February 2020 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Spirometry in dolphins, a conservation tool to help wild cetaceans
by Andreas Fahlman 12 Feb '20

12 Feb '20

Dear All We are happy to share our new publication looking at lung function/spirometry as a diagnostic tool to assess lung health in bottlenose dolphins. We evaluated lung health in 3 bottlenose dolphins under human care to assess whether pulmonary function testing (or spirometry) provide diagnostic information about respiratory health. In human medicine, respiratory health is evaluated through measurement of respiratory flow from maximal respiratory manoeuvres. In this study, we collected data from trained maximal respiratory efforts in water and from spontaneous breaths while beached. We evaluated how the flow-volume relationship and two indices of respiratory capacity changed for the animals when diagnosed with pulmonary disease, and during treatment and recovery. Our study suggest that pirometry in marine mammals could provide a simple, portable and non-invasive diagnostic tool to help assess respiratory health in dolphins under human care, and improve conservation efforts while assessing health status in wild stranded animals.. Abstract: Pulmonary function testing was performed in 3 dolphins under managed care (1 female and 2 males) during a 2-year period to assess whether these data provide diagnostic information about respiratory health. Pulmonary radiographs and standard clinical testing were used to evaluate the pulmonary health of each dolphin. The female dolphin had evidence of chronic pulmonary fibrosis (F1), and one male developed pneumonia during the study (M2). Pulmonary function data were collected from maximal respiratory efforts in water and from spontaneous breaths while beached. From these data, the flow-volume relationship, the flow measured between 25% and 75% of the expired vital capacity (FEF25%-75%), and the percent of the vital capacity (VC) at the peak expiratory flow (%VCPEF), were evaluated and compared with the diagnostic assessment. For maximal respiratory manoeuvres in water, there were no differences in FEF25%-75% nor %VCPEF, and the flow-volume relationship showed a consistent pattern for F1. Additionally, FEF25%-75% and %VCPEF decreased by 27% and 52% respectively, and the flow-volume relationship showed clear flow limitations with emerging disease in M2. While spontaneously breathing on land, M2 also showed a 49% decrease in %VCPEF and changes in the flow-volume relationship indicating flow limitations when developed pneumonia. Based on these preliminary results, we suggest that pulmonary function testing should be given more attention as a non-invasive, and possibly adjunctive diagnostic tool, to evaluate lung health in both managed care and wild dolphins. Reference: Borque Espinosa A., Burgos F., Dennison S., Laughlin R., Manley M., Capaccioni R., Fahlman A. 2020 Lung function testing as a diagnostic tool to assess respiratory health in bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus. Dis Aquat Org 138, 17-27. (doi:https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03447) This article is open access and can be downloaded at: https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03447, or by request to afahlman(a)whoi.edu <mailto:afahlman@whoi.edu> Sincerely, Andreas

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publication on river dolphins
by Heloíse Pavanato 11 Feb '20

11 Feb '20

Dear Marmam colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors I'm pleased to share our recent publication on South American river dolphins in JCRM. Pavanato H.J., Gomez-Salzar C., Trujillo F., Lima D., Paschoalini M., Ristau N., Marmonetel M. 2019.* Density, abundance and group size of river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis and Sotalia fluviatilis) in Central Amazonia, Brazil.* J. Cetacean Res. Manage. 20: 93-100. The paper is available do download from the following link: https://archive.iwc.int/?r=9654 Alternatively you can contact me requesting a copy at hpavanato(a)maths.otago.ac.nz Please find the abstract below. Kind regards, Heloise Abstract: A boat-based survey was conducted in the Tefé river and lake (Brazil) in December 2013, during the transitional water period. A combination of strip-width transects parallel to the river, lake-margins and confluences, and cross-channel line transects in the lake, were used to cover a total distance of 670 linear kilometres of the dolphins’ habitat. A total of 383 groups of Amazon river dolphin and 124 groups of tucuxi were observed. Group size, density and abundance estimates were obtained per species and habitat (tributary, lake-margin and confluence). Group sizes ranged from one to six individuals for the Amazon river dolphin and from one to eight individuals for the tucuxi. The abundance of river dolphins was higher for the Amazon river dolphin (911, CV = 0.15) than the tucuxi (511, CV = 0.26). Higher densities were found in the lake-margin and tributary for the Amazon river dolphin and in the confluences for the tucuxi. Lake-margins, confluences and tributaries are therefore proposed as critical habitats for the conservation of river dolphins in central Amazonia. The Tefé lake is identified as an area of concern due to a high number of human stressors such as boat traffic, fishing and habitat degradation.

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Reminder: Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship Closing Date 17th February 2020
by Lindsay Porter 11 Feb '20

11 Feb '20

Hallo Marmam Subscribers! REMINDER Closing date 17th February 2020 (11:59pm Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time, GMT-10) Application closing date for the Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship is fast approaching! Please click the following link for scholarship criteria and proposal submission information. https://www.marinemammalscience.org/jobs-grants/awards-and-scholarships/ Dr. Herman’s family, colleagues, and friends established the Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship in 2017 to honor his legacy by promoting the type of research that was the focus of his groundbreaking studies. The Scholarship is given every two years in the amount of $5,000. The Louis M. Herman Research Scholarship supports a research project that contributes to our understanding of either cetacean cognition and sensory perception (laboratory or field studies), or humpback whale behavioral ecology or communication. Work with other marine mammals that especially enhances our understanding of their cognitive abilities will also be considered. Eligible candidates include graduate students and those students who have completed their Masters or PhD within the past three years. Listen to last years winners here https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marine-mammal-science/id1475692072 Thank you, Lindsay Porter Chair Awards and Scholarships Committee Society for Marine Mammalogy

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New publication: Lombard effect in minke whales
by Regina Guazzo 11 Feb '20

11 Feb '20

Dear Colleagues, My co-authors and I are excited to announce the following publication: Helble TA, Guazzo RA, Martin CR, Durbach IN, Alongi GC, Martin SW, Boyle JK, Henderson EE (2020). Lombard effect: Minke whale boing call source levels vary with natural variations in ocean noise. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 142 (2): 698-712. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0000596 Abstract: Minke whales were acoustically detected, localized, and tracked on the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility from 2012 to 2017. Animal source levels (SLs) were estimated by adding transmission loss estimates to measured received levels of 42,159 individual minke whale boings. Minke whales off Hawaii exhibited the Lombard effect in that they increased their boing call intensity in increased background noise. Minke whales also decreased the variance of the boing call SL in higher background noise levels. Although the whales partially compensated for increasing background noise, they were unable or unwilling to increase their SLs by the same amount as the background noise. As oceans become louder, this reduction in communication space could negatively impact the health of minke whale populations. The findings in this study also have important implications for acoustic animal density studies, which may use SL to estimate probability of detection. Please email me (regina.guazzo(a)spawar.navy.mil) or Tyler Helble ( tyler.helble(a)navy.mil) if you have any questions about this work. All my best, Regina Regina A. Guazzo, PhD Environmental Readiness Branch Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (c) 908.507.1421

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New publication: Reproductive parameters and factors influencing calf survival of bottlenose dolphins that engage in a unique foraging cooperation with fishermen (Carolina Bezamat)
by Carolina Bezamat de Abreu 10 Feb '20

10 Feb '20

Dear Members, On behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to share our recent publication: Bezamat C, Castilho PV, Simões-Lopes PC, Ingram SN, Daura-Jorge FG (2020) Reproductive parameters and factors influencing calf survival of bottlenose dolphins that engage in a unique foraging cooperation with fishermen. Marine Biology 167:5. doi: 10.1007/s00227-019-3611-4 Abstract A subset of the bottlenose dolphin *Tursiops truncatus gephyreus* population in Laguna, southern Brazil, specialize in foraging cooperatively with fishermen. In this study, we describe reproductive parameters for these dolphins and investigate whether this specialized tactic generates reproductive advantages for females that frequently engage in this unusual behavior. We analyzed photo-identification data collected during 233 boat-based surveys during 2007–2009 and 2013–2017. From 27,808 high-quality photographs, we identified and tracked the fate of 24 reproductive females and 45 of their calves. Calving was found to be seasonal, with most births occurring in late spring/summer. The average crude birth rate was 0.09, and estimated fecundity was 0.17. The mean inter-birth interval was 2.09 (for all calves) or 2.43 years (for surviving calves only). Survival to 1 and 2 years estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method was 0.78 (95% CI 0.65–0.92) and 0.65 (95% CI 0.51–0.83), respectively—which represents a survival rate in the second year of 0.83. We investigated the potential influence of birth timing, resource availability, and maternal foraging tactic, home range size and frequency of interaction with fishermen on calf survival. Timing of birth was a significant predictor of calf survival. Giving birth close to the local mullet season would provide lactating females with increased seasonal prey resources, leading to increased calf survival. Due to our sample size (n = 9 cooperative and 15 non-cooperative females), we could not conclude whether or not the cooperative foraging tactic influences calf survival and female reproductive success. We emphasize the importance of long-term monitoring of populations to understand regional life history characteristics and provide accurate information for viability analyses. The paper can be accessed using the following link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00227-019-3611-4 If you have any questions, or would like me to send you a PDF copy of the paper, please do not hesitate to contact me (carolinabezamat(a)gmail.com) Best regards, Carolina Bezamat Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil

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New publication on Araguaian river dolphin vocalizations
by Gabriel Melo Alves dos Santos 10 Feb '20

10 Feb '20

Dr. Gabriel-Melo Santos Scottish Oceans Institute, Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews Dear all, Please check our new publication "Repeated downsweep vocalizations of the Araguaian river dolphin, Inia araguaiaensis"" https://asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/10.0000624 Abstract Araguaian botos (Inia araguaiaensis) are known to produce pulsed as well as tonal sounds. This study documents the first evidence for repetitive sequences of downsweep whistles in botos that appear to be shared between individuals, and the context of their occurrence is investigated. Boat surveys were conducted along the Tocantins River located in the Eastern Amazon over a period of 42 days between 2012 and 2018. Eighty-two groups of Araguaian botos were observed, and 43 h of sound recordings were acquired. 632 downsweep whistles were recorded in 10 encounters. Four of these encounters contained downsweep bouts (21 bouts with ≥2 whistles) with short inter-call intervals (bout criterion 50 s) and up to 161 whistles. A statistical relationship was not found between downsweep occurrence and any of the contextual parameters that were investigated, including socializing, travelling, feeding, group size, presence of calves, and socio-sexual displays. The rarity of these signals makes them unlikely candidates for individual or group identification. It is more likely that they are associated with very specific contexts, such as nursing or mating, both of which were rarely observed in this study. Further studies are required to investigate context specificity and elucidate the function of these signals. All the best, Gabriel -- Dr. Gabriel Melo-Santos Post-doctoral Research Fellow University of St Andrews Scottish Oceans Institute Sea Mammal Research Unit BioMA - Biology and Conservation of Amazonian Aquatic Mammals +4407904813825 www.bioma-research.weebly.com www.river-dolphins.weebly.com "(...) As we bandy round solution celebrate our evolution That antidotes our stations today And as we activate our nation As we're joined by our companions we ignite our generation today (...)"

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Fifth International Orca Symposium will take place in Tarifa
by Renaud de Stephanis 10 Feb '20

10 Feb '20

Dear friends, We are happy to announce that the Fifth International Orca Symposium will take place in Tarifa (Strait of Gibraltar, Spain), between the *28 September - 2 October 2020*. All killer whale researchers are invited to the event. The meeting will be organized by CIRCE, and follows a similar format to the previous symposium held in 2002 by CEBC-CNRS in Chizé (France). On the web page www.orca.world you can find out more information about this event. The objective of the symposium is to gather researchers from all over the world for a week in Tarifa, to present the latest advances in killer whale research. All participants are invited to present one or more posters and an oral presentation. As many posters you want and an oral presentation per participant will be accepted, but we need a submissions process to organize the sessions by the 1st of July 2020. Submission instructions are available on the website (www.orca.world) The first 2.5 days will be reserved for oral presentations and plenary sessions. The last 2 days will be reserved for workshops. The goal of the symposium is to have ample opportunity for discussion, and interaction among researchers. A broad social and cultural parallel agenda will be organized, in the same spirit as previous symposiums, so do not hesitate to come accompanied if you wish. Alongside the symposium, CIRCE will take the opportunity to carry out parallel training activities in the Campo de Gibraltar, which will consist of an exhibition of photographs on orcas in Tarifa, a campaign of micro-volunteers in schools in Algeciras, Barbate and Tarifa, a video exhibition, and talks open to the general public. Sorry for cross-posting. More info: www.orca.world

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Last spots available!- April or MAY Cetacean and Marine fauna internship
by Elena Fontanesi - elena.fontanesi2＠studio.unibo.it 09 Feb '20

09 Feb '20

WINTER AND SPRING INTERN POSITION 2020 DELFINI DEL PONENTE RESEARCH PROJECT, IMPERIA, ITALY Cetacean and Marine Fauna research Delfini del Ponente is currently looking for and accepting interns to join our pilot project on bottlenose dolphins in the Westerns Ligurian Sea, Imperia (Italy) in April or May. The project The dolphin research project “Delfini del Ponente” is the first project focused on monitoring bottlenose dolphins in the Western Ligurian Sea. Due to the morphology of the seafloor, this area is not a usual habitat for this species and historically, sightings have a been rarer and more sporadic than in the Levantine side of the region. The continental shelf is, in fact, very short and high depths (around 2000 m) are reached quite close to the shore making the area suitable for other cetacean species but not for bottlenose dolphins, which tend to remain in waters with a depth not exceeding 200 m. Despite this knowledge of the range of the species, an interesting change has been noted in recent years in the area, where sightings of bottlenose dolphins have almost tripled. For this reason, Costa Balenae started in 2018 the project Delfini del Ponente to monitor bottlenose dolphins in the region to understand the extent of this change and what drove it. The project is structured on an annual basis, to obtain data not only on the distribution during the Summer, but also changes during the different seasons. The project is already providing very interesting information about bottlenose dolphins and their distribution in the study area, and also about the seasonal presence of other marine fauna such as Mediterranean shearwaters (Puffinus yelkouan), Scopoli’s shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea), Northern gannets (Morus bassanus), Sandwich terns ( Thalasseus sandvicensis), sunfish (Mola mola) among others. WHERE: Imperia, Italy WHEN: 1 April-30 May 2020; Minimum required: 30 days Number of interns for month: 2 /3 Activities: * boat-based surveys monitoring the presence and distribution of bottlenose dolphins * data collection of other cetaceans, fishes, seabirds, turtles * classwork, database updating * photo-id matching and analysis * land-based surveys /opportunistic surveys * lessons and training about cetacean ecology, biology and research techniques PIERCE This is a great opportunity to get involved in cetacean research, encounter marine biodiversity while gaining fieldwork experience, travel and explore the beautiful Liguria region and support cetacean research and conservation. Surveys will be made in coastal waters onboard a dedicated zodiac (6 m inflatable boat) around 10 times per month. Training will focus on collecting photo for photo-ID purposes, environmental, marine traffic, geographical (GPS) and dolphins' behavioural data. Land-based surveys will be done In Imperia, in 2 different points around 10-12 times/month collecting data on the presence/absence of dolphins, fishing boats and marine birds. Surveys are weather dependent, and their number can change each month. Office work (6 hours per day) includes training, lessons, photo-id work, transcription of data, data entry, QGIS work etc. Interns will be involved 5 days a week, 6-8 hours/day (depending on fieldwork or lab work) During free time, interns will have the opportunity to experience all sorts of activities: swimming, diving, hiking, exploring historical sites, visit museums, sailing. Skills/qualification: * Minimum age of 18 * Prior experience in cetaceans or boat-based surveys is not required, but preferred * Degree or on-going studies in biology, natural science, veterinary or similar (preferred) * Strong motivation and interest in cetaceans and research * Speak, read and write in fluent English * Be adaptable as fieldwork is weather dependent * Be willing to spend many hours on a small zodiac (5-6 m) and under the sun * Be sociable as they are expected to live and work in an international team Internship fee Delfini del Ponente is a self-funded research project, so participation in this programme requires a tuition fee. Fee includes the accommodation in an apartment in Imperia, tuition and all associated field costs during the internship period (use of research vessel, training, use of equipment, field trips). Transportation expenses to and from Imperia (Italy), own insurances and food costs during the stay are not included in the fee. How to apply: Send your CV with a letter of interest to delfinidelponente(a)gmail.com<mailto:delfinidelponente@gmail.com> before 16th of February For any further enquiries and details, please send an email to delfinidelponente(a)gmail.com<mailto:delfinidelponente@gmail.com> Davide Ascheri and Elena Fontanesi

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NEW PROJECT
by SECAC 09 Feb '20

09 Feb '20

*WE OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTECIPATE IN A SPERM WHALE PROJECT ON CANARY ISLANDS* Greetings MARMAN, We’re happy to announce a new project! This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a Citizen Science program that promote the study and conservation of Sperm Whale in the Canary Islands, Spain. The Society for the Study of Cetacean in the Canary Archipelago (SECAC) is a non-profit scientific organization focused on research, conservation and scientific dissemination on cetacean in the Canary Islands, Spain. Thirty species (mostly oceanic and little known worldwide, such as sperm whales and beaked whales) have been recorded in these waters. SECAC is based on the island of Lanzarote, a Biosphere Reserve. SECAC offers interested people a Citizen Science program that promotes participation, environmental education, the study of marine biodiversity and the conservation of cetaceans and their habitat, in addition to maintaining this long-term research program. The purpose of this study is to deepen the scientific knowledge of the sperm whale (and other cetacean) and evaluate their conservation status. The work methodology includes conducting marine visual and acoustic surveys to know the distribution, abundance, habitat use, movements, social structure and conservation status of this species in the area. This project aims to obtain scientific data to support conservation measures. Field trips are carried out on the SECAC research vessel; field work is subject to weather conditions. No previous experience required. All you need is interest in cetaceans, conservation and a positive attitude. Participants: - Receive training and gain experience in research, biology and ecology of sperm whale and other cetacean. - Participate in daily research expeditions by boat (subject to weather conditions). - Collect data on cetacean behavior, group size, photo-identification, acoustic recording (passive acoustic monitoring using a towed hydrophone array ), drone images, etc. - The data analysis will be carried out daily and will involve entering data into established databases and spreadsheets, photo identification processing and preliminary data interpretation. - The donation required for 7 project days (trips to the sea, theoretical and practical sessions, accommodation on the sailboat and full board meal) is 950 euros. For more information : secaclanzarote(a)gmail.com participacion(a)cetaceos.org All the best, SECAC GROUP Society for the Study of the Cetacean in the Canary Archipelago (SECAC) Av. Coll, 3 35500 Arrecife Lanzarote, Islas Canarias

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New paper on vocal repertoires and social structure of sperm whales in Mauritius (Leonie Huijser)
by Leonie Huijser 08 Feb '20

08 Feb '20

Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the following publication in Marine Mammal Science: Huijser, L.A.E., Estrade, V., Webster, I., Mouysset, L., Cadinouche, A., and Dulau-Drouot, V. 2020. Vocal repertoires and insights into social structure of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in Mauritius, southwestern Indian Ocean. Marine Mammal Science, https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12673 ABSTRACT: Sperm whales communicate using codas (stereotyped click sequences). Females and juveniles live in long-term social units, and units with similar coda repertoires share vocal clan membership. Vocal clans exhibit culturally defined differences in their multilevel social structure. Here, we aimed to identify different social units among sperm whales in Mauritius in the southwestern Indian Ocean, and to describe and compare their coda repertoires to investigate the presence of different vocal clans. We conducted six boat-based surveys between 2008 and 2013, during which 101 different individuals were photo-identified. Analysis of associations between 22 resighted individuals divided them into four candidate social units, but a lack of resightings impedes solid delineation of social units. Based on number and rhythm of clicks, at least 24 discrete coda types were detected among 4,767 analyzed codas using two different classification methods. Comparison of coda repertoires recorded from seven sperm whale groupings revealed the possible existence of two sympatric vocal clans, but the size differences of recorded repertoires warrant caution of interpretation. To further evaluate social structuring and the presence of different vocal clans in this region, future surveys should aim at obtaining long-term sighting and acoustic data, and cover a more extensive area. The full article is Open Access and available online at: https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12673 Please do not hesitate to contact me at l.huijser(a)uq.edu.au if you have any questions. Kind regards, Léonie Huijser, MSc | PhD Candidate ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory (CEAL) University of Queensland | Moreton Bay Research Station 37 Fraser Street, Dunwich QLD 4183, Australia ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mobile (AUS): +61 (0)422 156 316 Email: l.huijser(a)uq.edu.au CEAL website: https://ceal.lab.uq.edu.au/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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