September 2017 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Fw: SMM 2017 Event Announcement: Poster Pods
by Melvin Klassen 08 Sep '17

08 Sep '17

Re-submission, due to problem with the mailing-list. ________________________________ From: Katherina Audley <admin(a)marinemammalscience.org> Sent: September 5, 2017 5:52 PM To: marmam(a)lists.uvic.ca Subject: SMM 2017 Event Announcement: Poster Pods SMM 2017 EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: POSTER PODS Poster Pods are a fun, free special event taking place during the 2017 SMM conference poster sessions WE ARE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER POSTER POD LEADERS. Leaders should have considerable knowledge in their research area so they can help lead an informed discussion with poster presenters (e.g., post-docs, research scientists, profs). Sign up here<https://www.xcdsystem.com/smm/forms/index.cfm?ID=5IdQTFU> if you want to volunteer. Leader sign-up closes on 15 October 2017. Poster Pods are a great way to engage with poster presenters at the 2017 SMM conference! Pods consist of a group of up to 10 participants led by a fearless poster pod leader around a series of posters of a particular theme (e.g., Acoustics) that the leader is an expert in. Pods give poster presenters the opportunity to showcase their work to a large group of people, and pod participants have the fun of touring the poster session with an expert and meeting new people. Right now we are looking for volunteers interested in leading a poster pod during one or more of the 4 poster sessions. In the sign-up sheet, you will be asked which theme you would like to lead. Space is limited and spots will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis, so sign up now! Learn more about poster pods at the poster pod information page<http://www.smmconference.org/posterpods> on the conference website. If you have any questions, please send an email to posters(a)marinemammalscience.org<mailto:posters@marinemammalscience.org>. Looking forward to seeing you in Halifax, Kimberley Davies, SMM 2017 Poster Chair

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Fw: Employment opportunity- IWC Bycatch Coordinator
by Melvin Klassen 08 Sep '17

08 Sep '17

Re-submission, due to problem with the mailing-list. ________________________________ From: Sarah Smith <sarah.smith(a)iwc.int> Sent: September 5, 2017 8:35 AM To: marmam(a)lists.uvic.ca Subject: Employment opportunity- IWC Bycatch Coordinator Dear all The IWC is recruiting for a Bycatch Coordinator to lead the strategic development of the IWC bycatch mitigation initiative, which seeks to help governments to address issues relating to cetacean bycatch, and to commence delivery of its programme of work. For more details please see https://iwc.int/iwc-vacancy-bycatch-coordinator Many thanks Sarah Smith Head of Programme Development, International Whaling Commission INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION The Red House, 135 Station Road, Impington, Cambridge, CB24 9NP, UK t +44 (0) 1223 233971 www.iwc.int<http://iwc.int/> [https://download.iwc.int/logos/email_signatures/standard.png] This e-mail and any files transmitted with it may contain confidential or legally privileged information and is intended only for the use of the intended recipient(s). If you are not the named addressee you should delete the email and notify the sender immediately. E-mails are not secure and cannot be guaranteed to be error free as they can be intercepted, amended, or contain viruses. Any opinion and other statement contained in this message and any attachment are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the International Whaling Commission.

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Fw: New paper on historical ecology of Weddell seals in the Ross Sea
by Melvin Klassen 08 Sep '17

08 Sep '17

Re-submission, due to problem with the mailing-list. ________________________________ From: lahuckst(a)gmail.com <lahuckst(a)gmail.com> on behalf of Luis Huckstadt <lahuckst(a)ucsc.edu> Sent: September 4, 2017 4:18 PM To: marmam(a)lists.uvic.ca Subject: New paper on historical ecology of Weddell seals in the Ross Sea Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce the publication of our article on Proceedings of the Royal Society B, entitled "What difference does a century make? Shifts in the ecosystem structure of the Ross Sea, Antarctica, as evidenced from a sentinel species, the Weddell seal". If you are interested, the article is available on the following link (or you can email me): http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/284/1861/20170927 Abstract: The arrival of humans to Antarctica's Ross Sea (100+ years ago) led to a slow, but sustained increase in human activities in the area. To investigate if human presence has influenced the structure of the ecosystem over the last century, we compared historical (ca 100 years old) and modern samples of a sentinel species, the Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii), using both bulk tissue and compound-specific stable isotope analysis. The historical isotopic niche of Weddell seals was over five times larger than the modern niche. The isotopic values of individual amino acids showed a clear segregation between historical and modern samples, indicative of differences at the base of the trophic web. Further, we found no significant differences in the trophic position of Weddell seals between the two periods. Our study revealed that the Ross Sea has undergone detectable changes (i.e. in the primary producers community) in the last century, but the presence of humans has not disrupted trophic interactions supporting Weddell seals. On behalf of the co-authors, ---------------------------------------- Luis A. Huckstadt, Ph.D. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Long Marine Lab 115 McAllister Way Santa Cruz, CA 95060 http://lahuckst.wixsite.com/welcome

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MARINE MEGAFAUNA OF THE FALKLANDS - Field helpers recruitment
by Simona Sanvito 08 Sep '17

08 Sep '17

VOLUNTEERS FIELD HELPERS RECRUITMENT ------------------------------------ PROJECT: Long term study of marine megafauna of the Falklands. POSITION: Volunteer (unpaid) field helper. DURATION: about 3 months and a half, two periods: 1) late August 2017 to mid December 2017, and 2) mid December 2017 to late March 2018; exact dates in the field to be established later. 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, marking, mapping, observation of behavior, pup handling, collection of samples, sedation and handling of females for TDR and satellite tag deployment - 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 DEADLINE: June 9th 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. The field work site is Sea Lion Island. Successful applicants will receive adequate training and will help with: - a long term project (22 years) on individual life histories and breeding strategies of southern elephant seals - a long term project (4 years) on social and hunting bejaviour of 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. We are recruiting helpers for two periods; - late August to mid December: focus is elephant seal breeding, killer whale predation on weaned elephant seal pups, establishment of pairs and territories by skuas - mid December to late March: focus is elephant seal moulting, general killer whale activity and behavior, intensive study of skuas behavior and communication, monitoring of breeding of marine birds and raptors, collection of general environmental data Only applicants who can stay for a whole period (about 3 months and a half) 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 get to Sea Lion Island, and telephone/Internet expenses while there. Accommodation and food 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 300 Euro contribution to help us with management expenses and research equipment maintenance. 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 it is becoming a National Nature Reserve. 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 first call applications is June 9th, 2017. Due to the limited number of positions available we warmly suggest perspective candidates to apply as soon as possible. Thanks The ESRG team

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Fw: New Paper on a rapid detection tool for identifying red fox DNA in harbour porpoise carcasses
by Melvin Klassen 08 Sep '17

08 Sep '17

Re-submission, due to problem with the mailing-list. ________________________________ From: van Neer, Abbo <Abbo.van.Neer(a)tiho-hannover.de> Sent: September 4, 2017 3:04 AM To: marmam(a)lists.uvic.ca Subject: New Paper on a rapid detection tool for identifying red fox DNA in harbour porpoise carcasses Dear all, on behalf of all authors I'm pleased to announce the publication of the following article: Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay-A rapid detection tool for identifying red fox (Vulpes vulpes) DNA in the carcasses of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) Heers, T., van Neer, A., Becker, A., Grilo, M. L., Siebert, U., & Abdulmawjood, A. (2017). PLOS ONE, 12(9), e0184349. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0184349 Abstract Carcasses of wild animals are often visited by different scavengers. However, determining which scavenger caused certain types of bite marks is particularly difficult and knowledge thereof is lacking. Therefore, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay (target sequence cytochrome b) was developed to detect red fox DNA in carcasses of harbour porpoises. The MSwab(tm) method for direct testing without prior DNA isolation was validated. As a detection device, the portable real-time fluorometer Genie® II was used, which yields rapid results and can be used in field studies without huge laboratory equipment. In addition to in vitro evaluation and validation, a stranded and scavenged harbour porpoise carcass was successfully examined for red fox DNA residues. The developed LAMP method is a valuable diagnostic tool for confirming presumable red fox bite wounds in harbour porpoises without further DNA isolation steps. Please follow the link below to obtain a copy. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0184349 Best Abbo van Neer ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Abbo van Neer University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) Werftstr. 6 25761 Büsum Germany ? +49 5 11 - 8 56 - 81 62 Fax: +49 5 11 - 8 56 - 81 81 abbo.van.neer(a)tiho-hannover.de<mailto:abbo.van.neer@tiho-hannover.de> http://www.tiho-hannover.de/en/clinics-institutes/institutes/institute-for-… SAVE FORESTS - Please do not print this e-mail unless absolutely necessary

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Right Whale Ecology Internship 2018 - Provincetown, MA USA
by Stephanie Richardson 08 Sep '17

08 Sep '17

Center for Coastal Studies – Provincetown, MA USA Right Whale Ecology Program Internship 2018 The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS), a nonprofit institution dedicated to the understanding and protection of our coastal environment and marine ecosystems, is seeking a seasonal Right Whale Ecology Program intern from March through May 2018. This long-term project focuses on documenting the abundance, distribution and behavior of North Atlantic right whales and their food resource in Cape Cod Bay and adjacent Massachusetts waters. The intern will assist the habitat research associate in the collection and processing of zooplankton in the field and lab. Fieldwork responsibilities include zooplankton collection through tow and pump techniques, marine observer, and environmental data collector. Lab responsibilities include zooplankton species identification and counts, plastics analysis, archiving samples, data entry and maintenance, and maintaining field equipment. Minimum Requirements - A college degree, preferably in biological/ environmental sciences - Good memorization skills and strong attention to details - Basic computer literacy and experience using Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). Experience with database entry and management is preferred - Experience working on boats, ability to withstand harsh elements, and not be prone to serious seasickness - Must be able to live and work well in a team - Enthusiasm and willingness to learn field and lab-based research methods - Strong attention to detail and ability to work well under pressure Preferred Qualifications: - Plankton identification - Microscopy and laboratory experience - Not prone to seasickness - FTIR Spectrometer experience - A valid US driver’s license The successful applicant will be required to work a minimum of four full days per week and will need to be flexible for research cruises due to weather constrictions. The intern will often process zooplankton samples independently in the lab, thus responsible, detail-oriented applicants are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be available for the full three months and must be willing to work weekends, holidays and evenings as needed. Housing will be provided, as well as a small stipend to cover general living expenses. CCS has a long history of conservation and research work with the North Atlantic right whale and Cape Cod Bay has been a major critical habitat for over 50% of the estimated population in recent years. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone wishing to expand their skills in marine mammal survey techniques and zooplankton analysis; and will offer the successful applicant the unique chance to work with one of the world’s most endangered cetaceans. This internship will afford the successful applicant an invaluable opportunity to work within a well-established institution, with highly-qualified scientists, and to gain experience in boat-based research, zooplankton and environmental collections, plankton identification, plastic analysis, and data entry and analysis. Details of our work can be found on our website: http://coastalstudies.org/right-whale-research/ How to Apply: The application package should include the following attachment(s) in PDF format: 1) A cover letter describing your specific interests in marine mammal science, internship qualifications, and how the experience would assist you in reaching career goals 2) CV/resume 3) College transcripts (unofficial are sufficient) 4) The names and contact information of two references Please e-mail application materials to: Stephanie Richardson, Human Resource Manager, srichardson(a)coastalstudies.org. Deadline for submissions: September 30, 2017 -- <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…> Virus-free. www.avg.com <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>

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New publication on Bryde's whales in the Galápagos Islands
by Stephanie Durkacz 08 Sep '17

08 Sep '17

Dear all, We are pleased to announce to you our new publication in Neotropical Biodiversity. Title: Bryde's whales (*Balaneoptera brydei) *in an area of upwelling off Isla San Cristóbal, Galápagos. Authors: Douglas Biggs, Stephanie Durkacz, Lindsay Martin, Martin Narvaez, Abreana De La Garza, Zelinda Lombrana, and Marco Santos. Abstract: Bryde’s whales aggregate in the Galápagos Archipelago in an area off the north coast of Isla San Cristóbal during periods of upwelling. Seasonally, these whales are locally abundant off San Cristóbal between May and November, except in years when El Niño conditions occur. Field surveys were performed in summers 2013, 2014, and 2016 around San Cristóbal to search for the presence of Bryde’s whales, and to document their spatial relationship with 20 °C isotherm topography. Our surveys found that most sightings of these whales occurred in locations within 3–6 km of shore (water depths 70–300 m), where the 20 °C isotherm depth shoaled to an average of 31 m below the surface. The presence of Blue whales (*Balaenoptera musculus)*, as well as Bryde’s whales was documented during 2016 upwelling. Mother-calf pairs of Bryde’s and Humpback whales were also documented off San Cristóbal in summers 2013 and 2016 and 2014, respectively. We suggest that our three summers of sightings of Bryde’s whales in an area of upwelling indicates that Isla San Cristóbal is important habitat for individuals and mother/calf pairs alike. Publication link: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23766808.2017.1368309 Cheers, Stephanie Durkacz

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Reminder - Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) in Freshwater Environments SMM Workshop
by MMPATF IMMA 08 Sep '17

08 Sep '17

*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(a)gmail.com) Maximum Number of Participants: 30 The IUCN Joint SSC/WCPA Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force (IUCN-MMPATF) is seeking 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 ecosystems, such as River Dolphins, Sirenians, and Pinnipeds, present a different scenario and application of the current IMMA Users Guidance. The IMMA Selection Criteria therefore requires further consideration and consultation with leading experts before their application in these 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. The aim of the Workshop on IMMAs in Freshwater Environments is to initiate a discussion with experts on the identification and utilisation of the IMMA tool for enhancing protection efforts for marine mammals utilising freshwater areas (including Marine Protected Areas, RAMSAR sites, Key Biodiversity Areas, and other area based measures). This will be achieved through a combination of symposium and technical sessions with key experts in the field of research and conservation for these species; gaining recommendations on the integration of marine mammal species in freshwater areas into the Task Force Regional Expert Workshop series; and collecting an early Areas of Interest (AoI) list which can serve to create future candidate IMMA submissions. 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) In addition, participants who are not registering for the main SMM Conference Programme will also need to pay an additional registration fee to attend the workshop ($40 USD). Please contact the IMMA Coordinator (immacoordinator(a)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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Developing Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) to improve decision-making during mass stranding events
by Stockin, Karen 07 Sep '17

07 Sep '17

Dear colleagues Just a reminder re the upcoming full day workshop entitled " Developing Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) to improve decision-making during mass stranding events” at the upcoming 22nd Biennial Conference of the Marine Mammal Society. The workshop will take place on Sunday 29th October from 0800 to 1700h and assemble scientists, vets, NGOs, government agencies and other stakeholders whom have experience and/or vested interest in (mass) stranding events. The workshop will engage expert opinion on the different parameters that can affect the likelihood of survivorship of refloated individuals and work towards establishment of predicted probabilities that can affect the outcome of rescue attempts. The overarching goal will be to prepare a submission for publication that addresses the application of BBNs to assess probability of survivorship in refloated whales. Background Despite costly, and often logistically challenging attempts to rescue live whales, there is often a lack of scientific evaluation underpinning current decision-making processes. Notably, matters of conservation (survivorship/fitness) and animal welfare (impacts of refloatation), remain largely undetermined. Historically, animal welfare science and conservation have been regarded as separate disciplines, with dissimilar objectives that often conflict. However, the newly emerging field of conservation welfare integrates synergies between two scientific disciplines with the aim of improving outcomes for both the species (conservation) and individual animals (welfare). This workshop addresses the issue of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the form of Bayesian Belief Networks (BBN) to challenge the human perceptions and psychology associated with whale mass strandings, while incorporating scientific evaluation into decision-making processes. AI tools are becoming increasingly popular to address an array of complex environmental problems, but have yet to be applied effectively at the interface between science and public interaction. The overarching goal is to apply recent technological innovations to an age-old problem, in order to provide a vital nexus between conservation and animal welfare sciences. Workshop Summary Decision-making processes required by authorities during live stranding events are typically fraught with difficulties due to complicated, often interlinked variables, including but not limited to logistics, ethics, public perceptions and animal welfare. Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) are a graphical rule based modelling technique that have recently emerged as a useful research and management tool. BBNs can provide a visual depiction of the causal linkages between multiple environmental drivers and ecological state. Notably, in the absence of empirical data, BBNs can be constructed solely upon expert opinion, with subsequent independent assessment applied to assess the prediction accuracy of the model. This workshop aims to convene and engage individuals with relevant live stranding event experience to determine as a collective, key parameters and their predicted probability of influence on survivorship of refloated cetacea post-stranding event. Registration for the workshop can be completed via the conference website (https://www.xcdsystem.com/smm/member/index.cfm) We look forward to seeing you in Halifax! Karen A Stockin, PhD Director, Coastal-Marine Research Group Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences Massey University Private Bag 102 904 North Shore Auckland 0745 Tel: 09 4140800 ext 43614 Tel: 09 2136614 (direct dial) Mobile: 021 423 997 Email: k.a.stockin(a)massey.ac.nz<mailto:k.a.stockin@massey.ac.nz> Web: http://cmrg.massey.ac.nz<http://cmrg.massey.ac.nz/> https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/learning/colleges/college-of-sciences/staff…

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NEW: "Satellite imagery to study polar ecology" session at SCAR 2018 conference
by Michelle LaRue 07 Sep '17

07 Sep '17

Hello everyone! Dr. Heather Lynch and I are pleased to announce a special session at Polar 2018 (www.polar2018.org) on "Using satellite imagery to study wildlife ecology in Polar Regions". If you are interested in participating in this special session, the deadline for Polar 2018 abstracts is *November 1*. We look forward to seeing you all in Davos and look forward to assembling an exciting group of talks and posters to advance the field of satellite-based wildlife monitoring in the polar areas. *Polar 2018 Special Session: Using satellite imagery to study wildlife ecology in Polar Regions* *Session Description*: The last decade has brought about an enormous and rapidly growing interest in the use of satellite imagery to map polar wildlife. The relative simplicity of the Arctic and Antarctic landscapes, and the logistical difficulty of direct survey methods in remote polar areas, has contributed to the interest in mapping wildlife remotely. Furthermore, the varieties of satellite platforms (e.g., spatial resolution, spectral resolution, and spatial coverage of the image footprint) allow for much-needed data fusion techniques that elucidate not only enumeration and trends of animal populations but their relationship to other ecosystem processes. In this session, we will discuss recent technical advances in the use of satellite imagery to study the distribution and abundance of polar wildlife and how these advances have been applied to the ecology of polar vertebrates. Such advances include, but are not limited to, techniques for efficient manual interpretation, crowd-sourcing interpretation, computer vision for automated interpretation, as well as downstream methods for data validation, phenology corrections, and models to understand species-specific detection probability by satellite imagery. Given the methodological similarities in detecting wildlife in both Polar Regions but the different interpretations of ecological processes, it is our aim to bring together researchers with experiences in both regions to discuss and to provide insight about these advances in satellite technology. Details may be found at http://bit.ly/2f1bxO1 Heather Lynch & Michelle LaRue, Session conveners -- Dr. Michelle LaRue Research Associate Office of the Vice President for Research 405 Johnston Hall University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455 612-625-6358 Earth Sciences 116 Church St SE 150 John T. Tate Hall University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455 www.drmichellelarue.com

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