September 2017 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

SMM Workshop: PAM of marine mammals
by Jens Koblitz 27 Sep '17

27 Sep '17

Dear MarMam and ECS Communities, We like to announce a workshop titled: "Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) of marine mammals" at the upcoming 22nd Biennial Conference of the Marine Mammal Society. This two day workshop will take place on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th of October. Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) has now been used in several large projects that have produced results that could not be achieved by other methods within realistic budgets, but it is a young method with multiple challenges. This workshop aims to focus on all issues that impact efforts to use PAM of all marine mammals and present recently finished and ongoing projects. Both, static acoustic monitoring as well as towed systems will be presented and three taxa, namely toothed whales, baleen whales and pinnipeds are covered. In a novel format, we will combine tutorials on equipment, detectors, classifiers and density estimation with invited talks by experts in the field and some contributed presentations. Topics of the workshop will include: 1. Available instruments, methods of data analysis and comparison thereof 2. Performance of classifiers including false positive rates, noise impacts, and time costs 3. Species identification 4. Detection functions, including cue rates, detectability 5. Density estimates, comparability with other methods 6. Large PAM projects, project design, long-term monitoring and MPAs, logistics, managing, analyzing and presenting large date sets 7. Future developments Please register via the conference website: http://www.smmconference.org/WorkshopDescriptions We have limited space for few contributed presentations and welcome submission of abstracts for short presentations on any of the topics covered in this workshop. Please e-mail Jens Koblitz at Jens.Koblitz(a)bioacousticsnetwork.org if you are interested in presennting at this workshop. We are looking forward to seeing you in Halifax, Marie Roch, Danielle Harris and Jens Koblitz -- Jens C. Koblitz BioAcousticsNetwork Eichenallee 32 a 41469 Neuss Germany Home: +41 (0) 56 55 876 20 Cell: +49 (0) 1512-2236452 www.BioAcousticsNetwork.org

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Whale Heritage Sites - bursary available for developing country sites
by Dylan Walker 27 Sep '17

27 Sep '17

Dear Marmamers, Established by the World Cetacean Alliance (WCA), Whale Heritage Sites are an initiative aimed at increasing the protection and conservation of cetaceans <http://whaleheritagesites.org/about/#_ftn1> and their habitats while contributing to sustainable livelihoods, the arts, science and education. Whale Heritage Site (WHS) status is granted to those places around the world where cetaceans are celebrated through art, education, research and cultural events; where sustainable practices and livelihoods are continually improved to ensure the health of cetacean habitats and the long-term economic health of human communities; and where respectful coexistence with cetaceans is supported through law, policy and cooperation. We are pleased to announce that there are currently three bursary payments available of US $750 each through the Whale Heritage Fund for applications from developing countries. This will reduce the cost of becoming a Shortlisted Whale Heritage Site to just US $750 for the first year. Bursaries will be granted on a first come first served basis following a completed online application: http://whaleheritagesites.org/application/ The outputs from the South Africa Whale Heritage Sites Summit, June 2017, included changes to the process for WHS which will make it easier for interested sites to apply. We have now graduated to a three tier system <http://whaleheritagesites.org/candidacy/> for Whale Heritage Sites: 1) Shortlisted for Candidacy 2) Candidate Site 3) Accredited Site Shortlisted Sites can access support and expertise from the World Cetacean Alliance as they bring together stakeholders, seek further funding, and make initial steps towards Candidacy. This requires a payment of US$1,500 for one year and includes logo branding. Our aim is to work with the applicant and site partners to gain the necessary support and funding to become a Candidate Site within 12 months, and make significant steps towards accreditation. Please note that the new initial application process for Whale Heritage Sites requires sites to identify 5 Partners prepared to work collaboratively in addition to the lead applicant. Please read below for further information on the benefits of Whale Heritage Sites. Regards, Dylan Walker Chief Executive Officer *World Cetacean Alliance * *T *+44 (0)1273 355011 <+44%201273%20355011>* M *+44 (0)7900 471490 <+44%207900%20471490>* S *dylan.wca *E *dylan(a)worldcetaceanalliance.org* W *worldcetaceanalliance.org *W2 *whaleheritagesites.org *A *Studio 3, Lower Promenade, Madeira Drive, Brighton, BN2 1ET, UK Benefits of Whale Heritage Sites There are a number of environmental, social and economic benefits which will result from the implementation of Whale Heritage Sites. Environmental The environmental benefits of Whale Heritage Sites are: - *Improved animal welfare:* Whale Heritage Sites will reduce the negative impacts of whale and dolphin watching on cetaceans and encourage the adoption of responsible practices. - *Cetacean preservation:* Global recognition of these sites will also help build the financial, legal and political support necessary to ensure cetaceans are conserved for future generations. - *Ocean conservation:* These sites will raise awareness within destination communities and amongst visitors, of the importance of ocean conservation. - *Enhanced Biodiversity:* Whale Heritage Sites will help to protect critical habitat including key breeding, feeding and migratory areas for cetaceans and other wildlife. - *Global knowledge share:* Communication between Whale Heritage Sites will be an important part of the programme, enhancing the reputation of each destination and encouraging the sharing of knowledge, learning and best practice with other destinations, including those in the developing world, to drive up standards worldwide. - *Furthers scientific understanding:* Whale Heritage Sites will encourage the development and strengthening of links between maritime users and educational and research establishments, resulting in evidence-based management of marine resources. Social The social benefits of Whale Heritage Sites are: - *Environmental Education:* Whale Heritage Site development promotes responsible whale and dolphin watching as an opportunity for both tourists and locals to learn, inspire and educate others about the importance of the ocean environment. - *Improved local community cohesion and interest in sustainability:* Encourages ownership of, and pride in the marine natural heritage and the further development of a cultural relationship between people, cetaceans, and the sea. - *Develops alternative livelihoods:* May reduce dependence on fishing. Through strengthening the tourism sector and its sustainability, whale and dolphin watching can provide alternative livelihoods for communities formerly reliant on fishing. - *Boosts climate change resilience:* By diversifying livelihoods and boosting income for those reliant on the marine environment to make a living, coastal communities are better prepared to adapt to the fluctuations likely to result from the changing climate. Economic The economic benefits of Whale Heritage Sites are: - *Increased visitor numbers:* By bringing international attention to the destination as a responsible whale / dolphin watching site. - *Enhanced incomes and improved livelihoods:* Important for frequently marginalised coastal and fishing communities. - *Increased opportunities for funding:* Whale Heritage Sites can provide a focal point for investment from international/regional development, environmental or community related funding streams. - *Supports the creation of strong public/private partnerships:* These sites require partnerships between government, the tourism sector, and NGOs to achieve conservation and sustainability objectives. The co-operation of these sectors should lead to the development of a stronger and more competitive tourism offering. - *Supports and enhances existing tourism activities:* Creation of Whale Heritage Sites and the associated improved management of the ocean environment will have a positive impact on other marine stakeholders including the fishing and diving communities. - *Capacity building:* Working towards Whale Heritage Site designation will expand the capacity, knowledge and experience of tourism industry stakeholders in destinations, particularly with regard to sustainability, inter-sectoral working, quality control and strategic planning.

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New paper
by Felix Marx 27 Sep '17

27 Sep '17

Dear colleagues, please find below the link to our recently published paper on a comprehensive framework of aquatic mammal feeding and its evolution, published in reply to acommment by Kienle et al. (in the same issue). In our reply, we show how exaptations and constraints have guided the evolution of aquatic mammal feeding, provide details on the relevance of semi-aquatic feeding, and propose a revised overview and classification of capture behaviours. Link: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/284/1863/20171836 Kind regards, Felix Marx _____________________________ *Felix G. Marx* PhD Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow *Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium *Monash University, Melbourne, Australia *Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Australia Address: School of Biological Sciences, Monash University 18 Innovation Walk, VIC 3800, Australia Tel. +61 (0)3 9905 1190 (Monash University) or +61 (0)3 8341 7346 (Museum Victoria)

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Reminder: SMM Workshop - Killer whales in western North Pacific and the Okhotsk Sea
by Yoko Mitani 27 Sep '17

27 Sep '17

Dear all, Please join us for a half-day workshop on Sunday, October 29, 2017, 08:00-12:00 titled "Killer whales in western North Pacific and the Okhotsk Sea" at the Biennial conference in Halifax. Please register via the conference website: http://www.smmconference.org/WorkshopDescriptions Summary Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are distributed in all oceans of the world, and those in the Northwest US and western Canada have been well studied since 1970’s. Whereas on the opposite side of the Pacific, Russian Far East killer whales are studied since late 1990’s, and intensive studies have just started in the eastern Hokkaido, Japan since 2010. The studies in Japanese waters have revealed many killer whales are observed in Nemuro Strait in early summer, and off Kushiro in fall, and photo identification, acoustic and tracking studies are currently underway. Although their social structure and prey preferences are still unknown, this population seems to migrate along Kuril islands and share the same calls with Russian waters. The goal of this workshop is to begin discussion among people studying killer whales in the North Pacific and the Okhotsk Sea focusing on similarities and differences between locations. Date/Time: Sunday, October 29, 2017; 08:00-12:00 For additional information about the workshop, please visit https://sites.google.com/view/uni-horp/smm_workshop2017 We look forward to seeing participants at the conference. Yoko -- 三谷曜子　Yoko Mitani 北海道大学北方生物圏フィールド科学センター水圏ステーション函館臨海実験所生態系変動解析分野〒040-0051 北海道函館市弁天町20番5号函館市国際水産・海洋総合研究センター内219号室 Tel: 0138-85-6558; Fax: 0138-85-6625 Email: yo_mitani(a)fsc.hokudai.ac.jp Yoko MITANI Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Change Analysis Hakodate Marine Station, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University Hakodate Research Center for Fisheries and Oceans 20-5 Benten-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0051, JAPAN TEL: +81-138-85-6558; FAX: +81-138-85-6625 E-mail: yo_mitani(a)fsc.hokudai.ac.jp

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New book - Advances in Marine Vertebrate Research in Latin America
by Marcos Rossi-santos 26 Sep '17

26 Sep '17

Dear colleagues, We would like to call your attention to the release of a new book in Coastal Research Library - Springer, related to marine mammals (and other vertebrates) in Latin America: This book gathers the most recent research findings on ecology and conservation of marine vertebrates in Latin America, making use of high technological methods to show readers the diversity of the marine research that has been conducted in these countries over the last decades. The book brings authors from different countries developing the most diverse research aiming at ocean conservation through the ecology of different vertebrate animals, such as whales, dolphins, manatees, turtles, seabirds and fish. This book deals with technological advances and innovation in the ecology and conservation of marine vertebrates in Latin America. This eclectic collection is broad in scope but provides detailed summaries of new methods that are deployed in the study of marine environmental conservation. Key issues revolve around the development and application of educational methodologies in the field of marine vertebrate research, which provide a rational basis for better management of marine environments using modern techniques associated with GIS, satellite tracking, aerial systems, bioacoustics, biogeochemistry, genetics, underwater videography, species photoidentification, molecular biology, trophic ecological methods, ethological methods, and behavioural ecology, among others. Discussion and elucidation of these kinds of techniques are aimed at university-level students and post-graduate researchers. The scope of this volume includes whales, sharks, rays, dolphins, tropical fishes, turtles, manatees as well as aspects of Latin American marine ecosystem conservation. Researchers in this biogeographic region, as well as others involved with marine vertebrate research, will find this work essential reading. Advances in Marine Vertebrate Research in Latin | Marcos R. Rossi-Santos | Springer | | | Advances in Marine Vertebrate Research in Latin | Marcos R. Rossi-Santos | Springer This book gathers the most recent research findings on ecology and conservation of marine vertebrates in Latin A... | | | Best wishes! Marcos Rossi-Santos & Charles Finkl Editors - Coastal Research Library - vol 22

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*Final Reminder - Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) in Freshwater Environments SMM Workshop*
by MMPATF IMMA 26 Sep '17

26 Sep '17

**Final Reminder - Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) in Freshwater Environments SMM Workshop** 22nd Society for Marine Mammalogy (SMM) Biennial Conference, Sunday October 29th 2017, Halifax N.S., Canada (Venue TBA) Point of Contact - Michael J. Tetley IUCN Joint SSC/WCPA Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force (IUCN-MMPATF) www.marinemammalhabitat.org (email: immacoordinator(at)gmail.com) *Maximum Number of Participants: 20* The IUCN Joint SSC/WCPA Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force (IUCN-MMPATF) is seeking final registrations of interest from participants for the upcoming workshop on Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) in Freshwater Environments Workshop to be held at the 2017 Society for Marine Mammalogy Biennial Conference this October. The IUCN-MMPATF is in the process of identifying a global network of Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs). IMMAs are an area based management and conservation tool for identifying discrete portions of habitat, important to marine mammal species, that have the potential to be delineated and managed for conservation. Across 2016-2021 a series of regional workshops of assembled experts to identify IMMAs is underway. Marine mammal species recognized by the Society for Marine Mammalogy Committee on Taxonomy which occur in freshwater environments, such as River Dolphins, Sirenians, and Pinnipeds, present a different scenario and application of the current IMMA User Guidance (available at www.marinemammalhabitat.org/downloads/imma-guidance-document-october-2016) The IMMA Selection Criteria therefore requires further consideration and consultation with leading experts before their application in freshwater environments. In comparison to purely marine environments, freshwater habitats (large estuaries, rivers, river basins, lakes, and inland seas) are subject to differing ecological drivers, research considerations, and conservation management. In addition – the IUCN-MMPATF is mindful that not all experts can attend the workshop or SMM conference in Canada. Therefore, should you wish to still assist the workshop participants in their assessment of the IMMA selection criteria and process please complete the following survey link provided below: *IUCN-MMPATF Survey - Suitability of the IMMA Selection Criteria for the identification of marine mammal areas of conservation importance in freshwater environments* www.formpl.us/form/5125618767233024 Please be advised that the registration process for attending the workshop is processed alongside registration for the main SMM Conference Programme ( http://www.smmconference.org) Participants who are not registering for the main SMM Conference Programme will need to pay a standalone registration fee to attend the workshop (of $40 USD). Please contact the IMMA Coordinator (immacoordinator(at)gmail.com) if you would like to register your interest to attend the IUCN-MMPATF Workshop on IMMAs in Freshwater Environments. At this time there is no additional support available to assist potential participants with travel, accommodation, or other associated costs for participating in the workshop. For additional information about the IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force, and the global effort to identify Important Marine Mammal Areas, please visit www.marinemammalhabitat.org Sincerely Dr Michael J. Tetley - IMMA Coordinator IUCN Joint SSC/WCPA Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force (IUCN-MMPATF)

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Three new publications about southern-Iberian cetaceans
by Joan Giménez Verdugo 25 Sep '17

25 Sep '17

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce our last three articles published by our research team. *1:* Giménez, J., Louis, M., Barón, E., Ramírez, F., Verborgh, P., Gauffier, P., Esteban, R., Eljarrat, E., Barceló, D., Forero, M.G., and de Stephanis, R. (2017) Towards the identification of ecological management units: A multidisciplinary approach for the effective management of bottlenose dolphins in the southern Iberian Peninsula. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. *2:* Giménez, J., Marçalo, A., García‐Polo, M., García‐Barón, I., Castillo, J. J., Fernández‐Maldonado, C., Saavedra, C., Santos, M.B., and de Stephanis, R. (2017). Feeding ecology of Mediterranean common dolphins: The importance of mesopelagic fish in the diet of an endangered subpopulation. Marine Mammal Science. *3:* Giménez, J., Marçalo, A., Ramírez, F., Verborgh, P., Gauffier, P., Esteban, R., Nicolau, L., González-Ortegón, E., Baldó, F., Vilas, C., Vingada, J., Forero, M.G., and de Stephanis, R. (2017). Diet of bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus*) from the Gulf of Cadiz: Insights from stomach content and stable isotope analyses. PloS one, 12(9), e0184673. You can find the abstracts below. ABSTRACTS 1: Determining discrete and demographically independent management units within wildlife populations is critical for their effective management and conservation. However, there is a lack of consensus on the most appropriate criteria to delimit such management units. A multi‐ disciplinary, multi‐scale approach that combines tools informing in the short‐term (i.e. photo-identification), with mid‐term ecological tracers (stable isotopes–δ13C, δ15N and δ34S– and persistent organic pollutants –POPs–), and mid‐ to long‐term genetic markers (microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA), was used to define management units within bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus*) inhabiting the southern Iberian Peninsula. Although genetically indistinguishable, individuals inhabiting the Strait of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Cadiz showed differences in their isotopic composition and the concentrations of certain POPs. Accordingly, the lack of photographic recaptures between the two sites pointed to the existence of at least two different ecological management units that segregate spatially and may require different conservation strategies. Different time‐scale approaches can reveal different management units. The results highlighted the use of medium‐ and short‐term approaches for properly identifying ecologically different units for effective management and conservation. Furthermore, these results have important management implications as European legislation promotes specific management plans for this species. 2: The Mediterranean subpopulation of common dolphin (*Delphinus delphis*) is classified as endangered by the IUCN. Still, information about their diet in the Mediterranean is scarce. Stomach contents of 37 common dolphins stranded in the Alboran Sea and Strait of Gibraltar were analyzed. A total of 13,634 individual prey of 28 different taxa were identified. For fish, Myctophidae was the most important family as indicated by the highest index of relative importance (IRI =8,470), followed by the family Sparidae (IRI =609). The most important Myctophidae species was Madeira lantern fish (*Ceratoscopelus maderensis*) and for Sparids, the bogue (*Boops boops*). Cephalopods, instead, were found in low quantities only with 31 prey from the Loliginidae, Ommastrephidae, and Sepiolidae families. Overall, our results indicate that common dolphins are mainly piscivorous (99.77%N, 94.59%O, 99.73%W), feeding mostly on mesopelagic prey. Although common dolphins inhabit mainly coastal waters in the study area, the narrow continental shelf seems to facilitate the availability of Myctophids and other members of the mesopelagic assemblage to dolphins when the assemblage migrates to the surface at night. Our results represent the first attempt at quantifying the diet of this predator in the Alboran Sea and Strait of Gibraltar. 3: The ecological role of species can vary among populations depending on local and regional differences in diet. This is particularly true for top predators such as the bottlenose dolphin (*Tursiops truncatus*), which exhibits a highly varied diet throughout its distribution range. Local dietary assessments are therefore critical to fully understand the role of this species within marine ecosystems, as well as its interaction with important ecosystem services such as fisheries. Here, we combined stomach content analyses (SCA) and stable isotope analyses (SIA) to describe bottlenose dolphins diet in the Gulf of Cadiz (North Atlantic Ocean). Prey items identified using SCA included European conger (*Conger conger*) and European hake (*Merluccius merluccius*) as the most important ingested prey. However, mass-balance isotopic mixing model (MixSIAR), using *δ*13C and *δ*15N, indicated that the assimilated diet consisted mainly on Sparidae species (*e*.*g*. seabream, *Diplodus annularis* and *D*. *bellottii*, rubberlip grunt, *Plectorhinchus mediterraneus*, and common pandora, *Pagellus erythrinus*) and a mixture of other species including European hake, mackerels (*Scomber colias*, *S*. *japonicus* and *S*. *scombrus*), European conger, red bandfish (*Cepola macrophthalma*) and European pilchard (*Sardina pilchardus*). These contrasting results highlight differences in the temporal and taxonomic resolution of each approach, but also point to potential differences between ingested (SCA) and assimilated (SIA) diets. Both approaches provide different insights, *e* .*g*. determination of consumed fish biomass for the management of fish stocks (SCA) or identification of important assimilated prey species to the consumer (SIA). Article available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joan_Gimenez2 Best Regards, Joan -- *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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Irrawaddy Dolphin Research Internship in Cambodia
by Sarah Tubbs 25 Sep '17

25 Sep '17

Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) is Cambodia's longest running volunteer marine conservation organisation, pioneering and leading ocean conservation in Cambodia. MCC have new internship positions available on cetacean research. The Cambodia Dolphin Project was established for the purpose of contributing to scientific knowledge on cetaceans for the conservation and sustainable management of marine biodiversity. Despite high cetacean biodiversity in the region, no long-term studies have taken place here. Therefore, the project aims to fulfill the gaps of missing long-term studies by collecting data on cetacean abundance, distribution and residency patterns in order to delineate critical habitats within Cambodia’s Kep Archipelago. The project provides an excellent opportunity for post-grads, students and individuals interested in gaining more experience and knowledge in the field of cetacean research. We are looking for enthusiastic, motivated and hard-working individuals to join our team. The minimum commitment is one month, although for a fuller experience we recommend two or more. A biology background is not mandatory but advantageous, as well as an ability to dedicate yourselves to the study. We will be in the field early in the morning or late into the evening, boat trips can be day long (12 hours), and there is a large amount of data to process and enter. A good level of endurance is necessary as well as the ability to live and work in a multicultural team, living on a basic camp. You will learn about different software used in cetacean research, boat and land survey techniques and photo identification methods amongst other things. There will also be the opportunity for you to contribute to publications we might be working on, get involved in other MCC projects such as our coral gardenor sea horse project and various scientific outreach events. This position is unpaid and requires a contribution fee of US$300/week from the volunteers which covers accommodation, food and project related activities. MCC does not take any profits from this sum, with all money being fed directly back into the project. We have positions available year round and for people staying longer than 3 months there is a discounted price available. To apply please send a cover letter and CV to cambodiadolphinproject@gmail. com

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New Publication: Exposure of Scottish harbour seals to Brucella
by Joanna Kershaw 25 Sep '17

25 Sep '17

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce that the following paper has been published in Diseases of Aquatic Organisms: Exposure of harbour seals (*Phoca vitulina)* to *Brucella* in declining populations across Scotland. Kershaw JL, Stubberfield EJ, Foster G, Brownlow A, Hall AJ, Perrett LL (2017) Exposure of harbour seals *Phoca vitulina* to *Brucella* in declining populations across Scotland. Dis Aquat Org 126:13-23. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03163. Abstract: Since 2000 there have been major declines in the abundance of Scottish harbour seals (*Phoca vitulina*). The causes of the declines remain uncertain. The aim of this study was to establish the extent to which the seals in the regions of greatest decline have been exposed to *Brucella, *a bacterial pathogen that causes reproductive failure in terrestrial mammalian hosts. Tissues from dead seals collected between 1992 and 2013 were cultured for *Brucella* (n=150). Serum samples collected from live capture-released seals (n=343) between 1997 and 2012 were tested for *Brucella* antibodies using the Rose Bengal plate agglutination test (RBT) and a competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). 16% of seals cultured had *Brucella *isolated from one or more tissues but there were no pathological signs of infection. The cELISA results were more sensitive than the RBT results showing that overall, 25.4% of seals were seropositive with the highest seroprevalence in juveniles. As there was no evidence of either a higher seroprevalence, or higher circulating antibody levels in seropositive animals in the areas with the greatest declines, it was concluded that *Brucella* infection is likely not a major contributing factor to recent declines. However, the consistently high proportion of seals exposed to *Brucella* indicates possible endemicity in these populations, likely due to *Brucella pinnipedialis*, which has demonstrated a preference for pinniped hosts. Importantly, given the close proximity between seals, humans and livestock in many areas, there is the potential for cross-species infections. A PDF copy of the paper can be downloaded from: http://www.int-res.com/a bstracts/dao/v126/n1/p13-23/. Best wishes, Joanna Kershaw -- Joanna Kershaw Sea Mammal Research Unit Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews KY16 8LB Twitter: @_SMRU_ The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland : No SC013532

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MARINE MEGAFAUNA OF THE FALKLANDS - Volunteer oportunity - 2nd+3rd SHIFTS
by simo_liste＠tiscali.it 24 Sep '17

24 Sep '17

Dear MARMAM members, we are looking for volunteer field helpers to participate in our 2017-2018 field season studying marine magafauna in the Falkland Islands, in order to cover the second and third shift of the season. PROJECT: Long term study of marine megafauna of the Falklands. POSITION: Volunteer (unpaid) field helper. DATES: two periods: 1) from the 4th of November 2017 to 24th of February 2018, and 2) form the 6th of January 2018 to the 31st of March 2018. LOCATION: Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands, Southern Atlantic. Sea Lion Island on Google maps: https://www.google.com/maps?q=Sea%25Lion%25Island,%2520Falkland%25Islands DUTIES: - Southern elephant seals: counts, mapping, observation of behavior, pup handling, collection of samples - Killer whales: photoidentification, observation and videotaping of behavior, necropsies of preys - Falklands skuas: counts, nest identification and mapping, observation of behavior - Striated caracaras: counts, nest identification and mapping, observation of behavior - Marine birds: counts and mapping of different species of marine birds (different species of penguins, cormorants, gulls, geese, and ducks) - Environmental monitoring: collection of microclimatic data, habitat classification, collection of GIS data Volunteers will be involved in both data collection in the field and data processing, but field work will take most of their time. We expect volunteers to be flexible respect to the their duties, that will change along the season. DEADLINE: Sunday 6th of October 2017; please note that, capabilities being equal, positions will be allocated with a first come first served policy DESCRIPTION Volunteer field helpers are required for the 2017-2018 field season of various long-term research projects on marine megafauna of the Falkland Islands carried out by the Elephant Seal Research Group (www.eleseal.org [1]). The field work site is Sea Lion Island, the southernmost inhabited island of the Falklands. Successful applicants will receive adequate training and will help with: - a long term project (22 years) on southern elephant seals - a long term project (4 years) on mammal-eating killer whales - a study of Falklands skua demography, behavior and vocal communication - various monitoring projects on the different marine and raptor bird species breeding on Sea Lion Island - general environmental monitoring of the island, including the collection of data for the Sea Lion Island GIS Volunteers will be supervised by the PIs and/or by trained technicians. Previous experience of field work is appreciated but not essential. Only applicants who can stay for a whole period can be taken into consideration. No volunteer is allowed to apply to stay for both periods, so please state clearly in your cover letter for which one you are applying (first or second) or, if you are available for both, which of the two you prefer (although we cannot guarantee to meet your preference). Applicants are required to pay all expenses to travel to Sea Lion Island, and telephone/Internet expenses while there. Accommodation, food, etc. at SLI will be provided by the ESRG. Accommodation on SLI is rather basic and self-catering, but comfortable for a field research setting (heating, hot water, shower, Internet connection hotspot in the nearby lodge). We are asking volunteers a 200 UK pounds contribution to help us with management expenses and research equipment maintenance. Please note that the travel to the Falklands can be expensive, so carefully check the price of flights. Travelling to the Falklands requires to: 1) fly to Santiago, Chile (airport code SCL) arriving on Friday morning; 2) get the flight to the Falklands (Mount Pleasant International, MPN) that leaves ONLY ONCE PER WEEK ON SATURDAY EARLY MORNING. After arriving in the Falklands, volunteer will spend one night in Stanley, and then fly by Falkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS) to Sea Lion Island. The ESRG will help with bookings in the Falklands, including FIGAS, but volunteers will need to pay all their expenses, including: two ways international flight to Santiago; two nights and meals in Santiago (one per way); two ways flight from Santiago to the Falklands; bus transfer from Mount Pleasant to Stanley (two ways); three nights and meals in Stanley (one arriving, two departing); FIGAS flight. Other important expenses to consider are: - full medical insurance that needs to include emergency transportation to Chile and/or home country - clothing suitable to work the whole day in the field with harsh weather conditions, including thermal underware, warm trekking boots, Goretex outer shell (jacket and overtrousers), hats and gloves. - pair of binoculars; although we provide all the rest of the data collection equipment, volunteers need to have their own binoculars, suitable for use for the field work (in particular, minimum focusing distance 3m or less); volunteers that don't already have suitable binoculars will need to buy them. Applicants will be required to work in the field for the whole length of the day, six days per week. Once per week volunteers will not work in the field. That day they will carry out two hours of house keeping and four hours of data processing, being free for the rest of the day. Volunteers are required to help with cooking, cleaning of their cabin and general maintenance tasks. The data collection protocol is complex, the field work is physically very hard, and it is often carried out in bad weather conditions. People without a good tolerance to cold are discouraged to apply.It is a very rewarding, but demanding, experience. The island is a wonderful place with large unspoiled sandy beaches, and a very rich and very tame wildlife, it is the best hot spot for wildlife oriented tourism in the Falklands, it is an Important Birds Area and an Important Plants Area, a RAMSAR convention site, and a National Nature Reserve. It is definitely the most beuatiful island in the Falklands ! APPLICATION To apply please send 1) a cover letter describing your interest in the position and summarizing your qualifications for it, 2) a detailed CV, and 3) a copy of an identification document (with picture). Reference letters (3 maximum) are appreciated, but not essential, and should be sent directly to the email address mentioned below. If you think you may have extra documentation that can be relevant (eg, copy of a thesis, certificates, etc.) please mention them in your email, but don't send them unless requested. Please place all documents in a single PDF file, name it as "your_surname - ESRG2017 - application", and email it as an attachment of an email to Dr. Filippo Galimberti (fil_esrg(a)eleseal.org) Deadline for applications is Friday 6th of October 2017. Due to the limited number of positions available we warmly suggest perspective candidates to apply as soon as possible. Thanks The ESRG team Con Mobile Open 7 GB a 9 euro/4 sett navighi veloce con 7 GB di Internet e hai 200 minuti ed SMS a 15 cent. Passa a Tiscali Mobile! http://tisca.li/Open7GB0617

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