February 2020 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New publication on the effects of sea ice on growth rates of an endangered population of gray whales
by Glenn Gailey 03 Feb '20

03 Feb '20

On behalf of my co-authors, I would like to announce a new open access publication in Scientific Reports on the effects of sea ice on growth rates of an endangered population of gray whales available at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-58435-3. Gailey, G., Sychenko, O., Tyurneva, O. Yakovlev, Y., Vertyankin, V., van der Wolf, P., Drozdov, K. & Zhmaev, I. Effects of sea ice on growth rates of an endangered population of gray whales. Sci Rep 10, 1553 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58435-3. Abstract: The western gray whale population is endangered with approximately 175 individuals and 33 known reproductive females. Photo-identification studies were conducted from 2002-2017 during the gray whale foraging season off northeastern Sakhalin Island, Russia. Despite abundant prey resources, significant variation in whales' body condition, inter-birth intervals and calf survival have been documented with limited understanding of factors that account for the observed variability. We examine sea ice concentrations at their known foraging grounds to define the maximum duration of a "foraging season". We explore the relationship between foraging season length during a female's pregnancy and post-weaning calf survival and reproduction. Approximately 77% of the variation in calf survival, which ranged annually from 10-80%, was associated with the duration of the feeding season while the mother was pregnant. Poor body conditions and prolonged inter-birth intervals of western gray whales have also been documented to coincide with shorter duration in feeding seasons found in this study. These results imply that shorter foraging seasons are associated with reduced energy intake by physically limiting the number of days gray whales can forage, and thus sea ice conditions may be one limiting factor affecting growth rates of this endangered population of baleen whales. Be well, Glenn Gailey

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IMMS Summer Photo-ID Research Internship
by Jessica Post 03 Feb '20

03 Feb '20

The IMMS Research Internship Program is designed as a way for students interested in a career in marine science to gain valuable research experience in a real-world setting. As an intern, you will be trained in all aspects of dolphin photo-ID research as well as any other current research projects at IMMS that may involve species such as: bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, or diamondback terrapins. Interns will also participate in other operations at IMMS including: stranding response, aquarist and reptile care, and animal care. Our goal is to give interns a well-rounded experience in a variety of areas while providing expert training and experience in marine science research. Interns must: - Commit to a minimum of 12 weeks. The internship can be extended depending on work performance - Be available to work Mon-Fri and must be available for all boat-based surveys. Some field days may fall on the weekends. - Have a strong sense of responsibility, work ethic, attention to detail, and ability to admit mistakes. - Produce high quality research efforts and exhibit strong interpersonal skills Principle Duties include: data entry, learning all research protocols, cropping and sorting photo-ID fin images, learning to use photo-ID programs such as Darwin (fin matching software) and FinBase (Microsoft Access), boat based field research (21' boat), and learn how to use ArcGIS Secondary Duties include: assisting animal care staff, attending marine mammal necropsies, responding to marine mammal and sea turtle strandings, and assisting educational staff Field Days: Interns must be able to spend many hours on the water and on shore in sometimes extreme seasonal conditions. Seasonal temperatures range from over 100 °F in summer to 30 °F in winter. Field days typically exceed eight hours and occur at least two or three times a week. Eligibility Requirements Applicants must be 18 or older and must have a genuine interest in marine research. Applicants should be actively pursuing a college degree or be a recent graduate in oceanography, marine science/biology, biology, or a related field. Previous research experience in any capacity is a plus. Applicants must be able and willing to fulfill all duties outlined for this internship program. This is an unpaid position and interns are responsible for their own housing and transportation. Once accepted, IMMS staff will assist interns in finding rooms available to rent, usually with other staff members. The deadline to apply for the summer sessions (May 4-July 24, 2020 or June 1-August 21, 2020) is March 1, 2020. For application and full details on how to apply please visit our website at http://imms.org/internship/ Jessica Post Research Assistant Research Intern Coordinator The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies 10801 Dolphin Lane Gulfport, MS 39503

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Invitation to Present at ICUA2020
by GMail 03 Feb '20

03 Feb '20

ICUA2020 presentation invitation All are invited to give a presentation in the session entitled Bioacoustics, at the International Conference on Underwater Acoustics (ICUA) 2020 organised by the Underwater Acoustics Group of the Institute of Acoustics. This conference will take place in Southampton (United Kingdom) from 6-10 July 2020. Abstract submission with the deadline of the 14 February is through the conference website at http://icua2020.org/ Delegates are expected to fund their own participation and pay the registration fee. Presentation lengths will be 15 minutes with 5 minutes for questions, and the precise timings of presentations will be decided after abstracts have been accepted. If you require a visa, please refer to the UK Government website. Further information from the address below and I, along with the other conference organisers, look forward to your participation. Dr Peter F Dobbins 20 Broad Close Winterborne Kingston Blandford Forum Dorset UK DT11 9BL +44 (0)7949 836503 peterdobbins1(a)gmail.com

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SEAMAMMS 2020 Abstract Submission Deadline Extended!
by Herring, Hada 02 Feb '20

02 Feb '20

The 2020 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium (SEAMAMMS) will take place March 27-29 in Miami, Florida, and will be hosted by the University of Miami - Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (UM-RSMAS). We are extending the deadline for abstract submissions to Thursday, February 13th by 11:59 pm. Preference will be given to marine mammal research conducted by students based in, or working on issues relevant to, the mid-Atlantic or Southeast Region. However, other topics will be considered as space is available. We encourage you to submit your abstract today! For meeting details, including registration, abstract submissions, and hotel specials, please visit: https://seamamms.wordpress.com<https://seamamms.wordpress.com/> . We hope to see you in Miami!

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