August 2018 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Reminder - Tribute to Dr. Jeanette Thomas
by Kathleen M. Dudzinski 22 Aug '18

22 Aug '18

Dear Colleagues, Last month, I posted to MARMAM requesting contributions to a planned tribute to Dr. Jeanette Thomas, our colleague who died suddenly in early July. I write now as a final reminder to those of you who might still want to send a few thoughts or memories of Jeanette to be included in the Tribute. If so, please send your tributes to the journal by email <business(a)aquaticmammalsjournal.org <mailto:business@aquaticmammalsjournal.org>> Our deadline for inclusion of your memories is 27 August 2018. Aquatic Mammals journal will include this Tribute to Jeanette in our next issue (44.5, to be published online on September 15, 2018). We will celebrate Jeanette’s vibrant attitude toward life and her significant contributions to our field of study and also to our lives. Thank you. Best Kathleen Kathleen M. Dudzinski, Ph.D. Editor, Aquatic Mammals Journal aquaticmammals(a)gmail.com www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org

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Vacancy PhD Student “Individual-based modelling to study the effect of retreating sea ice on arctic seals”
by Brasseur, Sophie 22 Aug '18

22 Aug '18

Vacancy PhD Student “Individual-based modelling to study the effect of retreating sea ice on arctic seals” We are looking for an excellent, highly motivated PhD student with a keen interest in quantitative ecology and seals. The PhD student will be working in a multidisciplinary research project at the NIOZ department of Coastal Systems, Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management (AEW, Wageningen University), the Arctic centre (University of Groningen), and Wageningen Marine Research (WMR, Wageningen University). LOCATION: ROYAL NIOZ TEXEL (THE NETHERLANDS) VACANCY ID: 2018-059 CLOSING DATE: SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2018 Please check out the full text on the website and reply via the link at the bottom of the web page (“APPLY TO THE JOB HERE”): https://www.workingatnioz.com/our-jobs/phd-student-“individual-based-modell… on behalf of the team, Dr. Sophie M.J.M. Brasseur sophie.brasseur(a)wur.nl<mailto:sophie.brasseur@wur.nl>

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Dead cetacean ID, mid-Atlantic
by Ewan Wakefield 22 Aug '18

22 Aug '18

Dear All, Last month, while crossing the North Atlantic on a cruise ship, I encountered a dead cetacean at 49.130 N, 33.4363 W (i.e. in deep water, approximately 200 nm W of the Mid-Atlantic ridge and 600 nm NNW of the Azores). Photographs of the animal can be downloaded from here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4nxqz6kqczpiygr/AADvcB9azpslvNIoI-d_5h93a?dl=0 The total body length was was approximately 4-7 m. The length and shape of the pectoral fin, as well as the shape of the melon and mouth line, suggest to me either a pilot whale or a Risso's dolphin. I would appreciate any further opinions on the animal'a identity. Thank you for your time, Ewan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Ewan Wakefield Email: Ewan_Wakefield(a)yahoo.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1751 417478 Mobile: +44 (0)7973 801133

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Re: [MARMAM] publication on Brucella pinnipedialis in seals in the Netherlands
by Brasseur, Sophie 22 Aug '18

22 Aug '18

We are pleased to announce our recent publication: BRUCELLA PINNIPEDIALIS IN GREY SEALS (HALICHOERUS GRYPUS) AND HARBOR SEALS (PHOCA VITULINA) IN THE NETHERLANDS Authors: Michiel V. Kroese, Lisa Beckers, Yvette J. W. M. Bisselink, Sophie Brasseur, Peter W. van Tulden, Miriam G. J. Koene, Hendrik I. J. Roest, Robin C. Ruuls, Jantien A. Backer, Jooske IJzer, Joke W. B. van der Giessen, and Peter T. J. Willemsen Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 54(3):439-449. Published By: Wildlife Disease Association https://doi.org/10.7589/2017-05-097 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.7589/2017-05-097 Abstract Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease with terrestrial or marine wildlife animals as potential reservoirs for the disease in livestock and human populations. The primary aim of this study was to assess the presence of Brucella pinnipedialis in marine mammals living along the Dutch coast and to observe a possible correlation between the presence of B. pinnipedialis and accompanying pathology found in infected animals. The overall prevalence of Brucella spp. antibodies in sera from healthy wild grey seals (Halichoerus grypus; n=11) and harbor seals (Phoca vitulina; n=40), collected between 2007 and 2013 ranged from 25% to 43%. Additionally, tissue samples of harbor seals collected along the Dutch shores between 2009 and 2012, were tested for the presence of Brucella spp. In total, 77% (30/39) seals were found to be positive for Brucella by IS711 real-time PCR in one or more tissue samples, including pulmonary nematodes. Viable Brucella was cultured from 40% (12/30) real-time PCR-positive seals, and was isolated from liver, lung, pulmonary lymph node, pulmonary nematode, or spleen, but not from any PCR-negative seals. Tissue samples from lung and pulmonary lymph nodes were the main source of viable Brucella bacteria. All isolates were typed as B. pinnipedialis by multiple-locus variable number of tandem repeats analysis-16 clustering and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry, and of sequence type ST25 by multilocus sequence typing analysis. No correlation was observed between Brucella infection and pathology. This report displays the isolation and identification of B. pinnipedialis in marine mammals in the Dutch part of the Atlantic Ocean. Key words: Brucella pinnipedialis, Halichoerus grypus, MALDI-TOF MS, marine mammals, MLST, MLVA-16, Phoca vitulina, the Netherlands. Best regards, Sophie Dr. Sophie M.J.M. Brasseur Marine Mammalogist tel. +31 317 487072 home +31 6 215 677 41 sophie.brasseur(a)wur.nl<mailto:sophie.brasseur@wur.nl>

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Leopard seal volunteer position New Zealand
by Krista Hupman 21 Aug '18

21 Aug '18

Leopard seal volunteer position New Zealand A volunteer is required to assist with an ongoing study investigating the site fidelity and movement of leopard seals around New Zealand. This work involves desktop research including data entry and photo-identification of leopard seals. This project is part of the ongoing research for the Marine Megafauna Group at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington and in collaboration with LeopardSeals.Org. DATES: September 2018 – April 2019. A minimum commitment of three months is required and priority will be given to those who can commit for longer periods. LOCATION: Wellington, New Zealand As this is a volunteer position, there is unfortunately no monetary compensation or living provisions. The successful candidate should arrange their own accommodation in Wellington, living expenses, travel costs and visa. QUALIFICATIONS: . The project is well suited to upper level undergrads, recent graduates and graduate students who have some background in biology, marine biology, ecology, zoology or related fields . Computer proficiency in MS Office (especially Excel) is a requirement. Additionally, proficiency in photo manipulation software (such as photoshop) would be an asset. APPLICATION PROCESS: . Email your CV to krista.hupman(a)niwa.co.nz<mailto:krista.hupman@niwa.co.nz> . Outline of why you would like to work on this project, the dates when you are available to assist on the project, your qualifications and relevant experience. Kind regards, Dr Krista Hupman Marine Mammal Biologist/Ecologist Krista.hupman(a)niwa.co.nz T +64-4-386-0527 301 Evans Bay Parade, Greta Point, Wellington [cid:imagea9acf1.PNG@50f00a8c.4c9a44c0]<http://www.niwa.co.nz> Dr Krista Hupman Cetacean Biologist/Ecologist T +64-4-386-0527 301 Evans Bay Parade, Greta Point, Wellington Connect with NIWA: niwa.co.nz<https://www.niwa.co.nz> Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/nzniwa> Twitter<https://twitter.com/niwa_nz> LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/company/niwa> Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/niwa_science> To ensure compliance with legal requirements and to maintain cyber security standards, NIWA's IT systems are subject to ongoing monitoring, activity logging and auditing. This monitoring and auditing service may be provided by third parties. Such third parties can access information transmitted to, processed by and stored on NIWA's IT systems.

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Marmam listserv submission: Link to webinar recording
by Emily Knight 21 Aug '18

21 Aug '18

Now Available: Webinar Recording on Examining Relationships between Northern Fur Seals, Pollock, and Climate Change in Alaska On Wednesday, July 25, 2018, the Lenfest Ocean Program hosted a webinar that featured Dr. Jeremy Sterling (Alaska Fisheries Science Center) and colleagues discussing their project to develop a new spatially explicit bioenergetics model to estimate the dietary needs of northern fur seals, and link the model to the existing climate-to-fish model of the Bering Sea (FEAST) and the multi-species stock assessment model (CEATTLE). You can access the webinar recording here<http://www.lenfestocean.org/en/news-and-publications/multimedia/webinar-on-…>. Please forward the link to anyone that might be interested. Also, let me know if you'd like a pdf of the PPT. Please feel free to reach out to me - Emily Knight, eknight(a)pewtrusts.org<mailto:eknight@pewtrusts.org> - if you have any questions. Best, Emily Emily Knight Manager, Lenfest Ocean Program [LenfestOceanProgram-Logo-Color-(2)] 901 E Street NW, 10th Floor Washington, DC 20004 SIGN UP<http://www.lenfestocean.org/en/about-us/contact-us/newsletter-subscription> FOR LENFEST OCEAN NEWS w: 202-540-6389 | c: 202-384-6534 | e: eknight(a)pewtrusts.org<mailto:eknight@pewtrusts.org> www.lenfestocean.org<http://www.lenfestocean.org/>|twitter: @lenfestocean<https://twitter.com/LenfestOcean>

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Mystic Aquarium - Animal Rescue Program fellowship
by Schuh, Janelle 21 Aug '18

21 Aug '18

All, Please see below for an exciting new opportunity within the Mystic Aquarium Animal Rescue Program. This posting is specific to a fellowship position which is more advanced than our internship role. Applications for the spring semester are due Sept 30. Thanks!! Mystic Aquarium Animal Rescue Program Fellowship Fellowship summary The Animal Rescue Program (ARP) Fellowship position is an expanded internship. The goal of the program is to provide college students or recent college graduates that are pursuing a career in veterinary medicine an opportunity to expand their animal skills by learning proper techniques for treating marine animals within a rehabilitation setting. The Animal Rescue Program is a department within Mystic Aquarium whose mission is to inspire people to care for and protect our ocean planet through conservation, education, and research. Application deadlines are as follows: Spring fellowship (Jan-May): September 30 Summer fellowship (May-Aug): January 31 Fall fellowship (Sept-Dec): May 31 Demonstrate excellent representation of the aquarium at all times through a positive, can-do attitude and teamwork focused work ethic. The ARP Fellow is responsible for the day-to-day operations and general organization of the Animal Rescue Clinic (ARC) with guidance from ARP staff. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: diet preparation, cleaning and maintenance of ARP areas, record keeping, and providing medical treatments to animals with guidance from ARP staff and Aquarium veterinarians. Medical treatments may include restraint for procedures, tube feeding, intravenous blood samples, subcutaneous fluids, intramuscular injections, etc. The ARP Fellow will also provide training and guidance to ARP volunteers and interns, as requested. Minimum requirements Must be willing to consistently provide internal and external customer service above and beyond expectation. One of the following degree options is required: a degree from an AVMA-accredited Veterinary Technology program, current enrollment in an AVMA-accredited Veterinary Technology program, current undergraduate enrollment (3rd or 4th year) in a pre-veterinary track program, current enrollment (1st or 2nd year) in an AVMA-accredited Veterinary Medicine degree program, or a bachelor's degree with equivalent animal experience to above. Experience working in a veterinary clinic setting is strongly desired. Current valid driver's license required. Must be proficient in Microsoft Office. Must be able to work independently as well as part of a team, possess strong written and verbal communication skills, and have flexibility, a high attention to detail, strong organization and time management skills, a positive attitude and a willingness to learn. Candidate must be able to meet the physical demands of the position which include prolonged standing and kneeling, lifting objects, and working in outdoor conditions. Responsibilities and essential functions All fellowships are unpaid with a minimum 12-16 week commitment required. The position is scheduled five days per week for a minimum of 40 hours each week. Applicants must be willing to work a flexible schedule, as hours may include evenings, weekends, and holidays. Housing is not provided. To perform this fellowship position successfully, an individual must be able to execute each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. * Assist ARP and veterinary staff in obtaining clinical and research samples collected from stranded animals * Perform and/or assist ARP and veterinary staff with clinical procedures and injections, fluid therapy, collection of diagnostic samples, tube feeding, and wound care * Perform and/or assist in overall ARC operations including feeding and caring for rehabilitating animals, delivering medications and supplements, cleaning and maintaining animal units, maintaining quarantine protocols, and record keeping * Assist ARP and veterinary staff with gross necropsy procedures, when necessary * Provide mentorship to interns/volunteers who are working within the ARC * All fellows are responsible for working in a safe manner at all times * Every fellow must properly use, and keep in good order, all personal protective equipment (PPE) supplied to them as protection from recognized hazards * Every fellow must report any unsafe condition * Every fellow must have a working knowledge of all Facility wide, and Department specific, safety procedures that relate to their position, including, but not limited to: Emergency Evacuation, Lockdown Procedure, and Fire Extinguisher Use * Perform all other duties as assigned by supervisor Project requirement ARP fellows will be required to complete a project by the end of their term. This project will be focused on some aspect of veterinary medicine with guidance from ARP staff. The final product will be a 12 minute PowerPoint presentation provided to Aquarium staff/interns/volunteers based on the project selected. Please visit the below website to apply. http://www.mysticaquarium.org/careers/internships/#arcfellowship Janelle Schuh Animal Rescue Program Manager 860.572.5955 x154 | Hotline x107 | Cell 860.514.7132 [MA_Web]

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Mystic Aquarium - Animal Rescue internship
by Schuh, Janelle 21 Aug '18

21 Aug '18

All, Please see below for the Mystic Aquarium Animal Rescue Program Spring internship opportunity. Applications are due Sept 30. Thanks!! Animal Rescue Program Mystic Aquarium responds to reports of live and dead marine mammals and sea turtles along the shores of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Fishers Island, N.Y. A rehabilitation facility is operated for pinnipeds, and occasionally cetaceans and sea turtles. Interns should be working toward a degree in marine biology, veterinary medicine or a related field. Recent graduates seeking experience in these fields are accepted. There is a minimum requirement of 40 hours per week and it is a 12 week internship. Interns must be motivated and responsible and have computer experience, organizational and communication skills, and the ability to work well with others. Daily Duties Work with both live and dead pinnipeds, cetaceans and sea turtles. Work may be done under extremely adverse weather conditions. Assist in the collection of Level A data for the NOAA Fisheries Service Assist in rescue and salvage responses Participate in post-mortem work and necropsies Assist in care for animals undergoing rehabilitation Assist in weekly seal physicals Complete a project for the animal rescue program Recent Projects Composting: An Eco-Friendly and Cost Efficient Mortality Disposal Method by Melissa Wands Evaluating cortisol levels in harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) pups undergoing rehabilitation by Jackman Eschenroeder & Robyn Lee Cross-Seasonal Nutritional Study of Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) Pup Formula from 2009-2012 by Melinda Kilty Assessing Public Awareness and Interest in the Seal Rescue Clinic Display by Meghana Pendruthi Application information can be found at http://www.mysticaquarium.org/careers/internships/ Janelle Schuh Animal Rescue Program Manager 860.572.5955 x154 | Hotline x107 | Cell 860.514.7132 [MA_Web]

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New publication: Environmental status of the short-beaked common dolphin
by Camilo Saavedra Penas 21 Aug '18

21 Aug '18

Dear All, We are pleased to announce a new publication in the Special Issue "Multidisciplinary integrated surveys" of the Journal "Progress in Oceanography" Title: "Assessing the environmental status of the short-beaked common dolphin (/Delphinus delphis/) in North-western Spanish waters using abundance trends and safe removal limits" By: Camilo Saavedra, Tim Gerrodette, Maite Louzao, Julio Valeiras, Salvador García, Santiago Cerviño, Graham J.Pierce and M. Begoña Santos The following link provides 50 days' free access to the paper: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1XXhXI7ECcM1a Highlights Multidisciplinary surveys are shown to be useful platforms for monitoring cetaceans. A positive trend in regional abundance of common dolphins was detected. Safe bycatch limits have been calculated for common dolphins in the study region. The Good Environmental Status of the common dolphin has been evaluated. The abundance indicates a good status but the bycatch is difficult to interpret. Abstract Monitoring and assessment of the status of marine mammal populations is a requirement of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Due to the difficulty of collecting data in the marine environment and because many populations of these highly mobile species inhabit waters of several Member States, monitoring of marine mammals is particularly challenging. In the present work we have used a 10-year time-series of data collected from multidisciplinary research surveys to estimate common dolphin (/Delphinus delphis/) abundance and trends in continental shelf waters of the northwest Spanish sub-region. We argue that this approach provides a valuable addition to large-scale dedicated surveys, offering a shorter interval between surveys and hence offering the possibility to track abundance changes at a regional scale. Trends in the number of dolphins present in the study area over the last 10 years show a mean increase of about 9.6% per year, which results in an evaluation of Good Environmental Status for the species in the area using the abundance indicator adopted in the framework of the MSFD. Data obtained from dedicated dual-platform surveys have been used to correct the detection bias in our data collected using single-platforms (attraction toward the observation platform and animals missed on the track-line), to obtain absolute abundance estimates for calculating bycatch limits. The average abundance over the study period was 12,831 dolphins [CI 95%; 9025, 18,242] calculated with the conventional distance sampling methodology, 4747 [3307, 6816] corrected for attraction and missed animals on the track-line, and 22,510 [15,776, 32,120] corrected only for missed animals on the track-line. The estimated safe bycatch limit for this area calculated from these abundance values were 218 [153, 310], 81 [56, 115] and 383 [268, 546] per year, respectively. Comparing these figures with estimates based on different sources, the percentage of dolphins that die in this study area is higher than the maximum limit allowable under the OSPAR criteria for population mortality adopted as an indicator for the MSFD. Best regards, Camilo Saavedra, Ph.D. Instituto Español de Oceanografía http://www.ieo.es/ e-mail: camilo.saavedra(a)ieo.es

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New publication: Ontogeny of vocal rhythms in harbor seal pups: an exploratory study
by Andrea Ravignani 21 Aug '18

21 Aug '18

Dear colleagues, Our paper on temporal patterns in the millisecond-second range in harbour seal pups’ calls has just been published in Current Zoology. The paper uses a range of quantitative and visualisation methods to quantify rhythmic structure in calls over development. The article is Open Access and freely available here: https://doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoy055 . If you would like to obtain a PDF, do not hesitate to contact me at: andrea.ravignani(a)gmail.com . Kind regards, Andrea Ravignani, A., Kello, C.T., de Reus, K., Kotz, S.A., Dalla Bella, S., Méndez-Aróstegui, M., Rapado-Tamarit, B., Rubio-Garcia, A. and de Boer, B., 2018. Ontogeny of vocal rhythms in harbour seal pups: an exploratory study. Current Zoology. Abstract. Puppyhood is a very active social and vocal period in a harbor seal’s life Phoca vitulina. An important feature of vocalizations is their temporal and rhythmic structure, and understanding vocal timing and rhythms in harbor seals is critical to a cross-species hypothesis in evolutionary neuroscience that links vocal learning, rhythm perception, and synchronization. This study utilized analytical techniques that may best capture rhythmic structure in pup vocalizations with the goal of examining whether (1) harbor seal pups show rhythmic structure in their calls and (2) rhythms evolve over time. Calls of 3 wild-born seal pups were recorded daily over the course of 1–3 weeks; 3 temporal features were analyzed using 3 complementary techniques. We identified temporal and rhythmic structure in pup calls across different time windows. The calls of harbor seal pups exhibit some degree of temporal and rhythmic organization, which evolves over puppyhood and resembles that of other species’ interactive communication. We suggest next steps for investigating call structure in harbor seal pups and propose comparative hypotheses to test in other pinniped species. Andrea Ravignani Research Dpt., Sealcentre Pieterburen AI-Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel ravignani.wordpress.com

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