June 2019 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

VOLUNTEER NEEDED FOR LAND BASED BODY CONDITION STUDY ON SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALES USING UAVS
by Fredrik Christiansen 03 Jun '19

03 Jun '19

VOLUNTEER NEEDED FOR LAND BASED BODY CONDITION STUDY ON SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALES USING UAVS The Aquatic Megafauna Research Unit (AMRU) at Murdoch University, Perth, Australia, is looking for a volunteer to assist land based Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) research on Southern right whales at the Head of the Bight, South Australia, between the 25th of June and the 28th of September 2019. Only applicants available for the entire duration of the project will be considered, as access to the field site is difficult. The research project aims to investigate Southern right whale body condition on their South Australian breeding/nursing grounds, as part of larger research project looking into baleen whale health (https://amru.org.au/southern-right-whale-body-condition-on-breeding-grounds/) To measure body condition, aerial photographs of the whales will be collected using an UAV operated from the cliffs overlooking the Great Australian Bight. The UAV will be operated by the chief scientist due to strict regulations in Australia. Duties include cliff based searches for right whales, observation of right whale behavioural responses during UAV approaches, and looking for raptor birds that could intervene with UAV operations. The research assistant will also be expected to help out with data entry, processing and measurements of body morphometrics from UAV photographs. This is an unpaid position and the successful candidate will have to cover the costs of transport to and from Perth, Western Australia, from where the research team will depart on the 26th of June and return to on the 27th of September. The person will also have to provide their own travel insurance. Accommodation will be provided in the form of a shared caravan that will also function as an office. This will be shared with another researcher. The caravan will be parked at the Nullarbor Road House which has toilet and shower facilities, a small convenience store, a café and a restaurant. Food expenses will be covered by the project. Phone reception is good at the Nullarbor Road House, but very limited at the field site. Internet is limited and expensive (do not expect to stream/download larger files or skype), and will be provided for research purposes only. The Head of the Bight study area is very remote and isolated place (arid conditions) with very limited resources and communication. During the austral winter, bad weather is expected and will prevent UAV operations on approximately 50% of the days, so be prepared to stay indoors for extended periods of time. Due to the restricted living conditions it is essential that the candidate is able to live and work closely with the other researchers, is tolerant and respectful towards others and had a positive attitude. Strong work ethic and the ability to endure extended periods of office based work during periods of bad weather condition are essential. People with previous experience living in remote places and/or experience flying UAVs will be given priority. The person needs to be fluent in English and bring their own laptop computer (preferably a PC). The Head of Bight is a beautiful and pristine environment with amazing wildlife, where right whales can be observed very close to shore. In addition to whales you might be lucky to see wombats, dingo’s, white-bellied sea eagles, wedge-tailed eagles, pink cockatoos, bobtail lizards, brown snakes, sea lions, little penguins, dolphins and white sharks. Please apply by sending your CV (2 pages maximum) and cover letter (1 page) with the names and contact details of at least three professional references to f.christiansen(a)murdoch.edu.au<mailto:f.christiansen@murdoch.edu.au> Best regards, Dr Fredrik Christiansen Assistant Professor Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Denmark Aquatic Megafauna Research Unit, Murdoch University, Australia +45 31332367, f.christiansen(a)murdoch.edu.au

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Second Call: GIS Training Courses July 2019 - 'An Introduction To Using GIS/QGIS In Biological Research' and 'An Introdution To Species Distribution Modelling In The Marine Environment'
by Colin D. MacLeod 03 Jun '19

03 Jun '19

This is the second call for attendees for our upcoming GIS training courses in July 2019. These courses are ‘An Introduction To Using GIS/QGIS In Biological Research’ and ‘An Introduction To Species Distribution Modelling In he Marine Environment’. They will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, between the 29th of July 2019 and 1st of August 2019. 1. An Introduction To Using GIS/QGIS In Biological Research, Glasgow, Scotland, 29th – 30th July 2019: This introductory training course for those who wish to learn how to use GIS in any area of biological research, and it will provide an introduction to using GIS in a wide variety of biological research situations, including marine mammal research, and the course includes two marine-mammal-specific practical exercises (one based around calculating the observed abundance per unit survey effort of dolphins using a grid-based approach, and one based around mapping species richness for North Atlantic beaked whales). It is primarily based around a GIS software package called QGIS, which is free to use. As a result, it is one of the best options for doing GIS for self-employed MMOs, small environmental consultancies, NGOs, those working on small marine mammal research projects with limited budgets for purchasing software licences and students working at universities who do not have access to commercial GIS software packages. This course aimed at both those with no GIS experience, but wish to learn how to do GIS with QGIS, and also those who are familiar with using commercial GIS software, such as ArcGIS, but who wish to learn how to use QGIS as an alternative. However, this course is taught using software-independent approach, and it is also open to those who wish to learn how to use ArcGIS to do biological GIS. The course will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, and it will be taught by Dr Colin D. MacLeod, who has more than 15 years experience in using GIS for a wide variety of biological purposes. For those who cannot attend this course in person, a shorter online course based on the same materials is available from our sister site www.GISforBiologists.com. Attendance will be limited to a maximum of 16 people, and the course will cost £295 per person (£200 for students, the unwaged and those working for registered charities). To book a place, or for more information, visit http://gisinecology.com/an-introduction-to-using-gis-in-biological-research/ or email info(a)GISinEcology.com. 2. An Introduction To Species Distribution Modelling In The Marine Environment, Glasgow, Scotland, 31st July – 1st August 2019: This two day course follows on from the introductory GIS course and provides all the information required to start using Species Distribution Modelling (SDM) in the marine environment in a practical and biologically meaningful way. In a series of background sessions, case studies and practical exercises, it covers how to create data layers of species distribution, how to select and create raster data layers of environmental variables, such as water depth, how to join information on species distribution to environmental information, how to export data from a GIS project for analysis in a statistical package, such as R, how to create spatial visualisations based on a statistical model and how to validate the spatial predictions of a model. The practical sessions work through a species distribution modelling project based on real marine survey data from start to finish. This course can be done with either QGIS (our recommended option) or ArcGIS. Attendance will be limited to a maximum of 16 people, and the course will cost £295 per person (£200 for students, the unwaged and those working for registered charities). To book a place, or for more information, visit http://www.gisinecology.com/an-inroduction-to-species-distribution-modellin… or email: cdmacleod(a)GISinEcology.com. Note: This course requires a basic knowledge of GIS (as covered in the above introductory GIS course) and how to use ArcGIS or QGIS GIS software. Both these courses will be held at the Mackintosh at the Willow, 215 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow G2 3EX, Scotland. Glasgow has great transport links and is within half a days travel by car or by fast train links from most cities in the UK. For example, it can be reached in as little as 4h 30mins from London by train. It can also be reached by direct flights from many European cities and the flight time is generally under four hours. Attendees will be responsible for their own accommodation. However, Glasgow provides a wide range of accommodation options to fit most budgets. ================================================================================== GIS IN ECOLOGY - Providing Training, Advice And Consultancy On The Use Of GIS In Ecology Web: www.GISinEcology.com Email: info(a)GISinEcology.com Need to ask a question about using GIS? Try the GIS In Ecology Forum: www.GISinEcology.com/GIS_in_Ecology_forum.htm Books From GIS In Ecology Staff: GIS For Biologists: A Practical Introduction For Undergraduates; RRP: £24.99 An Introduction To Using GIS In Marine Biology; RRP: £44.99 An Introduction To Using GIS In Marine Biology: Supplementary Workbook One - Creating Maps Of Species Distribution; RRP: £19:99 If you wish to purchase these books, visit: http://www.gisinecology.com/Book_Shop.htm To help the environment, please do not print out this email unless it is unavoidable. ================================================================================== --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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New paper - Population growth of an endangered pinniped—the New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri)—is limited more by high pup mortality than fisheries bycatch
by Sheryl Hamilton 02 Jun '19

02 Jun '19

Dear MARMAM colleagues, We are pleased to announce our recent paper: Hamilton, S., and Baker, G. B. Population growth of an endangered pinniped—the New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri)—is limited more by high pup mortality than fisheries bycatch, ICES Journal of Marine Science, , fsz039, https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsz039 Abstract: The endangered New Zealand sea lion, Phocarctos hookeri is killed as incidental bycatch in a trawl fishery operating near their second largest population on Campbell Island in New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic. Using the Potential Biological Removal (PBR) procedure to assess the sustainability of this bycatch for the sea lion population on Campbell Island indicated that annual bycatch estimates, particularly following the implementation of bycatch mitigation measures, are below the PBR threshold of 25 (derived using a precautionary approach). Preliminary Population Viability Analysis (PVA) modelling supported the finding that current bycatch levels, especially given a strong male bias (98%) in bycatch, are sustainable for this population. Models showed that reducing pup mortality through management actions, such as installing ramps in wallows where large numbers of pups drown, would lead to increased population growth. While obtaining more accurate data on population status and demographic parameters for the Campbell Island population should be a priority, this will take many years of research. The PBR and PVA tools demonstrate that contemporary conservation management should continue to focus on increasing pup survival while maintaining mitigation approaches that have reduced bycatch to low levels, together with high observer coverage to sustain confidence in annual bycatch estimates. Kind regards Sheryl Hamilton PhD candidate Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania Private Bag 129, Hobart TASMANIA 7001 Email: sheryl.hamilton(a)utas.edu.au<mailto:sheryl.hamilton@utas.edu.au> | Web: www.imas.utas.edu.au/<http://www.imas.utas.edu.au/> Telephone: +61 (0)448174298 [cid:image001.png@01D18369.B10EB1B0]

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post-doc/research biologist position with Cascadia Research Collective
by Robin Baird 02 Jun '19

02 Jun '19

Cascadia Research Collective has an opening for a Research Biologist/Post-doc, to be based out of our office in Olympia, Washington. This position is aimed at a researcher who has demonstrated ability to conduct varied research efforts with marine mammals, successfully obtain research funding, and publish results of their work. Prospective candidates should have a strong quantitative background (statistics, programming, and/or modeling), and have an advanced degree in a related field (biology, oceanography, mathematics, statistics). Candidates should be interested in working with a non-profit group whose mission is to conduct sound scientific research that helps serve conservation and management. Time would initially be split between working on Cascadia’s studies on Hawaiʻi odontocetes and research on baleen whales along the U.S. west coast. In addition to focusing on specific aspects of these studies, the successful candidate would assist in multiple ongoing projects including long-term photo-ID, studies of anthropogenic impacts, and tagging studies using satellite tag, DTAG, and other archival tag data sets. Researchers coming in with strong research interests of their own are welcome to apply, but should also be interested and willing to assist and integrate with long-term studies being conducted at Cascadia. Funding for full time work would be guaranteed for the first year after which there would be an evaluation on continuation and potential transition into a longer term and more project-based funding (as is the case for all Cascadia positions). Initial salary would be negotiable (anticipated to be in the $50-70K range annually) and would include medical and retirement benefits. Interested candidates should email a letter of interest explaining your current situation/availability and interest in the position, along with a CV and pdfs of one or more recent publications (or a copy of your dissertation if no publications are available) to <mailto:rwbaird@cascadiaresearch.org> rwbaird (at) cascadiaresearch (dot) org by 21 June 2019. Finalists would be contacted for follow up interviews by early July with a hope to hire the position by the end of July. Cascadia Research Collective is a tax-exempt non-profit research organization founded in 1979 and is an equal opportunity employer. For more information on our research, see www.cascadiaresearch.org<http://www.cascadiaresearch.org> Robin ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Robin W. Baird, Ph.D. Research Biologist, Cascadia Research Collective Affiliate Faculty, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology Mailing address: Cascadia Research 218 ½ W. 4th Avenue Olympia, WA 98501 USA Hawaiʻi Cetacean Studies on the web<http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/projects/hawaii> Follow us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/CascadiaResearch/> Watch us on YouTube<https://www.youtube.com/user/CascadiaResearch>

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ACCOBAMS Highly Qualified MMO/PAM Courses, Turkey
by aylin akkaya 31 May '19

31 May '19

ACCOBAMS Courses for Highly Qualified Marine Mammals Observers (MMO) and Passive Acoustic Monitoring Operators (PAM) Marine Mammals Research Association (DMAD) under the agreement signed with ACCOBAMS will be running a training course to highly qualify individuals as Marine Mammal Observers and Passive Acoustic Monitoring Operators. When: 22nd to 26th July 2019Where: Marmaris, TurkeyPrice: 1000Euro (800Euro students)(accommodation is also included in the price)The Qualification: The ACCOBAMS qualification qualifies people to work as MMOs/PAM operators throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea in 24 countries, where it is the agreed course requirement for such work. After the course, The ACCOBAMS highly qualified MMO/PAM operators will be able to work to minimize the impact of noise on cetaceans, by applying the knowledge, expertise and skills acquired during the training course, and to use the standard procedures, forms and manuals, in accordance with the ACCOBAMS principles. Tutors:MMO&PAM operator Patrick Lyne, Dr. Aylin Akkaya Baş, Assoc. Prof. Mehmet Akif Erdoğan, Dr. Jonathan Gordon Requirements: • Graduated/current student in biology or ecology or have experience that demonstrates a commitment to the environment and its conservation. • Minimum 30 days-at-sea as a marine observer (with references/records ) • Ability to recognize the different species and understand the behaviour of animals at sea• Ability to communicate in English • Have a theoretical understanding of acoustic issues• Ability to recognise the different vocalizations of marine mammals Topics Covered in the Training Course: • Introduction to underwater acoustics • Introduction to marine mammals and acoustics• Introduction to human activities generating underwaternoise and impacts on marine mammals • Introduction to existing regulations, mitigation procedures and ACCOBAMS Guidelines • Introduction to the role of MMO/PAM • Introduction to the “life style” onboard • Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map the acoustic and visual sightings. • Using PAM for survey and research • Introduction to hardware used for PAM • Hands on training with PAMGUARD • Tips and troubleshooting. For more information or to apply e-mail: info(a)dmad.org.tr and akkayaaylinn(a)gmail.com*Price covers the training, certificate and accommodation (meals not included). *There will be two days of boat based training where there is a strong chance of beaked whales and sperm whales encounters that allows you to practice your learned skills during the course.

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Environmental drivers of Southern Ocean humpback whale feeding behaviour
by Rochelle Constantine 31 May '19

31 May '19

We have recently published the following paper: Riekkola L, Andrews-Goff V, Friedlaender A, Constantine R, and Zerbini AN. 2019. Environmental drivers of humpback whale foraging behaviour in the remote Southern Ocean. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 517:1-12 There is 50 days of free access to the article using this link (yep free!): https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1Z8cZ51aUZHGu Happy reading & let us know if you have any questions (r.constantine(a)auckland.ac.nz) Abstract Satellite telemetry and animal movement models advance our ability to remotely monitor the behavior of wide-ranging species. Understanding how different behaviors (e.g. foraging) are shaped by dynamic environmental features is fundamental to understanding ecological interactions and the impact of variability. In this study we deployed satellite-linked tags on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and used state-space models to estimate locations and to infer underlying behavioral states. We then modelled the association between whale behavior (e.g. foraging or transiting) and environmental variables using linear mixed-effect models. We identified the importance of two recently discovered Southern Ocean feeding areas for Oceania humpback whales as well as the key environmental drivers affecting whale behavior. We detected behavioral differences between whales utilizing the two adjacent feeding regions (~2000 km apart), which were likely caused by animals trying to efficien! tly locate prey in relation to the dynamic environmental characteristics of each habitat. We observed a seasonal pattern in foraging behavior, with the peak occurring in the middle of summer. Whales also foraged more intensively with increasing proximity to areas from which the ice edge had recently retreated, suggesting heightened productivity in these areas. The relationship between the animals and the physical features of the seascape, as well as the behavioral plasticity observed, could have implications for the future recovery of these whales in a changing Southern Ocean. Rochelle Constantine, PhD School of Biological Sciences | Te Kura Matauranga Koiora University of Auckland | Te Whare Wananga o Tamaki Makaurau Private Bag 92019 Auckland New Zealand | Aotearoa P: +64 09 923 5093 M: 0274 574 909

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