May 2020 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Consequences of culturally-driven ecological specialization: Killer whales and beyond
by Hal Whitehead 12 Jun '26

12 Jun '26

The following paper has just been published: Consequences of culturally-driven ecological specialization: Killer whales and beyond. by: Hal Whitehead and John K.B. Ford Journal of Theoretical Biology 456: 279-294 Abstract: Culturally-transmitted ecological specialization occurs in killer whales, as well as other species. We hypothesize that some of the remarkable demographic and ecological attributes of killer whales result from this process. We formalize and model (using agent-based stochastic models parametrized using killer whale life history) the cultural evolution of specialization by social groups, in which a narrowing of niche breadth is spread and maintained in a group through social learning. We compare the demographic and ecological results of cultural specialization to those of a similar model of specialization through natural selection. We found that specialization, through either the cultural or natural selection routes, is adaptive in the short term with specialization often increasing fitness. Generalization, in contrast, is rarely adaptive. The cultural evolution of specialization can lead to increased rates of group extirpation. Specialization has little effect on group size but tends to reduce population size and resource abundance. While the two specialization processes produce similar results, cultural specialization can be very much faster. The results are generally consistent with what we know of the formation and maintenance of specialist ecotypes in killer whales, and have implications for the persistence, nature and ecological effects of these apex predators. You can read a .pdf at: http://whitelab.biology.dal.ca/labpub.htm Hal Whitehead Dalhousie University hwhitehe(a)dal.ca

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Update to SOCPROG
by Hal Whitehead 01 Jul '24

01 Jul '24

A new and updated version of SOCPROG, SOCPROG2.9 (both compiled and uncompiled downloads) is available at: http://whitelab.biology.dal.ca/SOCPROG/social.htm SOCPROG is a MATLAB-based package of programs for the analysis of animal social structures, movements and populations. The compiled version does not need MATLAB itself. This version is compatible with MATLAB2018b (although it will likely work well on recent and soon-to-be-released versions of MATLAB). It fixes a few bugs and adds functionality compared to previous versions (especially association complexity). Thanks Hal Whitehead, Dalhousie University, Canada

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Re: [MARMAM] Manatee Position in Melbourne Beach, FL
by Greer, Bill 21 Aug '23

21 Aug '23

https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/MELBOURNE-BEACH-OPS-BIOLOGICAL-SCIENTIST-I-F… This position will assist in the coordination of salvage and recovery efforts of marine mammal carcasses for the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) East Central Field Laboratory. The incumbent will serve as member of FWC’s manatee necropsy team conducting field and laboratory necropsies on manatee and other marine mammal carcasses, record observations and complete associated necropsy reports. This position will recover marine mammal carcasses for necropsy from the East Central region (coastal and inland waterways of southern Volusia County through Indian River County) of Florida and assist in manatee rescue and transport operations in the East Central region as well as assist with manatee rescue and capture operations away from designated area as needed. This position will be responsible for preparation and labeling of sample containers, carcass disposal, and cleaning of equipment and instruments. This position will be responsible for managing the East Central region’s intern and volunteer network which includes identifying candidates, interviewing, tracking their effort and training when needed. This position will be responsible for deployment, retrieval, maintenance and data collection of temperature probes throughout the winter months. This position will be responsible for assisting with other East Central regions projects such as photo identification and assisting with basic maintenance of vehicles, trailers and vessels as well purchasing needs and other tasks as assigned by supervisor. This position will assist with aerial surveys for manatees as needed. This position will have an assigned work schedule of Tuesday to Saturday (8:00 am-5:00 pm) and will be asked to respond to marine mammal emergencies and carcasses outside of normal work schedule as needed or assigned. This position will serve in a rotation with other East Central staff members for the purpose of covering the East Central Region during state holidays. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: * Knowledge of the Florida Manatee Recovery Plan and state and federal legislation protecting manatees * Knowledge of methods of data collection and principles and techniques of research and analysis * Knowledge of marine mammal anatomy and necropsy techniques * Knowledge of digital SLR cameras, filters, and lenses * Knowledge of marine mammal capture, handling, and transport techniques * Able to trailer flatbeds/utility trailers and watercraft vessels * Able to safely operate watercraft vessels 26’ in length and smaller * Be capable of daily manual labor requiring handling of heavy and sharp objects and working under unpleasant conditions * Must be physically fit, able to vertically lift at least 75 lbs, and be able to swim sufficiently to save oneself * Able to conduct fieldwork in all weather conditions * Able to establish and maintain effective working relationships * Be comfortable speaking to the public * Possess or be able to obtain and maintain a Florida driver’s license within a month of employment Minimum Requirements: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in one of the biological sciences. Experience with dissection, pathology, or animal necropsies and data management. **Preference may be given to candidates who have experience with dissection, pathology, or animal necropsies and data management; having live and dead marine mammal stranding/necropsy experience; having photo-id collection experience in the field; or experience working alongside volunteers/interns. WHAT IS OPS EMPLOYMENT? Other Personal Services (OPS) temporary employer/employee relationship used solely for accomplishing short term or intermittent tasks. OPS employees do not fill established positions and may not be assigned the duties of any vacant authorized position. OPS employees are at-will employees and are subject to actions such as pay changes, changes to work assignment and terminations at the pleasure of the agency head or designee. WHAT BENEFITS ARE APPLICABLE TO OPS EMPLOYEES? * State of Florida 401(a) FICA Alternative Plan - mandatory * Workers’ Compensation - mandatory * Reemployment Assistance (Unemployment Compensation) - mandatory * Participation in state group insurance (must meet eligibility requirements. Consult with People First or the servicing Human Resource Office for details.) * Deferred Compensation - voluntary * Employee Assistance Program – voluntary WHAT BENEFITS ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO OPS EMPLOYEES? * Any form of paid leave * Paid holidays * Participation in the Florida Retirement System * Reinstatement rights or retention rights Application Process: Applicants are required to submit a complete, up-to-date, State of Florida Employment Application Form electronically in People First (http://peoplefirst.myflorida.com<http://peoplefirst.myflorida.com/>) by the closing date listed. Resumes and supporting documentation may be submitted at the same time you are applying online, faxed, or mailed to People First, but do not replace the requirement for a completed State of Florida Employment Application Form. The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or the People First Service Center (1-877-562-7287). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation. The State of Florida hires only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers. If a conditional offer of employment is made, you will be required to provide identification and proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States for the hiring authority to which application is made. The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace. Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation. The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act. Nearest Major Market: Melbourne Bill Greer Marine Mammal Biologist Melbourne Beach Marine Mammal Lab 4020 South Highway A1A Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951 Cell (321) 626-7367 Office (321) 953-5037 [FWC LOGO1] Wildlife Alert: 1-888-404-3922 From: Greer, Bill Sent: Friday, October 18, 2019 7:44 PM To: marmam(a)lists.uvic.ca Subject: Manatee Position in Melbourne Beach, FL https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/MELBOURNE-BEACH-OPS-BIOLOGICAL-SCIENTIST-I-F… Bill Greer Marine Mammal Biologist Melbourne Beach Marine Mammal Lab 4020 South Highway A1A Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951 Cell (321) 626-7367 Office (321) 953-5037 [FWC LOGO1] Wildlife Alert: 1-888-404-3922

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New Online Training Course: An Introduction To Integrating QGIS/GIS And R For Spatial Analysis - 6th to 8th May 2020
by cdmacleod＠gisinecology.com 20 Jan '23

20 Jan '23

We will be running a new online training course called 'An Introduction To Integrating QGIS/GIS and R For Spatial Analysis' between the 6th and 8th of May 2020. It will be held via the Zoom video-conferencing platform. This course is aimed at those who wish to learn how to use and integrate QGIS (the leading freely available GIS software package) and R (the leading freely available data analysis software package) for spatial analysis. It will be taught by Dr. Colin D. MacLeod, the author of 'An Introduction To Integrating QGIS And R for Spatial Analysis [1]' (Pictish Beast Publications) and a renowned expert in using GIS in biological and ecological research. He is also a co-author of the recenntly publised 'An Introduction To Basic Statistics For Biologists Using R [2]', which is a practical guide to carrying out the analysis of biological data in R. The course assumes no prior knowledge of either QGIS/GIS or R, and so is open to complete beginners as well as those how know how to use one of these software packages, and wish to learn how to integrate it with the other. Attendance will be limited to a maximum of 16 people. The course for this three day course will cost GBP 395 per person (with a discounted rate of GBP 300 for students, the unwaged and those working for registered charities). To book a place, or for more information, visit http://gisinecology.com/online-course-an-introduction-to-integrating-qgis-g… or email info(a)GISinEcology.com. GIS and statistical analysis are two of the most fundamental software tools for marine mammalogists wishing to conduct spatial analyses, which is, itself, a cornerstone for the management and conservation of marine mammal species. However, GIS and statistical analyses have their own sets of software packages, and sometimes it can be difficult to know how to integrate the two. This course will provide an introduction to the integration of QGIS (the leading freely available GIS software package) and R (the leading data analysis software packages used by biologists) to create a combined tool set that makes the most of the strengths of each of these individual software packages. It will consist of a series of background sessions on using GIS and R for spatial analysis, mixed in with practical sessions where you will learn how to use QGIS, how to use R, and how to integrate two to complete a spatial analysis project. This last part will include working through an example project, starting with creating a high quality map for publication through creating raster data layers of environmental variables, joining data together based on their spatial relationships and analysing the combined data set using R (including creating summary statistics, conducting linear regressions and conducting generalised additive modelling - GAMs). While it will primarily be based around QGIS, this course is taught using software-independent approach, and it is also open to those who wish to learn how to use ArcGIS to do biological GIS. When you attend this course you will receive a free copy of An Introduction To Integrating QGIS And R for Spatial Analysis [1] (GIS For Biologists Workbooks) as the practical exercises in that course are based on the ones contained in that book. NOTE: If you wish to use ArcGIS software for this course, alternative materials will be provided for the practical sessions. ================================================================================== GIS IN ECOLOGY - Providing Training, Advice And Consultancy On The Use Of GIS In Ecology Web: www.GISinEcology.com Email: info(a)GISinEcology.com Need to ask a question about using GIS? Try the GIS In Ecology Forum: www.GISinEcology.com/GIS_in_Ecology_forum.htm Books From GIS In Ecology Staff: GIS For Biologists: A Practical Introduction For Undergraduates; RRP: £24.99 An Introduction To Using GIS In Marine Biology; RRP: £44.99 An Introduction To Using GIS In Marine Biology: Supplementary Workbook One - Creating Maps Of Species Distribution; RRP: £19:99 If you wish to purchase these books, visit: http://www.gisinecology.com/Book_Shop.htm To help the environment, please do not print out this email unless it is unavoidable. ================================================================================== Links: ------ [1] http://gisinecology.com/an-introduction-to-integrating-qgis-and-r-for-spati… [2] http://gisinecology.com/stats-for-biologists-1

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UF Spring online course - Aquatic Wildlife Health
by Larkin,Iskande (Iske) 08 Nov '21

08 Nov '21

Hi All, Registration is currently open for Spring 2020. The University of Florida, Aquatic Animal Health Program, is offering the following course for those that may be interested. Class begins Jan 6th and runs through Wednesday April 22nd. Registration will remain open until Friday, Jan 10th. Aquatic Wildlife Health Issues is an online course (3 credits) designed to introduce students (upper level undergraduate and graduate) and professionals (with an AA or higher degree) to the natural history, anatomy, physiology, behavior and common health issues of aquatic species: whales and dolphins, seals and sea lions, manatees, sea turtles, crocodilians, fish and invertebrates. For more information about the class or enrollment, contact Dr. Iskande Larkin (ivlarkin(a)ufl.edu)<mailto:ivlarkin@ufl.edu%29.*This> Sincerely, Dr Iske Larkin [Description: AAH logo blue E-Mail Sig] Iske V. Larkin, PhD Lecturer & Education Coordinator Interim Director Aquatic Animal Health Program Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida PO Box 100136 2015 SW 16th Ave Gainesville, Florida 32610 Office phone - 352-294-4095 Work cell - 352-494-1742 Fax - 352-392-8289 Program web page: http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu<http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu/> "To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world." -Anonymous ________________________________ Please note that Florida has a broad public records law, and that all correspondence to or from University of Florida employees via email may be subject to disclosure.

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Summer Online Course - Manatee Health
by Larkin,Iskande (Iske) 24 Mar '21

24 Mar '21

Hi All, The University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Aquatic Animal Health Program would like to send notice that registration for our summer online course is open. Manatee Health and Conservation is an online course (3 credits) that will provide students (upper level undergraduate and graduate) and professionals (with an AA or higher degree) with a detailed overview of manatee natural history, health assessment, and research findings as well as explore conservation issues. More information about this class can be found here. Students enrolled at any College or University within the US or internationally can take this course. For more information about this classes or enrollment, contact Dr. Iskande Larkin (ivlarkin(a)ufl.edu<mailto:ivlarkin@ufl.edu> ). The first day of the semester is Monday May 13th. Sincerely, Dr Larkin [Description: AAH logo blue E-Mail Sig] Iske V. Larkin, PhD Lecturer & Education Coordinator Interim Director Aquatic Animal Health Program Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida PO Box 100136 2015 SW 16th Ave Gainesville, Florida 32610 Office phone - 352-294-4095 Work cell - 352-494-1742 Fax - 352-392-8289 Program web page: http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu<http://aquatic.vetmed.ufl.edu/> "To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world." -Anonymous ________________________________ Please note that Florida has a broad public records law, and that all correspondence to or from University of Florida employees via email may be subject to disclosure. ________________________________

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New publication: Resistance and susceptibility of dolphins to cetacean morbillivirus (Kimberley Batley)
by Kimberley Batley 17 Mar '21

17 Mar '21

Dear all, My colleagues and I are pleased to announce the publication of the following paper: Batley KC, Sandoval‐Castillo J, Kemper CM, Attard, CRM, Zanardo, N, Tomo, I, Beheregaray, LB, Möller, LM (2018). Genome-wide association study of an unusual dolphin mortality event reveals candidate genes for susceptibility and resistance to cetacean morbillivirus. Evolutionary Applications. https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.12747 Abstract: Infectious diseases are significant demographic and evolutionary drivers of populations, but studies about the genetic basis of disease resistance and susceptibility are scarce in wildlife populations. Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) is a highly contagious disease that is increasing in both geographic distribution and incidence, causing unusual mortality events (UME) and killing tens of thousands of individuals across multiple cetacean species worldwide since the late 1980’s. The largest CeMV outbreak in the Southern Hemisphere reported to date occurred in Australia in 2013, where it was a major factor in a UME, killing mainly young Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus). Using cases (non-survivors) and controls (putative survivors) from the most affected population, we carried out a genome-wide association study to identify candidate genes for resistance and susceptibility to CeMV. The genomic dataset consisted of 278,147,988 sequence reads and 35,493 high quality SNPs genotyped across 38 individuals. Association analyses found highly significant differences in allele and genotype frequencies amongst cases and controls at 65 SNPs, and Random Forests conservatively identified eight as candidates. Annotation of these SNPs identified five candidate genes (MAPK8, FBXW11, INADL, ANK3, and ACOX3) with functions associated with stress, pain and immune responses. Our findings provide the first insights into the genetic basis of host defence to this highly contagious disease, enabling the development of an applied evolutionary framework to monitor CeMV resistance across cetacean species. Biomarkers could now be established to assess potential risk factors associated with these genes in other CeMV affected cetacean populations and species. These results could also possibly aid in the advancement of vaccines against morbilliviruses. The PDF is freely accessible at https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.12747 Regards, Kimberley Batley, on behalf of all co-authors Kimberley Batley PhD candidate Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL) Molecular Ecology Lab (MELFU) College of Science & Engineering, Flinders University P +61 8 8201 3865 | E kimberley.batley(a)flinders.edu.au www.cebel.org.au<http://www.cebel.org.au/> | www.molecularecology.flinders.edu.au<http://www.molecularecology.flinders.edu.au/>

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new publication: Giant petrels prey on depredating Sperm Whales
by Jared Towers 31 May '20

31 May '20

Hi colleagues, There is some information below about an article my co-author and I recently had published in Polar Biology for anyone who is interested. REFERENCE: Towers JR, Gasco N. 2020. Giant petrels (*Macronectes* spp.) prey on depredating sperm whales (*Physeter macrocephalus*). Polar Biology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-020-02687-2 ABSTRACT: Relationships between seabirds and cetaceans can vary from symbiotic to predatory. At high latitude seas in the Southern Hemisphere, giant petrels (*Macronectes* spp.) and male sperm whales (*Physeter macrocephalus*) are often solitary, but commercial longlining for Patagonian toothfish (*Dissostichus eleginoides*) provides consistent feeding opportunities that result in persistent aggregations of both. From ~ 1997 to 2019, we opportunistically photographed 23 events where individual giant petrels preyed on the flesh of live sperm whales that were depredating from Patagonian toothfish longliners near South Georgia, Crozet, and Kerguelen Islands. Both immature and adult southern (*M. giganteus*) and northern (*M. halli*) giant petrels were implicated in these predation events. Sperm whales reacted to attacks from one or more giant petrels by sinking or flinching, and then arching, rolling, diving, and snorkelling at the surface during subsequent predation attempts. Depredating sperm whales will dive deep, fast, and for long periods which can result in limited dive ability while replenishing oxygen stores at the surface. This behaviour, and the relatively high density of both species around longlining vessels may facilitate unique opportunities for giant petrels to exploit live sperm whales that are not likely as common under circumstances not sustained by longlining operations. LINK: https://rdcu.be/b4wyX or e-mail jrtowers(a)gmail.com for a PDF.

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New publication on received levels on a sound and movement tag on a singing humpback whale
by Adam Pack 30 May '20

30 May '20

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to inform you of our recent publication “Variations in received levels on a sound and movement tag on a singing humpback whale: Implications for caller identification,” in the *Journal of the Acoustical Society of America*. The citation and abstract appear below. If you would like a pdf copy of the paper, you may contact either Alison Stimpert at astimpert(a)mlml.calstate.edu, or Marc Lammers at marc.lammers(a)noaa.gov or Adam Pack at pack(a)hawaii.edu. We wish you all good health, safe spaces, much aloha, and peace. Stimpert, A. K., Lammers, M. O., Pack, A. A. & Au, W. W. L. (2020). Variations in received levels on a sound and movement tag on a singing humpback whale: Implications for caller identification, *Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 147 *(5), 3684-3690. Bio-logging devices are advancing the understanding of marine animal behavior, but linking sound production and behavior of individual baleen whales is still unreliable. Tag placement potentially within the near field of the sound source creates uncertainty about how tagged animal sounds will register on recorders. This study used data from a tagged singing humpback whale to evaluate this question of how sound levels present on a tag when calls are produced by a tagged animal. Root-mean-square (rms) received levels (RLs) of song units ranged from 112 to 164 dB re 1 lPa rms, with some, but not all, of the lower frequency units registering on the tag’s 800 Hz accelerometer sensor. Fifty-nine percent of recorded units measured lower acoustic RLs than previously reported source levels for humpback song, but signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were 30–45 dB during periods of the dive with low noise. This research highlights that tag RL does not alone predict caller identity, argues for higher SNR thresholds if using SNR to inform decisions about the source of a call, and provides a baseline for future research identifying diagnostic properties of tagged animal calls in cetacean bioacoustic tag datasets. Alison Stimpert, *Bioacoustics and Vertebrate Ecology, Moss Landing Laboratories* Marc Lammers, *Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary* Adam Pack, *Departments of Psychology and Biology and LOHE Bioacoustics Lab, University of Hawaii at Hilo* Whitlow Au (deceased), *Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii at Manoa* -- Adam A. Pack, Ph.D. Professor and Chair (Psychology) Departments of Psychology and Biology University of Hawai'i at Hilo 200 West Kawili Street Hilo, Hawai'i 96720 (Office Voice): 808-932-7076 (Email): pack(a)hawaii.edu (Webpage): https://hilo.hawaii.edu/faculty/adam-a-pack/ "Do or do not; there is no try." Yoda

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SMM Small Research Grants Application Period Opens 1 June 2020
by Douglas Wartzok 30 May '20

30 May '20

The Society for Marine Mammalogy would like to inform eligible members (see below) that this year's Small Grants in Aid of Research application window opens on 1 June 2020. Applications will be accepted during the entire month of June. The Committee of Scientific Advisors will review applications and make recommendations on funding with decisions announced in early September 2020. The awards are up to US $2,000. All three of the following eligibility requirements must be met: 1. Be a member of the Society for Marine Mammalogy. 2. Be a national of any country not on this Excluded Country List: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and United States. Preference is given to early career researchers such as students and researchers with less than 5 years post-doctoral experience. 3. Be conducting research in a country not on the above Excluded Country List. The Small Grant web page<https://www.marinemammalscience.org/jobs-grants/grants-in-aid-of-research-i…> provides full information, links to past successful applications, a list of recipients from prior years and their completed project reports, and a link to the application itself. Please be mindful of the word limits in the various sections of the application. Last year 15 of 32 applicants from 13 counties received funding ranging from $830 to $2,000. For technical questions regarding the online application, please email the Society webmaster at admin(a)marinemammalscience.org<mailto:admin@+marinemammalscience.org> For all other questions about the grants, please contact: Douglas Wartzok Chair Committee of Scientific Advisors Society for Marine Mammalogy wartzok(a)fiu.edu<mailto:wartzok@fiu.edu>

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