December 2018 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

UF Spring 2019 online course - Aquatic Wildlife Health
by Larkin,Iskande (Iske) 19 Dec '18

19 Dec '18

Hi All, Just a reminder, registration is currently open for Spring 2019. The University of Florida, Aquatic Animal Health Program, is offering the following course for those that may be interested. Class begins Jan 7th. Registration will close Friday, Jan 11th. Aquatic Wildlife Health Issues is an online course (3 credits) designed to introduce students (upper level undergraduate and graduate) and professionals (with an AA or higher degree) to the natural history, anatomy, physiology, behavior and common health issues of aquatic species: whales and dolphins, seals and sea lions, manatees, sea turtles, crocodilians, fish and invertebrates. For more information about the class or enrollment, contact Dr. Iskande Larkin (ivlarkin(a)ufl.edu)<mailto:ivlarkin@ufl.edu%29.*This> Sincerely, Dr Iske Larkin [Description: AAH logo blue E-Mail Sig] Iske V. Larkin, PhD Lecturer & Education Coordinator Interim Director Aquatic Animal Health Program Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida PO Box 100136 2015 SW 16th Ave Gainesville, Florida 32610 Office phone - 352-294-4095 Work cell - 352-494-1742 Fax - 352-392-8289 Program web page: http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu<http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu/> "To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world." -Anonymous ________________________________ Please note that Florida has a broad public records law, and that all correspondence to or from University of Florida employees via email may be subject to disclosure.

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New paper on variations in age- and sex-specific survival rates in a discrete marine mammal population
by Monica Arso Civil 19 Dec '18

19 Dec '18

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce that the following paper is now available online: M��nica Arso Civil, Barbara Cheney, Nicola J. Quick, Valentina Islas�\Villanueva, Jeff A. Graves, Vincent M. Janik, Paul M. Thompson and Philip S. Hammond (2018) Variations in age�\ and sex�\specific survival rates help explain population trend in a discrete marine mammal population. Ecology and Evolution. 2018;00:1�C12. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4772 Abstract: 1. Understanding the drivers underlying fluctuations in the size of animal populations is central to ecology, conservation biology, and wildlife management. Reliable estimates of survival probabilities are key to population viability assessments, and patterns of variation in survival can help inferring the causal factors behind detected changes in population size. 2. We investigated whether variation in age�\ and sex�\specific survival probabilities could help explain the increasing trend in population size detected in a small, discrete population of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus off the east coast of Scotland. 3. To estimate annual survival probabilities, we applied capture�Crecapture models to photoidentification data collected from 1989 to 2015. We used robust design models accounting for temporary emigration to estimate juvenile and adult survival, multistate models to estimate sex�\specific survival, and age models to estimate calf survival. 4. We found strong support for an increase in juvenile/adult annual survival from 93.1% to 96.0% over the study period, most likely caused by a change in juvenile survival. Examination of sex�\specific variation showed weaker support for this trend being a result of increasing female survival, which was overall higher than for males and animals of unknown sex. Calf survival was lower in the first than second year; a bias in estimating third�\year survival will likely exist in similar studies. There was some support first�\born calf survival being lower than for calves born subsequently. 5. Coastal marine mammal populations are subject to the impacts of environmental change, increasing anthropogenic disturbance and the effects of management measures. Survival estimates are essential to improve our understanding of population dynamics and help predict how future pressures may impact populations, but obtaining robust information on the life history of long�\lived species is challenging. Our study illustrates how knowledge of survival can be increased by applying a robust analytical framework to photoidentification data. A PDF copy of the paper can be downloaded from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.4772 Please do not hesitate to contact me for any question regarding our work. Kind regards, Monica Arso Civil Dr M��nica Arso-Civil Research Fellow Sea Mammal Research Unit Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews KY16 8LB Tel: +44 (0) 1334 462629 SMRU twitter: @_SMRU_ Personal twitter: @monicaarso Project��s blog: http://synergy.st-andrews.ac.uk/harbourseals/ *********************************************** The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland : No SC013532

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Symposium 'Marine mammals in a changing environment' 07-08 March 2019, Germany
by Gilles, Anita 19 Dec '18

19 Dec '18

Invitation ‘MARINE MAMMALS IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT’ Symposium – 07-08 March 2019 – CeNak, Hamburg, Germany Marine mammals comprise top predators and upper trophic levels in oceanic ecosystems of the world. They are increasingly threatened by various anthropogenic impacts in their marine habitat, e.g. pollution by chemical and pharmaceutical substances, marine litter, underwater noise, changes in prey abundance and climate change. These constraints can have serious implications for the health status of marine mammals through elevated stress response, immune suppression as well as higher energy and metabolic demands caused by disturbances that may affect different populations to a varying degree. The project ‘Marine Mammals In a Changing Environment’, funded by the VolkswagenFoundation, forms a consortium of museums and universities in Germany, Denmark and Sweden, combining unique collections, marine mammal expertise and innovative methods to investigate native marine mammal species. Results will be presented with respect to changes in health condition and population status of marine mammals over long time periods and in different marine environments; in particular with respect to 1) to bone lesions in seal skulls, 2) feeding-related dental micro texture, 3) organochlorines in blubber of harbour seals, 4) trace elements in pelts of several seal species, and 5) parasitic and viral pathogens in seals during the last decades and century. Cooperation partners: Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation (TiHo), Germany Centrum of Natural History (CeNak), University of Hamburg, Germany Zoological Museum of Kiel University, Germany German Oceanographic Museum Stralsund, Germany University of Hildesheim, Germany Natural History Museum of Denmark, Denmark Swedish Museum of Natural History, Sweden Confirmed keynote speakers: Anders Galatius, Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Marine Mammal Research, Denmark Krishna Das, University of Liège, Laboratory of Oceanology-MARE, Belgium Gerd Meurs-Scher, Multimar Wattforum, Germany Venue: The symposium will be held at the Centrum of Natural History (CeNak), University of Hamburg; Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany Programme: The detailed programme will be available soon! Hosts: Center of Natural History (CeNak), University of Hamburg, Germany Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), Büsum, Germany Registration: The symposium is free of charge but formal registration is needed as our venue is limited to 200 attendees. Please e-mail your registration for the symposium until 15 February 2019 to vwkonferenz2019.cenak(a)uni-hamburg.de<mailto:vwkonferenz2019.cenak@uni-hamburg.de> Best wishes, the organising committee on behalf of the project consortium: Thomas Kaiser, Elehna Bethune (CeNaK Hamburg, Germany) https://www.cenak.uni-hamburg.de/en/forschung/abteilungen/mammalogie/projek… Anita Gilles, Kristina Lehnert, Ursula Siebert (ITAW Buesum, Germany) https://www.tiho-hannover.de/en/clinics-institutes/institutes/institute-for…

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Undergraduate Marine Biology, Behavioral Ecology and Environmental Studies program and Internships this Fall semester in Homer, Alaska
by K Frost 18 Dec '18

18 Dec '18

Title: Undergraduate Marine Biology, Behavioral Ecology and Environmental Studies program and Internships this Fall semester in Homer, Alaska The *Semester by the Bay* program is accepting applications for *undergraduate* students interested in studying marine biology, ecology, and environmental sciences this fall in the seaside town of Homer, Alaska. Our courses offer students numerous unique hands-on, experiential learning opportunities in the lab and field such as: behavioral ecology of sea otters, beluga, humpback and killer whales, Steller sea lions, and harbor seals throughout south-central Alaska; acoustics of harbor porpoises; seining, identification and articulation of estuarine and marine fishes; marine mammal skeletal articulation (killer whale in 2016). Other potential courses include Undergraduate Seminar on Conservation of Marine Mammals, Science and Writing, Geology of Kachemak Bay, Applied Statistics for the Sciences, History of Alaska, among others. Additionally, most students participate in community-based *internships *and/or service-learning volunteer opportunities with governmental or non-governmental researchers while studying with us at the Kachemak Bay Campus of Kenai Peninsula College - University of Alaska Anchorage. KPC offers *in-state tuition* for all US students, and many internships include free or significantly reduced housing with our internship community-partner agencies (USFWS, NOAA, KBNERR, AMNWR, Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies; Alaska SeaLife Center; Cook InletKeeper, etc.). Please see www.semesterbythebay.org or contact Kim Frost kafrost2(a)alaska.edu for more details. -- Kim Frost Student and Enrollment Services Coordinator Kachemak Bay Campus/KPC/UAA Strengths: Context-Individualization-Intellection-Learner-Responsibility [image: Description: Description: facebook_log.jpg] <https://www.facebook.com/Kachemakbaycampus> This message is intended for the sole use of the individual to whom it is addressed, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee, you are hereby notified that you may not use, copy, disclose, or distribute to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received this item in error, please notify the original sender and destroy this item, along with any attachments.

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New publication: Behavioural and temporal partitioning of dolphin social groups in the northern Adriatic Sea
by Tilen Genov 18 Dec '18

18 Dec '18

Dear MARMAM community My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of the following paper: Genov T., Centrih T., Kotnjek P., Hace A. (2019) *Behavioural and temporal partitioning of dolphin social groups in the northern Adriatic Sea*. *Marine Biology* 166:11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-018-3450-8 Abstract Complex social structure is a prominent feature in several mammal species. Such structure may lead to behavioural diversity not only among populations, but also within a single population, where different subsets of a population may exhibit different types of behaviour. As a consequence, understanding social structure is not only interesting biologically, but may also help conservation and management efforts, because not all segments of a population necessarily respond to or interact with human activities in the same way, or at the same time. In this study, we examined the social structure of common bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus*) in the Gulf of Trieste and adjacent waters (northern Adriatic Sea), based on a 9-year dataset, using social network metrics and association indices. We assessed whether different segments of the population show differences in behaviour and interactions with fisheries. Dolphin social network was structured into distinct social clusters of mixed sexes. We found no evidence of male alliances. The two largest social clusters overlapped spatially, but not temporally, as they used the same area at different times of day. Such diel temporal partitioning does not appear to have been documented in cetaceans previously. The two clusters also differed in ways they interact with fisheries, as one regularly interacted with trawlers, while the other did not. This study demonstrates how different segments of animal populations can interact differently with human activities and in turn respond differently to anthropogenic impacts. The paper is Open Access and is freely available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00227-018-3450-8 Please email me at tilen.genov(a)gmail.com if you have any difficulty accessing the paper. Best regards, Tilen Genov ____________________________________________ Tilen Genov Morigenos - Slovenian Marine Mammal Society Kidricevo nabrezje 4 6330 Piran Slovenia www.morigenos.org www.facebook.org/morigenos @Morigenos_org and PhD student Sea Mammal Research Unit Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews United Kingdom https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tilen_Genov * <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tilen_Genov>*

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New publication – Whistle variability of Guiana dolphins in South America: Latitudinal variation or acoustic adaptation?
by Juliana Moron 18 Dec '18

18 Dec '18

Dear colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to announce our most recent publication in Marine Mammal Science: MORON, J. R. PAVAN, N. L. STUTS, S. R. REIS, S. S. MAMEDE, N. S. TOLEDO, G. CORSO, G. SOUSA-LIMA, R. S. ANDRIOLO, A. 2018. Whistle variability of Guiana dolphins in South America: Latitudinal variation or acoustic adaptation? Marine Mammal Science, DOI: 10.1111/mms.12572. Abstract A previous comparison of whistles using data sampled at 48 kHz suggested that certain frequency parameters vary along a latitudinal gradient. This geographical pattern may be biased because whistles sampled at higher frequencies could potentially have very different frequency contents. The current study compared the acoustic parameters of Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) whistles recorded at a higher sampling rate (96 kHz) and from groups occupying two never before sampled sites, Benevente Bay, Espírito Santo, Brazil, and Formosa Bay, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, with recordings of other populations in South America. By only considering data sampled at a rate of at least 96 kHz, we aimed to detect differences in whistles across locations. Contrary to previous findings, our analyses do not indicate any clear separation between northern and southern populations based on whistles, and do not corroborate the hypothesis of latitudinal acoustic variation in this species. The variation in Guiana dolphin whistle parameters found here appears to be influenced by latitude to some extent, but several other factors, including sampling method, environmental fluctuations, and social influence on vocal learning, may be confounding the detection of a geographic pattern in these whistle samples. The paper is available online at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12572 or you can contact me for a pdf version or for any questions at: julianamoron(a)hotmail.com<mailto:julianamoron@hotmail.com> Best, ---- Juliana Rodrigues Moron MSc Ecology and Conservation Animal behavior, acoustic communication, cetacean, bioacoustics Collaborating researcher, Laboratório de Bioacústica e Ecologia Comportamental da UFJF -LABEC Associated to Instituto Aqualie + 1 236 464-0544 Lattes<http://buscatextual.cnpq.br/buscatextual/visualizacv.do?id=K4277830D0>

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New paper: dialect differences among sympatric groups of pilot whales
by Amy Van Cise 18 Dec '18

18 Dec '18

Dear MARMAM, On behalf of my co-authors, I'm happy to share a new publication on vocal dialect differences among sympatric groups of pilot whales in the Hawaiian Islands: Van Cise, A.M., Mahaffy, S.D., Baird, R.W., Mooney, T.A., Barlow J. (2018) Song of my people: dialect differences among sympatric social groups of short-finned pilot whales in Hawai’i. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 72: 193. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-018-2596-1 Abstract: In many social species, acoustic dialects are used to differentiate among social groups within a local population. These acoustic dialects and their corresponding social groups are often related to distinct foraging behaviors or spatial movement patterns, and it is possible that vocal repertoire variability is one of the proximate mechanisms driving or maintaining genetic and ecological diversity at a subspecies level in social species. Short-finned pilot whales (*Globicephala macrorynchus*) inhabiting Hawaiian waters have a stable hierarchical social structure, with familial social units associating in larger social clusters within island-associated communities. In this study, we test the hypothesis that sympatric social groups of short-finned pilot whales have acoustically differentiated dialects, which may be used to maintain the social structure. We first examined call composition of social calls collected from photographically identified social clusters of short-finned pilot whales around the Main Hawaiian Islands, using a catalog of manually classified calls, and found that call composition differed among clusters. We then conducted ANOVA and support vector machine (SVM) learning analyses of the acoustic features of social calls. Social clusters were significantly differentiated in their acoustic features, and the SVM classification accuracy was 60%. These results indicate that vocal repertoire reflects social segregation in short-finned pilot whales and may be a driving mechanism of differentiation, potentially contributing to genetic diversity within populations. This suggests divergent acoustic population structure; however, the small sample size in this study decreases the ability to detect acoustic differences among groups. Additional sampling will improve our power to detect acoustic differences among social clusters of Hawaiian pilot whales and improve classification accuracy. The pattern described here highlights the importance of increasing the spatial and temporal resolution of conservation and management plans for this species, in order to conserve subpopulation genetic and social structure. The article can be accessed at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00265-018-2596-1, or email me directly for a pdf copy. Best, Amy <*)))>< <*)))>< <*)))>< <*)))>< <*)))>< <*)))>< <*)))>< <*)))>< Amy M. Van Cise, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sensory Ecology and Bioacoustics Lab 266 Woods Hole Rd Marine Research Facility 236 MS#50 Woods Hole, MA, 02543 508-289-3419 https://amyvancise.wordpress.com

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New Publication: A review of seal killing practice in Europe: Implications for animal welfare
by Laetitia Nunny 18 Dec '18

18 Dec '18

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce the publication of our paper in Marine Policy: “A review of seal killing practice in Europe: Implications for animal welfare” Laetitia Nunny, Mark P. Simmonds, Andrew Butterworth. Marine Policy 98 (2018) 121-132. The article is available open access until 19th January 2019 via the following link: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Y8~w,714MVEkd <https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Y8~w,714MVEkd> Abstract: Seals are killed in a number of European countries and regions for commercial, management and recreational reasons. This is the first review to make a comparison across different nations, and it reveals that a variety of methods are employed, including the use of firearms, clubs, netting and harpoons. There is disparity in terms of which firearms and ammunition may be used and what, if any, training is required in killing methods. Seal killing presents serious animal welfare challenges and this may be exacerbated in some cases by the absence of close seasons, the practice of shooting from moving platforms or when conditions are suboptimal, and the use of nets. The introduction of internationally agreed standards could help ensure that welfare is paramount in seal management, legislation and practice. If lethal control measures are to continue, then good practice should include the annual training and assessment of hunters, the implementation and enforcement of relevant legislation, increased effort to improve the efficiency of killing (including the assessment of this through the expert and independent examination of carcasses), and minimising conflict by locating fish farms away from core seal habitat. Please feel free to contact the authors: Laetitia.nunny(a)mac.com or https://wildanimalwelfare.com Thank you and best wishes, Laetitia, Mark and Andrew

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UK & Ireland SMM Student Conference Reminder: Deadline 5th January 2019
by UK Regional Student Chapter for the Society of Marine Mammals 18 Dec '18

18 Dec '18

Dear all, The committee of the UK and Ireland Regional Student Chapter (UKIRSC) of the Society for Marine Mammalogy are pleased to announce our 13th annual conference. This year our meeting will be held on the 24th–26th January 2019 at Swansea University, Wales. 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. Deadline for registration and submission of presentation abstracts is 5th January 2019. For more information and to register for the conference, please visit our website: https://synergy.st-andrews.ac.uk/ukrsc/conference-2019/ Best wishes, Will, Claudia, Heather, Katherine & Alesha *---------------------------------------------------------------* *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 publication on predicting cetacean abundance and distribution
by elizabeth.becker＠noaa.gov 17 Dec '18

17 Dec '18

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce the publication of the following paper in Diversity & Distributions: E.A. Becker, K.A. Forney, J.V. Redfern, J. Barlow, M.G. Jacox, J.J. Roberts, D.M. Palacios. Predicting cetacean abundance and distribution in a changing climate. Diversity & Distributions, Biodiversity Research. 2018. DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12867 Abstract - Aim: Changes in abundance and shifts in distribution as a result of a warming climate have been documented for many marine species, but opportunities to test our ability to forecast such changes have been limited. This study evaluates the ability of habitat-based density models to accurately forecast cetacean abundance and distribution during a novel year with unprecedented warm ocean temperatures caused by a sustained marine heatwave. Location: California Current Ecosystem, USA. Methods: We constructed generalized additive models based on cetacean sighting and environmental data from 1991 to 2009 for eight species with a diverse range of habitat associations. Models were built with three different sets of predictor variables to compare performance. Models were then used to forecast species abundance and distribution patterns during 2014, a year with anomalously warm ocean temperatures. Cetacean sighting data collected during 2014 were used to assess model forecasts. Results: Ratios of model-predicted abundance to observed abundance were close to 1:1 for all but one species and accurately captured changes in the number of animals in the study area during the anomalous year. Predicted distribution patterns also showed good concordance with the 2014 survey observations. Our results indicate that habitat relationships were captured sufficiently to predict both changes in abundance and shifts in distribution when conditions warmed, for both cool and warm temperate species. Main conclusions: Models built with multi-decadal datasets were able to forecast abundance and distribution in a novel warm year for a diverse set of cetacean species. Models with the best explanatory power did not necessarily have the best predictive power. Also, they revealed species-specific responses to warming ocean waters. Results have implications for modelling effects of climate change on cetaceans and other marine predators. The paper can be freely downloaded from: <https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12867> https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12867 Best regards, Elizabeth Elizabeth A. Becker Contractor, Marine Mammal & Turtle Division Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NMFS, NOAA 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA Elizabeth.Becker(a)noaa.gov <mailto:Elizabeth.Becker@noaa.gov>

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