April 2020 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New publication: Linking metal accumulation to nutritional intake in common dolphins
by Machovsky Capuska Gabriel 23 Apr '20

23 Apr '20

Dear MARMAM community, On behalf of my coauthors, I am pleased to announce our recent article published in Environmental Pollution: Linking cadmium and mercury accumulation to nutritional intake in common dolphins (*Delphinus delphis*) from Patagonia, Argentina Machovsky-Capuska GE, von Haeften G, Romero MA, Rodriguez DH, Gerpe MS. Bioaccumulation of Hg and Cd from food is a complex ecological process that has been oversimplified in the past. Common dolphins (*Delphinus delphis*) provide a powerful model to biomonitor metal concentrations in marine environments worldwide. We combined proportions-based nutritional geometry with metal analysis, stomach content analysis and the proximate composition of prey, to yield novel insights into the accumulation of Hg and Cd. Our analysis showed an age-related accumulation trend for Cd and Hg in kidney and liver, with highest concentrations found at 18 years of age. When viewed through the lens of nutritional ecology, Argentine anchovy (58.1 Mass %) and South American longfinned squid (22.7 Mass %), provided most of the dietary intake of protein (P) and lipids (L) (P:L ratio= 2.6:1.0) and also represented the main source for Cd and Hg levels accumulated in their bodies.This study presents unprecedented evidence on metal accumulation in relation to age and nutritional intake in a marine predator. The full article is available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114480 Please don't hesitate to contact me (g.machovsky(a)sydney.edu.au) if you have any queries regarding to this article or to request a PDF copy. Best, Gabriel -- https://gabrielmachovsky.wordpress.com/

1 0

New Publication: Density and Abundance of Delphinus delphis in Waters South of Samos Island, Greece (Eastern Mediterranean Sea)
by Dr. Guido Pietroluongo 23 Apr '20

23 Apr '20

Dear MARMAM community, on behalf of my co-authors, I am pleased to announce the publication of our recent study: "Density and Abundance of *Delphinus delphis* in Waters South of Samos Island, Greece (Eastern Mediterranean Sea)" Pietroluongo, G.; Cipriano, G.; Ashok, K.; Antichi, S.; Carlier, H.; Miliou, A.; Maglietta, R.; Fanizza, C.; Carlucci, R. Density and Abundance of *Delphinus delphis* in Waters South of Samos Island, Greece (Eastern Mediterranean Sea). Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 2020, 8, 218. doi:10.3390/jmse8030218 *ABSTRACT*The Mediterranean subpopulation of short-beaked common dolphin *Delphinus delphis* is ranked as endangered on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List because it has sharply declined during the last decades, resulting in sparse and decreasing populations. Monitoring the conservation status of this endangered dolphin species is particularly relevant to fulfil targets under the range of several international agreements. Moreover, estimating the abundance of *D. delphis* is essential to verify the effectiveness of conservation action to maintain safe population levels in the Mediterranean Sea and to suggest appropriate modifications to limit potential threats. In this regard, a monitoring program of the short-beaked common dolphin in Samos Island (Greece) was carried out from 2016 to 2019, adopting a random line transect sampling method. The overall density and abundance estimates of *D. delphis*, obtained by applying conventional distance sampling (CDS) on sighting data, were 0.15 individuals/km2 (CV = 13.27%; 95% CI = 0.11–0.19 individuals/km2) and 51 individuals (CV = 13.27%; 95% CI = 40-66 individuals), respectively. Although a longer time series of sighting data should be collected and a larger area should be investigated to better understand the population trend of *D. delphis* and its residency pattern, the results contribute to setting up a baseline reference for future assessment of its population in the Eastern Aegean Sea. The article is available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/8/3/218/htm Please, feel free to contact me for any inquiries. With my warmest wishes in these uncertain days Dr Guido Pietroluongo Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, Greece www.archipelago.gr info(a)archipelago.gr guido.p(a)archipelago.gr [image: Archipelagos]

1 0

New paper: Population comparison of right whale body condition reveals poor state of the North Atlantic right whale
by Fredrik Christiansen 23 Apr '20

23 Apr '20

Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are happy to announce the publication of the following paper in Marine Ecology Progress Series: Christiansen, F., Dawson, S.M., Durban, J.W., Fearnbach, H., Miller, C.A., Bejder, L., Uhart, M., Sironi, M., Corkeron, P., Rayment, W., Leunissen, E., Haria, E., Ward, R., Warick, H.A., Kerr, I., Lynn, M.S., Pettis, H.M., Moore, M.J. 2020. Population comparison of right whale body condition reveals poor state of the North Atlantic right whale. Marine Ecology Progress Series 640: 1-16. ABSTRACT: The North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis (NARW), currently numbering <410 individuals, is on a trajectory to extinction. Although direct mortality from ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements remain the major threats to the population, reproductive failure, resulting from poor body condition and sublethal chronic entanglement stress, is believed to play a crucial role in the population decline. Using photogrammetry from unmanned aerial vehicles, we conducted the largest population assessment of right whale body condition to date, to determine if the condition of NARWs was poorer than 3 seemingly healthy (i.e. growing) populations of southern right whales E. australis (SRWs) in Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. We found that NARW juveniles, adults and lactating females all had lower body condition scores compared to the SRW populations. While some of the difference could be the result of genetic isolation and adaptations to local environmental conditions, the magnitude suggests that NARWs are in poor condition, which could be suppressing their growth, survival, age of sexual maturation and calving rates. NARW calves were found to be in good condition. Their body length, however, was strongly determined by the body condition of their mothers, suggesting that the poor condition of lactating NARW females may cause a reduction in calf growth rates. This could potentially lead to a reduction in calf survival or an increase in female calving intervals. Hence, the poor body condition of individuals within the NARW population is of major concern for its future viability. The paper is the feature article of MEPS, and hence open-access. Here is a link to the feature article: https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v640/feature<https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v640/feature/>/ Here is a link to the full article: https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v640/p1-16/ Best regards, Fredrik Christiansen Assistant Professor/Postdoctoral Research Fellow Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies Aarhus University, Denmark +4531332367 f.christiansen(a)aias.au.dk http://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=vkA5Y3EAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fredrik_Christiansen3/?ev=hdr_xprf

1 0

New publication: Insight into the kinematics of blue whale surface foraging through drone observations and prey data
by Barlow, Dawn Renee 22 Apr '20

22 Apr '20

Dear MARMAM community, On behalf of my coauthors, I am pleased to announce our recent publication in PeerJ: Torres LG, Barlow DR, Chandler TE, Burnett JD. 2020. Insight into the kinematics of blue whale surface foraging through drone observations and prey data. PeerJ 8:e8906 http://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8906 ABSTRACT: To understand how predators optimize foraging strategies, extensive knowledge of predator behavior and prey distribution is needed. Blue whales employ an energetically demanding lunge feeding method that requires the whales to selectively feed where energetic gain exceeds energetic loss, while also balancing oxygen consumption, breath holding capacity, and surface recuperation time. Hence, blue whale foraging behavior is primarily driven by krill patch density and depth, but many studies have not fully considered surface feeding as a significant foraging strategy in energetic models. We collected predator and prey data on a blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) foraging ground in New Zealand in February 2017 to assess the distributional and behavioral response of blue whales to the distribution and density of krill prey aggregations. Krill density across the study region was greater toward the surface (upper 20 m), and blue whales were encountered where prey was relatively shallow and more dense. This relationship was particularly evident where foraging and surface lunge feeding were observed. Furthermore, New Zealand blue whales also had relatively short dive times (2.83 ± 0.27 SE min) as compared to other blue whale populations, which became even shorter at foraging sightings and where surface lunge feeding was observed. Using an unmanned aerial system (UAS; drone) we also captured unique video of a New Zealand blue whale's surface feeding behavior on well-illuminated krill patches. Video analysis illustrates the whale's potential use of vision to target prey, make foraging decisions, and orient body mechanics relative to prey patch characteristics. Kinematic analysis of a surface lunge feeding event revealed biomechanical coordination through speed, acceleration, head inclination, roll, and distance from krill patch to maximize prey engulfment. We compared these lunge kinematics to data previously reported from tagged blue whale lunges at depth to demonstrate strong similarities, and provide rare measurements of gape size, and krill response distance and time. These findings elucidate the predator-prey relationship between blue whales and krill, and provide support for the hypothesis that surface feeding by New Zealand blue whales is an important component to their foraging ecology used to optimize their energetic efficiency. Understanding how blue whales make foraging decisions presents logistical challenges, which may cause incomplete sampling and biased ecological knowledge if portions of their foraging behavior are undocumented. We conclude that surface foraging could be an important strategy for blue whales, and integration of UAS with tag-based studies may expand our understanding of their foraging ecology by examining surface feeding events in conjunction with behaviors at depth. The full article is open access, and available online: https://peerj.com/articles/8906/ Please feel free to contact Leigh.Torres(a)oregonstate.edu<mailto:Leigh.Torres@oregonstate.edu> with any questions or to request a PDF copy. Cheers, Dawn Dawn Barlow PhD Student Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Marine Mammal Institute Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab<https://mmi.oregonstate.edu/gemm-lab> dawn.barlow(a)oregonstate.edu

1 0

Seal Rescue Ireland Internships!
by Gale Loescher 22 Apr '20

22 Apr '20

[image: SRI Logo.png] Seal Rescue Ireland: Animal Care and Education Internship Seal Rescue Ireland (SRI) is a charity organisation which operates a busy marine animal rescue and rehabilitation centre located in Courtown, Co. Wexford. As the only facility that fully rehabilitates seals within the Republic of Ireland, SRI responds to strandings nationwide. Most reports are for young grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) and common seal (Phoca vitulina) pups found sick, injured or orphaned across the Irish coastline. In addition, SRI pursues understanding and public engagement of ocean conservation and sustainability through education, community outreach and research programmes. SRI is currently accepting applications for their dual focus Animal Care and Education Internship programme for next year. With rolling start dates year round, this high paced, full-time position is for a minimum of 12 weeks, but longer time commitments are encouraged. After completion of initial training, interns who excel may be invited to stay longer and offered higher levels of responsibility. Reports to: Animal Care Manager Job Summary: This position provides the intern with a well rounded experience of both hands-on marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation work, and promoting public understanding of marine conservation as a whole. The candidate’s time will be split between assisting in the daily care of the animals and hospital operations, and providing educational tours to the public, assisting with fundraising projects, and assisting with administrative duties. The variation of responsibilities provide interns with excellent understanding of what it takes to successfully operate the many different aspects of a wildlife charity. Additionally, each intern gets the opportunity to independently plan one fundraiser project, to learn leadership and organisational skills. Interns that excel may be offered additional levels of responsibility to pursue specialized skill sets. Requirements: For consideration, applicants must have a background in areas of study such as Pre-Vet, Biology, Zoology, Marine Biology, Conservation Biology, Environmental Science or other animal related field. Applicants must be able to follow written and oral instructions, possess effective communication skills, and be passionate about marine animals and their environment. Applicants should be agile with a good sense of balance in order to maneuver around enclosures, and must be physically fit and able to lift 25 kg. Applicants must possess the ability to adapt in a fast paced, ever changing environment and have a positive, purposeful attitude. They must be willing to work long hours, nights, weekends and holidays. Previous animal care and handling experience as well as public speaking skills are preferred, however interns will receive training to develop these skills. Applicants must be fluent in English, since clear communication is essential when working around wild animals. For non-native English speakers coming from European countries, we require a C1 level of English. Duties Include: - Daily animal diet preparations and routine cleaning of enclosures and work areas. - Assist with rescue and release of stranded animals. - Take shifts overseeing the stranding hotline and coordinate seal rescue and transport. - Assist in the care of seals (feeding, restraining, medical treatment, daily care). - Help ensure that the clinical areas are stocked, hygienic and prepared to receive animals. - Maintain and update medical records. - Provide assistance to management and rehabilitation staff as needed. - Assist with fundraisers and educational events. - Assist with clerical duties and office work as needed - Participate in educational talks and tours. - Complete and arrange a personal fundraiser project in aid of the center. This is an unpaid position. Intern housing may be offered to successful applicants for 90 Euro/week (including food). Interns are responsible for their own travel expenses. Application Deadlines: 1st of June, 2020 for October, November, and December, 2020 start dates 1st of September, 2020 for January, February, March and April, 2021 start dates 2nd of January, 2021 for May, June, July, and August, 2021 start dates 1st of May, 2020 for September, October, November, and December, 2021 start dates Please visit our website at (http://www.sealrescueireland.org/internships/) to download the application form. Then send completed with your resume and cover letter to: intern(a)sealrescueireland.org Attention: Animal Care and Education Internship Seal Rescue Ireland offers three other exciting internship opportunities! *Marketing and Media Internship* - provides the intern with experience in producing quality media content to help Seal Rescue Ireland promote our mission, ocean conservation, and our fundraising efforts. *Education Internship* - provides the intern with experience in developing and presenting educational programs and activities for groups of all ages that focus on ocean conservation and sustainability. *Community Engagement Internship* - provides the intern with experience in community outreach to raise awareness of SRI and ocean conservation, event planning, and fundraising to support our centre. Due to Covid-19, all offers of internship positions with Seal Rescue Ireland may be subject to change depending on government regulations and advice, and well as SRI’s decisions on what is best for the health and wellbeing of our team. We thank everyone for their flexibility and understanding during this crisis. Registered Charity: RCN 20108519

1 0

New article on phylogeography and demographic history of narwhals
by Marie Louis 22 Apr '20

22 Apr '20

Dear all, We are pleased to share our publication: Louis. M., Skovrind M., Castruita J.A.S., Garilao C., Kaschner K., Gopalakrishnan S., Haile J., Lydersen C., Kovacs K.M., Garde E., Heide-Jørgensen M.P., Postma L., Ferguson S.H., Willerslev E., Lorenzen E.D. 2020. Influence of past climate change on phylogeography and demographic history of narwhals, Modonon monoceros. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. doi: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2019.2964 Abstract The Arctic is warming at an unprecedented rate, with unknown consequences for endemic fauna. However, Earth has experienced severe climatic oscillations in the past, and understanding how species responded to them might provide insight into their resilience to near-future climatic predictions. Little is known about the responses of Arctic marine mammals to past climatic shifts, but narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are considered one of the endemic Arctic species most vulnerable to environmental change. Here, we analyse 121 complete mitochondrial genomes from narwhals sampled across their range and use them in combination with species distribution models to elucidate the influence of past and ongoing climatic shifts on their population structure and demographic history. We find low levels of genetic diversity and limited geographic structuring of genetic clades. We show that narwhals experienced a long-term low effective population size, which increased after the Last Glacial Maximum, when the amount of suitable habitat expanded. Similar post-glacial habitat release has been a key driver of population size expansion of other polar marine predators. Our analyses indicate that habitat availability has been critical to the success of narwhals, raising concerns for their fate in an increasingly warming Arctic. The article is available at:<https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00227-018-3341-z> https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2019.2964 On behalf of all co-authors, Eline and Marie

1 0

New publication: Female-calf humpback whale communication
by Katherine Indeck 21 Apr '20

21 Apr '20

Hi all, My co-authors and I are pleased to share our new publication in Bioacoustics: Indeck, K.L., Girola, E., Torterotot, M., Noad, M.J. & Dunlop, R.A. (2020) Adult female-calf acoustic communication signals in migrating east Australian humpback whales. Bioacoustics. DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2020.1742204<https://doi.org/10.1080/09524622.2020.1742204> ABSTRACT Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) calf survival during migration is dependent upon them maintaining contact with their mothers, and acoustics likely plays a significant role in this. Here, we analysed calls (n = 255) produced by migrating humpback whale adult female-calf pairs (n = 15) off the east coast of Australia. First, we identified nine common call types that were then quantitatively separated into two distinct clusters. One cluster contained calls that were considerably longer in duration, lower in frequency, and narrower in bandwidth than those in the second cluster. These are proposed to have been produced by the adult females and calves, respectively. We then compared acoustic features within presumed age class. Minimum, peak, and maximum frequencies were significantly different across both adult females and calves (Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0.05), suggesting that their calls encode socially relevant information regarding physical signaller attributes (i.e. age and body size). This study established a baseline adult female-calf call repertoire produced during the migration of east Australian humpback whales. Potential vocal masking from anthropogenic noise is of particular concern for communications between adult females and their calves, as it may put calves at risk of becoming separated from their mothers. You can access the paper here: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/PCZXIJPNGIRC8PBDP6AR/full?target=10.1080… Cheers, Kate Dr Katherine Indeck BSc, PhD Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory Moreton Bay Research Station University of Queensland Dunwich, QLD 4183, Australia Mob: 0413 933 922 Email: k.indeck(a)uq.edu.au<mailto:k.indeck@uq.edu.au> CEAL website: https://ceal.lab.uq.edu.au/

1 0

Semester By the Bay (Homer, AK) Internships still available!
by UAA KBC Semester by the Bay 21 Apr '20

21 Apr '20

Environmental Studies Program and Internships ( http://semesterbythebay.org/internships/) available for this Fall Semester at the University of Alaska Anchorage-KPC-KBC in Homer, Alaska. Semester by the Bay is still accepting applications for undergraduate students interested in studying marine mammals, marine biology, ecology, and environmental sciences this fall semester, August 23-December 12, 2020, in the beautiful seaside town of Homer, Alaska. Our courses (e.g., Marine Mammal Biology, Marine Biology, Behavioral Ecology of Marine Mammals, Ichthyology, etc.) offer students numerous unique experiential learning opportunities in the lab and field, such as the behavioral ecology of beluga, humpback and killer whales, sea otters, Steller sea lions and harbor seals; acoustics of harbor porpoises and belugas; marine mammal skeletal articulation; seining, identification and articulation of estuarine and marine fishes; behavior of marine mammals in estuarine and nearshore environments. Additionally, most students participate in community-based *internships*and/or service-learning volunteer opportunities with governmental or non-governmental researchers while studying with us at the Kachemak Bay Campus of Kenai Peninsula College. KPC offers *in-state tuition* for all US students, and many internships include free or significantly reduced housing with our community-partner agencies (USFWS, NOAA, KBNERR, AMNWR, Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game, Kachemak Bay Land Trust). Internships still available: Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies - Marine Debris Intern Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies - Environmental Educator Intern *NEW* Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies & Oregon Coast Aquarium - Environmental Education & Digital Learning Kachemak Heritage Land Trust - Land Steward Intern Alaska Department of Fish & Game - Fisheries Intern Please see www.semesterbythebay.org or email semesterbythebay(a)alaska.edu for more details.

1 0

acoustic cue rate production and its drivers - introducing ACCURATE and request for references
by Tiago Marques 21 Apr '20

21 Apr '20

Dear MARMAMers, This email is intended to introduce to the MARMAM community a multi-institution effort (University of St Andrews, Syracuse University, Texas A&M University Galveston, University of California San Diego, NOAA, SMRU Consulting) starting a new project ACCURATE – ACoustic CUe RATEs for passive acoustics density estimation. The project, running from late 2019 to 2023, is funded by the US Navy Living Marine resources program. A very short description can be found below and a few additional details can be found at https://www.researchgate.net/project/ACCURATE-ACoustic-CUe-RATEs-for-passiv… but please do reach out at “tiago.marques at st-andrews.ac.uk” if you would like to know more. ACCURATE does not involve any field work nor any dedicated data collection, leveraging on some previously identified existing datasets for its core tasks. Nonetheless, one of its initial tasks was to identify additional datasets that might be considered for further insights on the broad topic of acoustic cue rate production and estimation. Therefore, at this point we would like to: (1) Identify projects and or bibliographic references that might be included in our literature review. We would be very happy to receive from the MARMAM community references on acoustic cue production on all marine mammal species, including papers a. describing sounds that could be used for PAM density estimation, b. their production rates, and c. factors that might affect these production rates. If you happen to be or have been involved on research on that topic, it would be outstanding to receive your feedback and potential references or grey literature on the topic. Please do so by sending us an email at “Papers4AccurateReview at gmail.com”. A reference will be good, a pdf will be great, and the more the better! (2) Identify projects including data sets that might be relevant in this context. If you are conducting research on the topic or that might be collecting data that could be leveraged upon for the topic we would love to hear from you. This would include any dataset that allows one to estimate cue rate production, specifically (but not exclusively) animal borne tags with onboard acoustic recorders. Please do so via “tiago.marques at st-andrews.ac.uk” On behalf of the ACCURATE team, looking forward to hear from the MARMAM community Tiago Marques In short, The ACCURATE project aims to deliver a comprehensive, quantitative synthesis of the current state of knowledge on acoustic cue rates and cue stability for marine mammal density estimation from passive acoustics. The ultimate goal is to determine the most appropriate cue rates to use in a particular setting (considering different contextual settings). To achieve this, the project will include (1) identifying, reviewing, compiling and providing open access to all data available on cue rates (and their variability) across deep-diving and baleen whale species; (2) developing methods to estimate cue rates from different data types (e.g. time depth-data) and for different taxa; (3) applying these methods to species of interest for the Navy (including both deep divers and baleen whales); (4) exploring the factors that determine cue rate variability over time and space; (5) evaluating impacts of cue rate variability on density estimates from cue-based methods. This information will be made publicly available to the wider community interested in estimating density from passive acoustics. Finally, we will deliver a comprehensive set of recommendations of the most appropriate means by which to advance this field to meet Navy needs. __________________________________________ Tiago André Marques email (St Andrews): tiago.marques at st.andrews.ac.uk email (FCUL): tamarques at ciencias.ulisboa.pt email (personal): tiagoandremarques at gmail.com Mobile (personal): 00351919651628 Twitter: @TiagoALOMarques Skype: talomar __________________________________________ Google Scholar SHqH7fMAAAAJ ORCID 0000-0002-2581-1972 ResearcherID A-5530-2010 Scopus ID 6603703024 __________________________________________ University of St Andrews Senior Research Fellow School of Mathematics and Statistics Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9LZ, Scotland Phone: 00441334461842 Fax: 00441334461800 The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland : No SC013532 http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/profile/tam2 __________________________________________ Universidade de Lisboa Professor Auxiliar Convidado Departamento de Biologia Animal Centro de Estatística e Aplicações Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa Bloco C6, Piso 4, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, PORTUGAL FCUL: 00351217500170 (my usual office) https://ciencias.ulisboa.pt/pt/perfil/tamarques __________________________________________

1 0

New publication: Underwater Visual Records of Marine Megafauna Around Offshore Anthropogenic Structures
by Laura Lazar 21 Apr '20

21 Apr '20

Hello fellow MARMAM members, We are excited to announce the publication of our newest 2020 paper entitled: 'Underwater Visual Records of Marine Megafauna Around Offshore Anthropogenic Structures' , in a special issue titled 'Seafloor heterogeneity: artificial structures and marine ecosystem dynamics' of the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Marine Science. In this study, we investigated how archived video data collected routinely by the offshore industry can be re-analysed for scientific purposes. Using recordings collected by Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and commercial divers can provide additional insights into the unknown interactions of marine megafauna with anthropogenic infrastructure. Todd, V.L.G., Lazar, L., Williamson, L.D., Peters, I., Hoover, A.L., Cox, S.E., Todd, I.B., Macreadie, P.I., and McLean, D.L. (2020): Underwater visual records of marine megafauna around offshore anthropogenic structures. Frontiers in Marine Science 7, 230. Link to open-source publication: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00230, Link to press release: https://www.osc.co.uk/oscs-newest-publication-on-underwater-visual-records-… Abstract: In oceans and seas worldwide, an increasing number of end-of-life anthropogenic offshore structures (e.g., platforms, pipelines, manifolds, windfarms, etc.) are facing full or partial removal. As part of the decommissioning process, studies on potential importance of subsea infrastructure to marine megafauna (defined as: cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirenians, large fish - such as sharks, rays, billfishes, and tuna, as well as marine reptiles, and seabirds) are lacking. Dedicated scientific Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) surveys around offshore installations are rare, but there is a wealth of archived industrial data and noteworthy species sightings posted publicly on various social media platforms. This study used routine, incidentally collected ROV (n = 73) and commercial diver (n = 9) video recordings spanning 1998-2019 globally. Data were gathered directly from industrial partners (n = 36) and the public domain (YouTube; n = 46) to provide an account of marine megafauna presence and potential feeding behavior in the near-visible vicinity of subsea anthropogenic structures. A total of 79 video clips and 3 still images of marine megafauna near offshore structures were examined, resulting in 67 individual sightings and 16 sub-sightings (in which an individual was recorded within the same day). At least 178 individuals were identified to a minimum of 17 species of marine megafauna, amounting to a total (combined) sighting duration of 01:09:35 (hh:mm:ss). Results demonstrated proximate presence of marine megafauna (many of which are threatened species) to anthropogenic structures, with most animals displaying foraging or interaction behaviors with the structures. Observations included the deepest (2,779 m) confirmed record of a sleeper shark (Somniosus spp.) and the first confirmed visual evidence of seals following pipelines. These ROV observations demonstrate a latent source of easily accessible information that can expand understanding of marine megafauna interactions with offshore anthropogenic infrastructure. Consequently, other workers in this field should be encouraged to re-analyze archived datasets, commence further collaborative research projects with industrial partners, and/or expand Internet search terms to additional species assemblages, in a bid to quantitatively elucidate relationships between offshore infrastructure and marine species. Kind regards, -- Laura Lazar Research Assistant Ocean Science Consulting Limited (OSC) Spott Road, Dunbar, East Lothian, EH42 1RR, Scotland, UK M: +44 (0)7746 309 855 T: +44 (0)1368 865 722 W: www.osc.co.uk . MMO or PAM requirement? We wrote the book. Now available on Amazon: www.marinemammalobserverhandbook.com

1 0