November 2020 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New paper on fine-scale foraging ecology of bowhead whales
by Sarah Fortune 20 Nov '20

20 Nov '20

Dear friends and colleagues, My co-authors and I are happy to share a link (https://rdcu.be/ca4mm) to our Open Access paper in Scientific Reports on the fine-scale feeding behaviour and diet of bowhead whales in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. *Bowhead whales use two foraging strategies in response to fine-scale differences in zooplankton vertical distribution* Sarah M. E. Fortune1,2,3*, Steven H. Ferguson2, Andrew W. Trites1, Justine M. Hudson2 & Mark F. Baumgartner3 As zooplanktivorous predators, bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) must routinely locate patches of prey that are energy‑rich enough to meet their metabolic needs. However, little is known about how the quality and quantity of prey might influence their feeding behaviours. We addressed this question using a new approach that included: (1) multi‑scale biologging and unmanned aerial system observations of bowhead whales in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut (Canada), and (2) an optical plankton counter (OPC) and net collections to identify and enumerate copepod prey species through the water column. The OPC data revealed two prey layers comprised almost exclusively of lipid‑rich calanoid copepods. The deep layer contained fewer, but larger, particles (10% greater overall biomass) than the shallow prey layer. Dive data indicated that the whales conducted long deep Square‑shaped dives (80% of dives; averaging depth of 260.4 m) and short shallow Square‑shaped dives (16%; averaging depth of 22.5 m) to feed. The whales tended to dive proportionally more to the greater biomass of zooplankton that occurred at depth. Combining behavioural recordings with prey sampling showed a more complex feeding ecology than previously understood, and provides a means to evaluate the energetic balance of individuals under current environmental conditions. Wishing you all the best, Sarah Fortune

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Sea Watch Foundation Research Assistant internship
by katrin.lohrengel＠seawatchfoundation.org.uk 20 Nov '20

20 Nov '20

Sea Watch Foundation (SWF) are looking for a Research Assistant and Intern Coordinator to assist with the running of the “Cardigan Bay Monitoring Project”. The project is based in picturesque New Quay, West Wales, and supports the conservation management of the bottlenose dolphin, harbour porpoise and grey seal populations of Cardigan Bay, monitoring their abundance, distribution, reproductive success and population structure using a combination of vessel-based and land-based surveys. SWF has been monitoring these populations on behalf of the Welsh government (through funding provided by Natural Resources Wales) for two decades. Cardigan Bay contains Britain’s largest coastal population of bottlenose dolphins, for which two Special Areas of Conservation have been established under the EU Habitats Directive. Internships with Sea Watch have frequently led to established posts in national and international research and conservation bodies, as well as providing a stepping stone for students to undertake doctoral studies in marine mammal science. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to: Coordination between the Monitoring Officer and project interns – in charge of the intern shared house and the intern weekly office rota. Assisting the Monitoring Officer & Sightings Officer in training interns and other volunteers in land- and boat based surveys, photo ID studies, database entry, and more. Assisting the Monitoring Officer in all phases of the research. Assisting the Sightings Officer with maintenance of the national sightings network. Optional opportunity to undertake a personal research project supervised by the Monitoring Officer. Research topic will be chosen according to Sea Watch Foundation requirements and applicant’s interests. Requirements: The successful applicant is expected to have completed a BSc degree (or higher) in biology, marine biology, zoology, chemistry, or related field and able to demonstrate previous experience in marine mammal research. A strong interest and knowledge of British cetaceans and experience are beneficial. The applicant should ideally have some experience using DSLR cameras. Practical experience of photo-identification (both photography and matching) is desirable. Experience with other equipment regularly used by Sea Watch Foundation such as hydrophone, polecam, theodolite, digiscope and aerial camera drone is advantageous. The applicant must be proficient with database and word processing software and be willing to learn new software applications. Specific experience in use of Access and GIS would be advantageous. The preferred candidate should have a proven track record as a team player since the project will involve working closely with other researchers, but must also be able to supervise small groups of people given that they will be coordinating a team of at least 8 interns. The Research Assistant and interns live and work together on a daily basis which requires a high degree of interpersonal skills to maintain relationships and team morale. Previous experience working successfully in similar roles is essential. Applicants must be self-motivated, with the drive and determination to work independently and responsibly without direct supervision. The work load is varied and therefore a high degree of organisation, attention to detail, and ability to prioritise are essential. If a personal research project is undertaken, this brings the opportunity to submit work for scientific publication, and for presentation at the European Cetacean Society Conference. Please note that at this time we cannot guarantee that internships will go ahead due to the restrictions that the ongoing pandemic imposes. We are hopeful that with the development of a vaccine we will be able to resume the field season as normal but if restrictions are likely to be in place next spring , on-site internships may need to be postponed or suspended. However, there will always be opportunities to take on home based internships should this occur. This position is unpaid, but (shared) accommodation will be provided in the intern house free of charge. The Research Assistant will be responsible for their own travel expenses to New Quay for the 2020 field season. Due to the touristic background of New Quay, part-time paid evening work is generally easy to find if required by the applicant. International applications are welcome but it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure visa requirements are met and the chosen visa option should be highlighted in the application form. —————————————————————————————————————————————————— To apply: Please send your CV and Research assistant application form, and contact details of two referees, reporting any relevant experience you have, to Katrin Lohrengel- katrin.lohrengel(a)seawatchfoundation.org.uk Deadline: 17th January 2021.

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Sea Watch Foundation Internship Opportunity
by katrin.lohrengel＠seawatchfoundation.org.uk 20 Nov '20

20 Nov '20

Interns are invited to assist the Sea Watch Foundation (SWF) with the running of the “Cardigan Bay Monitoring Project”. The project is based in picturesque New Quay, West Wales, and supports the conservation management of the bottlenose dolphin, harbour porpoise and grey seal populations of Cardigan Bay, monitoring their abundance, distribution, reproductive success and population structure using a combination of vessel-based and land-based surveys. SWF has been monitoring these populations on behalf of the Welsh government (through funding provided by Natural Resources Wales) for two decades. Cardigan Bay contains Britain’s largest coastal population of bottlenose dolphins, for which two Special Areas of Conservation have been established under the EU Habitats Directive. Internships with Sea Watch have frequently led to established posts in national and international research and conservation bodies, as well as providing a stepping stone for students to undertake doctoral studies in marine mammal science. Interns will help the Cardigan Bay Monitoring Officer and the Sightings Officer by taking part in the following tasks: Land-based surveys Boat-based surveys Photo-identification matching Data entry Raising public awareness Education initiatives and events Assisting with and participation in training courses and other needs of the charity. In addition to these tasks, we have some specialist equipment, two hydrophones, a polecam, and an aerial drone, to opportunistically collect acoustic, video and aerial data during boat-based surveys. Sea Watch have also been contributing to a project to collect dolphin blow samples for population genetics and microbiome analyses. Interns interested in these subjects may also have the opportunity to assist in data collection for these projects. Interns are required from early April until the end of October 2021. The research season is split into four separate periods, each lasting 7 weeks. The research periods for the 2020 season are: Period 1: April 12 - May 30 Period 2: May 31- July 18 Period 3: July 19 - September 5 Period 4: September 6 - October 24 Interns are expected to arrive on the first day of their chosen period and depart on the first day of the next period. We are not able to change the start and end dates unfortunately. Preference will be given to those applying for more than one period. Interns will be based in New Quay, Ceredigion. Accommodation is provided by a private landlord through rental of a house that interns share at a rate of around £74 per person per week. Rooms are shared between two or three people, with a total of nine people in the house at any given time. Important skills/qualifications Essential: an ability to work independently in a meticulous and reliable manner strong commitment to volunteering work willingness to work long hours outdoors in often changeable Welsh weather good IT skills (Office package) an ability to get on well with others in a small team and in shared accommodation Desirable: a strong interest and knowledge of British cetaceans a background in marine biology/environmental science or similar prior experience in boat-based survey work good verbal and written communication skills and in public speaking experience in interacting with the public All interns will be trained in cetacean observation and identification, in boat survey protocols, and photo-identification of bottlenose dolphins. Please note that at this time we cannot guarantee that internships will go ahead due to the restrictions that the ongoing pandemic imposes. We are hopeful that with the development of a vaccine we will be able to resume the field season as normal but if new restrictions are imposed in the new year, internships may need to be postponed or suspended, although there are various home based volunteering roles that can be undertaken should this occur. International applications are welcome but it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure visa requirements are met and we ask applicants to highlight their chosen visa option in their application. Please note that Sea Watch Foundation is unable to sponsor visa applications for Research Interns. —————————————————————————————————————————————— If you are interested in this position, please contact Katrin on katrin.lohrengel(a)seawatchfoundation.org.uk with a completed Research intern application form (available on the Sea Watch website) and CV by 31st January 2021. Decisions will be made by 21st February 2021

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Fwd: Report on an Economic Analysis from Whale Watching Tourism in Alaska
by Suzie Teerlink - NOAA Federal 20 Nov '20

20 Nov '20

We (NOAA Fisheries and McDowell Group) are excited to announce the release of the following report: Economic Analysis of Whale Watching Tourism in Alaska. This report documents the economic benefits that can stem from whale conservation and sustainable whale-watching practices and helps to support one of the many arguments for maintaining healthy marine mammal populations. This NOAA web story <https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USNOAAFISHERIES/bulletins/2ad62fc> has a summary of some of the key take-aways from the findings of this study and a copy of the final report can be downloaded here <https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/economic-analysis-whale-wa…> . Cheers, Suzie -- Suzie Teerlink, Ph.D. (pronouns: she/her/hers) Marine Mammal Specialist Protected Resources Division | Alaska Region NOAA Fisheries | U.S. Department of Commerce (907) 586-7240 www.fisheries.noaa.gov

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Resubmit: Article announcement - Habitat use of bottlenose dolphins in Doubtful Sound, NZ
by Steph Bennington 18 Nov '20

18 Nov '20

The Marine Mammal Research Group at Otago University is pleased to announce two new publications on the distribution and habitat preferences of bottlenose dolphins in Fiordland, NZ: Bennington S, Rayment W, Currey R, Oldridge L, Henderson S, Guerra M, Brough T, Johnston D, Corne C, Johnson D, Slooten L, Dawson S (in press) Long-term stability in core habitat of an endangered population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Implications for spatial management. Aquatic Conservation Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3460 ABSTRACT: A small population of approximately 68 bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, resident in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand, is subject to physiologically challenging conditions, and is exposed to anthropogenic pressure from tourism. • A voluntary Code of Management incorporating dolphin protection zones (DPZs), in which tour boat access is limited, was established in 2008. • Kernel density estimation (KDE) was used to quantify dolphin habitat use over a 13‐year period in order to describe seasonal variation in habitat use and consistency of habitat use over a decadal period, and to provide quantitative estimates of the extent of overlap between DPZs and core areas (50% volume contour) of habitat use. • Habitat use varied seasonally, with the inner fjord area used more frequently in warmer months, and with a shift in use to the outer fjord in colder months. Patterns in habitat use were highly consistent over the 13‐year duration of the study. • The spatial overlap between the area of core dolphin habitat and DPZs was low (<18%) overall, and some DPZs were rarely used during colder periods. • Consistency in habitat use through time vindicates spatial management, but low overlap between core habitat and current DPZs suggests that an expansion of the DPZ areas would confer greater protection. Bennington S, Rayment W, Dawson S (2020) Putting prey into the picture: improvements to species distribution models for bottlenose dolphins in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand. Marine Ecology Progress Series 653:191-204. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13492 ABSTRACT: Species distribution models (SDMs) often rely on abiotic variables as proxies for biotic relationships. This means that important biotic relationships may be missed, creating ambiguity in our understanding of the drivers of habitat use. These problems are especially relevant for populations of predators, as their habitat use is likely to be strongly influenced by the distribution of their prey. We investigated habitat use of a population of a top predator, bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus, in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand, using generalised additive models, and compared the results of models with and without biotic predictor variables. We found that although habitat use by bottlenose dolphins was significantly correlated with abiotic variables that likely describe foraging areas, introduction of biotic variables describing potential prey almost doubled the deviance explained, from 19.8 to 39.1%. Biotic variables were the most important of the predictors used, and indicated that the dolphins showed a preference for areas with a high abundance of a reef fish, girdled wrasse Notolabrus cinctus. For the dolphins of Doubtful Sound, these results show the importance of prey distribution in driving habitat use. On a broader scale, our results indicate that making an effort to include true biotic descriptors in SDMs can improve model performance, resulting in better understanding of the drivers of distribution of marine predators. Please email me at steph.bennington(a)postgrad.otago.ac.nz if you would like to request pdfs.

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Migratory insights from singing humpback whales recorded around central New Zealand - new publication
by Victoria Warren 18 Nov '20

18 Nov '20

Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of the following article: Migratory insights from singing humpback whales recorded around central New Zealand. Victoria E. Warren, Rochelle Constantine, Michael Noad, Claire Garrigue and Ellen C. Garland. Royal Society Open Science, 2020, Vol 7: 201084; doi: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.201084 ABSTRACT The migration routes of wide-ranging species can be difficult to study, particularly at sea. In the western South Pacific, migratory routes of humpback whales between breeding and feeding areas are unclear. Male humpback whales sing a population-specific song, which can be used to match singers on migration to a breeding population. To investigate migratory routes and breeding area connections, passive acoustic recorders were deployed in the central New Zealand migratory corridor (2016); recorded humpback whale song was compared to song from the closest breeding populations of East Australia and New Caledonia (2015-2017). Singing northbound whales migrated past New Zealand from June to August via the east coast of the South Island and Cook Strait. Few song detections were made along the east coast of the North Island. New Zealand song matched New Caledonia song, suggesting a migratory destination, but connectivity to East Australia could not be ruled out. Two song types were present in New Zealand, illustrating the potential for easterly song transmission from East Australia to New Caledonia in this shared migratory corridor. This study enhances our understanding of western South Pacific humpback whale breeding population connectivity, and provides novel insights into the dynamic transmission of song culture. The open-access article can be downloaded from https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.201084 You are very welcome to contact me via email (vwar775(a)aucklanduni.ac.nz) if you have any questions. Kind regards, Victoria Warren -- Victoria Warren PhD Candidate, University of Auckland +64-4-386-0526 NIWA, 301 Evans Bay Parade, Greta Point, Wellington, New Zealand

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Discussion Panel on Unpaid Positions in Science
by Eric Archer and Tara Cox Ad hoc Diversity Committee 17 Nov '20

17 Nov '20

Dear Colleagues, We all agree that our marine mammal community, and science in general, benefits from increased diversity. We all agree that barriers to diversity and inclusiveness, where they exist, should be dismantled. In July 2020, the SMM received a petition <https://marinemammalscience.org/presidents-blog/update-regarding-petition-r…> requesting that the Society no longer post unpaid positions on our job board, as they contribute to inequity. This petition created an opportunity for important dialogue and consideration of the issue to occur. One of the most positive actions we can take is to facilitate this dialog further and include our membership to the greatest extent possible. To that end, we host an online forum with a variety of participants and perspectives on this issue on 25 November 2020 at 8 PM EST (26 November 2020 at 0100 UTC). This will be a moderated online discussion that will be archived for future watching. Over the past few months, our colleagues in North America, South America, Asia and Europe have gathered insights and information from around the globe regarding the subject of unpaid positions in marine mammal science and how they help and hinder equity in the field. During this 1-hour panel, followed by a Q&A session, our moderators and panelists will share their collective insights and we will continue this discussion in a format designed to be accessible to our diverse global community. Panelists include: Eric Archer, Tara Cox, Auriel Fournier and Diane Gendron Please join us on 25 November 2020 at 8 PM EST (26 November 2020 at 0100 UTC) for this forum. Participation is open to everyone. Registration is required to participate in this event and it is free to attend. Link to register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9l04R8i5TFGenQ2HrZhljQ We know that the timing will not work for all of our widespread members and we will be taking steps to address that. The conversation will be recorded and archived so our membership who can't attend will be able to watch at their convenience. The panel will also respond to follow up questions that come from these delayed viewings. Most importantly, this is not the end of the conversation, merely the next step in our growth as a professional society. *About the Facilitator and Panelists:* *Facilitator: * - *Eric Archer, PhD* is currently head of the Marine Mammal Genetics Program at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, CA. He is also co-chair of the ad hoc Diversity and Inclusion Committee in the Society of Marine Mammalogy. He is interested in paying forward the opportunities he has received and helping to open doors to a wide array of people with a curiosity for marine science. *Panelists:* - *Tara Cox, PhD* is a Professor of Marine Sciences at Savannah State University and currently serves as Secretary and co-chair of the ad hoc Committee of Diversity and Inclusion for the Society for Marine Mammalogy. She has had paid and unpaid interns work in her lab. - *Auriel M.V Fournier, PhD* is the Director of Forbes Biological Station <https://www.inhs.illinois.edu/fieldstations/forbes/> and an Assistant Research Scientist, Wetland Bird Ecologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey. In addition to her work as an ornithologist, ecologist she studies and publishes research on how unpaid labor impacts scientific career paths. - *Diane Gendron, PhD* is a professor and researcher on cetacean ecology with a particular focus on monitoring blue whales in the Gulf of California and promoting conservation of the Northeastern Pacific population. She accepts seasonal unpaid interns to work with her program in Mexico and provides them with partial support during their time in the field. - *Cindy Peter, Msc* is Coordinator of the Sarawak Dolphin Research Project, based at the Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, where she is also a Lecturer. Currently the Member-at-Large for SMM, Cindy ran for the position to contribute as a voice for members from the developing nation and to increase inclusion of Asians in the Society. Thank you for being a part of this important conversation. -- Eric Archer and Tara Cox Co-Chairs, Ad hoc Diversity and Inclusion Committee Society for Marine Mammalogy diversity(a)marinemammalscience.org

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New Publication on Beaked Whale Foraging Ecology
by Brandon Southall 17 Nov '20

17 Nov '20

MARMAMers, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of a new paper on beaked whale ecology and behavior as the featured article in the most recent volume of Marine Ecology Progress Series. The citation and abstract are given below and the full .pdf is available via Open Access at: https://www.int-res.com/articles/feature/m654p001.pdf Benoit-Bird, K. J., Southall, B. L., Moline, M. A., Claridge, D. E., Dunn, C. A., Dolan, K. A., & Moretti, D. J. (2020). Critical threshold identified in the functional relationship between beaked whales and their prey. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 654, 1-16. ABSTRACT: Anthropogenic noise is increasingly recognized as a potentially significant stressor for marine animals. Beaked whales, deep-diving cephalopod predators, have been disproportionally present in atypical mass stranding events coincident with military sonar exercises, while frequently disturbed populations that do not strand may have reductions in fitness. We present in situ measures of prey availability, a key factor affecting fitness, for 2 distinct populations of Mesoplodon densirostris: one on a US Navy range in The Bahamas and one nearby in an area less exposed to sonar. The variables most strongly correlated with beaked whale habitat use were related to the distribution of deep-sea squid (mode spacing, peak depth, and 100 m scale variability). All squid metrics were more favorable for beaked whales at the less exposed site than those on the range. To develop a generalized functional relationship between prey resources and beaked whale habitat use, data from The Bahamas were combined with comparable data from another Navy range and the larger beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris. A power-law relationship was observed between a normalized metric of prey quality and whale habitat use. A critical threshold in prey characteristics, below which beaked whales appear unlikely to be successful, but above which small changes in resource availability enable large gains for predators, was observed. This implies that modest changes in the behavior of individual whales associated with disturbance can have consequential population effects. Our results elucidate the ecological realities of these elusive and sensitive beaked whales, and the importance of environmental context in effective spatial planning for the deep sea. Thanks, Brandon Southall

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New publication: From science only to science for conservation: a personal journey
by Sarah Piwetz 17 Nov '20

17 Nov '20

Dear All, On behalf of Bernd Würsig, I am pleased to announce the following publication in the journal Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics (ESEP). This Open Access paper is part of a Theme Section entitled “Marine biology in a world of wounds”. Würsig, B. (2020) From science only to science for conservation: a personal journey. Ethics Sci Environ Polit, 20:25-32. <https://doi.org/10.3354/esep00191> ABSTRACT: Long-term studies of whales, dolphins, and porpoises (the cetaceans) in nature abruptly began about 50 years ago, preceded by several decades of terrestrial animal studies, often of charismatic large mammals. Fifty years ago, intensive whaling was still occurring, and arguments against whaling largely centered around impending extinctions due to over-hunting, not the idea that cetaceans should not be killed due to natural or inherent goodness. In the 1970's several USA and other government agencies promulgated rules to help control pollution and other insults to nature, often effective in short term but not in stopping an overall decline in health of nature. While there appeared a general societal awakening towards greater appreciation of nature and intrinsic animal rights, researchers largely stayed focused on their research, with little attention to using knowledge to increase ecosystem and animal health. Attitudes of direct scientific involvement in calling for environmental action have changed, as it is becoming increasingly (but not universally) appreciated that researchers who know the problems are well-suited to alert governments, industry, and society to them, and loudly call for action. I have no good answers how to accomplish large-scale rapid reversals of environmental declines. One laudable action is to be an active vocal part of appropriate web-based conservation advocacy groups. Involving the young of all genders and races for a groundswell of support is likely most effective in generating a new world view of so much respect for nature that we radically alter our present ways of subjugating and diminishing it in the name of supposed human progress. Above all, we scientists must no longer dither with opinions on environmental problems and urgent needs for action; we must proclaim them intelligently, forcefully, and as broadly as possible. *Corresponding author: wuersig(a)sbcglobal.net<mailto:wuersig@sbcglobal.net>

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Florida Manatee and Marine Turtle Management Job Opportunity
by Pasawicz, Michelle 17 Nov '20

17 Nov '20

Greetings everyone, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is seeking a Fisheries and Wildlife Biological Scientist IV to aid the Imperiled Species Management Section with developing conservation measures to reduce potential adverse impacts to species under the responsibility of the Section, with a focus on Florida manatee and marine turtle conservation. Please follow this link to the job posting to learn more about this opportunity: https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/TALLAHASSEE-FISHERIES-&-WILDLIFE-BIO-SCIENTI… Sincerely, Michelle R. Pasawicz Biological Administrator Imperiled Species Management Section Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission<https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/manatee/> Michelle.Pasawicz(a)MyFWC.com<mailto:Michelle.Pasawicz@MyFWC.com>

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