August 2019 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Positions providing ESA/MMPA support for NMFS in Honolulu
by Tracy Collier 08 Aug '19

08 Aug '19

EAS <http://www.easbio.com/> and OAI <http://oceanassoc.com/> are looking for qualified people to support the Protected Resources Division of NMFS’ Pacific Islands Regional Office. The job listing, including how to apply, is given here <https://easbio.applicantpool.com/jobs/363538.html>. If you have at least a Bachelor’s degree in environmental or natural resources science, deep familiarity with both ESA and MMPA, and some working knowledge of natural resource management in the Pacific Islands, please consider applying! Feel free to contact me if you have questions. Tracy Collier OAI, Project Manager and Senior Associate (206)780-1931 (home office) (206)369-2779 (mobile) tracycollier(a)oceanassoc.com

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R Package design and development and reproducible data science for biologists - FREE ACCOMMODATION
by Oliver Hooker 08 Aug '19

08 Aug '19

COURSE ON - R Package design and development and reproducible data science for biologists (RPKG01) with free accommodation. PR statistics now has a new accommodation option implemented allowing a limited amount of places with free accommodation. The next 5 people to register for this course will receive free accommodation if they require it (this does not apply to people working in industry). https://www.prstatistics.com/course/r-package-design-and-development-and-re… Please email oliverhooker(a)prstatistics.com with inquiries This course will be delivered by Dr. Cory Merow and Dr Andy Rominger from the 16th - 20th September 2019 in Glasgow City Centre. Course overview: This course will help students develop professional R coding skills by leading them through the process of making reproducible, sharable and easily communicated software centered around developing fully functional R packages and extensions and is thus applicable to any biologists working in the field of marine mammals. In addition to teaching traditional uses of R packages to share quantitative tools, we’ll also show how R packages can be easily developed for individual research projects to share reproducible results. To develop skills, we’ll build several R packages full of useful and general utility functions that will hone coding skills and teach coding tips through the design of these functions. Each day, we’ll reserve time for open work sessions where students can receive mentoring while applying new skills to developing their own application specific package or refining the packages we’re developing for the course. Intended Audience: Anyone wanting to make their data science work accessible, reproducible and usable by others (the importance of specific R packages has grown considerable now that they are frequently cited in peer reviewed literature). This can include researches developing their own quantitative tools or those interested in taking the next step in making their research projects fully reproducible and easily shared. Course program: Monday 16th – Classes from 09:30 to 17:30 We’ll begin with polishing core skills in the creation, documentation and distribution of code: Writing functions Making your code reproducible by documenting it with RMarkdown and ROxygen Making your first package, breaking it, then fixing it Package structure Tuesday 17th – Classes from 09:30 to 17:30 Next we dive into specifics critical for the success of collaborative, reproducible and sharable projects: Principles of software development and reproducible projects Writing useful documentation and examples Error handling Collaboration with git and GitHub Wednesday 18th – Classes from 09:30 to 17:30 We will continue learning about the details that help to make a package robust to different use cases: Dependencies, and achieving independency Unit Testing Vignettes The rules of CRAN and GitHub Thursday 19th – Classes from 09:30 to 17:30 By now students will have fulling functioning, collaboratively produced, and reproducible R packages. We now turn to two key aspects of software usability: its computational burden, and its cognitive burden. Put simply, we will focus today on making code computationally fast and easy for users to quickly and intuitively understand. Writing fast code Profiling code for speed S3 and S4 objects Friday 20th – Classes from 09:30 to 16:00 On the final day we will culminate our software development by learning and implementing powerful ways to share our projects with a large audience. Adding a shiny web app to a project Publishing your own package Email oliverhooker(a)prstatistics.com Check out our sister sites, www.PRstatistics.com (Ecology and Life Sciences) www.PRstatistics.com/consultancy (Statistical and bioinformatics consultancy in all fields) www.PRinformatics.com (Bioinformatics and data science) www.PSstatistics.com (Behaviour and cognition) 1. September 2nd – 6th 2019 APPLIED METHODS FOR ANALYSING CAPTURE-RECAPTURE (MARK-RECAPTURE) DATA USING SPATIALLY EXPLICIT AND NON-SPATIAL TECHNIQUES (MARK01) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr. Joanne Potts, Dr. David Borchers https://www.prstatistics.com/course/applied-methods-for-analysing-capture-r… 2. September 9th – 13th 2019 GENERALISED LINEAR (MIXED) (GLMM), NONLINEAR (NLGLM) AND GENERAL ADDITIVE MODELS (MIXED) (GAMM) (GNAM01) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr. Mark Andrews https://www.psstatistics.com/course/generalised-linear-glm-nonlinear-nlglm-… 3. September 16th – 20th 2019 STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELS, PATH ANALYSIS, CAUSAL MODELLING AND LATENT VARIABLE MODELS USING R (SMPA01) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr. Mark Andrews https://www.psstatistics.com/course/structural-equation-modelling-and-path-… 4. September 16th – 20th 2019 R PACKAGE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT AND REPRODUCIBLE DATA SCIENCE FOR BIOLOGISTS (RPKG01) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr. Cory Merow, Dr. Andy Rominger https://www.prstatistics.com/course/r-package-design-and-development-and-re… 5. September 23rd – 27th 2019 PYTHON FOR DATA SCIENCE, MACHINE LEARNING, AND SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING (PDMS01) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr. Mark Andrews https://www.psstatistics.com/course/python-for-data-science-machine-learnin… 6. September 30th – October 4th 2019 THE PRACTICE OF RADSEQ: POPULATION GENOMICS ANALYSIS WITH STACKS (RDSQ01) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr Julien Catchen https://www.prinformatics.com/course/the-practice-of-radseq-population-geno… 7. September 30th – October 4th 2019 INTRODUCTION TO LINUX WORKFLOWS FOR BIOLOGISTS (IBUL04) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr Martin Jones https://www.prinformatics.com/course/introduction-to-linux-workflows-for-bi… 8. October 7th – 11th 2019 CONSERVATION PLANNING USING PRIORITIZR : FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE (PRTZ01) Athens, GREECE, Dr Richard Schuster and Nina Morell https://www.prstatistics.com/course/conservation-planning-using-prioritizr-… 9. October 14th – 18th 2019 GEOMETRIC MORPHOMETRICS USING R (GMMR02) Glasgow, Scotland, Prof. Dean Adams, Prof. Michael Collyer, Dr. Antigoni Kaliontzopoulou http://www.prstatistics.com/course/geometric-morphometrics-using-r-gmmr02/ 10. October 14th – 18th 2019 INTRODUCTION TO BEHAVIOURAL DATA ANALYSIS USINR R (IBDA01) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr Will Hoppitt https://www.psstatistics.com/course/introduction-to-behavioural-data-analys… 11. October 21st – 25th 2019 MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES USING THE VEGAN PACKAGE (VGNR01) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr. Guillaume Blanchet www.prstatistics.com/course/multivariate-analysis-of-ecological-communities… 12. November 4th – 8th 2019 INTRODUCTION TO BAYESIAN DATA ANALYSIS FOR SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES USING R AND STAN (BDRS02) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr. Mark Andrews https://www.psstatistics.com/course/introduction-to-bayesian-data-analysis-… 13. November 4th – 8th 2019 BEHAVIOURAL DATA ANALYSIS USING MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD (BDML02) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr Will Hoppitt https://www.psstatistics.com/course/behavioural-data-analysis-using-maximum… 14. November 11th – 15th 2019 APPLIED BAYESIAN MODELLING FOR ECOLOGISTS AND EPIDEMIOLOGISTS (ABME05) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr Matt Denwood, Emma Howard https://www.prstatistics.com/course/applied-bayesian-modelling-for-ecologis… 15. November 18th – 22nd 2019 INTRODUCTION TO STRUCTURED POPULATION MODELS AND DEMOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION MODELS (IIPM01) Athens, GREECE, Dr Cory Merow https://www.prstatistics.com/course/introduction-to-structured-population-m… 16. November 18th – 22nd 2019 GEOSTATISTICS – HANDLING SPATIAL AND SPATIAL-TEMPORAL DATA USING R (GSFE01) Wimmipeg, CANADA, Dr Guillaume Blanchet https://www.prstatistics.com/course/geostatistics-handling-spatial-and-spat… 17. November 25th – 29th 2019 ADVANCED RANGE, NICHE, AND DISTRIBUTION MODELING (ASDM01) Athens, GREECE, Dr Cory Merow https://www.prstatistics.com/course/advanced-range-niche-and-distribution-m… 18. January 20th – 24th2020 R4ALL – INTRODUCTION TO R (R4ALL Glasgow, Scotland, Dr Andrew Beckerman, Dr. Dylan Childs https://www.prstatistics.com/course/population-genetics-inference-with-migr… 19. March 16th – 20th 2020 POPULATION GENETICS INFERENCE WITH ‘MIGRATE’ (PGMG01) Glasgow, Scotland, Prof. Peter Beerli https://www.prstatistics.com/course/population-genetics-inference-with-migr… 20. May 11th – 15th 2020 FORMALIZING UNCERTAINTY: FUZZY LOGIC IN SPECIES DISTRIBUTION AND DIVERSITY PATTERNS (FLDM01) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr. Marcia Barbosa https://www.prstatistics.com/course/formalizing-uncertainty-fuzzy-logic-in-… 21. May 18th – 22nd 2020 STRUCTUAL EQUATION MODELLING FOR ECOLOGISTS AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGISTS (SEMR02) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr. Jonathan Lefcheck, Dr. Jim (james) Grace https://www.prstatistics.com/course/structural-equation-modelling-for-ecolo… 22. October 5th – 9th 2020 ECOLOGICAL NICHE MODELLING USING R (ENMR04) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr. Neftali Sillero http://www.prstatistics.com/course/ecological-niche-modelling-using-r-enmr0… 23. October 11th – 16th 2020 ADVANCED ECOLOGICAL NICHE MODELLING USING R (ABNMR01) Glasgow, Scotland, Dr. Neftali Sillero http://www.prstatistics.com/course/advanced-ecological-niche-modelling-usin… -- Oliver Hooker PhD. PR statistics 2019 publications; A way forward with eco evo devo: an extended theory of resource polymorphism with postglacial fishes as model systems. Biological Reviews (2019). prstatistics.com facebook.com/prstatistics/ twitter.com/PRstatistics groups.google.com/d/forum/pr-statistics-post-course-forum prstatistics.com/organiser/oliver-hooker/ 6 Hope Park Crescent Edinburgh EH8 9NA +44 (0) 7966500340

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New publication: hypopigmentation in fin whale
by Severine Methion 08 Aug '19

08 Aug '19

Dear MARMAM colleagues, We are pleased to announce our new publication: Methion S, Diaz Lopez B (2019). First record of atypical pigmentation pattern in fin whale Balaenoptera physalus in the Atlantic Ocean. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 135:121-125. DOI: 10.3354/dao03385 Abstract Atypical pigmentation, which is rarely observed in the wild, may influence social interactions between animals and can be detrimental for survival. Hypopigmentation, which is the lack of pigment in a part or on the entire body, is a type of atypical pigmentation pattern that can be either acquired (e.g. vitiligo) or congenital resulting from the inheritance of mutations in pigment-related genes (e.g. albinism, leucism and piebaldism). This study documents atypical pigmentation in a fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) along the northwestern coast of the Iberian Peninsula (Atlantic Ocean). Photographic and video data collected between 2016 and 2017 on 30 individual fin whales were examined. One fully-grown fin whale exhibited hypopigmentation. Several white patches of different shapes and sizes were present across the body of the fin whale including on the head, body, dorsal fin, flippers, and flukes. The position, shape, and lack of inflammation of the white patches on the whale observed, along with its body length and condition might indicate that the depigmentation pattern is due to vitiligo. To our knowledge, this is the first case of atypical pigmentation pattern in fin whales described with photographs and video records. As these observations are rare, especially in highly migratory, long-lived, marine mammal species, this study provides valuable information to better understand the occurrence of this phenomenon. Further studies are needed to determine the ecological and physiological implications of abnormal colourations, which might have a significant influence on the animal´s survival. The article can be found at the following link: https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/dao/v135/n2/p121-125/ Feel free to contact me to request a pdf or for any question regarding our work at: severine(a)thebdri.com Best regards, Severine Methion, MSc PhD candidate, Université de Bordeaux Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute BDRI Av. Beiramar 192, 36980, O Grove, Pontevedra, Spain www.thebdri.com

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New publication: Group feeding recorded in leopard seals
by James Robbins 08 Aug '19

08 Aug '19

Dear Colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to announce that the following article has been published in *Polar Biology*: Robbins JR, Poncet D, Evans AR, Hocking, DP. (2019). A rare observation of group prey processing in wild leopard seals (*Hydrurga leptonyx*). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-019-02542-z Abstract: Cooperative feeding is often observed among predators with strong social bonds; however, it is unexpected in solitary predators. During 2016, several mass predation events were witnessed in St Andrews Bay and Right Whale Bay, South Georgia, where up to 36 leopard seals (*Hydrurga leptonyx*) were seen feeding together at king penguin (*Aptenodytes patagonicus*) colonies. Three post-mortem prey-processing events were observed where two leopard seals actively fed on the same carcass in an unusual display of tolerance for a species where anti-social behaviour is the norm. The seals were observed repeatedly tearing adult king penguins between themselves, while floating alongside each other at the surface of the water. This is the first record of co-feeding in this difficult-to-study species; however, it is expected that the behaviour is rare within the population. We propose that the high density of predators combined with the readily available prey, makes it costlier to defend a kill than it is to tolerate kleptoparasitism. It is unclear whether this behaviour shows cooperative feeding, which would likely enable more efficient prey processing: by holding the prey in their jaws, each seal provides an anchor on the prey that others can pull against to stretch and tear it. The article can be accessed with the following link, but feel free to contact me (jamesrichardrobbins(a)googlemail.com) for a PDF. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00300-019-02542-z Best wishes, James Robbins

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New paper on killer whale genomics
by Andy Foote 08 Aug '19

08 Aug '19

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce the publication of our new paper analysing a global dataset of killer whales in the current issue of Molecular Ecology ( https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15099) and is accompanied by a perspective piece focusing on a key finding of archaic 'ghost' ancestry in the Antarctic types (https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15141) To help non-geneticists follow the methods used and the interpretation of results in this study, I've posted a walk through of the results ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtfVBVFNDMM&t=11s) I will try and upload a more polished and scripted version soon. And I hope to upload more overview videos to this Footenotes channel and a website (footenotes.org) under construction. The abstract of the paper is pasted below. - Andy Foote and coauthors Killer whale genomes reveal a complex history of recurrent admixture and vicariance Andrew D. Foote, Michael D. Martin, Marie Louis, George Pacheco, Kelly M. Robertson, Mikkel‐Holger S. Sinding, Ana R. Amaral, Robin W. Baird, Charles Scott Baker, Lisa Ballance, Jay Barlow, Andrew Brownlow, Tim Collins, Rochelle Constantine, Willy Dabin, Luciano Dalla Rosa, Nicholas J. Davison, John W. Durban, Ruth Esteban, Steven H. Ferguson, Tim Gerrodette, Christophe Guinet, M. Bradley Hanson, Wayne Hoggard, Cory J. D. Matthews, Filipa I. P. Samarra, Renaud de Stephanis, Sara B. Tavares, Paul Tixier, John A. Totterdell, Paul Wade, Laurent Excoffier, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Jochen B. W. Wolf & Phillip A. Morin Reconstruction of the demographic and evolutionary history of populations assuming a consensus tree‐like relationship can mask more complex scenarios, which are prevalent in nature. An emerging genomic toolset, which has been most comprehensively harnessed in the reconstruction of human evolutionary history, enables molecular ecologists to elucidate complex population histories. Killer whales have limited extrinsic barriers to dispersal and have radiated globally, and are therefore a good candidate model for the application of such tools. Here, we analyse a global data set of killer whale genomes in a rare attempt to elucidate global population structure in a nonhuman species. We identify a pattern of genetic homogenisation at lower latitudes and the greatest differentiation at high latitudes, even between currently sympatric lineages. The processes underlying the major axis of structure include high drift at the edge of species' range, likely associated with founder effects and allelic surfing during postglacial range expansion. Divergence between Antarctic and non‐Antarctic lineages is further driven by ancestry segments with up to four‐fold older coalescence time than the genome‐wide average; relicts of a previous vicariance during an earlier glacial cycle. Our study further underpins that episodic gene flow is ubiquitous in natural populations, and can occur across great distances and after substantial periods of isolation between populations. Thus, understanding the evolutionary history of a species requires comprehensive geographic sampling and genome‐wide data to sample the variation in ancestry within individuals.

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Ocean Sciences 2020 Soundscapes Session
by Adrienne Copeland - NOAA Affiliate 07 Aug '19

07 Aug '19

Dear Colleagues, Please consider submitting an abstract to the 2020 Ocean Sciences Meeting session: ME007 - Exploring and Characterizing Deep and Coastal Ocean Soundscapes <https://agu.confex.com/agu/osm20/prelim.cgi/Session/84757>. Abstracts <https://www2.agu.org/en/Ocean-Sciences-Meeting/Pages/Abstract-guidelines> will be accepted until September 11. Please share this announcement with other interested colleagues and students. Apologies for cross-posting, let us know if you have any questions. The session description is below: The ocean is vast, sparsely charted, deep, and underexplored. The physical properties of the ocean enable sound waves to propagate and be detected over very long, at times even ocean basin-scale distances, and thus sound can be a powerful tool to detect and observe deep-ocean processes. For example, major storm events can significantly raise ambient sound levels in the deep ocean. Many marine animals, from shrimp to whales, use sound to communicate and assess their environment. The combination of biological, geological, physical, and anthropogenic sounds together make up the marine “soundscape”. Exploring marine soundscapes can lead to a better understanding of the ocean and characterization of these marine environments, as well as providing a measurement of current sound levels to compare against predicted future increases in anthropogenic sound sources. Further, ocean sound was recently identified as an essential ocean variable by the Global Ocean Observing System. This session aims to explore the holistic use of sound to characterize deep and coastal ocean areas, as well as discuss potential gaps in current understanding, and new ways to interpret and quantify ocean soundscapes. Your conveners, Adrienne Copeland (NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research; adrienne.copeland(a)noaa.gov) Bob Dziak (NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Lab; robert.p.dziak(a)noaa.gov) Ana Sirovic (Texas A&M University at Galveston; asirovic(a)tamug.edu) DelWayne R Bohnenstiehl (North Carolina State University; drbohnen(a)ncsu.edu)

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*World Marine Mammal Conference Workshop Announcement - Areas of Interest (AoI) for informing the identification of Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) - Barcelona, Sunday, December 8, 12:30-17:30*
by MMPATF IMMA 07 Aug '19

07 Aug '19

*World Marine Mammal Conference Workshop Announcement - Areas of Interest (AoI) for informing the identification of Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) - Barcelona, Sunday, December 8, 12:30-17:30* Dear Subscribers, Later this year the IUCN Joint SSC/WCPA Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force (MMPATF) will be hosting a workshop on the use of Areas of Interest (AoI) for informing the identification of Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs). IMMAs are defined as discrete portions of habitat, important to marine mammal species, that have the potential to be delineated and managed for conservation. IMMAs consist of areas that may merit place-based protection and/or monitoring, and can be seen as a marine mammal layer indicative of biodiversity and potentially ecosystem health for consideration by governments, intergovernmental organisations, conservation groups, and the general public. Held before the World Marine Mammal Conference (WMMC) on Sunday - December 8 - in the city of Barcelona, this workshop will aim to bring together experts on global habitat data, historic whaling records, and other existing data 'triggers' which could help identify potential candidate IMMAs. Space at the workshop will be limited so please contact the workshop organisers at immacoordinator(a)gmail.com for all enquiries about the workshop and registration. For more information and queries about the workshop, and the instructions to register, please go to https://tinyurl.com/y6e48zkj - and for any other questions on the IUCN MMPATF and IMMA initiative please visit https://www.marinemammalhabitat.org Sincerely, Dr. Michael J. Tetley IMMA Programme Coordinator IUCN Joint SSC/WCPA Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force (MMPATF)

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New publication: Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the quantification of steroid hormone profiles in blubber from stranded humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)
by Greta Dalle Luche 06 Aug '19

06 Aug '19

Dear Colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to announce that the following article has been published: Greta Dalle Luche, Susan Bengtson Nash, John R Kucklick, Fletcher M J Mingramm, Ashley S P Boggs, Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the quantification of steroid hormone profiles in blubber from stranded humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), Conservation Physiology, Volume 7, Issue 1, 2019, coz030, https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coz030 ABSTRACT: Marine mammal blubber is known to have quantifiable concentrations of steroid hormones and is increasingly chosen as a matrix for the detection of these reproductive and stress biomarkers. Steroid hormones act through complex cascades, often in concert, yet studies conducted on cetaceans have rarely measured more than two steroids simultaneously. Due to the role of steroid hormones in multiple physiological processes, and variability in concentration among individuals, data on single compounds are often difficult to interpret. Here a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous analyses of multiple steroid hormones in cetacean blubber was validated and applied to samples from 10 stranded humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, testosterone, androstenedione, oestrone, oestradiol, cortisone, cortisol, corticosterone and 11-deoxycorticosterone were reliably (relative standard deviation on six replicates <15%) and accurately (recovery of an amended sample between 70% and 120%) quantified, but not 11-deoxycortisol. With the exception of progesterone, testosterone, oestradiol and cortisol, these compounds were quantified for the first time in humpback whales. Given that blubber is frequently collected from free-swimming cetaceans in ongoing research programs, the technique developed here could substantially strengthen understanding and monitoring of the physiological condition of these species. The article is online (free access): https://academic.oup.com/conphys/article/doi/10.1093/conphys/coz030/5540810… Please, do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions (greta.dalleluche(a)griffithuni.edu.au<mailto:greta.dalleluche@griffithuni.edu.au>) Kind regards Greta - Greta Dalle Luche PhD Candidate Griffith University, Environmental Futures Research Institute (EFRI) SOPOPP | Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program Nathan Campus, 170 Kessels Road, QLD 4111 | Brisbane, Australia Mobile: +61/0 410 896069<tel:+61/0%20410%20896069> | E-mail: greta.dalleluche(a)griffithuni.edu.au<mailto:greta.dalleluche@griffithuni.edu.au>

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Survey: Communicating Science for the Conservation of Marine Mammals
by Roxanne Carini 06 Aug '19

06 Aug '19

Survey: Communicating Science for the Conservation of Marine Mammals https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RJCsurvey Disclaimer: This survey is part of a study being conducted by Roxanne J Carini, PhD (the principal investigator), independent of her one-year Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship at the Marine Mammal Commission. Participation is voluntary and anonymous. The purpose of this survey is to better understand attitudes/opinions and levels of engagement of those who work on marine mammal issues regarding how scientific results are applied to marine mammal conservation, policy, and management. A similar survey was originally designed and conducted in 2007 by Vicki Cornish and Raychelle Daniel, while working for the Ocean Conservancy. The survey is re-administered, with minor changes for modernization, to assess current attitudes and how they might have changed since 2007. The results of this survey will be shared as a poster presentation at the World Marine Mammal Conference in Barcelona, Spain, in December 2019 (Abstract 1121). The results will also be distributed to the MARMAM list-serve and shared broadly with interested government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and others interested in improving communication efforts related to the conservation of marine mammals. This survey will be open on SurveyMonkey for a period of six weeks (until 20 September 2019). https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RJCsurvey Thank you, Roxanne J Carini Roxanne J Carini, PhD John A Knauss Marine Policy Fellow Marine Mammal Commission rcarini(a)mmc.gov | 301-504-0087

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World Whale Conference 2019 Full Agenda
by Dylan Walker 06 Aug '19

06 Aug '19

Dear Marmamers, We are excited to announce that the full program for this October's World Whale Conference has now been published. It is summarized below. For the full program in detail please click here: https://www.worldwhaleconference.com/Conference/Conference-Program *World Whale Conference* *8th – 11th October 2019* *The Beach House Hotel, 344 The Esplanade, Scarness, Hervey Bay, QLD 4655, Australia* *Conference Agenda* The theme for this year's conference is* ‘Journeys that Inspire Change’* With 2020 just around the corner, the World Whale Conference will set out a *10-year* *manifesto* declaring our intentions, motives, and strategy to protect cetaceans and their habitats from 2020-2030. As the largest gathering of whale watching tourism experts, NGOs, scientists, artists, and individuals with a passion for all things cetacean, the World Whale Conference is the perfect place to plan for a brighter future! The conference will breathe life into the manifesto, and give us the hope and direction we need to continue on journeys that inspire change! *MONDAY 7 October - PRE-CONFERENCE DAY* *Excursions* Opportunity to head out whale watching with the Hervey Bay fleet! *Late Afternoon* WELCOME RECEPTION ------------------------------ *TUESDAY 8 October - WWC Day 1* *Journeys That Inspire Change* *Morning* *8:30 – 9:00* Registration - Tea / Coffee on arrival *9:00 – 9:30* Launch conference. Official Butchulla Welcome to Country *9:30 – 10:00 KEYNOTE ADDRESS: *TBA *10:00 – 10:45 KEYNOTE ADDRESS: *Thirty years with the Humpback whales of Hervey Bay: an inspirational journey Drs Trish Franklin and Wally Franklin. The Oceania Project, Australia; Southern Cross University, Australia *10:45 – 11:15 *Morning Tea/Coffee Break *MORNING PRESENTATION SESSION: JOURNEYS THAT INSPIRE CHANGE* *11:15 – 11:30 *Encounters with Ocean Megafauna Clint Hempsall. Professional cinematographer, Australia *11:30 – 11:45 *Diving deeper into our relationship with whales and their Ocean home Glenn Edney. Te Wairua O Te Moananui-Ocean Spirit Charitable Trust, New Zealand *11:45 – 12:00 *"Tails of Stellwagen - Art as Language for Communicating Science" Richard W Dolan, Boston Harbor Cruises. New England Aquarium, USA *12:00 – 12:15 *Take 3 for the Whales Roberta Dixon-Valk. Take 3 for the Whales, Australia *12:15 – 12:30 *Whale watching and Akrasia – an uneasy relationship? Michael Lück1 and David A. Fennell2 1 Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand; 2 Brock University, St Catharines, Canada *12:30 – 12:45 *Connecting cetaceans with people living far from the sea Ursula Tscherter. Marine biologist and educator, Switzerland *12:45 – 13:00 *The humpback whale, Madagascar's new emblematic species Anjara Saloma, Marine Charton, François-Xavier Mayer, Didier Cabocel, François Mailhé, Paolo Lamano, Dina Andrianaivoravelona, Henry Bellon. Cetamada, Madagascar *13:00 – 14:00* Lunch *14:00 – 14:15 *The Transformational Power of Swimming with Whales Mette Lubczyk. Senior Swim-with Guide, Tonga *14:15 - 14:30 *What’s in the message? Unpacking message delivery in Australian whale watching tours. Dr Liz Hawkins & Dr Kay Dimmock. Dolphin Research Australia & Southern Cross University, Australia *14:30 – 15:30 *Workshop: How do we encourage people to act to protect cetaceans and our oceans? Led by Suzanne Rogers, Jo White and Matthew Payne. Human Behaviour Change For Animals, UK *15:30 – 16:00: *Coffee break *LATE AFTERNOON PRESENTATION SESSION: EXPLORING WHALE MIGRATIONS* *16:00 – 16:15 *A current affair: associations between the East Australian Current and humpback whale entanglement in Queensland shark-control nets Jessica A. Bolin; David S. Schoeman, Carme Piza-Roca, Kylie L. Scales. Global-Change Ecology Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia *16:15 – 16:30 *East Australian humpback whales calving on the northern migration: evidence from the Gold Coast Bay, Queensland, Australia Torre-Williams, L1,2, Reinke, J. 2,3, Meynecke, J.O. 2,3, Martinez, E.1,4 1Coastal-Marine Research Group, School of Natural and Computational Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand; 2Griffith Centre for Coastal Management, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia; 3 Humpbacks and High-rises, Queensland, Australia; 4 Applied and Environmental Sciences Department, NorthTec, Whangārei 0148, New Zealand *16:30 – 16:45 *Investigating migration patterns of the humpback whale population D and E1 using citizen science. Jan-Olaf Meynecke, Sarah McCulloch. Humpbacks & High-rises, Griffith Centre for Coastal Management, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia *16:45 – 17:00 *Monitoring a threatened beluga whale population using photographic identification Kasey Ryan (Presenter) 1, S. Ferguson1,2, M. Marcoux1,2, W.R. Koski3, B. Young2, and C. Watt1,2 1University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB, Canada; 2Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg MB, Canada; 3LGL Limited, King City ON, Canada *17:00 – 17:15 *A cost-effective approach for photogrammetry of free-roaming whales Emily A. Gregory, Vikki Schaffer, Javier X. Leon, Carmen Piza-Roca, Kylie L. Scales. University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia *17:15 – 17:30 *Tired eyes no more: Automated image recognition of humpback whale fluke identification surpasses human manual matching. Ted Cheeseman, Ken Southerland, Jinmo Park, & Phillip Clapham. Southern Cross University, Australia; Happywhale; ESTsoft; NOAA, USA ------------------------------ *WEDNESDAY 9 October WWC DAY 2* *Towards responsible tourism for whales and dolphins* *Morning* *8:30 – 9:00* Doors open, Tea / Coffee on arrival *9:00 – 9:15 *Welcome and introductions *9:15 – 10:00 KEYNOTE ADDRESS: *The whale watching journey. What have we learned over 50 years of growth? Professor Mark Orams. Sustainability Research Centre, USC Business School, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia; School of Sport and Recreation, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand *MORNING PRESENTATION SESSION: RESPONSIBLE IN-WATER ENCOUNTERS WITH CETACEANS* *10:00 – 10:45* Short talks *10:00 – 10:15 *A review of commercial swim tours with Humpback whales in Australia Raquel Trejo , Brendan P. Kelaher, Anna Scott , Jan-Olaf Meynecke, & Matt Curnock. National Marine Science Centre and Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, Australia; Griffith Centre for Coastal Management, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia; CSIRO Land and Water,c/- ATSIP Building, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia *10:15 – 10:30 *What do we know about whales in Hervey Bay and how we can protect them? Stephanie Stack. Pacific Whale Foundation, Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia *10:30 – 10:45 *Swim-with-humpback whales in Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga: Behavioural responses of mothers and calves to swimmer approaches Lorenzo Fiori, Emmanuelle Martinez, Mark B. Orams, Barbara Bollard. Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand *10:45 – 11:15 *Coffee break *11:15 – 11:30 *Risky business: Demographics of highly interactive dwarf minke whales during swim-with encounters Suzanne Hillcoat, Dr Alastair Birtles, Dr Naomi Gardiner, Dr Matt Curnock. James Cook University; CSIRO, Australia *11:30 – 11:45 *“A match made in heaven? Swim-with-cetaceans programs and citizen science provide exceptionally rich opportunities for research” Alastair Birtles, Suzanne Hillcoat, Emily Daley, Claire Barr & Martha Brians. James Cook University, Australia *11:45 – 12:00 *Exploring the influence of social media on swim-with-whale tourist behaviour: A case study of swim-with humpback whales tourism in Niue Chantal D. Pagel1, Mark Orams1,2, Michael Lück1. 1Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand; 2University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia *AFTERNOON PRESENTATION SESSION: RESPONSIBLE WHALE WATCHING* *12:00 – 12:15 *Towards a sustainable whale watching in Reunion island in the South West Indian Ocean: assessing and mitigating humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) tourism disturbance Ludovic Hoarau, Dalleau Mayeul, Delaspre Sylvain, Landes Anne-Emmanuelle. CEDTM (Centre d'Etude et de Découverte des Tortues Marines), Réunion Island *12:15 – 12:30 *Whale watching tourism promoting the development of coastal communities and local professionals in Brazil Sergio Cipolotti. Humpback Whale Institute, Brazil *12:30 – 12:45 *When visiting whales in Juneau, Alaska – Are there enough to go around? Suzie Teerlink. NOAA Fisheries, USA *13:00 – 14:00 *Lunch *14:00 – 14:30 Keynote address: *Doing Well by Doing Good: The Importance of Social Enterprise Models in Sustainable Whale Watching Paul Forestell, Ph.D. Pacific Whale Foundation, Hawaii, USA *14:30 – 14:45 *New Zealand’s Marine Mammals Protection Regulations (MMPR): Why are different user groups violating them? Yasmine M. Elmahdy, Mark B. Orams, Michael Lück. School of Sport and Recreation, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand; USC Business School and Sustainability Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia; School of Hospitality and Tourism, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand *14:45 – 15:00 *The legal frameworks of whale watching activities in the Indian Ocean: evaluating the most effective tools to mitigate whale-watching abuse for the “whale route” project Stéphanie Sorby. University of Réunion Island, IRD *15:00 – 15:15* The dolphin captivity problem and possible solutions Nick Stewart. Global Head of Wildlife – Dolphins, World Animal Protection, UK *15:15 – 15:45 *Expert Panel Q&A. What does the future for whale and dolphin tourism look like? *15:45 – 16:15 *Coffee break *16:15 – 17:30 *IDEAS EXCHANGE SESSION! How responsible whale watching can save Planet Earth! *17:30 – 18:30* World Cetacean Alliance Partner meeting / AGM *THURSDAY 10 October WWC DAY 3:* The Power of Local Communities to Protect Whales and Dolphins On site and across Hervey Bay all day *Morning* MORNING WHALE WATCH - Official Conference Event. *08:00 – 12:00* *Responsible whale watching tour * Take a trip out to see the whales and learn more about responsible whale watching practices. *Afternoon* *14:00 – 17:00* *The Hervey Bay story* Hear the Hervey Bay story from the local people across Hervey Bay. *Unveiling the Whale Sculpture* The art piece, to be constructed of sustainable bamboo, will represent a humpback whale and calf, signifying the importance of Hervey Bay’s annual “whale nursery” in the calm waters between K’gari Fraser Island and the mainland. *Evening* *19:30 – 22:00 *An Evening with Whale People *19:30 – 20:00. *Video presentations *19:30 – 19:45 *Educating kids about oceans in their habitat Aeon Bashir, Menaka Nagarajan. Aeon for Ocean, Minnesota, USA *19:45 – 20:00 *Effects of the interaction with charismatic species on people's environmental awareness in Baja California Sur, Mexico María Laura Marcías, Christian Salvadeo, Lizbeth Salgado-Beltran. Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Baja California *20:00 – 22:00* Whale People – a collection of art and stories about two communities separated by a watery divide! ------------------------------ *FRIDAY 11 October WHS DAY 1:* Whale Conservation and Heritage Awards *Morning* Whale Heritage Sites Summit *Morning session:* *8:30 – 9:00* Doors open, Tea / Coffee on arrival *9:00 – 9:30* Keynote address: Glen Miller *9:30 – 10:45* *Whale Heritage Sites* Celebrating achievements across our network of Whale Heritage Sites and announcing newly certified sites. *10:45 – 11.15* Morning Tea/Coffee break *11:15 – 13:00* *Celebrating cetaceans* How to create small and big events that will inspire the next generation of ocean advocates and meet a key criterion for Whale Heritage Site certification! *13:00 – 14:00* Lunch *Afternoon * *14:00 – 16:00* Whale Conservation Awards *16:00 – 16:30* Afternoon Tea/Coffee *16:30 – 17:00* Launch: Manifesto for Whales and Dolphins – WCA plan for the next 10 years! *17:00 – 17:30* Executive summary and close *Evening* *19:00* Dinner at The Hervey Bay Boat Club (raffle / auction / fancy dress / fun!) (details to be announced soon). *SATURDAY 12 October* Stranding Response Workshop: ORRCA (Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia) led Stranding Response Theoretical and Practical Training (To Be Confirmed) *Morning Session:* Stranding Response theory session Preparing for a rescue incident Venue: University Sunshine Coast, Fraser Coast Campus (TBC) *Afternoon Training:* Put our community training to the test on the beach (main beach near the pier, TBC) *Presentation of certificates to all attendees* *Dylan Walker *Chief Executive Officer *World Cetacean Alliance* Studio 3, Lower Promenade Madeira Drive, Brighton, BN2 1ET, UK. t: +44 (0) 1273 355011 c: +44 (0) 7900 471490 e: dylan(a)worldcetaceanalliance.org <sophie.lewis(a)worldcetaceanalliance.org> World Whale Conference 2019 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RQClwulOi8> The World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) is a Partnership of over 100 organisations and individuals in 40 countries worldwide working collaboratively to protect cetaceans and their habitats. World Cetacean Alliance, the Secretariat to the Partnership, is a UK registered Charity no. 1160484. The content of this e-mail is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received this communication in error, be aware that forwarding it, copying it, or in any way disclosing its content to any other person, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the author by replying to this e-mail immediately. Please consider the environment before printing this email or it's attachments.

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