June 2017 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New Publication : Mitogenomics data reveal effective population size, historical bottlenecks, and the effects of hunting on New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri)
by Arsalan Emami-Khoyi 02 Jun '17

02 Jun '17

Dear MARMAM Colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of the following article in the Journal of Mitochondrial DNA Part A :Arsalan Emami-Khoyi, Adrian M. Paterson, David A. Hartley, Laura J. Boren, Robert H. Cruickshank, James G. Ross, Elaine C. Murphy & Terry-Ann Else*Mitogenomics data reveal effective population size, historical bottlenecks, and the effects of hunting on New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri)**Abstract :* The New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) passed through a population bottleneck due to com- mercial sealing during the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries. To facilitate future management options, we reconstructed the demographic history of New Zealand fur seals in a Bayesian framework using maternally inherited, mitochondrial DNA sequences. Mitogenomic data suggested two separate clades (most recent common ancestor 5000 years ago) of New Zealand fur seals that survived large-scale human harvest. Mitochondrial haplotype diversity was high, with 45 singletons identified from 46 indi- viduals although mean nucleotide diversity was low (0.012 ± 0.0061). Variation was not constrained geo- graphically. Analyses of mitogenomes support the hypothesis for a population bottleneck approximately 35 generations ago, which coincides with the peak of commercial sealing. Mitogenomic data are consistent with a pre-human effective population size of approximately 30,000 that first declined to around 10,000 (due to the impact of Polynesian colonization, particularly in the first 100 years of their arrival into New Zealand), and then to 100–200 breeding individuals during peak of commercial sealing.The full text is available at the following address or upon direct request to the first author (arsalan(a)pobox.com)* : * * http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/24701394.2017.1325478* Regards Arsalan Emami-Khoyi Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Wildlife Genomics University of Johannesburg_Center for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife ConservationAuckland Park 2006 South Africa Email : Arsalane(a)uj.ac.za Phone :+27 (0)11 559 3373 Cellphone:+27 79 88 14 628 Website :https://sites.google.com/site/drpeterteske/postdocs

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New Publication: Estimating blue whale skin isotopic incorporation rates and baleen growth rates (Busquets-Vass, Geraldine)
by Geraldine Busquets 01 Jun '17

01 Jun '17

New Publication: Estimating blue whale skin isotopic incorporation rates and baleen growth rates (Busquets-Vass, Geraldine) Dear MARMAM subscribers, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce a new publication in PLoS ONE: Busquets-Vass G, Newsome SD, Calambokidis J, Serra-Valente G, Jacobsen JK, Aguíñiga-García S, et al. (2017) Estimating blue whale skin isotopic incorporation rates and baleen growth rates: Implications for assessing diet and movement patterns in mysticetes. PLoS ONE 12(5): e0177880. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0177880 ABSTRACT Stable isotope analysis in mysticete skin and baleen plates has been repeatedly used to assess diet and movement patterns. Accurate interpretation of isotope data depends on understanding isotopic incorporation rates for metabolically active tissues and growth rates for metabolically inert tissues. The aim of this research was to estimate isotopic incorporation rates in blue whale skin and baleen growth rates by using natural gradients in baseline isotope values between oceanic regions. Nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) isotope values of blue whale skin and potential prey were analyzed from three foraging zones (Gulf of California, California Current System, and Costa Rica Dome) in the northeast Pacific from 1996–2015. We also measured δ15N and δ13C values along the lengths of baleen plates collected from six blue whales stranded in the 1980s and 2000s. Skin was separated into three strata: basale, externum, and sloughed skin. A mean (±SD) skin isotopic incorporation rate of 163±91 days was estimated by fitting a generalized additive model of the seasonal trend in δ 15N values of skin strata collected in the Gulf of California and the California Current System. A mean (±SD) baleen growth rate of 15.5±2.2 cm y -1 was estimated by using seasonal oscillations in δ15N values from three whales. These oscillations also showed that individual whales have a high fidelity to distinct foraging zones in the northeast Pacific across years. The absence of oscillations in δ15N values of baleen sub-samples from three male whales suggests these individuals remained within a specific zone for several years prior to death. δ13C values of both whale tissues (skin and baleen) and potential prey were not distinct among foraging zones. Our results highlight the importance of considering tissue isotopic incorporation and growth rates when studying migratory mysticetes and provide new insights into the individual movement strategies of blue whales. The article can be found at: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0177880 The article is open access; so anyone who is interested in the manuscript should be able to download a pdf of it. However if you have any problems getting a copy, or have any questions, please email: dianegendroncicimar(a)gmail.com or geraldine.busquets(a)gmail.com Kind regards, Geraldine R. Busquets-Vass, Estudiante del Doctorado en Ciencias Marinas Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas - Instituto Politécnico Nacional Departamento de Pesquerías y Biología Marina Laboratorio de Ecología de Cetáceos y Quelonios La paz, Baja California Sur, México. http://www.cicimar.ipn.mx

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U.S. Marine Mammal Commission
by Broadwaterco 01 Jun '17

01 Jun '17

MARMAM Subscribers: The U.S. Congress passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA) to conserve whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions, manatees, sea otters, polar bears, and walruses. The MMPA established the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission (Commission) and charged it with oversight of marine mammal science, management, and conservation. President Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2018 eliminates the Commission with potentially severe, irreversible effects on marine mammals and ecosystems. Despite its small annual budget — roughly 1¢ per person in the U.S. — the Commission has worked effectively to — · improve marine mammal science, management, and conservation in U.S. and international waters; · integrate science into policy to promote better decision-making; · engage all facets of society affected by actions taken pursuant to the MMPA; · minimize the social and economic costs of marine mammal protection; · maintain a focus on the health and stability of the marine ecosystem — the primary objective of the MMPA; and · ensure that it provides the U.S. government and public a net economic benefit. Among other things, the Commission has helped other agencies to reduce fishery-marine mammal conflicts, recover endangered species (e.g., Hawaiian monk seal, vaquita), investigate the effects of various human activities (e.g., production of sound) on marine mammals, respond to oil spills, reduce the effects of debris and pollution on marine mammals and marine ecosystems, and evaluate the effects of global warming. At its core, the Commission is a non-partisan broker that promotes effective, fair-minded solutions to conservation problems through better science and more informed decision-making. It emphasizes cost-effective conservation by minimizing management errors that provide more protection than is needed or, conversely, less protection. It is recognized nationally and internationally for its contributions and leadership. And it is widely respected by the American public, which values marine mammal conservation. The U.S. Congress has the final word on this matter. If you are a U.S. citizen and share my concern regarding the defunding of the Marine Mammal Commission, please consider sending your state’''s Congressional delegation an email supporting continued funding of the Commission at least at its current level ($3.431M). Please also consider contacting the four members of Congress listed below, who are responsible for the Commission’s budget. If you are not a U.S. citizen but share this concern, you also can contact the offices of the four members of Congress listed below. Contact them first by email, then follow up with a phone call to make sure the message is received. You can generally find phone numbers and a link to send email on each of the individual members' websites. The key Congressional contacts are: Senator Richard Shelby, Chair Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies https://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/ Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/ Representative John Culberson, Chair House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies https://culberson.house.gov/ Representative José Serrano, Ranking Member House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies https://serrano.house.gov/ Thank you for any support you can provide, Tim Ragen

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Fall Undergraduate Opportunity in Alaska
by K Frost 01 Jun '17

01 Jun '17

The *Semester by the Bay* program in Homer, Alaska at University of Alaska Anchorage-Kenai Peninsula College-Kachemak Bay Campus has a few opportunities left for the Fall 2017 semester. Undergraduate courses in marine biology (marine mammals, seabirds, fishes, tide pool invertebrates, etc.) offer students numerous unique hands-on, experiential learning opportunities in the lab and field, such as behavioral ecology of beluga whales, sea otters, and harbor seals, acoustics of harbor porpoises, marine mammal skeletal articulation/museum preparation, marine debris assessment, seining and identification of estuarine fishes, behavior of seabirds at island rookeries, among others. In addition, most students participate in community-based internships and/or volunteer opportunities with governmental or non-governmental researchers while studying with us. Internships in the fields of marine and coastal biology and marine mammals that offer free housing are still available! *This opportunity is reserved for undergraduates.* Interested juniors and seniors should submit an application of interest. Please see www.semesterbythebay.org <https://owa.uaa.alaska.edu/owa/UrlBlockedError.aspx> and/or contact Nancy Johnson at mailto:nejohnson2@alaska.edu <nejohnson2(a)alaska.edu> for more information.

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Call for PhD in Veterinary Sciences - RT on marine mammals
by Sandro Mazzariol 01 Jun '17

01 Jun '17

Dear all, the University of Padova (Italy) opens a new call for PhD courses. Among the Research Topics included in the PhD course in Veterinary Science (http://www.dottorato.veterinaria.unipd.it/application-phd-course-veterinary…) you can find an issue related to marine mammals “Effects of anthropic activities on marine mammals: novel forensic approaches to support post-mortem diagnosis”. Veterinarians are preferred but also biologists are welcome. You can find the callo at http://www.unipd.it/en/research/doctoral-degrees-phd-programmes/phd-program…: the call will close next June 30th. For details please write to sandro.mazzariol(a)unipd.it Sandro Mazzariol -- Dr. Sandro Mazzariol, DVM, PhD Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione (BCA) Università degli Studi di Padova Cetaceans strandings Emergency Response Team (CERT) AGRIPOLIS - Ed. Museo Viale dell'Università 16 35020 - Legnaro (PD) tel.: +39 049 827 2963 fax: +39 049 827 2973 skype: smazzariol

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Job Opening
by Bruce Morehead 01 Jun '17

01 Jun '17

Ocean Associates, Inc. (OAI) is seeking candidates to provide support to the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office of Protected Resources (OPR) in Silver Spring MD. OAI supplies personnel support services on contract to government and industry clients for marine fisheries and protected species. The employees will support the OPR in the processing of incidental take authorization (ITA) and scientific research and enhancement permit (SREP) requests under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). For more information: Natural Resource Specialist 3 - ESA Support https://workforcenow.adp.com/jobs/apply/posting.html?client=oceans&jobId=20… Bruce Morehead Senior Associate Ocean Associates, Incorporated 240-461-9699 (phone/text) bc.morehead(a)comcast.net mailto:bc.morehead@comcast.net On the web at http://www.OceanAssoc.com http://www.oceanassoc.com/

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Software to Measure Dorsal Fin Area
by edietterle6＠gmail.com 01 Jun '17

01 Jun '17

Dear MARMAM Community, Does anyone know of any software that has the capability to measure the area of dorsal fins and to find a proportion of missing sections? Cheers, Erich Dietterle

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Research on pinniped vibrissae
by Katharina Morgenthal 01 Jun '17

01 Jun '17

Dear Sir or Madam, My name is Katharina Morgenthal, I am contacting you on my own behalf and the behalf of Prof. Dr Guido Dehnhardt and Dr Frederike Hanke of the Marine Science Center in Rostock, Germany. I am studying at the university of Rostock and I am currently working on my thesis on species-specific characteristics of pinniped vibrissae with a focus on quantity and type (smooth vs. undulated/beaded). In order to determine these characteristics, I will need photos of, primarily the mystacial, vibrissae of as many pinniped species as possible and I hope you could help me out with some photos of and/or information about the vibrissae of the species you are involved with. So, I would like to ask if you have any photos available which you could send me. If possible, photos including these four perspectives would be great: 1) frontal view of the vibrissal pads 2) lateral view of a vibrissal pad 3) close-up of the mystacial vibrissae 4) whole head/front with supraorbital vibrissae visible You can find example photos of the harbour seal attached to this email for an orientation regarding what kind of photos I am hoping for. In case you do not have any photos available, could you please answer these questions for the species you are involved with?: a) What type of vibrissae does the species have (undulated/beaded or smooth)? b) How many vibrissae does the species have per vibrissal pad? I would be truly grateful for any information and photos you can provide me with. As I have a deadline for my thesis, I would really appreciate it if you could send it to my email address (katharina.morgenthal(a)uni-rostock.de) as soon as possible. In case you are interested in the paper, I will be happy to send you the paper after it is finished. Many thanks in advance, Yours sincerely, Katharina Morgenthal ________________________________ Katharina Morgenthal Student University of Rostock Department of Biosciences & Marine Science Center Email: katharina.morgenthal(a)uni-rostock.de<mailto:katharina.morgenthal@uni-rostock.de>

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