January 2019 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New paper on reproduction of harbour porpoises
by tinakesselring＠aol.de 11 Jan '19

11 Jan '19

Dear colleagues, We are happy to announce our new paper titled 'Testicular morphology and spermatogenesis in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)' in Theriogenology 126. Please find the abstract below and the link for the paper on the publisher's site. Abstract: Knowledge about reproductive parameters in male harbour porpoises such as testicular histology and germ cell maturation as well as seasonal changes in spermatogenesis is scarce. Thus, the aim of the present study was to report changes in the histological appearance of the testicular morphology of neonatal and juvenile harbour porpoises during maturation, to identify stages of spermatogenesis in adult males and to detect seasonal modifications. The identification of these stages can be used to assess the developmental profile of gene expression during spermatogenesis and to identify defects in spermatogenesis arising in pathological conditions. Testes of adult male harbour porpoises from the North and Baltic Sea that became stranded or by-caught in the years 1998 to 2016 were histologically examined using Haematoxylin and Eosin – staining. The Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) staining was used for spermatogenic staging and the evaluation of the development of the acrosomic cap. For the identification of changes in testes morphology and morphometry during the course of the year, histological characteristics like germ cell associations and diameter of the convoluted seminiferous tubules were noted for each month. The analysis showed that in adult males more than one stage of spermatogenesis could be found per cross section of the convoluted seminiferous tubules similar to findings in men and some ape species. This rare phenomenon is called multi-stage-arrangement. In sexually active males from the peak breeding season (June and July) eight stages of spermatogenesis were identified and all stages occurred simultaneously, while during the low breeding season (August to May) only residual spermatogenesis or constituent germ cell populations were found. Missing germ cell generations were recorded in specimens from July to September. Our investigations provide a detailed staging of spermatogenesis and give new insight into the reproductive biology of male harbour porpoises. With these new basic parameters, indicators for endocrine disruptors can be developed in the future, aiming to detect how environmental factors could affect male fertility in wildlife. Theriogenology 126 (doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2018.11.031) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0093691X18310847 Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments! Best Tina Kesselring and co - authors

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Fin whale movements in the Gulf of California from satellite telemetry -- new paper and data publication
by Daniel Palacios 10 Jan '19

10 Jan '19

MARMAM community: We are pleased to announce the open-access publication of our paper: Jiménez-López ME, Palacios DM, Jaramillo A, Urbán R J, Mate BR (2019) Fin whale movements in the Gulf of California, Mexico, from satellite telemetry. PLoS ONE 14(1):e0209324. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209324 Abstract: Fin whales (*Balaenoptera physalus*) have a global distribution, but the population inhabiting the Gulf of California (GoC) is thought to be geographically and genetically isolated. However, their distribution and movements are poorly known. The goal of this study was to describe fin whale movements for the first time from 11 Argos satellite tags deployed in the southwest GoC in March 2001. A Bayesian Switching State-Space Model was applied to obtain improved locations and to characterize movement behavior as either “area-restricted searching” (indicative of patch residence, ARS) or “transiting” (indicative of moving between patches). Model performance was assessed with convergence diagnostics and by examining the distribution of the deviance and the behavioral parameters from Markov Chain Monte Carlo models. ARS was the predominant mode behavior 83% of the time during both the cool (December-May) and warm seasons (June-November), with slower travel speeds (mean= 0.84 km/h) than during transiting mode (mean= 3.38 km/h). We suggest ARS mode indicates either foraging activities (year around) or reproductive activities during the winter (cool season). We tagged during the cool season, when the whales were located in the Loreto-La Paz Corridor in the southwestern GoC, close to the shoreline. As the season progressed, individuals moved northward to the Midriff Islands and the upper gulf for the warm season, much farther from shore. One tag lasted long enough to document a whale’s return to Loreto the following cool season. One whale that was originally of undetermined sex, was tagged in the Bay of La Paz and was photographed 10 years later with a calf in the nearby San Jose Channel, suggesting seasonal site fidelity. The tagged whales moved along the western GoC to the upper gulf seasonally and did not transit to the eastern GoC south of the Midriff Islands. No tagged whales left the GoC, providing supporting evidence that these fin whales are a resident population. The underlying data have also been published as a "Movebank Repository" under a Creative Commons Zero license as: Mate BR, Palacios DM, Follett TM (2019) Data from: Fin whale movements in the Gulf of California, Mexico, from satellite telemetry. Movebank Data Repository. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5441/001/1.65h5s5p2 Finally, a press release accompanying the article has also been prepared: https://today.oregonstate.edu/news -- Daniel M. Palacios, Ph.D. Endowed Assistant Professor in Whale Habitats Whale Telemetry Group Marine Mammal Institute and Dept. of Fisheries & Wildlife Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center 2030 SE Marine Science Drive Newport, OR 97365, USA Office: HMSC 227 West Wing Phone: 541-990-2750 Fax: 541-867-0128 Email: daniel.palacios(a)oregonstate.edu MMI Profile <https://mmi.oregonstate.edu/people/daniel-m-palacios> | Google Scholar <https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=6Derh7cAAAAJ&hl=en> | ResearchGate <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Daniel_Palacios3>

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Call for Marine Mammal Research Interns in Kep, Cambodia.
by The Cambodian Marine Mammal Conservation Project 10 Jan '19

10 Jan '19

Call for Marine Mammal Research Interns in Kep, Cambodia. Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) is an NGO based on the island of Koh Ach Seh, in Cambodia's Kep Archipelago. The organisation has many facets, including working to stop illegal fishing practices, ecological and social science research and collecting data to use in the implementation of conservation legislation. In September 2017, MCC introduced The Cambodian Marine Mammal Conservation Project, in collaboration with the Royal Government of Cambodia’s Fisheries Administration. The project's primary aim is to collect data on abundance, distribution and residency to delineate and protect critical habitats for the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin in Cambodia's Kep Archipelago. At present, we are looking for marine mammal research interns to join the team between May and September 2019. Project activities: - a minimum of 3 observational land surveys per week using a Theodolite and Pythagoras software; - a minimum of 1 observational boat survey per week; - photo-identification techniques using Discovery software; - passive acoustic monitoring using a C-POD and CPOD.exe software; - social science techniques; - data entry, processing and analysis; - education and outreach; - marine mammal stranding network; - scientific writing for peer-reviewed journals and government reports; - designing marine mammal legislation. Basic internship training schedule Session 1: Introduction to MCC and The Cambodian Marine Mammal Conservation Project. Session 2: Research method training on observational land and boat surveying techniques. Session 3: Marine mammal identification and behaviour training. Session 4: Marine vessel identification training. Session 5: Data sheet and data entry training. Session 6: Drone footage analysis training. Session 7: Research techniques theory test, followed by feedback and debrief. Session 8: Theodolite and Pythagoras introduction and training. You will also become involved in other project related activities, depending on your interest, skill set and length of stay. Internship requirements: We are looking for dedicated, motivated and hard-working interns, able to commit for a minimum internship period of one month. We are looking for those who will commit to early mornings and late nights, with a keen interest in marine mammals and their conservation. Ideally, we are looking for university students or recent graduates. Project site description: The project is based on the island of Koh Ach Seh, a 40-minute boat trip from Kep Town, Cambodia. The island is inhabited only by MCC, a team made up of a mixture of interdisciplinary international and local staff. The accommodation and facilities on the island are basic but well-maintained. You will be in shared and catered accommodation with fellow interns and staff members. All project related resources are provided. Application process and fees: There is a fee associated with this internship, which covers the following: - all food, water, accommodation; - transport to and from the mainland to the project island; - marine mammal research training; - scuba diving (if qualified); - and the opportunity to get involved in activities and training at MCC, such as seahorse research or artificial reef management. If you are interested in this internship and would like to know more, please email Sarah Tubbs at cambodiadolphinproject(a)gmail.com

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New paper on tag and drag effects
by Julie van der Hoop 10 Jan '19

10 Jan '19

Dear all, My colleagues and I are pleased to announce a new publication on the effects of drag loading, e.g. from biologging tags, on marine mammals: Swimming energy economy in bottlenose dolphins under variable drag loading. van der Hoop, J.M., Fahlman, A., Shorter, K.A., Gabaldon, J., Rocho-Levine, J., Petrov, V., and Moore, M.J. 2018. Frontiers in Marine Science 5:465. doi:10.3389/fmars.2018.00465. The publication is available open access to all: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00465/full <https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00465/full> Abstract: Instrumenting animals with tags contributes additional resistive forces (weight, buoyancy, lift, and drag) that may result in increased energetic costs; however, additional metabolic expense can be moderated by adjusting behavior to maintain power output. We sought to increase hydrodynamic drag for near-surface swimming bottlenose dolphins, to investigate the metabolic effect of instrumentation. In this experiment, we investigate whether (1) metabolic rate increases systematically with hydrodynamic drag loading from tags of different sizes or (2) whether tagged individuals modulate speed, swimming distance, and/or fluking motions under increased drag loading. We detected no significant difference in oxygen consumption rates when four male dolphins performed a repeated swimming task, but measured swimming speeds that were 34% (>1 m s-1) slower in the highest drag condition. To further investigate this observed response, we incrementally decreased and then increased drag in six loading conditions. When drag was reduced, dolphins increased swimming speed (+1.4 m s-1; +45%) and fluking frequency (+0.28 Hz; +16%). As drag was increased, swimming speed (-0.96 m s-1; -23%) and fluking frequency (-0.14 Hz; 7%) decreased again. Results from computational fluid dynamics simulations indicate that the experimentally observed changes in swimming speed would have maintained the level of external drag forces experienced by the animals. Together, these results indicate that dolphins may adjust swimming speed to modulate the drag force opposing their motion during swimming, adapting their behavior to maintain a level of energy economy during locomotion. Summary Statement: Biologging and tracking tags add drag to study subjects. When wearing tags of different sizes, dolphins changed their swimming paths, speed, and movements to modulate power output and energy consumption. All the best in 2019, Julie ---------------------------------------------------------- Julie van der Hoop, PhD Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow Aarhus University, Aarhus DK www.marinebioacoustics.com <http://www.marinebioacoustics.com/>

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Application announcement for Kuczaj Memorial Travel Grant to CO3 meeting
by Hill, Heather 09 Jan '19

09 Jan '19

Applications are currently being accepted for the Kuczaj Memorial Travel Grant, which is given to students attending the Conference on Comparative Cognition. The grant is administered in memory of Dr. Stan Kuczaj, who was a leader in the study of comparative animal cognition, particularly within marine mammals. Stan believed in pursuing challenging topics in human and animal cognition with rigor, candor, and the spirit of intellectual adventure. The Kuczaj Memorial Travel Grant is administered with the goal of preserving and promoting Stan's interests and beliefs in scientific pursuit. Applicants for the Kuczaj Memorial Travel Grant must: 1) be enrolled in a graduate program at the time of the application, 2) have their abstract accepted for presentation at the Conference on Comparative Cognition, 3) submit their abstract for evaluation and ranking, and 4) provide evidence of graduate enrollment. The Kuczaj Memorial Travel Grant is determined through a competitive ranking process based upon the quality of the abstracts submitted. Grants are for $500 in travel allowances to be applied toward conference fees, food and lodging, or travel expenses. Two grants will be awarded and grantees will be selected and notified of the award by March 15, 2019. Applications may be obtained from and must be submitted to Dr. Heather Hill (hhill1(a)stmarytx.edu) no later than February 28, 2019. Heather M. Hill, PhD Chief Editor, The International Journal of Comparative Psychology Professor, Psychology St. Mary's University One Camino Santa Maria San Antonio, TX 78228 Hhill1(a)stmarytx.edu<mailto:Hhill1@stmarytx.edu> 210-431-6887

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New publication: Automatic acoustic estimation of sperm whale size distributions
by Wilfried Beslin 09 Jan '19

09 Jan '19

Dear All, We are pleased to announce the publication of the following paper: “Automatic acoustic estimation of sperm whale size distributions achieved through machine recognition of on-axis clicks” By: Wilfried A. M. Beslin, Hal Whitehead, and Shane Gero Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 144: 3485-3495 DOI: 10.1121/1.5082291 ABSTRACT: The waveforms of individual sperm whale clicks often appear as multiple pulses, which are the product of a single pulse reverberating throughout the spermaceti organ. Since there is a relationship between spermaceti organ size and total body size, it is possible to estimate a whale’s length by measuring the inter-pulse intervals (IPIs) within its clicks. However, if a click is recorded off-axis, the IPI corresponding to spermaceti organ length is usually obscured. This paper presents an algorithm for automatically estimating the “true” IPIs of sperm whales in a recording by measuring them from on-axis clicks only. The routine works by classifying detected clicks with a support vector machine, assessing the stability of their IPIs, and then clustering the stable IPIs using Gaussian mixture models. Results show that the routine is very accurate in obtaining reliable IPIs, but has a high false negative rate. Nonetheless, since sperm whales click very frequently, it is possible to obtain useful IPI distributions with only a few minutes of recording. This algorithm makes it possible to estimate the body lengths of multiple sperm whales automatically with only one hydrophone. An implementation is available for download at http://whitelab.biology.dal.ca/CABLE/cable.htm. The PDF can be obtained at https://asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/1.5082291 or by request. Regards, Wilfried Beslin Whitehead Lab Dalhousie University

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Join Us: Webinar on Harnessing Biological Partnerships to Improve Coastal Restoration
by Emily Knight 09 Jan '19

09 Jan '19

For the MARMAM listserv: This is Emily Knight, Manager, Lenfest Ocean Program. Please join us for a one-hour webinar on Tuesday, February 5 at 2:30 PM Eastern time/11:30 AM Pacific time featuring Dr. Brian Silliman, Professor of Marine Conservation Biology at Duke University. He will discuss his research to improve coastal restoration by testing whether biological partnerships between organisms can increase yields and decrease costs under a variety of environmental conditions. Of particular interest to the MARMAM community is that one of Dr. Silliman's case studies (California) involves sea otters. To register, click here<https://pewcharitabletrusts.webex.com/pewcharitabletrusts/onstage/g.php?MTI…>. Background: Salt marshes and other coastal habitats have been degraded worldwide by development, altered river flows, and other human impacts. Many land managers have sought to mitigate these effects through large-scale restoration - planting marsh grasses, seagrasses, oysters, and other ecologically important species. Current restoration practice stipulates that managers should space out plantings of grasses and other organisms to ensure they do not compete with each other for space or nutrients. However, small-scale field experiments have suggested that restoration success could be significantly improved by taking advantage of natural partnerships between organisms. Thus, the Lenfest Ocean Program is supporting Dr. Brian Silliman and colleagues to conduct experiments at four active restoration sites around the world, including North Carolina, California, The Netherlands, and China. Visit our website<http://bit.ly/2Qj4As6> to learn more. Please do forward this information or recommend contacts. Let me know if you have any questions. Best, Emily Webinar Instructions: Date: Tuesday, February 5, 2019 Time: 2:30 PM Eastern time/11:30 AM Pacific time For remote access: Please fill out the registration form<https://pewcharitabletrusts.webex.com/pewcharitabletrusts/onstage/g.php?MTI…> before the event is scheduled to begin. Event number: 799 399 874 Event password: restore2019 For teleconference audio after you join the webinar, either: 1. Select "Call Using Computer" 2. Select "Call me" and provide your phone number (recommended) 3. Call the number below and enter the access code. * In the U.S. and Canada, dial 1-855-214-7745. * In Australia, dial 61-0-291866690. * For additional global call in numbers click here<https://www.tcconline.com/listNumbersByCode.action?confCode=6390800317>. i. Enter conference code 609 216 9542 ii. After dialing the conference code, be sure to enter the Attendee ID that will appear on your screen. You will not be prompted to do so. 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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IFAW Marine Mammal Stranding Internships
by Kasper, Kira 09 Jan '19

09 Jan '19

The International Fund for Animal Welfare is accepting applications for Summer 2019 Marine Mammal Stranding Internships. Summer Session (June 5th - End of August, 2019) Complete Applications due: February 15th, 2019 Program Background IFAW is an international non-profit organization. This internship is based out of our International Operations Center in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, USA. IFAW's Marine Mammal Rescue and Research program is a federally authorized program dedicated to marine mammal stranding response on Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts. Our program's mission is to promote the conservation of marine mammal species and their habitat by improving the rescue and humane care of stranded marine mammals, advancing stranding science, and increasing public awareness through education. Cape Cod is a marine mammal stranding "hot spot," with an average of over 251 strandings occurring each year. These strandings include live and dead seals, whales, porpoises, and dolphins. Only complete applications will be considered. Please click on the link below for more information and to submit an application. https://recruiting.ultipro.com/INT1059IFFA/JobBoard/17b588a3-808b-4bc9-aea8… Kira Kasper | Stranding Technician Marine Mammal Rescue and Research ___________________________________________________________ IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare International Operations Center 290 Summer Street - Yarmouth Port, MA 02675 tel. 1.508.744.2265 email. kkasper(a)ifaw.org<mailto:kkasper@ifaw.org> www.ifaw.org<http://www.ifaw.org/> Rescuing and protecting animals around the world www.ifaw.org<http://www.ifaw.org/> Watch videos of our work at... http://g.ifaw.org/IFoundAWay The content of this email is intended only for the use of the above-named addressee and may contain information that is confidential, proprietary, and/or legally privileged. Please notify the sender if you received this email in error.

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Orcas of Sri Lanka: Photo ID Catalogue. Updated Version. Jan 2019
by Georgina L Gemmell 09 Jan '19

09 Jan '19

Dear Marmammers, Happy New Year. On behalf of Orca Project Sri Lanka (OPSL), I'd like to alert you to the updated version of the Sri Lankan killer whale (orca) Photo ID catalogue. "Orcas of Sri Lanka: A catalogue of Photo-Identified Individuals" DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.33840.00008 The catalogue currently holds 39 individuals identified from Sri Lankan waters. A pdf version can be viewed and downloaded at the following link. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330245734_Orcas_of_Sri_Lanka_A_cat… All the best -- *Georgina Gemmell* Lead Administrator, Orca Project Sri Lanka

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New articles on multi-host transmission of cetacean morbillivirus and expansion of host range to river otters
by Sandro Mazzariol 08 Jan '19

08 Jan '19

Dear Collegues wishing you all an happy 2019, my Collegues and me are happy to announce two new papers on cetaceans morbillivirus host range. The most recent one is a brief report on dolphin morbillivirus host range with a new species involved in Italy (river otters). This paper follows another relevant one published on the evolutionary evidences for multi-host transmission on cetacean morbillivirus published in December 2018. References for the two articles are here below reported.  *Padalino I, Di Guardo G, Carbone A, Troiano P, Parisi A, Galante D, et al. Dolphin morbillivirus in Eurasian otters, Italy. Emerg Infect Dis. 2019 Feb* We report biomolecular evidence of dolphin morbillivirus in 4 wild Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) from southern Italy; 2 animals showed simultaneous immunohistochemical reactivity against morbilliviral antigen. These cases add further concern and support to the progressively expanding host range of dolphin morbillivirus in the western Mediterranean Sea. The article is ahead of print and you can read it at the following web address https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/25/2/18-0256_article#suggestedcitation * * *Jo WK, Kruppa J, Habierski A, van de Bildt M, Mazzariol S, Di Guardo G, Siebert U, Kuiken T, Jung K, Osterhaus A, Ludlow M. Evolutionary evidence for multi-host transmission of cetacean morbillivirus. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2018 Dec 5;7(1):201.* Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) has emerged as the pathogen that poses the greatest risk of triggering epizootics in cetacean populations worldwide, and has a high propensity for interspecies transmission, including sporadic infection of seals. In this study, we investigated the evolutionary history of CeMV by deep sequencing wild-type viruses from tissue samples representing cetacean species with different spatiotemporal origins. Bayesian phylogeographic analysis generated an estimated evolutionary rate of 2.34 × 10-4 nucleotide substitutions/site/year and showed that CeMV evolutionary dynamics are neither host-restricted nor location-restricted. Moreover, the dolphin morbillivirus strain of CeMV has undergone purifying selection without evidence of species-specific mutations. Cell-to-cell fusion and growth kinetics assays demonstrated that CeMV can use both dolphin and seal CD150 as a cellular receptor. Thus, it appears that CeMV can readily spread among multiple cetacean populations and may pose an additional spillover risk to seals. Download at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41426-018-0207-x All the best Sandro Mazzariol -- Dr. Sandro Mazzariol, DVM, PhD Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione (BCA) Università degli Studi di Padova Cetaceans strandings Emergency Response Team (CERT) AGRIPOLIS - Ed. Museo Viale dell'Università 16 35020 - Legnaro (PD) tel.: +39 049 827 2963 fax: +39 049 827 2973 skype: smazzariol

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