July 2016 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Seeking research assistants: Research to evaluate the swim-with humpback whale trial off Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia.
by Kate Sprogis 03 Jul '16

03 Jul '16

Seeking research assistants for a research project to evaluate the swim-with humpback whale trial off Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Project Outline: The Western Australian (WA) Minister for the Environment announced that a trial for commercial swim-with-humpback-whale (SWHW) operations within Ningaloo Mark Park has been approved for 2016. Commencement of operations is during the humpback whale migration in August, September and October 2016. The WA Department of Parks and Wildlife has identified the need for an evaluation of the feasibility and sustainability of the SWHW trial interaction protocol. To this end, we will be investigating: 1. Potential short-term behavioural impacts of the SWHW trial, in terms of: a. Movement patterns before-during and after swim-with interactions; b. Respiration rates before-during and after swim-with interactions. 2. The SWHW operating protocol in terms of: a. Effectiveness and suitability in minimising impacts on whales from vessels operating procedures including vessel distances, placement and approach of vessels, number of swimmers and placement of swimmers; b. Swimmer safety. We are seeking volunteers for full-time assistance from late July-mid October 2016. Primary Investigators: Prof Lars Bejder and Dr Fredrik Christiansen Affiliation: Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit, www.mucru.org<http://www.mucru.org/> Location: Ningaloo Marine Park, transiting from Tantabiddi and Coral Bay, WA. Duties: Field- respiratory and behavioural data collection, range finder and compass data collection, photo-identification, data entry. Office- data entry, fluke/fin matching, equipment maintenance, project organisation. Preferred skills and traits: 1. Completed a degree in biology, marine science, animal behaviour or a related field. 2. Previous field experience with wildlife (i.e. field data collection, focal follows, photo-identification). 3. Boating experience. 4. Be mature and have a positive attitude. To work well in small teams and have a genuine interest in wildlife science/research. Living expenses and food will be covered for the period. Research assistants will be responsible for their own travel to Exmouth, WA. If you are interested in being an assistant, please provide a short CV (including referees) and a cover letter to the attention of Dr Kate Sprogis, k.sprogis(a)murdoch.edu.au<mailto:k.sprogis@murdoch.edu.au> Kate Sprogis PhD Cetacean Research Unit | School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South St, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia k.sprogis(a)murdoch.edu.au<mailto:k.sprogis@murdoch.edu.au> | MUCRU Kate Sprogis<http://mucru.org/group-members/kate-sprogis> | <http://katesprogisphotography.com/> Kate Sprogis Photography<http://katesprogisphotography.com/> [cid:ADCED464-6103-49AA-8DC0-E9482EEFC8C6]

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New paper: Effects of Climatic Variables on Dugong Calf Production
by Marsh, Helene 03 Jul '16

03 Jul '16

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0155675 Spatial and Temporal Variation in the Effects of Climatic Variables on Dugong Calf Production<http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0155675> Knowledge of the relationships between environmental forcing and demographic parameters is important for predicting responses from climatic changes and to manage populations effectively. We explore the relationships between the proportion of sea cows ( Dugong dugon) classified as calves and four climatic drivers (rainfall anomaly, Southern Oscillation El Niño Index [SOI ], NINO 3.4 sea surface temperature index, and number of tropical cyclones) at a range of spatially distinct locations in Queensland, Australia, a region with relatively high dugong density. Dugong and calf data were obtained from standardized aerial surveys conducted along the study region. A range of lagged versions of each of the focal climatic drivers (1 to 4 years) were included in a global model containing the proportion of calves in each population crossed with each of the lagged versions of the climatic drivers to explore relationships. The relative influence of each predictor was estimated via Gibbs variable selection. The relationsh

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Marine bushmeat - Information request
by A. Mel Cosentino 02 Jul '16

02 Jul '16

Dear MARMAMers I am compiling information on marine or aquatic bushmeat, that is the use of products derived from marine mammals (especially small cetaceans and sirenians) in South and Southeast Asia. These uses include from human consumption and bait to medicinal uses. These products can be obtained through directed (illegal or unregulated) hunts or bycath and strandings. The information collected will be used to write a report, which is as part of a series of reports on the subject of aquatic bushmeat, with the aim to understand the scale of the issue at a global level. The first two have been presented at the IWC Scientific Committee meeting last June in Bled, Slovenia. These will be available soon. Please contact me at orcinus.orca.1758(a)gmail.com if you have any published or unpublished material (e.g., scientific articles, reports), news, or contact details of people/organisations that could provide me with further information. Thank you in advance, Mel Cosentino -- *A. Mel Cosentino* *"*The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing*" - *E. Burke GNU Terry Pratchett

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PIFSC seeking a Interdisciplinary Research Ecologist/Research Oceanographer
by Erin Oleson - NOAA Federal 01 Jul '16

01 Jul '16

NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center is seeking applicants for an Interdisciplinary Research Ecologist/Research Oceanographer to serve as a Cetacean Acoustician in the Cetacean Research Program. The position is at the PIFSC lab in Honolulu, Hawaii. The position has the following duties: - Lead and coordinate passive acoustics research that supports cetacean stock assessment, including evaluation of occurrence, abundance, stock structure, and human impacts. - Conduct multi-variate statistical analyses to understand the relationship between cetacean occurrence and behavioral, environmental or anthropogenic factors. - Identify appropriate passive acoustic instrumentation, algorithms, and data processing approaches for detection, classification, and localization of cetaceans across a broad range of geographic and temporal scales. - Draft manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication and reports of research findings for scientific or regulatory needs. This is a Federal position within NOAA Fisheries. U.S. Citizens and Nationals are eligible to apply. Please check out the full advertisement <https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/443472800#btn-add-info> on USAJobs.gov for additional information. Status candidates may also apply through separate announcement here <https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/443472100>. The application period closes July 15, 2016. -- Erin Oleson Leader, Cetacean Research Program Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center NOAA Fisheries erin.oleson(a)noaa.gov www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cetacean Mailing address: NOAA IRC NMFS/PIFSC/PSD/Erin Oleson 1845 Wasp Blvd., Building 176 Honolulu, HI 96818 (808) 725-5712 <http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cetacean>

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New paper: Habitat-based density models for harbor porpoises
by Gilles, Anita 01 Jul '16

01 Jul '16

Dear colleagues, please find below information about our new paper in Ecosphere "Seasonal habitat-based density models for a marine top predator, the harbor porpoise, in a dynamic environment”. Gilles, A., S. Viquerat, E. A. Becker, K. A. Forney, S. C. V. Geelhoed, J. Haelters, J. Nabe-Nielsen, M. Scheidat, U. Siebert, S. Sveegaard, F. M. van Beest, R. van Bemmelen, and G. Aarts. 2016. Seasonal habitat-based density models for a marine top predator, the harbor porpoise, in a dynamic environment. Ecosphere 7(6):e01367. 10.1002/ecs2.1367 Abstract: Effective species conservation and management requires information on species distribution patterns, which is challenging for highly mobile and cryptic species that may be subject to multiple anthropogenic stressors across international boundaries. Understanding species–habitat relationships can improve the assessment of trends and distribution by explicitly allowing high-resolution data on habitats to inform abundance estimation and the identification of protected areas. In this study, we aggregated an unprecedented set of survey data of a marine top predator, the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), collected in the UK (SCANS II, Dogger Bank), Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark, to develop seasonal habitat-based density models for the central and southern North Sea. Visual survey data were collected over 9 yr (2005–2013) by means of dedicated line-transect surveys, taking into account the proportion of missed sightings. Generalized additive models of porpoise density were fitted to 156,630 km of on-effort survey data with 14,356 sightings of porpoise groups. Selected predictors included static and dynamic variables, such as depth, distance to shore and to sandeel (Ammodytes spp.) grounds, sea surface temperature (SST), proxies for fronts, and day length. Day length and the spatial distribution of daily SST proved to be good proxies for “season,” allowing predictions in both space and time. The density models captured seasonal distribution shifts of porpoises across international boundaries. By combining the large-scale international SCANS II survey with the more frequent, small-scale national surveys, it has been possible to provide seasonal maps that will be used to assist the EU Habitats and Marine Strategy Frame- work Directives in effectively assessing the conservation status of harbor porpoises. Moreover, our results can facilitate the identification of regions where human activities and disturbances are likely to impact the population and are especially relevant for marine spatial planning, which requires accurate fine-scale maps of species distribution to assess risks of increasing human activities at sea. Open access: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.1367/full Cheers Anita ---------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Anita Gilles University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) Werftstr. 6 | 25761 Büsum Germany Phone: +49 (0)511-8568170 Fax: +49 (0)511-8568181 anita.gilles(a)tiho-hannover.de<mailto:anita.gilles@tiho-hannover.de> http://www.tiho-hannover.de/index.php?id=5380

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New publication: Sperm whale predator-prey interactions involve chasing and buzzing, but no acoustic stunning
by andrea fais 01 Jul '16

01 Jul '16

Dear all, we are pleased to announce our new paper: "Sperm whale predator-prey interactions involve chasing and buzzing, but no acoustic stunning". The paper is open acces in Scientific Reports at : http://www.nature.com/articles/srep28562 Abstract: The sperm whale carries a hypertrophied nose that generates powerful clicks for long-range echolocation. However, it remains a conundrum how this bizarrely shaped apex predator catches its prey. Several hypotheses have been advanced to propose both active and passive means to acquire prey, including acoustic debilitation of prey with very powerful clicks. Here we test these hypotheses by using sound and movement recording tags in a fine-scale study of buzz sequences to relate the acoustic behaviour of sperm whales with changes in acceleration in their head region during prey capture attempts. We show that in the terminal buzz phase, sperm whales reduce inter-click intervals and estimated source levels by 1–2 orders of magnitude. As a result, received levels at the prey are more than an order of magnitude below levels required for debilitation, precluding acoustic stunning to facilitate prey capture. Rather, buzzing involves high-frequency, low amplitude clicks well suited to provide high-resolution biosonar updates during the last stages of capture. The high temporal resolution helps to guide motor patterns during occasionally prolonged chases in which prey are eventually subdued with the aid of fast jaw movements and/or buccal suction as indicated by acceleration transients (jerks) near the end of buzzes. Authors: A. Fais, M. Johnson, M. Wilson, N. Aguilar Soto & P.T. Madsen Best Regards, Andrea Fais

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New Publication: Socio-sexual and Probable Mating Behavior of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, Delphinapterus leucas, Observed From an Aircraft
by Kate Lomac-MacNair 30 Jun '16

30 Jun '16

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce the publication of a new paper: Lomac-MacNair, K.S., Smultea, M. A., Cotter, M. P., Thissen, C., Parker, L. (2016). Socio-sexual and Probable Mating Behavior of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, Delphinapterus leucas, Observed From an Aircraft. Marine Fisheries Review 77(2), 32-39. doi: dx.doi.org/10.7755/MFR.77.2.2 ABSTRACT Socio-sexual and mating behaviors, to our knowledge, have not been previously documented among free-ranging beluga whales, Delphinapterus leucas, but they have been described in detail for captive belugas. We report on the fi rst photodocumented interaction and display of socio-sexual and apparent mating behavior of noncaptive beluga whales in Cook Inlet, Alaska. This behavior was seen on two different days in the same river mouth in uncharacteristically clear waters of upper Cook Inlet. On 24 April 2014, social and possible mating behaviors were observed and photographed for approximately 12 min within a group of nine adult beluga whales in the mouth of Middle River on the west central side of Cook Inlet. A total of 136 photographs were taken at a radial distance > 500 m. On 7 May 2014, similar behaviors were observed among four adult beluga whales in the same location for about 7 min. The second group was not photo-documented due to flight limitations. In both circumstances, affiliative behavioral events such as echelon and contact swimming, and socio-sexual behaviors such as ventrum-to-ventrum contact, ventral presentations, pelvic thrusting, nodding, and rubbing were observed. These behaviors resemble those previously reported for captive beluga mating behaviors and copulation. Similarities between these observations with captive mating behaviors, and the timing of ovulation and peak calving periods from other wild beluga populations, provide strong evidence that mating occurs during early spring months in Cook Inlet. Our paper is available online at: <http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/mfr772/mfr7722.pdf> <http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/mfr772/mfr7722.pdf> spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/mfr772/mfr7722.pdf <http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/mfr772/mfr7722.pdf> Or via e-mail request to kate(a)smulteasciences.com Cheers, Kate Lomac-MacNair COO/Senior Research Scientist Smultea Environmental Sciences 907.306.7870 kate(a)smulteasciences.com

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