August 2016 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New publication
by Rachel Racicot 05 Aug '16

05 Aug '16

Dear MARMAM readers, We are pleased to announce the publication (available via early view) of the following paper in Biological Journal of the Linnean Society: "Comparative anatomy of the bony labyrinth of extant and extinct porpoises (Cetacea: Phocoenidae)" Rachel A. Racicot, William Gearty, Naoki Kohno, John J. Flynn doi: 10.1111/bij.12857 *Abstract* The inner ear anatomy of cetaceans, now more readily accessible by means of nondestructive high-resolution X-ray computed tomographic (CT) scanning, provides a window into their acoustic abilities and ecological preferences. Inner ear labyrinths also may be a source for additional morphological characters for phylogenetic analyses. In this study, we explore digital endocasts of the inner ear labyrinths of representative species of extinct and extant porpoises (Mammalia: Cetacea: Phocoenidae), a clade of some of the smallest odontocete cetaceans, which produce some of the highest-frequency clicks for biosonar and communication. Metrics used to infer hearing ranges based on cochlear morphology indicate that all taxa considered could hear high-frequency sounds, thus the group had already acquired high-frequency hearing capabilities by the Miocene (9–11 Mya) at the latest. Vestibular morphology indicates that extant species with pelagic preferences have similarly low semicircular canal deviations from 90°, values indicating more sensitivity to head rotations. Species with near-shore preferences have higher canal deviation values, indicating less sensitivity to head rotations. Extending these analyses to the extinct species, we demonstrate a good match between those predicted to have coastal (such as Semirostrum cerutti) preferences and high canal deviation values. We establish new body length relationships based on correlations with inner ear labyrinth volume, which can be further explored among other aquatic mammals to infer body size of specimens consisting of fragmentary material. Full text available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bij.12857/full PDFs may be requested from rracicot(a)nhm.org, although email response may be slow due to field work. Best wishes, Rachel -- Rachel Racicot, PhD Postdoctoral Research Scientist The Dinosaur Institute Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Los Angeles, CA 90007 USA

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New publication: Guiana dolphins form social modules in a large population with high ranging overlap and small demographic changes
by Luiza Campos 04 Aug '16

04 Aug '16

Hello, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to present our paper published at Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, entitled: Guiana dolphins form social modules in a large population with high ranging overlap and small demographic changes. Abstract The number and strength of social relationships are generally the products of group living trade-offs. However, they can be at least partially influenced by asocial factors such as the spatiotemporal opportunities for individuals to interact. We explored the social patterns of the largest population of Guiana dolphins— from dyadic interactions to the large-scale structure of their social network—considering their use of space and demographic changes during 6 years. We found that their society displays fission-fusion dynamics, characterized mainly by brief associations among individuals, and is weakly structured into four social modules. Spatial use and temporal demographic changes had minor effects on the patterns of associations among individuals. This suggests that the social modules unlikely represented spatiotemporal aggregations of individuals due to resource availability but rather involved social preferences among individuals. We show that Guiana dolphins can form social modules even in a large population with high ranging overlap and few demographic changes over time, although these social boundaries are blurred by the dynamic nature of the social relationships. Our findings illustrate and support the recent claims for the need of taking asocial processes in account when studying social structure of any animal species. Full text can be accessed via link: http://link.springer.com/ article/10.1007/s00265-016-2188-x?wt_mc=Internal.Event.1. SEM.ArticleAuthorOnlineFirst *Luiza Beirão Campos* Marine Scientist SIG Quadra 1, lote 985, sala 251 Centro Empresarial Parque Brasília | Brasil *Direto *+55.61.3247.1802 | *Fax *+55.61.3247.1801 *E* lcampos(a)oceana.org | *W* http://brasil.oceana.org

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Aquatic Mammal's land based station studies in Latin America
by Maria Emilia Morete 04 Aug '16

04 Aug '16

Dear all, We would like to invite you to contribute to our online survey available here https://fr.surveymonkey.com/r/7PCTCMT. Our goal is to compile all the available information on research projects that uses or had used land-based stations to study aquatic mammals in Latin America. We conducted a literature review, and despite of that, many known land-based stations studies are not contemplated in the available literature. This survey aims to provide the most complete portrait of land-based studies in Latin America and the gathered results will be presented in a future book chapter. The survey takes approximately 5 minutes. It it will be available online until August 20th. If you have any question regarding this survey, please contact Mia Morete for more details (miamorete(a)gmail.com) Thanks for your contribution! *Cristiane C.A. Martins*, PhD – Tryphon Oceans *Daniela Abras*, MsC – Instituto Baleia Jubarte & VIVA Baleias, Golfinhos e cia *Mia Morete*, PhD – VIVA Baleias, Golfinhos e cia *Maria Emilia Morete* *VIVA** Baleia, golfinhos e cia.* *https://www.facebook.com/VIVAbaleiasegolfinhos <https://www.facebook.com/VIVAbaleiasegolfinhos>*

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New Publication - Reproductive Energetics of Sea Otters
by Nicole Thometz 04 Aug '16

04 Aug '16

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce the recent publication of the following article in The Journal of Experimental Biology, regarding the reproductive energetics of sea otters: Thometz, N.M., Kendall, T., Richter, B., Williams, T.M. (2016) “The High Cost of Reproduction in Sea Otters Necessitates Unique Physiological Adaptations.” The Journal of Experimental Biology 219(15): 2260-2264. *Abstract*: Superimposed on inherently high basal metabolic demands, the additional energetic requirements of reproduction can push female sea otters beyond physiological limits. Indeed, the resulting energy imbalance contributes to disproportionately high rates of mortality at the end of lactation in this species. To examine and quantify metabolic changes associated with reproduction, we measured the resting metabolic rate (RMR) of a female sea otter across gestation, lactation, and non-reproductive periods. Concurrently, measurements were made on a non-breeding control female. Our results suggest that RMR declines during gestation. Conversely, RMR increases during lactation, reaches a peak at 3-4 months postpartum, and remains elevated until weaning. Combining these direct measurements with published data, we found the cost of pup rearing to be significantly higher than previously estimated. High baseline energy demands and limited energy reserves, combined with significant lactation and pup rearing costs, appear to necessitate metabolic and thermal lability during key reproductive stages. Please direct all inquiries to nthometz(a)ucsc.edu Best, Nicole M. Thometz, PhD Postdoctoral Researcher Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department University of California Santa Cruz Long Marine Lab - Center for Ocean Health 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz CA 95060

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new publication - killer whale genomics
by Andy Foote 03 Aug '16

03 Aug '16

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce a new article published online today ahead of publication in a future print version of *Heredity.* The study investigates whether previously published genomic data conclusively support a scenario in which the ecotypes of killer whale found in the North Pacific diversified in sympatry, or whether there is a genomic signature consistent with a period of allopatry. Genome-wide SNP data suggest complex ancestry of sympatric North Pacific killer whale ecotypes AD Foote and PA Morin Three ecotypes of killer whale occur in partial sympatry in the North Pacific. Individuals assortatively mate within the same ecotype, resulting in correlated ecological and genetic differentiation. A key question is whether this pattern of evolutionary divergence is an example of incipient sympatric speciation from a single panmictic ancestral population, or whether sympatry could have resulted from multiple colonisations of the North Pacific and secondary contact between ecotypes. Here, we infer multilocus coalescent trees from 41000 nuclear single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and find evidence of incomplete lineage sorting so that the genealogies of SNPs do not all conform to a single topology. To disentangle whether uncertainty in the phylogenetic inference of the relationships among ecotypes could also result from ancestral admixture events we reconstructed the relationship among the ecotypes as an admixture graph and estimated f4-statistics using TreeMix. The results were consistent with episodes of admixture between two of the North Pacific ecotypes and the two outgroups (populations from the Southern Ocean and the North Atlantic). Gene flow may have occurred via unsampled ‘ghost’ populations rather than directly between the populations sampled here. Our results indicate that because of ancestral admixture events and incomplete lineage sorting, a single bifurcating tree does not fully describe the relationship among these populations. The data are therefore most consistent with the genomic variation among North Pacific killer whale ecotypes resulting from multiple colonisation events, and secondary contact may have facilitated evolutionary divergence. Thus, the present-day populations of North Pacific killer whale ecotypes have a complex ancestry, confounding the tree-based inference of ancestral geography. Heredity (2016) doi:10.1038/hdy.2016.54 The full text can be accessed via this link: http://www.nature.com/hdy/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/hdy201654a.html Andy Foote and Phil Morin Andrew Foote Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Baltzerstrasse 6 CH-3012 Bern Switzerland +41 31 631 45 49 andrew.foote(a)iee.unibe.ch https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andy_Foote

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NOAA Fisheries Technical Guidance for Assessing the Effects of Anthropogenic Sound on Marine Mammal Hearing.
by Amy SCHOLIK - NOAA Federal 03 Aug '16

03 Aug '16

Today, NOAA Fisheries releases our Technical Guidance for Assessing the Effects of Anthropogenic Sound on Marine Mammal Hearing <http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/guidelines.htm>. You may recall that in June, NOAA released a draft Ocean Noise Strategy Draft Roadmap <http://cetsound.noaa.gov/road-map>. The Technical Guidance is an example of the sort of targeted action that the Roadmap recommends we conduct. The Technical Guidance will contribute to the protection of marine mammals from underwater human-made sound through updated science. It provides acoustic threshold levels for determining onset of auditory impacts to marine mammals, which will improve our assessment of hearing impacts and inform mitigation development. It is intended to be used by NOAA analysts and managers, other federal agencies, and other relevant user groups and stakeholders to better predict how a marine mammal’s hearing will respond to sound exposure. We have been working on this Technical Guidance for some time. It has undergone three separate rounds of peer review and public comment. You can view our responses to public comments in the Federal Register. We understand there may be questions. So we also created informational webinars and explain in the associated Federal Register Notice <https://federalregister.gov/a/2016-18462> how NOAA and applicants should transition to use of this Technical Guidance. All this information will be available on our Office of Protected Resources website <http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/guidelines.htm>. *Amy R. Scholik-Schlomer, Ph.D.* Fishery Biologist (Protected Resources Acoustic Coordinator) NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources, Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Conservation Division 1315 East-West Hwy. SSMC3, Rm. 13605 Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301) 427-8449 Email: *Amy.Scholik(a)noaa.gov <Amy.Scholik(a)noaa.gov>http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/ <http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/>*

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New publication: Comparing Distribution of Harbour Porpoises Derived from Satellite Telemetry and Passive Acoustic Monitoring (Lonnie Mikkelsen)
by Lonnie Mikkelsen 02 Aug '16

02 Aug '16

Dear MARMAM readers We are pleased to announce the publication of the following article in Plos One: "Comparing Distribution of Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) Derived from Satellite Telemetry and Passive Acoustic Monitoring". By: Lonnie Mikkelsen, Frank F. Rigét, Line A. Kyhn, Signe Sveegaard, Rune Dietz, Jakob Tougaard, Julia A. K. Carlström, Ida Carlén, Jens C. Koblitz and Jonas Teilmann. PLoS ONE 11(7): e0158788. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158788 Abstract: Cetacean monitoring is essential in determining the status of a population. Different monitoring methods should reflect the real trends in abundance and patterns in distribution, and results should therefore ideally be independent of the selected method. Here, we compare two independent methods of describing harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) relative distribution pattern in the western Baltic Sea. Satellite locations from 13 tagged harbour porpoises were used to build a Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model of suitable habitats. The data set was subsampled to one location every second day, which were sufficient to make reliable models over the summer (Jun-Aug) and autumn (Sep-Nov) seasons. The modelled results were compared to harbour porpoise acoustic activity obtained from 36 static acoustic monitoring stations (C-PODs) covering the same area. The C-POD data was expressed as the percentage of porpoise positive days/hours (the number of days/hours per day with porpoise detections) by season. The MaxEnt model and C-POD data showed a significant linear relationship with a strong decline in porpoise occurrence from west to east. This study shows that two very different methods provide comparable information on relative distribution patterns of harbour porpoises even in a low density area. Open access: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0158788 For any questions, please feel free to contact me at: lomi(a)bios.au.dk<mailto:lomi@bios.au.dk> Cheers Lonnie ------------------------------------------------------------ Lonnie Mikkelsen, PhD Student Aarhus University - Department of Bioscience Frederiksborgvej 399 DK - 4000 Roskilde Tlf.: +45 87158716 Mobil: +45 20450260 Mail: lomi(a)bios.au.dk<mailto:lomi@bios.au.dk>

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Manatee Intern for Florida Fish and Wildlife
by Carter, Dani 02 Aug '16

02 Aug '16

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Section/Subsection: Fish and Wildlife Research Institute/Marine Mammals Location: Melbourne Beach, FL Position: Manatee Rescue and Research Intern The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute's (FWRI) Marine Mammal Research subsection is looking for an intern to assist with manatee salvage, rescue, and research at the Melbourne Beach field lab (which includes Brevard, Indian River, Volusia, Orange, Osceola, Lake, Seminole Counties). Normally, there is one intern per season: Spring (Jan-April), Summer (May-Aug), and Fall (Sept-Dec). Start and end dates are flexible and can be worked out with the intern supervisor. Interns will assist with field necropsies as needed and conduct photo identification, radio tracking and temperature monitoring as time permits. Interns will also complete mortality and rescue reports, perform equipment maintenance and assist with other office work as needed. The intern is required to complete a project and present a 10-15 minute seminar on the work accomplished during their internship. Qualifications Required: * A junior or senior college student or recent graduate (special cases are considered but applicants must be 18 years or older); * Comfortable driving large trucks and speaking to the public; * Computer literate, in possession of a valid driver's license, able to lift 50 pounds and able to swim. Desired: * Previous experience with digital SLR cameras, telephoto lenses, and filters; * Previous animal handling experience.; * Ability to trailer and operate watercrafts up to 22' in length and experience with radio telemetry tracking gear Applicants should be aware this internship will require them to be wet, dirty and outdoors in all weather conditions. This position is unpaid and housing is not provided. Interns must provide their own transportation to and from the field station. Application Process If you are interested in applying for an internship with the FWRI, please provide the following information: * A cover letter describing area(s) of interest and the season, dates, days, and hours of availability. * A résumé describing training and experience. * Names and contact information for at least three references. * An unofficial copy of your academic transcript. Please send these items as e-mail attachments to: Interns(a)MyFWC.com<mailto:Interns@MyFWC.com> If electronic submission is not possible, hard copies can be mailed to: Internship Coordinator Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue SE St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5020 Thank you for your interest in our program. Dani Carter Marine Mammal Biologist Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Melbourne Marine Mammal Research Lab 4020 S. Hwy A1A Melbourne Beach, FL 32951

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New publication: Whisker growth dynamics of pinnipeds
by Elizabeth McHuron 02 Aug '16

02 Aug '16

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce the publication of the following article: McHuron, EA, Walcott, SM, Zeligs, J, Skrovan, S, Costa, DP, Reichmuth, C. 2016. Whisker growth dynamics of two North Pacific pinnipeds: implications for determining foraging ecology from stable isotope analysis. Marine Ecology Progress Series 554: 213-224. *Abstract: *Stable isotope analysis (SIA) of whiskers is increasingly used to investigate the foraging ecology of pinnipeds. An understanding of whisker growth dynamics is lacking for most species yet is necessary for study design and interpretation of isotope data. Here we present measurements of whisker growth obtained using photogrammetry in 5 California sea lions *Zalophus californianus* and 2 spotted seals *Phoca largha*. Data were collected from captive individuals for at least 1 yr, resulting in serial measurements of 321 sea lion and 153 spotted seal whiskers. The sea lion whiskers exhibited linear growth, with growth rates that ranged from <0.01 to 0.18 mm d-1. In contrast, spotted seal whiskers exhibited asymptotic growth characterized by rapid initial growth of up to 1.40 mm d-1; whiskers reached 75 and 95% of their asymptotic length after an average of 48 and 105 d, respectively. Over half of the spotted seal whiskers were lost annually during a period that coincided with the annual pelage molt, whereas the maximum estimated lifespan of sea lion whiskers was 10+ yr. Our data indicate that sea lion whisker growth rates can be used to reliably determine time periods of tissue deposition and link isotope values with ecological events over multiple years. In contrast, spotted seal whiskers archive dietary information over a period of months, and interpretation of isotope values is complicated by growth and shedding patterns of whiskers, and physiological changes associated with the annual pelage molt. Please contact me if you do not have access to this article and would like a pdf (emchuron(a)ucsc.edu) Best regards, Liz McHuron -- Elizabeth McHuron, Ph.D. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Center for Ocean Health, Long Marine Lab 100 Shaffer Rd. University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95060 emchuron(a)ucsc.edu

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UCSC Project Scientist and Specialist positions (Ecology or Oceanography)
by Elliott Hazen 01 Aug '16

01 Aug '16

NOAA's Environmental Research Division in collaboration with UC Santa Cruz's Institute of Marine Science is hiring two positions in Monterey, CA to start as soon as possible and closing on August 29th. Our research interests span oceanography to ecology, particularly how science can be used to sustain healthy marine ecosystems. We are looking for both a PhD and a MSc level scientist with strong programming and statistical skills for help with ongoing projects analyzing top predator distribution and fisheries data relative to oceanographic processes. Skills working with remotely sensed or modeled oceanographic data (e.g. NetCDFs) and statistics in R or Matlab are highly preferred. For the Specialist position, we are looking for someone with a Masters Degree and interest in scientific programming to support research goals. Please see ad here http://apo.ucsc.edu/academic_employment/jobs/JPF00372-17T.pdf and apply here https://recruit.ucsc.edu/apply/JPF00372 For the Project Scientist, we are looking for someone with a PhD (postdoc or beyond) to lead and collaborate on ongoing research projects. Please see ad here http://apo.ucsc.edu/academic_employment/jobs/JPF00373-17T.pdf and apply here https://recruit.ucsc.edu/apply/JPF00373 Applications are accepted via the UCSC Academic Recruit online system, and must include a letter of application that addresses how you meet the basic and preferred qualifications, a curriculum vitae, one to three writing samples (of published material), and the names and contact information for at least three individuals who we could contact for letters of recommendation. Documents/materials must be submitted as PDF files.

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