworkers who will carry forward our long-term study of botos (Amazon river dolphins). Due to close involvement with local communities, interns are required to have at least moderate Portuguese language skills, or to speak excellent Spanish, in addition to English. There can be no exceptions. In previous years we have received many applications from people who do not fulfil these language criteria, and this is counter-productive. Please only apply if you have the necessary skills. Projeto boto was established in 1994. To date it has hosted more than 60 interns of many different nationalities. The Project's objective is to conserve the boto, and the sympatric tucuxi, through research leading to greater understanding of the biology and ecology of these dolphins. In recent years we have also spent considerable time investigating the impacts of fisheries on these species, and especially a harpoon hunt, in which thousands of botos are killed each year for fish bait. We are seeking two people to commence work as soon as possible, and we would also like to hear from people available in mid-late 2016. Our work is centred on a floating lab/accommodation base, moored in the flooded forest. The research team comprises 3-5 people, who maintain daily observational boat-based research effort year-round. The basis of the work is the piecing together of the lives of over 600 individually recognisable dolphins, to provide publishable information on such diverse topics as growth, reproduction, habitat use, social system, seasonal movements, survival rates, causes of mortality etc. Interns are provided with free accommodation and food, and receive a small monthly stipend (approx $150 US). Transportation to the fieldsite (near the town of Tefé, Amazonas) from Manaus is provided, but interns must arrange and pay for their own transportation to Manaus. They must also have adequate medical insurance. Please do not apply unless you know that you can obtain the airfare to reach Manaus. All necessary training is provided on site. Internships offer the opportunity of a lifetime. They reward hard work and dedication with unique experiences and a chance to stand out from the crowd in subsequent applications for higher degrees and employment. Successful applicants will: be aged 21-35 speak at least moderate Portuguese or fluent Spanish, in addition to English be available for 9-12 months have completed a university degree, preferably in zoology or biology preferably have some fieldwork experience, especially in the use of photo-ID Applicants should please provide: Full CV, complete with age, nationality, linguistic skills, educational and fieldwork experience A letter explaining why you are prepared to dedicate 9 months of your life to this study. The names and email addresses of 3 referees who are familiar with you and your work. The date on which you would be available to start work in the Amazon. Send this information by email to both of the Project co-ordinators, Prof. Tony Martin (boto(a)live.co.uk) and Dr Vera da Silva (vmfdasilva(a)gmail.com) Closing date is 24 November 2015. Applications fulfilling the above criteria will be acknowledged within 4 days of the closing date, but there will be no further communication unless the applicant is short-listed. Short-listed applicants will be notified by 30 November latest.

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New publication: From the pool to the sea: Applicable isotope turnover rates and diet to skin discrimination factors for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
by Joan Giménez Verdugo 01 Mar '19

01 Mar '19

Dear all, We are pleased to announce the publication of the following paper in "Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology": Giménez, J., Ramírez, F., Almunia, J., Forero, M. G., de Stephanis, R. (2016) From the pool to the sea: Applicable isotope turnover rates and diet to skin discrimination factors for bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus*). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 475:54-61. *Abstract:*One of the most common applications in isotopic ecology is the assessment of animal's assimilated diet through mass-balance mixing models. Its applicability relies on the use of accurate diet to tissue discrimination factors and turnover rates, which are known to vary as a function of several factors including taxon or tissue type. To date, few studies have assessed isotopic discrimination factors and turnover rates in cetacean species under controlled conditions. Previous experimental studies focused on blood, a difficult sample to obtain in the wild, or on a more appropriate tissue, the skin, but assessed in short experimental trials without arriving to the isotopic equilibrium. We carried out the longest controlled feeding experiment available (350 days) in bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus*) in order to assess discrimination factors and turnover rates in skin. Animals' isotopic composition was first stabilized by maintaining individuals under an isotopically constant diet during 172 days. Afterwards, diet was shifted and maintained during 178 days to calculate isotopic discrimination and turnover rates. Estimates for isotopic discrimination factors were 1.01 ± 0.37‰ (mean ± sd) for *δ*13C and 1.57 ± 0.52‰ for *δ*15N. Half-life turnover rates were estimated to be 24.16 ± 8.19 days for carbon and 47.63 ± 19 days for nitrogen. This is the first time that applicable values are available to assess the diet of free ranging small cetaceans through stable isotope mixing model analysis. You can download the paper in: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022098115300514 or visit my ResearchGate (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joan_Gimenez2) Kind Regards, Joan Giménez -- *Joan Giménez Verdugo* *PhD Student* *Severo Ochoa* Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC) Department of Conservation Biology Americo Vespucio Ave, s/n 41092 Sevilla (Spain) www.ebd.csic.es --- Research Gate: Joan Giménez <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joan_Gimenez2> Phone: +34 619 176 849 ü Please consider the environment before printing this E-mail

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JNCC MMO (UK) and BOEM PSO (Gulf of Mexico) Training Courses
by Alison Gill 13 Nov '17

13 Nov '17

Intelligent Ocean Ltd (http://www.intelligentocean.com/) is running the following training courses in January in Kings Lynn, UK for which we have spaces available. Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) Training for UK - 21st January 2016 - £130 Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Protected Species Observer (PSO) Training for Gulf of Mexico, USA - 22nd January 2016 - £60 (when taken in conjunction with the JNCC MMO course). To book a place please use our online booking system at this link http://www.intelligentocean.com/booking.php Alison Gill Intelligent Ocean Ltd www.intelligentocean.com

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Announcement of the Watkins Memorial Marine Mammal Bioacoustics Symposium, 26-29 March 2015
by Laela Sayigh 20 Jul '17

20 Jul '17

Dear colleagues, This message is to announce the upcoming Watkins Memorial Marine Mammal Bioacoustics Symposium, to be held 26-29 March 2015 in Massachusetts (location TBA). This symposium will consist of a combination of invited and contributed presentations on all aspects of marine mammal bioacoustics, including communication, echolocation, hearing, methods in marine mammal bioacoustics, effects of noise on marine mammals, and bioacoustics as a tool in marine mammal conservation. There will also be a session on Bill Watkins' legacy to marine mammal bioacoustics. Further announcements will follow with more specifics, but registration and abstract submissions are expected to commence in the fall of 2014. For more information, contact Laela Sayigh, lsayigh(a)whoi.edu.

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Wild Lens- Vaquita Resource Awareness Film
by Sean Bogle 12 Apr '17

12 Apr '17

Good day MARMAMers, We are a non-profit wildlife documentary film organization called Wild Lens, wildlensinc.org <http://wildlensinc.org/>. We have just released two language versions of our short film about the vaquita porpoise which is the most endangered marine mammal on the planet. Our film documents the struggle to save the vaquita from extinction. The purpose of this short film is to engage people about the vaquitas story while we now focus on a 30 minute film for television. We also will release a full feature film in 2018 as we document the occurrences during the two year gillnet ban in the Upper Gulf of California that the Mexican government has implemented to stop illegal fishing and the extinction of the vaquita. The videos are for everyone to use as an awareness tool, so please use it on your websites, presentations or anywhere where people can learn and get involved to save the vaquita. We want the vaquita to be the symbol of hope for all species on this planet. It will take the international community’s involvement to really have a positive impact on this issue and other issues facing our natural environment. To learn more about our project visit: vaquitafilm.com <http://vaquitafilm.com/> Below are two language version which we just released: English Version: vimeo.com/wildlens/vaquita <http://vimeo.com/wildlens/vaquita> Spanish Version: https://vimeo.com/166899979 <https://vimeo.com/166899979> If there are any questions or concerns please contact me at sean(a)wildlensinc.org. Viva Vaquita! Sean Sean Bogle, Project Director Eyes on Conservation Wild Lens, Inc. Cell: 435.790.9593 Office:208.297.6536 ext.502 wildlensinc.org <http://www.wildlensinc.org/> <http://wildlensinc.org/film-projects/eyes-on-conservation/> <http://www.wildlensinc.org/eyes-on-conservation.html> <http://www.wildlensinc.org/eyes-on-conservation.html> <http://wildlensinc.org/> <http://wildlensinc.org/> <https://www.facebook.com/WildLensInc> <https://twitter.com/WildLensInc> <https://www.youtube.com/user/WildLensInc> <https://vimeo.com/wildlens> <https://vimeo.com/wildlens> <https://vimeo.com/wildlens> <https://vimeo.com/wildlens>

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Research Assistant required for April and May for the Mandurah Dolphin Research Project in Western Australia
by Krista Nicholson 11 Nov '16

11 Nov '16

Research Assistants required for April and May for the Mandurah Dolphin Research Project in Western Australia (WA) Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit (MUCRU<http://mucru.org/>) is commencing a new research project aimed at gaining a solid understanding of the bottlenose dolphins using the Peel-Harvey Estuary (part of Ramsar Wetlands) and adjacent coastal waters. The overall aim of the project is to conduct a population assessment. In short this involves characterizing population size and structure, habitat use and genetic connectivity of dolphins using the estuarine and coastal areas. I am seeking a dedicated research assistant (volunteer) to help out with boat based data collection and data processing for the months of April and May. Data collection (photo-identification and biopsy sampling) will be conducted inland waters to up to 12nm offshore. Data collection is weather dependent and research assistants are expected to be available full time during day light hours throughout the time they commit to the project. You can expect long days on the boat (~6.5m vessel) on consecutive days followed by processing data in the office. The main duties for research assistants are: Data collection: spotting dolphins, driving the boat, taking photographs for photo-identification, recording data Data processing: downloading data, entering data, matching fins, mapping sightings General: Maintaining the boat and car, clean equipment, community engagement You can expect to learn, or improve your practical skills (taking photo-ID shots, driving a trailer, launching a boat, general boat handling etc.), be exposed to small cetacean biopsy sampling methods and become efficient in processing photo-ID data. And to top it off you will have the opportunity to visit MUCRU and be exposed to great minds involved in various marine mammal research projects! There are no pre-requisites for the position; however, assistants need to not be scared of hard work, long hours and getting their hands dirty. Assistants need to be independent individuals who have a strong desire to be part of a team and enjoy people and ‘coffee moments’. Preferred prior skills include boat handling, first aid, and experience in photo-ID as well as enrolment in a related field of study or a strong desire to pursue a related career. This is an unpaid position and assistants need to organise their own travel to and from Mandurah, which is approximately 1 hr south of Perth in WA. The office space will be in a research house where assistants are welcome to, and preferred to, rent a room for a cost of 150 AUD/week (inclusive of internet and bills). And for your free time Mandurah has everything you can think of a holiday town to offer (shops, cafes, bars, cinema, nature, hikes, camping, surfing, diving, snorkelling, paddle boarding, kayaking, wildlife spotting, skydiving etc.) and Perth is only an hour away. To apply for this position please send me a cover sheet specifying why you would like to assist in this project, the time you are applying for, your CV and names and contact details of two references to k.nicholson(a)murdoch.edu.au<mailto:k.nicholson@murdoch.edu.au> . Looking forward to hearing from you! All the best, Krista Nicholson PhD Candidate Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit Perth, Western Australia

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UF - spring online Aquatic Wildlife Health course
by Larkin,Iskande (Iske) 31 Oct '16

31 Oct '16

Hi All, Registration is currently open for Spring 2017. The University of Florida, Aquatic Animal Health Program, is offering the following course for those that may be interested. Class begins Jan 4th. Aquatic Wildlife Health Issues is an online course (3 credits) designed to introduce students (upper level undergraduate and graduate) and professionals (with an AA or higher degree) to the natural history, anatomy, physiology, behavior and common health issues of aquatic species: whales and dolphins, seals and sea lions, manatees, sea turtles, crocodilians, fish and invertebrates. For more information about the class or enrollment, contact Dr. Iskande Larkin (ivlarkin(a)ufl.edu)<mailto:ivlarkin@ufl.edu%29.*This> Sincerely, Dr Iske Larkin [Description: AAH logo blue E-Mail Sig] Iske V. Larkin, PhD Lecturer & Education Coordinator Aquatic Animal Health Program Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida PO Box 100136 2015 SW 16th Ave Gainesville, Florida 32610 Office phone - 352-294-4095 Work cell - 352-494-1742 Fax - 352-392-8289 Program web page: http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu "To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world." -Anonymous ________________________________ Please note that Florida has a broad public records law, and that all correspondence to or from University of Florida employees via email may be subject to disclosure.

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Humpback Whale and Marine Mammal Field Techniques Programs
by Mithriel MacKay 31 Oct '16

31 Oct '16

*Humpback Whale and Marine Mammal Field Techniques Programs in Puerto Rico, USA.* *Registration now open for the 7th season with The Marine and Coastal Ecology Research Center. Programs for winter 2017 are being subsidized by MCERC resulting in a reduced registration fee for these field intensive programs.* Humpback Whale Field Intensive Program (January through April 2017- week long sessions) $900USD Marine Mammal Field Techniques Program (January 2017 – single week long session) $900USD Marine Mammal Field Techniques Program (including Open Water Diving Certification) (January 2017; single 10 day session) $1825USD *Spaces are very limited *to 6 participants for the Marine Mammal Field Techniques and Humpback Whale Field Intensive (per session). The Marine Mammal Field Techniques with SUBA certification has 8 spots available as of this posting. If Spring Break week is important to you, please plan to register as soon as possible. The MCERC field station in Puerto Rico, USA houses all program participants while we focus on building field skills and resumes for anybody interested in marine mammal science. These positions are also suitable for internships, and many of our students receive up to 3 undergraduate credit hours through independent study with a faculty member from their campus. The program fee covers room and meals for the week long session, instruction, transportation to all field excursions, and equipment necessary for the program (SCUBA certification requires minimal, personal equipment provided by students). There is no cost associated with participating in data collection during the Humpback Whale Field Intensive program. During this program, students are critical members of our data collection team. The program fee does not include travel to and from Boquerón, Puerto Rico, USA. Citizens of the USA do not need a passport to travel to Puerto Rico (at this time), the currency is the US Dollar, and most major cell phone carriers have service on the island. There is no application process required. Interested people should visit the websites below to learn more details about the programs, then request passcodes to the Education Hub to register by emailing Nicole.MCERC(a)gmail.com or MCERC.mail(a)gmail.com. website www.Marine-Eco.org <http://www.marine-eco.org/> Education Hub www.Marine-Eco.org/mcerc-moodle <http://www.marine-eco.org/mcerc-moodle> Photo Gallery www.Marine-Eco.jimdo.com <http://www.marine-eco.jimdo.com/> Facebook www.Facebook.com/researchcenter <http://www.facebook.com/researchcenter> Twitter @MCERCMarineEco LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mithriel-mackay-12364330 Marine and Coastal Ecology Research Center Inc. Spring Hill, Florida Research station: Boqueron, Puerto Rico, USA

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New publication: Using acoustics to prioritize management decisions to protect coastal dolphins: A case study using Hawaiian spinner dolphins
by Heather Heenehan 31 Oct '16

31 Oct '16

Dear all, We are pleased to announce the online publication of our article in the journal Marine Policy. Heather L. Heenehan, Sofie M. Van Parijs, Lars Bejder, Julian A. Tyne, David W. Johnston, Using acoustics to prioritize management decisions to protect coastal dolphins: A case study using Hawaiian spinner dolphins, Marine Policy, Volume 75, January 2017, Pages 84-90, ISSN 0308-597X, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2016.10.015. To access the article please use the link below which will provide FREE access for 50 days (until December 17, 2016) http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Tyn5,714MRQIU <https://www.researchgate.net/deref/http%3A%2F%2Fauthors.elsevier.com%2Fa%2F…> Anyone who clicks on the link will be taken to the final version of the article on ScienceDirect for free. No sign up or registration is needed. Please feel free to share this link with anyone else who may be interested. Abstract: For more than a decade, interactions between humans and Hawaiian spinner dolphins in their resting bays have been a concern for members of the general public, managers, scientists, policymakers, and tour operators. Hawaiian spinner dolphins are the target of a large wildlife tourism industry due to their predictable daytime resting behavior and presence in coastal areas. Using results from passive acoustic monitoring between January 2011 and March 2013 on the Kona coast of Hawai‛i Island, USA, the relative importance of four known Hawaiian spinner dolphin resting bays, the contribution of anthropogenic noise including vessel noise to the four bay soundscapes, and the dolphins' response to human activities were assessed. Here the findings are summarized and visualized and recommendations are provided for action to regulate directed dolphin watching and ensuing unauthorized takes under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. These findings and recommendations have implications for the federal government's ongoing efforts to implement rules that protect Hawaiian spinner dolphins in their resting bays. Keywords: Marine mammals; Conservation; Passive acoustic monitoring; Spinner dolphins, Tourism -Heather Heather Heenehan, Ph.D. https://heatherheenehan.wordpress.com/ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Heather_Heenehan @Spinnerheather <https://twitter.com/SpinnerHeather> Ph.D., Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University MEM, Master of Environmental Management, Coastal Environmental Management, Duke University BS, Bachelor of Science, Environmental Science, University of Connecticut "Let the beauty we love be what we do." -Jelaluddin Rumi

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New publication: HMMs for animal accelerometer data
by Theoni Photopoulou 31 Oct '16

31 Oct '16

Dear all, I am pleased to announce the publication of our paper in Methods in Ecology and Evolution. Though the case studies do not include marine mammals, I hope the method will be of general interest. Vianey Leos-Barajas, Theoni Photopoulou, Ro land Langrock, Toby A. Patterson, Yuuki Y. Watanabe, MeganMurgatroyd, Yannis P. Papastamatiou (2016). Analysis of animal accelerometer data using hidden Markov models. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. DOI: 10.1111/2041-210X.12657 Summary 1. Use of accelerometers is now widespread within animal biologging as they provide a means of measuring an animal's activity in a meaningful and quantitative way where direct observation is not possible. In sequential acceleration data, there is a natural dependence between observations of behaviour, a fact that has been largely ignored in most analyses. 2. Analyses of acceleration data where serial dependence has been explicitly modelled have largely relied on hidden Markov models (HMMs). Depending on the aim of an analysis, an HMM can be used for state prediction or to make inferences about drivers of behaviour. For state prediction, a supervised learning approach can be applied. That is, an HMM is trained to classify unlabelled acceleration data into a finite set of pre-specified categories. An unsupervised learning approach can be used to infer new aspects of animal behaviour when biologically meaningful response variables are used, with the caveat that the states may not map to specific behaviours. 3. We provide the details necessary to implement and assess an HMM in both the supervised and unsupervised learning context and discuss the data requirements of each case. We outline two applications to marine and aerial systems (shark and eagle) taking the unsupervised learning approach, which is more readily applicable to animal activity measured in the field. HMMs were used to infer the effects of temporal, atmospheric and tidal inputs on animal behaviour. 4. Animal accelerometer data allow ecologists to identify important correlates and drivers of animal activity (and hence behaviour). The HMM framework is well suited to deal with the main features commonly observed in accelerometer data and can easily be extended to suit a wide range of types of animal activity data. The ability to combine direct observations of animal activity with statistical models, which account for the features of accelerometer data, offers a new way to quantify animal behaviour and energetic expenditure and to deepen our insights into individual behaviour as a constituent of populations and ecosystems. You can access the article online <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/2041-210X.12657/full> or from me (theoni.photopoulou(a)gmail.com) Best, Theoni -- Theoni Photopoulou, Postdoctoral Fellow Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa Centre for Statistics in Ecology Environment and Conservation, University of Cape Town, South Africa " Be silly. Be honest. Be kind " Ralph Waldo Emerson

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