October 2017 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

UK & Ireland SMM Student Conference Announcement: January 2018
by UK Regional Student Chapter for the Society of Marine Mammals 11 Oct '17

11 Oct '17

Dear all, The committee of the UK and Ireland Regional Student Chapter (UKIRSC) of the Society for Marine Mammalogy are pleased to announce our 12th annual conference. This year our meeting will be held on the 17th–19th January 2018 at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. This is a free conference which aims to bring together students from all across the United Kingdom and Ireland who are interested in and study marine mammals. Students are encouraged to present and discuss their work with colleagues, and have the opportunity to attend workshops and talks given by experienced scientists and specialists. This year our keynote speakers are Dr Bernie McConnell (Senior Research Fellow at the Sea Mammal Research Unit) and Dr Sascha Hooker (Reader at the Sea Mammal Research Unit). Deadline for registration and submission of presentation abstracts is 5th January 2018. For more information and to register for the conference, please visit our website: https://synergy.st-andrews.ac.uk/ukrsc/ Best wishes, Katherine, Heather, Alesha, Leah & Will *---------------------------------------------------------------* *Committee Members* *UK and Ireland Regional Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy* *Website*: http://synergy.st-andrews.ac.uk/ukrsc/ *Facebook*: https://www.facebook.com/UKIRSC/ *Twitter*: https://twitter.com/UKIRSC_SMM

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New paper on dental damage in captive orcas
by Carolina Loch Silva 10 Oct '17

10 Oct '17

Dear MARMAM subscribers, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of the following paper in the current issue of the Archives of Oral Biology: *Tooth damage in captive orcas (Orcinus orca)* John Jett, Ingrid N. Visser, Jeffrey Ventre, Jordan Waltz, Carolina Loch doi: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2017.09.031 *Abstract* Objectives: Tooth damage as a result of oral stereotypies is evident in captive orca, yet little research on the topic exists. This study examines the associations between dental pathology, sex, facility, duration of captivity and other factors in captive orca. Design: We evaluated mandibular and maxillary teeth from dental images of 29 captive orca owned by a US based theme park. Each tooth was scored for coronal wear, wear at or below gum line and bore holes. Fractured and missing teeth were also noted. Summary statistics described the distribution and severity of pathologies; inferential statistics examined how pathologies differed between sexes, between wild-captured and captive-born orcas and between captive orca at four facilities. We also evaluated how dental pathology and duration of captivity were related. Results: Approximately 24% of whales exhibited “major” to “extreme” mandibular coronal tooth wear, with coronal wear and wear at or below gum line highly correlated. More than 60% of mandibular teeth 2 and 3 exhibited fractures. Bore holes were observed primarily among anterior mandibular teeth, with more than 61% of teeth 2 and 3 bearing evidence of having been drilled. Four of five orca with the highest age-adjusted tooth pathology indices were captive-born. Conclusions: Various dental pathologies were observed across all whales, with pathologies beginning at a young age. Oral stereotypies exhibited by captive orca contributed to the observed dental damage. By making dental and health records of captive whales publicly available, the theme park industry is uniquely positioned to provide further insight into dental pathology and resultant health consequences in captive orca. Full text is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003996917303138 Or alternatively, a *pdf* can be requested at: carolina.loch(a)otago.ac.nz Best regards, _______________________________________ Carolina Loch Silva, PhD Lecturer in Oral Biology Department of Oral Sciences Sir John Walsh Research Institute Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago Dunedin 9054, New Zealand Phone: +(64) 03 479-9255 http://www.otago.ac.nz/sjwri/people/profile/index.html?id=2033

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New publication - Tsai et al 2017 northern Caperea
by Tsai, CH 10 Oct '17

10 Oct '17

Dear colleagues We are very pleased to announce a new paper - reporting the first discovery of *Caperea *in the northern hemisphere (from the Pleistocene of Okinawa, Japan and Sicily, Italy). Tsai C-H, Collareta A, Fitzgerald EMG, Marx FG, Kohno N, Bosselaers M, Insacco G, Reitano A, Catanzariti R, Oishi M, Bianucci G. 2017. Northern pygmy right whales highlight Quaternary marine mammal interchange. Current Biology 27(19): 1058 - 1059. (doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.08.056) Summary The pygmy right whale, *Caperea marginata*, is the most enigmatic living whale. Little is known about its ecology and behaviour, but unusual specialisations of visual pigments [1], mitochondrial tRNAs [2], and postcranial anatomy [3] suggest a lifestyle different from that of other extant whales. Geographically, *Caperea* represents the only major baleen whale lineage entirely restricted to the Southern Ocean. *Caperea*-like fossils, the oldest of which date to the Late Miocene, are exceedingly rare and likewise limited to the Southern Hemisphere [4], despite a more substantial history of fossil sampling north of the equator. Two new Pleistocene fossils now provide unexpected evidence of a brief and relatively recent period in geological history when *Caperea* occurred in the Northern Hemisphere (Figure 1A,B). The paper could be downloaded from this link: http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822%2817%2931096-5#.Wdv… Alternatively, if the link does not work, please just email me ( craniata(a)gmail.com; cheng-hsiu.tsai(a)otago.ac.nz) or Felix ( felixgmarx(a)gmail.com) for a pdf copy. Regards and all the best, Tsai -- 蔡政修（Cheng-Hsiu Tsai さいまさのぶ) JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellow (JSPS: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 日本學術振興會) Department of Geology and Paleontology, National Museum of Nature and Science (Tsukuba Research Center) 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-0005, Japan Email: cheng-hsiu.tsai(a)otago.ac.nz; craniata(a)gmail.com

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Humpback Whale Respiratory Microbiome
by Michael Moore 10 Oct '17

10 Oct '17

The following newly published paper is available Open Access at the link below (so no need to email for a pdf). http://msystems.asm.org/content/2/5/e00119-17 DOI: 10.1128/mSystems.00119-17 Title: Extensive Core Microbiome in Drone-Captured Whale Blow Supports a Framework for Health Monitoring Authors: Amy Apprill, Carolyn A. Miller, Michael J. Moore, John W. Durban, Holly Fearnbach, Lance G. Barrett-Lennard ABSTRACT The pulmonary system is a common site for bacterial infections in cetaceans, but very little is known about their respiratory microbiome. We used a small, unmanned hexacopter to collect exhaled breath condensate (blow) from two geographically distinct populations of apparently healthy humpback whales (/Megaptera novaeangliae/), sampled in the Massachusetts coastal waters off Cape Cod (/n/ = 17) and coastal waters around Vancouver Island (/n/ = 9). Bacterial and archaeal small-subunit rRNA genes were amplified and sequenced from blow samples, including many of sparse volume, as well as seawater and other controls, to characterize the associated microbial community. The blow microbiomes were distinct from the seawater microbiomes and included 25 phylogenetically diverse bacteria common to all sampled whales. This core assemblage comprised on average 36% of the microbiome, making it one of the more consistent animal microbiomes studied to date. The closest phylogenetic relatives of 20 of these core microbes were previously detected in marine mammals, suggesting that this core microbiome assemblage is specialized for marine mammals and may indicate a healthy, noninfected pulmonary system. Pathogen screening was conducted on the microbiomes at the genus level, which showed that all blow and few seawater microbiomes contained relatives of bacterial pathogens; no known cetacean respiratory pathogens were detected in the blow. Overall, the discovery of a shared large core microbiome in humpback whales is an important advancement for health and disease monitoring of this species and of other large whales. Further images etc available at: http://www.whoi.edu/news-release/whale-blow-microbiome

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SMM workshop: Women in Marine Mammal Science
by Erin Ashe 10 Oct '17

10 Oct '17

Dear MARMAM community, The Women in Marine Mammal Science (WIMMS) workshop at the upcoming SMM Biennial in Halifax has attracted an esteemed list of speakers, panelists, and participants, including Prof Janet Mann (keynote), Dr Christina Lockyer, Dr Gill Braulik, and many other impressive and inspiring speakers and panelists. Please check the WIMMS website <https://wimms.weebly.com/> as we continue to update the list of speakers and panelists and for further details. We are also pleased to announce two sponsorship updates: 1. Oceans Initiative is sponsoring a networking lunch as part of the workshop, where participants will have the opportunity to connect with other women in marine mammal science and facilitate mentorships between women in different career stages. Space is limited. If you’re on the fence, please register for the workshop soon so you can join us. 2. Thanks to generous donations from Sarah Haney of the Canadian Whale Institute and David Hannay from JASCO, we are able to cover the registrations for many participants, but not all participants. Please let us know whether waiving the registration fee would make a material difference to your ability to participate. We hope you will register for the workshop and join us in Halifax on 28 October 2017. Your participation in an anonymous survey to better understand gender-specific experiences in marine mammal science would also be greatly appreciated. The survey can be completed here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMP6vBO1aZ8JmPu5G40B3ZSIncvih0_aj… <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMP6vBO1aZ8JmPu5G40B3ZSIncvih0_aj…> Please email us at womeninmmsci(a)gmail.com <mailto:womeninmmsci@gmail.com> if you have any questions. Thank you, The WIMMS Workshop Organizers Erin Ashe Amanda Bradford María Marchesi Natalie Mastick Frances Robertson Mridula Srinivasan Website:https://wimms.weebly.com Twitter: @womeninmmsci Hashtag: #womeninmmsci

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Marine Mammal Husbandry Fellowship
by Volunteer Coordinator 09 Oct '17

09 Oct '17

The Alaska SeaLife Center is recruiting for a Marine Mammal Husbandry Fellow. To view more information about our fellowship program and to submit an application, go to http://www.alaskasealife.org/fellowships *Marine Mammal Husbandry Fellowship* *Position requirements: 30 hours per week in husbandry/10 hours per week supporting front of house operation of ticketing and interpretation.* The successful candidate will learn and gain experience in basic animal care and husbandry techniques. The individual will assist in the daily care and maintenance of the Center’s mammal collection and mammal exhibit[s]. Under guidance of Mammal Husbandry staff, the Fellow will be trained and expected to perform the following duties: · Make daily animal diets and perform routine cleaning of animal exhibits, kitchen and work areas. · Make daily observations and note the health and condition of the mammal collection– noting changes in behavior and appearance. · Participate in daily educational talks and/or tours. · Gain knowledge and experience in techniques and application of animal training. · Maintain written and computerized records. · Develop good communication skills. · Assist in pool cleanings and water quality testing. · Assist the mammal staff in current research projects and data collection. · Unload periodic deliveries of frozen food and maintain the freezer along with other duties as assigned. · Did we mention cleaning? · General animal husbandry techniques and protocols. · Work in an outdoor exhibit with moderate to strenuous physical activity, lifting up to 50lbs. · Must be able to handle extreme cold and wet weather · Assist at the ticketing counter or with Interpretation as assigned -- *Thank you, * *Anna Pullins**Human Resources Specialist II/Volunteer Coordinator* Alaska SeaLife Center P.O. Box 1329 • 301 Railway Ave • Seward, AK 99664 Direct: (907) <%28907%29%20224-6307>224-6229 <%28907%29%20224-6371> Fax: (907) 224-6371 www.alaskasealife.org <https://www.facebook.com/AlaskaSeaLifeCenter> <https://twitter.com/alaskasealife> <http://instagram.com/alaskasealifecenter> <https://www.youtube.com/user/AKSeaLifeCenter> <https://www.linkedin.com/company/alaska-sealife-center>

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POLAR2018: Call for abstracts - Polar Soundscape Session
by Ilse Van Opzeeland 09 Oct '17

09 Oct '17

Dear colleagues, We hereby would like to draw your attention to the session ‘The acoustic environment of the polar oceans: exploring polar soundscapes’ at the upcoming POLAR 2018, A SCAR & IASC Conference in Davos, Switzerland from 19-23 June, 2018. See http://www.polar2018.org/ Deadline for abstract submission is *1 November 2017, 6pm CET.* See http://www.polar2018.org/abstracts.htmlfor further information on the call for abstracts. The goal of POLAR2018 is to bring together excellent research from both poles, as well as from high altitude areas, focusing on the similar challenges those regions face. The program features 65 sessions, structured into 12 categories spanning topics from oceans and sea ice, cryosphere, atmosphere and climate, geology and geophysics to biology, ecology and more. Please consider submitting an abstract for the Polar Soundscape session outlined below. We hope to see you in Davos! Best Regards, Ilse Van Opzeeland (Alfred-Wegener Institute, Bremerhaven, Germany) Karolin Thomisch (Alfred-Wegener Institute, Bremerhaven, Germany) Sebastian Menze (Institute for Marine Research, Bergen, Norway) Denise Risch (Scottish Association for Marine Sciences, Oban, Scotland, UK) *Session Number OS-1 * *Session Title* The acoustic environment of the polar oceans: exploring polar soundscapes *Session Description* The underwater acoustic environment is created by the superposition of sounds from a multitude of sources of natural biotic and abiotic as well as anthropogenic origin. For aquatic life, marine mammals in particular, their perceived soundscape directly impacts their ability to hunt, communicate and possibly navigate these waters. However, for much of the world oceans, and for polar seas in particular, little is known about the diversity of contributions and the dial and seasonal patterns as well as long-term trends of the acoustic environment. This lack of knowledge hampers our ability to predict how anthropogenic change will impact on populations to which these waters form an essential habitat. The impact of anthropogenic activities on the acoustic environment may be direct, by adding noise, or indirect through global climate change, affecting acoustic propagation conditions and habitat usage. To outline the range of polar acoustic environments and the nature of their main contributories, thissession aims at bringing together studies addressing these issues through in-situ recordings, methodological advances and numerical modeling. -- Dr I.C. Van Opzeeland Ocean Acoustics Lab Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Am Alten Hafen 26 27568 Bremerhaven (+49)(0)471 4831 1169 ilse.van.opzeeland(a)awi.de

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MMO & PAM vacancies
by Recruitment 09 Oct '17

09 Oct '17

Dear MMO and PAM Operators, Between mid-October to early November, OSC has contract vacancies for MMOs and PAMOs based in UK and Europe on several projects, with estimated durations ranging from a week to 30 days. If you are interested and available, and not already on OSC's database, please provide copies of your CV, passport, driving licence (probably not needed, but useful for future reference), offshore survival and medical certificates, degree certificates, and any other supporting documents. For documents not already in electronic format, please ensure these are scanned, as photos can be rejected by clients. Personnel already on OSC's database and OSC's regular contractors should simply confirm availability. Please apply by email only to recruitment(a)osc.co.uk; recruitment enquiries to other OSC email addresses will not be considered. Please feel free to circulate this email amongst colleagues seeking work. Thanks and kind regards, -- Recruitment Ocean Science Consulting Limited (OSC) Spott Road, Dunbar, East Lothian, EH42 1RR, Scotland, UK T: +44 (0)1368 865 722 W: www.osc.co.uk

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Save the Manatee Club Education and Outreach Coordinator position
by Katie Tripp 09 Oct '17

09 Oct '17

Save the Manatee Club seeks an Education and Outreach Coordinator to fill a full-time benefits position in our Maitland, FL office. This position entails frequently serving as a spokesperson for the Club, so the successful applicant should have excellent public speaking and writing skills and be very comfortable on camera. Salary is expected to start at approximately $35,000 but may be negotiable based on experience and skill level. Job duties include, but are not limited to: * working with our Multimedia Specialist to create informative videos related to the Club's mission * developing concepts for, and executing design of, education and outreach materials ranging from printed items to presentations, to reach audiences ranging from young children to adults * answering citizen inquiries and requests for information * working with the Director of Online Communications to create content for the Club's website and online newsletter * helping our Director of Development and Operations with fundraising appeals and promotional materials, including videos * assisting the Director of Public Relations in answering media inquiries, completing interviews, and writing pieces for print and online media * distilling complex issues being handled by the Science and Conservation department into action alerts for the public, articles in our quarterly newsletter, and other formats * delivering educational presentations to diverse audiences, both in person, and remotely, with the use of programs including Skype in the Classroom Interested applicants should submit the following materials to the Club's Director of Science and Conservation, Dr. Katie Tripp, at ktripp(a)savethemanatee.org by 5 PM on Friday October 20th, 2017: * CV, including 3 references * Unofficial academic transcripts * 2 writing samples demonstrating the applicant's creative and technical abilities (print or electronic media are acceptable) * A short video of the applicant, no more than 2 minutes in length, showcasing the applicant's interest in working for the organization

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New paper: El Niño Southern Oscillation influences the abundance and movements of a marine top predator in coastal waters
by Kate Sprogis 08 Oct '17

08 Oct '17

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce the following paper published in Global Change Biology: “El Niño Southern Oscillation influences the abundance and movements of a marine top predator in coastal waters” Authors: Kate R. Sprogis, Fredrik Christiansen, Moritz Wandres and Lars Bejder. Abstract: Large-scale climate modes such as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influence population dynamics in many species, including marine top predators. However, few quantitative studies have investigated the influence of large-scale variability on resident marine top predator populations. We examined the effect of climate variability on the abundance and temporary emigration of a resident bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) population off Bunbury, Western Australia (WA). This population has been studied intensively over six consecutive years (2007-2013), yielding a robust dataset that captures seasonal variations in both abundance and movement patterns. In WA, ENSO affects the strength of the Leeuwin Current (LC), the dominant oceanographic feature in the region. The strength and variability of the LC affects marine ecosystems and distribution of top predator prey. We investigated the relationship between dolphin abundance and ENSO, Southern Annular Mode, austral season, rainfall, sea surface salinity and sea surface temperature (SST). Linear models indicated that dolphin abundance was significantly affected by ENSO, and that the magnitude of the effect was dependent upon season. Dolphin abundance was lowest during winter 2009, when dolphins had high temporary emigration rates out of the study area. This coincided with the single El Niño event that occurred throughout the study period. Coupled with this event there was a negative anomaly in SST and an above average rainfall. These conditions may have affected the distribution of dolphin prey, resulting in the temporary emigration of dolphins out of the study area in search of adequate prey. This study demonstrated the local effects of large-scale climatic variations on the short-term response of a resident, coastal delphinid species. With a projected global increase in frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events, resident marine top predators may not only have to contend with increasing coastal anthropogenic activities, but also have to adapt to large-scale climatic changes. Citation: KR Sprogis, F Christiansen, M Wandres, and L Bejder (2017) El Niño Southern Oscillation influences the abundance and movements of a marine top predator in coastal waters. Global Change Biology. doi: 10.1111/gcb.13892. The full text can be downloaded here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.13892/full Our lab blog can be viewed here: http://mucru.org/new-publication-climate-variability-influences-the-abundan… Kind regards, 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> | Kate Sprogis Photography<https://katesprogisphotography.wordpress.com/> Twitter and Instagram: @KateSprogis [cid:image001.png@01D340CD.E6758090]

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