December 2019 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Internship post
by Faucett, Blake 05 Dec '19

05 Dec '19

Manatee Internships-Blake Faucett Southeast manatee field station is currently seeking candidates for one Winter/Spring 2020 internship! Interns will assist with manatee rescue, carcass salvage, and research in South Florida. The Southeast Field lab is offering one internship: one 6 month term for the Winter/Spring 2020 session. The expected start date for the Winter/Spring 2020 internship is January 6th, 2020. Start dates will be flexible. The position is in Tequesta (east coast of Florida, just north of Palm Beach). The intern's duties include assisting with manatee rescue, carcass salvage, and research in South Florida. Interns will assist with manatee and cetacean field necropsies, temperature monitoring research, and conduct manatee photo ID. Interns will also complete mortality and rescue reports and assist with other office and public outreach work as needed. To perform the duties of the position, interns will operate trucks, trailers, and boats up to 22' in length. The intern is required to complete a project and present a 10-15 minute presentation at the end of their internship. Qualifications: Junior or senior college students and recent graduates are eligible. Applicants should have some research field experience; be able to drive large trucks; be computer literate; be comfortable speaking to the public; and be proficient in the use of digital cameras, telephoto lenses, and filters. Previous animal-handling experience is preferred. Ability to trailer flatbeds and boats, as well as operate watercraft up to 22' in length is desirable. Interns must possess a valid driver's license, be able to lift 50 pounds, and be able to swim. Applicants should understand that this internship will require them to be wet, dirty, and outdoors in all weather conditions. This internship is unpaid. Housing is not provided. Interns must provide their own transportation to and from the field station. If you are interested in applying for an internship with the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, the following information is required: * A cover letter describing area(s) of interest and the dates, days, and hours of availability * A résumé describing training and experience * A list of three references * An unofficial copy of your academic transcript Please send these items as e-mail attachments to: Interns(a)MyFWC.com<mailto:Interns@MyFWC.com> Or mail hard copies to: Internship Coordinator Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue SE St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5020 https://myfwc.com/research/manatee/research/internships/se-fl-intern/

1 0

EAAM conference announcement
by Annalisa Zaccaroni 05 Dec '19

05 Dec '19

The Board and the Scientific Committee of EAAM are pleased to announce that the upcoming 48th Annual Symposia is due to take place in València, Spain, 10th – 13th of March 2020 and hosted by Oceanogràfic<http://www.oceanografic.org/>. The EAAM invites you all to participate and join us in these unique opportunity to share and learn with the community all the new discoveries regarding marine mammals. The Host Institution and the EAAM President-elect invite authors to submit abstracts for oral, poster and short talk presentations. For more information, visit the official website of the conference: https://eaam.org/2020-eaam-annual-research-symposia/ Best regards Annalisa Zaccaroni Inviato da smartphone Samsung Galaxy.

1 0

Behavio(u)r Change Social At WMMC
by Andrew Wright 05 Dec '19

05 Dec '19

Dear members, Apologies for cross-posting. The Introduction to Changing the Behaviour of People to Advance Marine Mammal Conservation Goals workshop to be held at WMMC by the Conservation Marketing and Engagement and Social Science Working Groups of the Society for Conservation Biology is full and we are unable to accommodate everyone on the waiting list. We also know that many of you have clashes that prevented you from attending. If you would like to meet the organisers and participants anyway, we'll be discussing the events of the day at Corner Bar at the Hotel Barcelona Princess from 18:30. *All* WMMC delegates are welcome! Hotel Barcelona Princess Avda. Diagonal, 1 08019 Barcelona www.hotelbarcelonaprincess.com Best, Andrew Wright, Ph.D. & Ashley Dayer Workshop Organisers

1 1

New publication: Assessment of blue whale skin condition
by Barlow, Dawn Renee 05 Dec '19

05 Dec '19

Dear MARMAM community, On behalf of my coauthors, I am pleased to announce our recent publication in Frontiers in Marine Science: Barlow, D. R., Pepper, A. L., & Torres, L. G. (2019). Skin deep: An assessment of New Zealand blue whale skin condition. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 757. ABSTRACT: Skin condition assessment of wildlife can provide insight into individual and population health. Yet, logistics can limit skin condition assessment of large whales. We developed a standardized, quantitative protocol using photographs to assess skin condition of blue whales in New Zealand, and demonstrate the value gained by testing hypotheses, documenting new morphologies, and establishing baselines that can be monitored for change. We reviewed a photo-identification catalog to compile common markings, categorized markings according to existing definitions, and described markings not previously documented. Photographs of blue whale skin (n=1,466) were assessed to quantify marking prevalence, severity, and co-occurrence patterns. Of the whales assessed (n=148), 96.6% had cookie cutter shark bites, 80.4% had blister lesions, 56.0% had pigmentation blazes on the dorsal fin, and 33.7% had holes in the dorsal fin. Additionally, 35.8% had “starburst” lesions, a previously undocumented marking. Blister and cookie cutter shark bite severity did not accumulate linearly, indicating that the two marking types are unrelated. There was a positive relationship between blister severity and number of starbursts, indicating that the two could be related; based on morphological similarities, starburst lesions may derive from ruptured blisters. Whales with holes in their dorsal fin had significantly higher blister severity than those without, indicating that these markings could be related; this is supported by observed blisters on dorsal fins of blue whales. There was a significantly higher probability of fresher cookie cutter shark bites on whales observed at more northerly latitudes, but no relationship between blister severity or number of starbursts and latitude. These latitudinal patterns indicate that blue whales in New Zealand accumulate cookie cutter shark bites at more northerly latitudes; this finding is supported by the known range of cookie cutter sharks in New Zealand waters. Of the eight individual whales re-sighted across multiple years, there was no uniform pattern in lesion change over time, however individual cases revealed lesion healing over a multi-year timeframe. Our protocol for quantifying skin condition can be applied to any cetacean photo-identification catalog, and can be used to compare across individuals and populations, and explore causal links between skin condition and cetacean health. The full article is open access, and available online: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2019.00757/full?&utm_sou… Please feel free to contact me at dawn.barlow(a)oregonstate.edu with any questions or to request a PDF copy. Cheers, Dawn Dawn Barlow PhD Student Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Marine Mammal Institute Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab<https://mmi.oregonstate.edu/gemm-lab> dawn.barlow(a)oregonstate.edu

1 0

New Publication about newborn humpback whale calves
by Laura Torre 04 Dec '19

04 Dec '19

Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to share news of a recent publication in Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology. L Torre-Williams, E. Martinez, J.O. Meynecke, J. Reinke & K.A. Stockin (2019): Presence of newborn humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) calves in Gold Coast Bay, Australia Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology, Volume 52 Issue 5. To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/10236244.2019.1671769 ABSTRACT The majority of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) undertake an annual migration from high latitude feeding grounds to tropical/subtropical breeding grounds. Suitable calving habitat for this species includes warm (typically 19°C to 28°C), shallow, sheltered waters in tropical and subtropical waters. Here, we investigated occurrence of calving beyond the primary recognised breeding grounds (16° to 24°S) of the east Australian humpback whale population (E1). We examined location, depth (m), and SST (⁰C) associated with newborn observations in Gold Coast Bay, in southern Queensland, Australia from 2013 to 2016. A total of 74 newborns were recorded in the study area, with the majority observed in July and August. These findings may signify that the Gold Coast Bay provides an apparently suitable habitat for calving for this humpback whale population. As the area has not been classified as calving habitat, these findings will assist conservation managers in making informed management decisions regarding this species. Please contact me if you have any questions. Best wishes, Laura Torre-Williams l.torre(a)griffith.edu.au<mailto:l.torre@griffith.edu.au> Visiting Scholar Griffith University

1 0

Harbour porpoise PhD opportunity in Scotland
by Ben Wilson 04 Dec '19

04 Dec '19

We are still accepting applications for the funded PhD "Unlocking the enigma of Scottish harbour porpoise fine-scale habitat use<https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/unlocking-the-enigma-of-scottish-harb…>" Work in Scotland with Ben Wilson & Steven Benjamins (SAMS), Kate Brookes (MSS) & Paul Thompson (Aberdeen Uni) Closing Date: Friday 13th December 2019 Details and application form here: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/unlocking-the-enigma-of-scottish-harb… Prof. Ben Wilson, Associate Director - Research, Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, UK. @bwilson999 The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) is registered in Scotland as a Company Limited by Guarantee (SC009292) and is a registered charity (9206). SAMS has two actively trading wholly owned subsidiary companies: SAMS Research Services Ltd (SC224404) and SAMS Ltd (SC306912). All Companies in the group are registered in Scotland and share a registered office at Scottish Marine Institute, Oban Argyll PA37 1QA. The content of this message may contain personal views which are not the views of SAMS unless specifically stated. Please note that all email traffic is monitored for purposes of security and spam filtering. As such individual emails may be examined in more detail.

1 0

New publication: Coordinated transformation of the gut microbiome and lipidome of bowhead whales provides novel insights into digestion
by Carolyn A. Miller 04 Dec '19

04 Dec '19

My co-authors and I are pleased to announce our recent publication in ISME-Journal: Carolyn A. Miller, Henry C. Holm, Lara Horstmann, J. Craig George, Helen F. Fredricks, Benjamin A. S. Van Mooy, Amy Apprill. Coordinated transformation of the gut microbiome and lipidome of bowhead whales provides novel insights into digestion. /ISME J/ (2019) doi:10.1038/s41396-019-0549-y Abstract: Whale digestion plays an integral role in many ocean ecosystems. By digesting enormous quantities of lipid-rich prey, whales support their energy intensive lifestyle, but also excrete nutrients important to ocean biogeochemical cycles. Nevertheless, whale digestion is poorly understood. Gastrointestinal microorganisms play a significant role in vertebrate digestion, but few studies have examined them in whales. To investigate digestion of lipids, and the potential contribution of microbes to lipid digestion in whales, we characterized lipid composition (lipidomes) and bacterial communities (microbiotas) in 126 digesta samples collected throughout the gastrointestinal tracts of 38 bowhead whales (/Balaena mysticetus/) harvested by Alaskan Eskimos. Lipidomes and microbiotas were strongly correlated throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Lipidomes and microbiotas were most variable in the small intestine and most similar in the large intestine, where microbiota richness was greatest. Our results suggest digestion of wax esters, the primary lipids in /B. mysticetus/ prey representing more than 80% of total dietary lipids, occurred in the mid- to distal small intestine and was correlated with specific microorganisms. Because wax esters are difficult to digest by other marine vertebrates and constitute a large reservoir of carbon in the ocean, our results further elucidate the essential roles that whales and their gastrointestinal microbiotas play in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nutrients in high-latitude seas. The paper is available through open access at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41396-019-0549-y <https://www.nature.com/articles/s41396-019-0549-y,,> Kind regards, Carolyn Miller Carolyn A. Miller, Ph.D. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Mail Stop #4 266 Woods Hole Road Woods Hole, MA 02543 cmiller(a)whoi.edu <mailto:cmiller@whoi.edu>

1 0

post doc position - Ocean Wise - Vancouver BC
by Marie Noel 04 Dec '19

04 Dec '19

Ocean Wise Conservation Association is looking for a post doc to join the Ocean Pollution Research Program team in early 2020. The candidate will be working on evaluating killer whale habitat quality through the analyses of contaminants in sediment samples along the BC coast. The candidate should be eligible for MITACS. For more information, please see the link below. https://recruiting.ultipro.ca/VAN5001VAMSC/OpportunityCreate?opportunityId=… Marie Noel, PhD Research Manager, Ocean Pollution Research program Marie.Noel(a)ocean.org<mailto:Marie.Noel@ocean.org> D 604 239 7167 ________________________________ Our vision is a world in which oceans are healthy and flourishing. | ocean.org [Facebook]<https://www.facebook.com/oceanwise>[Twitter]<https://twitter.com/oceanwise>[Instagram]<https://www.instagram.com/oceanwise/>[Youtube]<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0hLWXESQRctgaVPT-8N7Rw>[Snapchat]<https://www.snapchat.com/add/oceanwise> [Ocean Wise Logo]<http://www.ocean.org/> ________________________________ CONFIDENTIALITY WARNING - THIS MESSAGE IS INTENDED ONLY FOR THE ADDRESSEE, IT MAY CONTAIN PRIVILEGED OR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. ANY UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED THIS MESSAGE IN ERROR, PLEASE NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY SO THAT WE MAY CORRECT OUR INTERNAL RECORDS. PLEASE THEN DELETE THE ORIGINAL MESSAGE. THANK YOU ________________________________ We enjoy talking to you - If you do not wish to receive further information from us (where applicable), please email PRIVACY(a)OCEAN.ORG or write to our policy officer at Ocean Wise Conservation Association, PO Box 3232 Vancouver, BC V6B 3X8 For more information about our privacy or anti-spam policies, please visit www.ocean.org

1 0

Recent publications
by Giacomo Giorli 03 Dec '19

03 Dec '19

Dear MARMAM Readers, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the following recent publications in Nature Scientific Reports and the New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research: 1. Giorli, G., & Goetz, K. T. (2019). Foraging activity of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) off the east coast of New Zealand. Scientific reports, 9(1), 1-9. 2. Giorli, G., & Goetz, K. T. (2019). Acoustically estimated size distribution of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) off the east coast of New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 1-12. Here are the links to the papers: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-48417-5 and https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00288330.2019.1679843 Some of you might also be interested in a less recent paper we published last year: Giorli, G., Goetz, K. T., Delarue, J., Maxner, E., Kowarski, K. A., Bruce Martin, S., & McPherson, C. (2018). Unknown beaked whale echolocation signals recorded off eastern New Zealand. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 143(4), EL285-EL291. which can be found at this link: https://asa.scitation.org/doi/full/10.1121/1.5032127 If you have any question or to request a pdf copy directly, you can contact me at Giacomo.Giorli(a)niwa.co.nz Cheers, Giacomo [https://www.niwa.co.nz/static/niwa-2018-horizontal-180.png]<https://www.niwa.co.nz> Dr Giacomo Giorli Marine Mammal Acoustician +64-4-386-0538 | National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd (NIWA) 301 Evans Bay Parade Hataitai Wellington New Zealand Connect with NIWA: niwa.co.nz<https://www.niwa.co.nz> Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/nzniwa> LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/company/niwa> Twitter<https://twitter.com/niwa_nz> 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

1 0

New paper: A biologging perspective to the drivers that shape gregariousness in dusky dolphins
by Heidi Pearson 03 Dec '19

03 Dec '19

Dear colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors, I pleased to announce publication of the following paper on dolphin gregariousness in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. You may find the abstract below and the full article may be accessed here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00265-019-2763-z You may also contact me for reprint requests. Pearson HC, Jones PW, Brandon TP, Stockin KA, Machovsky-Capuska GE. 2019. A biologging perspective to the drivers that shape gregariousness in dusky dolphins. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 73:155. Knowledge of proximate (causation and development) and ultimate (evolution and survival function) causes of gregariousness is necessary to advance our knowledge of animal societies. Delphinids are among the most social taxa; however, fine-scale understanding of their intra-specific relationships is hindered by the need for underwater observations on individuals. We developed a non-invasive animal-borne camera system with the goal of examining influences on gregariousness in dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus). We analyzed video and diving records from 11 individual dusky dolphins off Kaikoura, New Zealand. We examined the influence of biologger attachment on dolphin behavior and tested hypotheses regarding the effects of physiology, predation, and inter-individual variation on conspecific interactions. Dolphins did not exhibit increased rates of descent or ascent in the minutes immediately following biologger attachment, indicating a lack of behavioral response. Respiration rate was positively related to dive depth and duration, suggesting that diving is energetically expensive for this species. Gregariousness was negatively related to dive depth providing evidence that the physiological constraints of diving are likely to limit social behavior. Calves were not observed more frequently in infant (vs. echelon) position with increasing depth, highlighting the likelihood of other anti-predation strategies (e.g., dilution effect) in mother-calf pairs. We found that gregariousness differed between individuals within similar social groups, suggesting the importance of collecting data at the individual level. The evidence presented herein suggests that the further development of animal-borne camera systems will yield further insight into the mechanisms underlying delphinid social behavior. best regards, Heidi Heidi Pearson, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Marine Biology Department of Natural Sciences, University of Alaska Southeast & College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks Address: 11066 Auke Lake Way, AND 1, Juneau, AK 99801 Phone: 907.796.6271 E-mail: hcpearson(a)alaska.edu Website: https://online.uas.alaska.edu/online/portfolio/HCPEARSON

1 0