September 2018 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Job Posting: Assistant Professor of Animal Studies (tenure-track)
by Lauren Highfill 20 Sep '18

20 Sep '18

Job Posting: Assistant Professor of Animal Studies (tenure-track) Assistant Professor of Animal Studies, tenure-track position, to start in September, 2019. Ph.D. in Animal Studies, Psychology, Biology, or related-field required. Teach seven courses per academic year, including Introduction to Animal Studies, Animal Behavior, Internship in Animal Studies, Senior Capstone, and an elective in area of specialty. To contribute courses to a newly developed program in Animal Studies. Participation in an interdisciplinary, values-oriented general education program is required, including a regular rotation in the two-semester first-year program. Eckerd College, the only independent national liberal arts college in Florida, has a tradition of innovative education and teaching/mentoring excellence. Submit a letter of application, vita, teaching evaluations, statement of teaching philosophy, graduate transcripts, and contact information for three references so that letters of recommendation can be requested, via https://eckerd.hirecentric.com/jobs/. Applications must be complete by November 1, 2018. Inquiries may be sent to Dr. Lauren Highfill, highfile(a)eckerd.edu. EOE. Applications from women/minorities encouraged. <goog_320661847> https://eckerd.hirecentric.com/jobs/146511.html -- *Lauren Highfill, Ph.D.* Professor of Psychology <http://eckerd.edu/psychology> 727.864.8428 Schedule an appointment <http://professor_highfill.youcanbook.me/> Lab website <http://cplab.eckerd.edu/> Eckerd College <http://www.eckerd.edu> 4200 54th Avenue South St. Petersburg, Florida 33711 [image: Eckerd College logo]

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University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science Recruiting
by MPS RSMAS 19 Sep '18

19 Sep '18

Good morning everyone, We are out on the road currently recruiting and wanted to reach out to see if anyone that had interest in the program, collaborations, or just wanted to chat about marine or atmospheric sciences (possible internships/jobs for students). We will be in the following locations: September 19th - University of Rhode Island, Roger Williams University September 20th - Connecticut College and UCONN - Avery Point September 21st - Penn State University September 24th - University of Maryland September 25th - University of Virginia September 26th - UNC-Wilmington September 27th - Coastal Carolina September 28th - College of Charleston If you are interested in meeting up, please let me know ASAP! I'll be sending out another e-mail in a few weeks discussing the different Ph.D. opportunities along with our Master degree programs (http://rsmas.miami.edu and mps.miami.edu) Thanks and have a great next few weeks!!! Sincerely, Josh Coco, Ed. D. Executive Director, RSMAS Tel: (305) 421.4002 Fax: (305) 421.4711 Direct: jcoco(a)rsmas.miami.edu <%20jcoco(a)rsmas.miami.edu> University of Miami RSMAS Campus – 105C 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway <https://exchange.rsmas.miami.edu/owa/UrlBlockedError.aspx> Miami, FL 33149-1031 <https://exchange.rsmas.miami.edu/owa/UrlBlockedError.aspx>

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New publication on cooperation in bottlenose dolphins
by Kelly Jaakkola 19 Sep '18

19 Sep '18

Dear All, We are pleased to announce our new publication: Jaakkola K, Guarino E, Donegan K, King SL. 2018 Bottlenose dolphins can understand their partner’s role in a cooperative task. Proc. R. Soc. B 285: 20180948. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.0948 Abstract: In recent decades, a number of studies have examined whether various non-human animals understand their partner's role in cooperative situations. Yet the relatively tolerant timing requirements of these tasks make it theoretically possible for animals to succeed by using simple behavioural strategies rather than by jointly intended coordination. Here we investigated whether bottlenose dolphins could understand a cooperative partner's role by testing whether they could learn a button-pressing task requiring precise behavioural synchronization. Specifically, members of cooperative dyads were required to swim across a lagoon and each press their own underwater button simultaneously (within a 1 s time window), whether sent together or with a delay between partners of 1–20 s. We found that dolphins were able to work together with extreme precision even when they had to wait for their partner, and that their coordination improved over the course of the study, with the time between button presses in the latter trials averaging 370 ms. These findings show that bottlenose dolphins can learn to understand their partner's role in a cooperative situation, and suggest that the behavioural synchronization evident in wild dolphins' synchronous movement and coordinated alliance displays may be a generalized cognitive ability that can also be used to solve novel cooperative tasks. The paper is open access and can be found here: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/285/1887/20180948 Cheers, -- Kelly / Kelly Jaakkola, PhD Director of Research, Dolphin Research Center Chair, Scientific Advisory Committee, Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums/ /kelly(a)dolphins.org/

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Developing the Next Generation of Animal Telemetry
by Levenson, Jacob 19 Sep '18

19 Sep '18

Colleagues, *NASA and the Department of Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM) are working together to study the feasibility of accelerating technology development for what we’ve been referring to as the next generation of animal tracking. The idea is basically to widen the data pipe allowing for greater rates of data transfer from tagged animals, as well as improve the accuracy of tags which rely on Doppler effect for localization. As part of this project we’re holding a public competition from Sept. 12 to Nov. 8, 2018, to gather new ideas to improve upon the current system of data reception via cubesats. The challenge includes a total prize pool of up to $30,000. Submissions are due by 5:00 p.m., Nov 8, with winners to be announced in December. The competition website is: https://www.herox.com/animaltracking <https://www.herox.com/animaltracking>. This challenge is the first in a possible series of challenges addressing Next Generation Animal Tracking. Submissions to this initial challenge will be used to inform potential future challenges looking at solutions for an open system architecture and software integration.If you know of organizations that may be interested in entering, please do pass this along. Any questions, feel free to drop me a line anytime. Best,Jake* Jacob Levenson Marine Biologist U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Jacob.Levenson(a)boem.gov 703-787-1710

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New gray whale acoustics paper
by burnhamr＠uvic.ca 18 Sep '18

18 Sep '18

My colleagues and I are pleased to announce the publication of the paper Burnham, R.E, Duffus, D.A, Mouy, X. 2018. Gray Whale (Eschrictius robustus) Call Types Recorded During Migration off the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Frontiers in Marine Science, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00329 Abstract Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) vocalizing behavior varies over its range, both in call type and frequency. This study adds to the growing body of passive acoustic research outside of the calving/breeding lagoons, and moves toward a description of calling behaviors throughout the whales' range. Data are presented here from acoustic surveys for two northward and one southward migration, with recordings taken off the west coast of Vancouver Island. We found gray whales to be highly sonorous, with extensive calling during the study periods of February to May for northward migrations and September to the end of January for southward travel. Low frequency moans were the most prevalent call type, with others, including knocks, up- and down sweeps, and rumbles, recorded in varying numbers. We hypothesize that calling is an aid for navigation and orientation of the herd along the migration route, in addition to holding more social functions usually assigned to baleen whale calling. The paper is open access and can be found here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00329/full?&utm_sou… Rianna Burnham Whale Research Lab, UVic

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New publication: male preference for salmon in harbor seals
by Alejandro Acevedo-Gutierrez 18 Sep '18

18 Sep '18

Dear all My colleagues and I are pleased to announce the publication of the paper "Large scale molecular diet analysis in a generalist marine mammal reveals male preference for prey of conservation concern". Schwarz, D., Spitzer, S., Thomas, A., Kohnert, C., Keates, T. & Acevedo-Gutiérrez, A. 2018. Large scale molecular diet analysis in a generalist marine mammal reveals male preference for prey of conservation concern. Ecology and Evolution 2018, 1-17. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4474. Abstract: Sex-specific diet information is important in the determination of predator impacts on prey populations. Unfortunately, the diet of males and females can be difficult to describe, particularly when they are marine predators. We combined two molecular techniques to describe haul-out use and prey preferences of male and female harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from Comox and Cowichan Bay (Canada) during 2012–2013. DNA metabarcoding harbor seal scat, and qPCR determined the sex of the individual that deposited each scat. Using 287 female and 260 male samples, we compared the monthly sex ratio with GLMs and analyzed prey consumption relative to sex, season, site, and year with PERMANOVA. The sex ratio between monthly samples differed widely in both years (range = 12%–79% males) and showed different patterns at each haul-out site. Male and female diet differed across both years and sites: Females consumed a high proportion of demersal fish species while males consumed more salmonid species. Diet composition was related to both sex and season (PERMANOVA: R2 = 27%, p <0.001; R2 = 24%, p < 0.001, respectively) and their interaction (PERMANOVA: R2 = 11%, p <0.001). Diet differences between males and females were consistent across site and year, suggesting fundamental foraging differences, including that males may have a larger impact on salmonids than females. Our novel combination of techniques allowed for both prey taxonomic and spatiotemporal resolution unprecedented in marine predators. The paper is open access and available to read or download in the following link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.4474 Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Cheers Alejandro Alejandro Acevedo-Gutierrez Professor in Biology and Science Education Western Washington University Alejandro.Acevedo-Gutierrez(a)wwu.edu acevedo(a)biol.wwu.edu

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ORCA Marine Mammal Surveyor Training Course
by Emily Condley 18 Sep '18

18 Sep '18

Dear All, ORCA's unique, participative volunteer scheme enables members of the public to collect scientific data about whales, dolphins and porpoises (cetaceans). This gives you the opportunity to contribute directly to vital conservation work. This certificated, fun and interesting course will give you all of the skills required to competently identify cetaceans at sea and take part in ORCA's scientifically recognised surveys on board ferries. ORCA's Marine Mammal Surveyor training course incorporates theoretical and practical training on marine mammal identification, organising and completing line-transect surveys as part of a team. With an international network of research vessels, ferries and cruise ships donating spaces to ORCA volunteers, this is a fantastic opportunity for you to participate in future whale and dolphin surveys. Please note that this is a classroom based course. Why complete the MMS training course? ORCA relies on a large and dedicated team of volunteer observers to carry out its research, but to achieve the standard required they request that they first complete an ORCA MMS training course. In return, ORCA provides its volunteers with a wide range of opportunities to take part in surveys, experience life at sea, encounter whales and dolphins as well as gain a greater understanding of ocean ecosystems and the threats to marine life. But, even if you don't plan to get involved with ORCA in the long-term this training course is designed as an excellent introduction to conducting wildlife surveys that are of scientific value and improve your species identification skills. There is still availability on the following courses: Oban - Saturday 13th October 2018 Newcastle - Saturday 17th November 2018 Plymouth - Saturday 24th November 2018 Southampton - Sunday 2nd December 2018 London - Thursday 24th January 2019 Portsmouth - Saturday 26th January 2019 To book a place visit www.orcaweb.org.uk/train<http://www.orcaweb.org.uk/train>. We look forward to seeing you at one of our courses! Best wishes, The ORCA team

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New Paper - Sperm Whale PCOD
by Nick Farmer - NOAA Federal 18 Sep '18

18 Sep '18

Dear colleagues, I'm pleased to announce the publication of a new manuscript: Farmer NA, Baker K, Zeddies DG, Denes SL, Noren DP, Garrison LP, Machernis A, Fougéres EM, Zykov M (2018) *Population consequences of disturbance by offshore oil and gas activity for endangered sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). *Biological Conservation, 227:189-204. *Abstract* Sperm whale (*Physeter macrocephalus*) populations are still recovering from massive population declines <https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/populatio…> associated with commercial whaling operations. The species continues to face a suite of contemporary threats, including pollution, ship strikes, fisheries <https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/sustainab…> interactions, habitat loss <https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/habitat-l…> and degradation, oil spills <https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/oil-spill>, and anthropogenic noise. The sperm whale stock in the northern Gulf of Mexico was exposed to oil from the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill and is exposed to high levels of anthropogenic noises generated by geological and geophysical (G&G) surveys for hydrocarbon <https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/hydrocarb…> deposits. Population impacts from oil and gas activities were predicted from models that incorporated two stressors: (i) oil exposure from DWH and (ii) noise from G&G surveys. Oil exposure was projected to reduce survival and reproductive success <https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/reproduct…>, causing a mean stock decline of 26% by 2025. Additionally, exposure to underwater noise can adversely impact whale hearing, communication, foraging efficiency, and disturb essential behaviors. Exposures to G&G survey noise were determined by simulating individual movements through three-dimensional sound fields generated by different survey methods <https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/survey-me…>. Behavioral disturbance was evaluated as reduced foraging opportunities under four dose-response functions. Bioenergetic <https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/bioenerge…> models tracked the depletion of reserves in blubber, muscle, and viscera <https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/viscera>. All simulations suggested significant reductions in relative fitness of reproductive females were a likely consequence of persistent disturbances to foraging behaviors <https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/foraging-…>. Under a 160 dB SPL unweighted dose-response function, up to 4.4 ± 0.3% of the stock may reach terminal starvation due to behavioral disturbance associated with future G&G surveys, leading to abortions, calf abandonment, and up to 25% greater stock declines beyond those predicted from DWH oil exposure. Uncertainty in our results emphasizes a need for further controlled exposure experiments to generate behavioral disturbance dose-response curves and detailed evaluation of individual resilience following disturbance events. Given our focus on a limited suite of threats and need for field verification of these modeled impacts, precautionary management application of our results is recommended for this endangered species <https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/e…> . https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Xl8E1R~eAqre. The companion manuscript published in MEPS earlier this year: Farmer NA, Noren DP, Fougeres EM, Machernis A, Baker K (2018) *Resilience of endangered sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) to foraging disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico, USA: A bioenergetics approach. *Marine Ecology Progress Series, 589:241-261. https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v589/p241-261/ Best regards, *Nick* *Nicholas A. Farmer, Ph.D.* Chief, Species Conservation Protected Resources Division <http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/protected_resources/index.html> NOAA Fisheries <http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov>, Southeast Regional Office <http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/> 263 13th Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 *727.551.5759 **nick.farmer(a)noaa.gov <nick.farmer(a)noaa.gov>* Publications <https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=ey-6L9QAAAAJ&view_op=list_w…>

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PAM/PSO Training Nicholls state university
by Stephanie Barnicoat 18 Sep '18

18 Sep '18

Dear Colleagues, Seiche Training is holding a training course in Nicholls State University, New Orleans, USA, which provides Passive Acoustic Monitor (PAM) 18-20 October and Protected Species Observer (PSO) 21-22 October certification. The course will include a boat trip to provide experience in locating and identifying protected species at sea, as well as practice in methods for distance estimation. This PSO training is accredited by BOEM (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) to provide Protected Species Observer certification for seismic surveys and is accepted in various other industries and regions where mitigation for marine mammals is needed. PSO/PAM operators monitor for marine mammals and sea turtles and advise on the measures required to reduce impacts to the animals worldwide. The PSO course looks at Noise in the ocean, the regulations for minimising risks to marine mammals during industrial activities, marine mammal identification and documenting animal behaviour, data collection and report writing. The PAM course includes an introduction into sound in water, looking at how sound propagates, marine mammal vocalisation using PAMGuard, with practical sessions and hardware set up, installing and deploying the equipment on a vessel. For both courses £800, students £740 (discount only valid with a student ID card) For additional information please email info(a)seichetraining.com<mailto:info@seichetraining.com> [Seiche Ltd] Stephanie Barnicoat, BSc, MSc. Business Support Seiche Ltd Bradworthy Industrial Estate, Langdon Road, Bradworthy, Holsworthy, Devon, EX22 7SF, United Kingdom T: +44(0)1409 404050 E: s.barnicoat(a)seiche.com<mailto:s.barnicoat@seiche.com> W: www.seiche.com<http://www.seiche.com> Registered in England & Wales No. 3475558, Registered Office: The Custom House, The Strand, Barnstaple, Devon The information contained in this e-mail transmission, and any documents, files or previous e-mail messages attached to it, is privileged and confidential, and solely intended for the use of the individual(s) to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient or a person responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient you should not read, copy, distribute or otherwise use the information, and you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of any of the information contained in or attached to this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify sender immediately and delete this e-mail and attached documents.

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New Publication: Seal Occurrence and Habitat Use during Summer in Petermann Fjord, Northwestern Greenland
by Kate Lomac-MacNair 18 Sep '18

18 Sep '18

We are pleased to announce the publication of a new paper: Lomac-MacNair, K., Jakobsson, M., Mix, A., Freire, F., Hogan, K., Mayer, L., and Smultea, M.A. 2018. Seal Occurrence and Habitat Use during Summer in Petermann Fjord, Northwestern Greenland. Arctic 71(3): 334-348 https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic4735 ABSTRACT Ice-associated seals are considered especially susceptible and are potentially the first to modify distribution and habitat use in response to physical changes associated with the changing climate. Petermann Glacier, part of a unique ice-tongue fjord environment in a rarely studied region of northwestern Greenland, lost substantial sections of its ice tongue during major 2010 and 2012 calving events. As a result, changes in seal habitat may have occurred. Seal occurrence and distribution data were collected in Petermann Fjord and adjacent Nares Strait region over 27 days (2 to 28 August) during the multidisciplinary scientific Petermann 2015 Expedition on the icebreaker Oden. During 239.4 hours of dedicated observation effort, a total of 312 individuals were recorded, representing four species: bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), hooded seal (Crystophora cristata), harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus), and ringed seal (Pusa hispida). Ringed seals were recorded significantly more than the other species (χ2 = 347.4, df = 3, p < 0.001, n = 307). We found significant differences between species in haul-out (resting on ice) behavior (χ2 = 133.1, df = 3, p < 0.001, n = 307). Bearded seals were more frequently hauled out (73.1% n = 49), whereas ringed seals were almost exclusively in water (93.9%, n = 200). Differences in average depth and ice coverage where species occurred were also significant: harp seals and bearded seals were found in deeper water and areas of greater ice coverage (harp seals: 663 ± 366 m and 65 ± 14% ice cover; bearded seals: 598 ± 259 m and 50 ± 21% ice cover), while hooded seals and ringed seals were found in shallower water with lower ice coverage (hooded seals: 490 ± 163 m and 38 ± 19% ice cover; ringed seals: 496 ± 235 m, and 21 ± 20% ice cover). Our study provides an initial look at how High Arctic seals use the rapidly changing Petermann Fjord and how physical variables influence their distribution in one of the few remaining ice-tongue fjord environments. Our paper is available online at: https://arctic.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/arctic/index.php/arctic/issue/view /299 <https://arctic.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/arctic/index.php/arctic/issue/vie w/299> Or via e-mail request to klomacmacnair(a)gmail.com Cheers, Kate Lomac-MacNair PhD Candidate Center of Marine Sciences (CCMAR) University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal 907.306.7870 klomacmacnair(a)gmail.com

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