July 2020 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

New publication on high frequency hearing and potential markers for detecting cases of hearing loss
by MARIA MORELL 23 Jul '20

23 Jul '20

Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of our new paper “Echolocating Whales and Bats Express the Motor Protein Prestin in the Inner Ear: A Potential Marker for Hearing Loss” in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. The full text is available here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00429/full?fbclid=I… Morell M, Vogl AW, IJsseldijk LL, Piscitelli-Doshkov M, Tong L, Ostertag S, Ferreira M, Fraija-Fernandez N, Colegrove KM, Puel J-L, Raverty SA and Shadwick RE (2020) Echolocating Whales and Bats Express the Motor Protein Prestin in the Inner Ear: A Potential Marker for Hearing Loss. Front. Vet. Sci. 7:429. Doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00429<https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.00429> Abstract Prestin is an integral membrane motor protein located in outer hair cells of the mammalian cochlea. It is responsible for electromotility and required for cochlear amplification. Although prestin works in a cycle-by-cycle mode up to frequencies of at least 79 kHz, it is not known whether or not prestin is required for the extreme high frequencies used by echolocating species. Cetaceans are known to possess a prestin coding gene. However, the expression and distribution pattern of the protein in the cetacean cochlea has not been determined, and the contribution of prestin to echolocation has not yet been resolved. Here we report the expression of the protein prestin in five species of echolocating whales and two species of echolocating bats. Positive labeling in the basolateral membrane of outer hair cells, using three anti-prestin antibodies, was found all along the cochlear spiral in echolocating species. These findings provide morphological evidence that prestin can have a role in cochlear amplification in the basolateral membrane up to 120–180 kHz. In addition, labeling of the cochlea with a combination of anti-prestin, anti-neurofilament, anti-myosin VI and/or phalloidin and DAPI will be useful for detecting potential recent cases of noise-induced hearing loss in stranded cetaceans. This study improves our understanding of the mechanisms involved in sound transduction in echolocating mammals, as well as describing an optimized methodology for detecting cases of hearing loss in stranded marine mammals. Best regards, Maria Morell Maria Morell, PhD Research Associate Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum Germany Phone: +49-(0)5118568178 e-mail: maria.morell(a)tiho-hannover.de<mailto:maria.morell@tiho-hannover.de>

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New publication on beluga calf vocal development
by Audra Ames 22 Jul '20

22 Jul '20

Dear colleagues, On behalf of myself and my co-author, we are pleased to announce the publication of our new paper in the recent issue of Aquatic Mammals. Ames, A. E., & Vergara, V. (2020). Trajectories of Vocal Repertoire Development in Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) Calves: Insights from Studies a Decade Apart. Aquatic Mammals, 46(4), 344–366. doi:10.1578/am.46.4.2020.344 ABSTRACT There has been only one published study of beluga vocal development, despite the value of ontogenetic research for our understanding of sound-centered species. Findings from this seminal study were vital to understanding the beluga vocal repertoire, but further empirical study is necessary to determine if other calves follow similar trajectories in sound acquisition and development. Herein, we compare the two-year vocal progression of an additional calf, “Kylu,” to the previous research. Additionally, we report on changes in acoustic energy distribution and source level of early calf sounds for the first time as part of a larger effort to understand the impacts of underwater noise on neonate vocalizations. From his day of birth, Kylu produced broadband pulse trains with upper-frequency limits above the study’s Nyquist cutoff (128 kHz)—higher than what was reported by the previous study, which was limited by lower sampling rates. Pulsed signals were his most common sound type during his first year as in the previous study. Over Kylu’s first month of life, pulse repetition rate, source level, and third quartile frequencies of the calf’s pulse trains increased significantly. First and third quartile, center, and peak frequencies increased significantly over the first year as did pulse repetition rate and call duration. Mixed calls and tonal sounds were infrequent and not regularly produced until later in the first year of life. Calf acquisition of adult-like mixed call production appeared similarly between studies, while tonal acquisition appeared more variable. Kylu developed a contact call that was most similar to his mother’s as found in the previous study, although slight variation in contact call acquisition was evident. By comparing beluga calves and employing new technology, we reveal species-specific parallels in development and provide new information about beluga calves. The publication can be accessed via https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.46.4.2020.344 or you can email a request for a PDF to aames(a)oceanografic.org<mailto:aames@oceanografic.org> Many thanks for your interest in the article, and thank you to the Aquatic Mammals editors and the reviewers of the publication for their contributions to the finished article. Best, Audra

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NEW PUBLICATION: Variation in skull bone mineral density of ringed seals (Phoca hispida) from the Gulf of Bothnia and West Greenland between 1829 and 2019
by Schmidt, Britta 22 Jul '20

22 Jul '20

Dear MARMAM community, my co-authors and I are happy to announce the publication of our new paper in Environmental International about "Variation in skull bone mineral density of ringed seals (Phoca hispida) from the Gulf of Bothnia and West Greenland between 1829 and 2019" Schmidt, B., Sonne, C., Nachtsheim, D., Dietz, R., Oheim, R., Rolvien, T., Persson, S., Amling, M., Siebert, U., 2020. Variation in skull bone mineral density of ringed seals (Phoca hispida) from the Gulf of Bothnia and West Greenland between 1829 and 2019. Environ. Int., 143, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105968 Abstract Bone is remodelled constantly through a balance of bone formation and resorption. This process can be affected by various factors such as hormones, vitamins, nutrients and environmental factors, which can create an imbalance resulting in systemic or local bone alteration. The aim of the present study was to analyse the changes in bone mineral density (BMD) over time in skulls of ringed seals (Pusa hispida) from the Baltic and Greenland using museum samples. Overall, 303 skulls (102 Male, 89 Female, 112 unknown) were used for bone investigations and were divided into three periods according to collection year: before 1958 (n = 167), between 1958 and 1989 (n = 40) and after 1994 up to 2019 (n = 96). All skulls were examined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to obtain the BMD. Skull BMD of the Baltic seals was positively correlated with the historical polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) contamination having potential effects on the constitution of bones. BMD fluctuated between the three study periods (LM: p-value < 0.001, F-value = 47.5) with the lowest BMD found between 1897 and 1957, in the Gulf of Bothnia, where the highest peak of contaminant concentration was in the second period. BMD levels increased with increasing PCB concentration (LM: p < 0.001). The Greenland population showed significant lower BMD levels in the pollution and post-pollution period than the Baltic population (LM: p < 0.001). It also revealed a higher BMD in males than in females (LM: p=0.03). In conclusion, the variations between 1829 and 2019 in the Baltic Sea and Greenland may to a certain extent reflect normal fluctuations; however, this study revealed several factors affecting BMD, including sex and PCB levels. The publication is freely available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412020319231 Britta Schmidt Marine Biologist University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), Germany

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Three distance sampling training workshops: Aug, Sep, Oct, registration now open
by Eric Rexstad 22 Jul '20

22 Jul '20

In August, September and October of 2020, the University of St Andrews continues its remote delivery of interactive distance sampling training workshops. We are offering three workshops addressing: * mark-recapture distance sampling * spatial modelling of distance sampling data * introductory distance sampling Registration for all workshops is currently open, but closing date for the August workshop is fast approaching (see below). Description of each workshop, in chronological order, found below along with URLs for registration and additional information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Mark recapture distance sampling training workshop 24th and 25th August 2020* 17:00-19:30 British Summer Time Registration is now open for our training workshop on mark-recapture distance sampling. Join us by video from anywhere around the world! For full details, and to register, please go to *https://www.creem.st-andrews.ac.uk/mark-recapture-distance-sampling-workshop/* *Workshop Overview* Conventional distance sampling methods assume that all animals at zero distance are detected with certainty. However, in some situations this assumption is violated, and some animals are missed, causing a negative bias in the density and abundance estimates. This occurs on some shipboard surveys of marine mammals, for example, where animals may be missed on the trackline because they are underwater while the survey vessel passes, or because the sea conditions are rough so that even some animals right on the line are missed. The former (being underwater and so not available for detection) is often called availability bias and the latter perception bias. This methodology is particularly suited for investigations of cetaceans and other marine mammals. In this two-day workshop, we cover survey protocols and analytical methods for dealing with both perception bias and availability bias. The workshop is intended for those already familiar with the basics of distance sampling. *Instructors*: Len Thomas and David Borchers *Timing* 24th and 25th August 2020 17:00-19:30 British Summer Time // 12:00-14:30 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) // 09:00-11:30 Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) *Enrolment limit* 15 participants; registration deadline 31 July *Format and delivery method* The workshop will be a mix of live online interactive sessions, delivered via videoconference software (Microsoft Teams), and computer exercises. There will be two sessions on successive days, with a total class time of 4 hours (including breaks) and an additional computer exercise to complete after the first day and before the second. Exercises can be undertaken using Distance for Windows or R (via the mrds package). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Spatially explicit models for distance sampling data: density surface modelling in practice 5-9 October 2020* 5-9 October 2020, 1700-1900 BST // 1200-1400 EDT // 0900-1100 PDT This course will cover how to fit spatial models to distance sampling data ("density surface modelling") in R. This will include: * Brief overview of distance sampling * Generalized additive models * Fitting, checking and selecting density surface models * Predicting abundance * Making maps * Examples will be based around a line transect survey of sperm whales in the western Atlantic. For full details and to register, visit *https://www.creem.st-andrews.ac.uk/spatial-modelling-live-online-workshop-2/* *Instructor*: David Miller *Format*: The course will consist of 5 live sessions delivered over videoconference. Between these sessions there will be practical R exercises to complete and to assist with these practicals there will be text-based "office hours", where participants questions can be addressed. Each videoconference session will include time for lecturing and discussion of practical exercises. *Enrolment limit:* 15 participants; registration deadline 05 September *Prerequisites:* You should already know about distance sampling, for example by having taken an introductory workshop in person or online (either interactively or via our free pre-recorded lectures). You should also have some basic R knowledge. Prior to the course we will running a software test meeting to ensure everyone can participate satisfactorily. Please contact David Miller (dlm22(a)st-andrews.ac.uk) with questions regarding the spatial modelling workshop. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Introductory distance sampling 07-18 September or 21 September - 02 October 2020* Fundamental principles of distance sampling, from the perspective of survey design, field protocol for data gathering and analysis of distance sampling data. For full details, and to register, please go to *https://www.creem.st-andrews.ac.uk/distance-live-online-workshops/* *Instructor*: Eric Rexstad The 21 Sept-02 Oct offering of the workshop is being delivered in the morning UK time (0900-1130) such that participants from east Asia, Australia and New Zealand as well as Europeans can take part, while the 07-18 September workshop will be delivered early evening UK time (1700-1930) for attendees in Europe and the Americas to participate. *Format*: Ten sessions spread across two working weeks. Combination of lectures and practical exercises along with interactive polls. *Enrolment limit*: 15 participants for each of the two workshops Registration closing dates: 14 August (for first workshop), 21 August (for second workshop) Please contact Eric Rexstad (eric.rexstad(a)st-andrews.ac.uk) with questions regarding the introductory workshop. -- Eric Rexstad Centre for Ecological and Environmental Modelling University of St Andrews

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Society for Marine Mammalogy Update on the Unpaid Internship Discussion
by Charles Littnan 21 Jul '20

21 Jul '20

Aloha Marine Mammal Science and Conservation Community- I wanted to share a quick update on behalf of the Society for Marine Mammalogy Board regarding the petition related to unpaid internships and the subsequent discussion on MARMAM and beyond. It is encouraging to see ongoing dialogue and the evolution of various positions as more voices and perspectives engage on the issue. At the core we all agree that our marine mammal community, and science in general, benefits from increased diversity. We all agree that barriers to diversity and inclusiveness, where they exist, should be dismantled. The challenge we face is finding agreement on what the ‘right’ course of action should be and which action should come first. The initial dialogue on internships quickly moved to two perspectives: one being that unpaid internships were the barrier that needed addressing, and the other that a focus on underrepresented groups throughout the marine mammal science career pipeline was the necessary action. Thankfully, the discussion has continued to grow in nuance with greater acknowledgment that the pipeline is broken in many places and each spot needs focused attention. This is an issue of “and” not “or” - it is both unpaid internships AND lack of access in early education (and so much more) that contribute to the struggle to achieve greater diversity in our field. The SMM has just received the petition, and it will feed into the Board’s ongoing deliberations on this important and multifarious issue. The Board is reviewing the online discussion and available literature, reaching out to a broader cohort of our community, and looking across other professional societies to see if and how they have addressed similar concerns. After this initial process we will work with our membership to find what action by the SMM is in our purview and could address this issue in a meaningful and responsible way. One thing is certain though: one of the most positive actions we can take is to facilitate this dialog further and include our membership to the greatest possible extent. To that end, we will soon host an online forum with a variety of participants and perspectives on this issue. This will be a moderated online discussion that will be archived for future viewing. Our intent is for this to happen in mid-August. While across our community there may not be 100% agreement on the issues raised in the petition or some of the responses to it, I believe we should thank those who have started the discussion and those who have stepped up to respond. This is how our marine mammal society will grow and advance - by asking hard, often uncomfortable questions, and taking necessary steps to improve. We best serve our community and the animals we study by being open to these discussions, self reflective about our roles and perspectives, and willing to evolve when necessary. More information, including ideas for specific actions, will be coming soon. If you have thoughts you would like to share directly with the Board please feel free to email me at president(a)marinemammalscience.org or contact our Diversity and Inclusion Committee at diversity(a)marinemammalscience.org. Or visit our website and leave your thoughts on the subject: https://marinemammalscience.org/presidents-blog/update-regarding-petition-r… Be safe and well. Charles -- Charles Littnan, President. Society for Marine Mammalogy

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Unpaid positions in marine mammal science: a response to a response
by Alexander M. Costidis 21 Jul '20

21 Jul '20

Dear fellow SMMers, Watching this discussion unfold, I feel compelled to contribute. While I cannot help but support the open and honest exchange of ideas and philosophies, I find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with Phil Clapham. As someone who has both benefited tremendously from being unpaid labor, and also seen others benefit from it, I cannot in good conscience support an outright professional ban on such opportunities. I believe that would be a misguided broad brush stroke that takes away positive programs rather than creating more of them. There is no question that the system as a whole needs to be re-examined carefully, but as I believe Phil alluded to, it is a structural change that is needed. Many (perhaps even most) organizations that are not part of a large university or government system simply do not have the resources to pay people to receive an education, which is what many internships provide. Internships in this business are frequently unlike veterinary or medical internships, in which a certain expertise and/or certification has already been acquired by the intern. Intern candidates often have little to no relevant experience and are not much different from a brand new volunteer. Some have considerable experience or education in other areas, but are trying new things. A one-size-fits-all strategy for addressing the baked-in inequities seems restrictive at best, as the inequities are not all one size or one shape. Many organizations do everything they can to facilitate people's education. It is done as unpaid community outreach, unfunded participation in graduate student committees, unsupported participation in student conferences, and providing volunteerism and internships. Those internship opportunities are not charged for in the way an academic institution would charge for an education, despite having many similarities. Those same organizations often have staff that are not paid what they deserve based on their work ethic, their competencies, their qualifications, or their dedication. Their operations are often chronically underfunded on federal, municipal and institutional levels. All these things take a toll on staff retention, conservation effectiveness, etc. Perhaps because this is personal, it seems reciprocally unfair to categorize all organizations with blanket statements of unfairness, when many are already stretched thinly, with funds diluted beyond belief, trying their best to make a small bit of difference. Having such organizations stop offering unpaid internships without already having a viable alternative to this process will likely have other unintended consequences, such as reduced capacity for research or conservation work. This will not only affect those interns who have and continue to benefit from robust internship programs, but will likely also impact the very animals we are all so passionate about helping. I would urge this passionate and vocal community to come together to build more opportunities, rather than suggest removal of pre-existing ones which have given many people the chance to course correct or enrich their lives. To that end, I offer up a few modest suggestions that might conceivably help jump start such an effort, if embraced. 1) Create consortium of organizations that offer internships. Each organization contributes seed money to an endowment or some other means of growing a fund to support financial need-based internships within the consortium. Those organizations can use their political and economic clout and their media presence to promote additional outside support. Such a consortium may also help with promoting successful interns toward employment opportunities within the consortium. 2) SMM members join to form virtual classes or thematic video shorts that can help address the very insightful point Phil made about reaching young people and infecting them with our excitement and passion, on topics so few of them are ever exposed to until it's too late. Many of us have been to SMM video night and seen the exciting whale tagging videos, gross necropsy videos, heartbreaking bycatch videos, etc. Those same visuals that move us, could move current students, form future researchers, and reach broader audiences. 3) Unified messaging (and lobbying) to government and funding agencies for need-based federal/national support of career training programs related to marine mammal science. Perhaps this could have some sort of accreditation process to weed out those organizations with questionable intern practices and questionable intern education. 4) Grant funded academic research programs that depend on free labor to run large programs should indeed re-examine if/how intern funding is written into grant proposals. It is common practice for grant budgets to have graduate student funds built into them, so if those projects will require intern labor, perhaps that should be a consideration. There has to be recognition however that such practices could impact competitiveness of many grant applications by inflating the budgets in a funding environment that is already anemic. Perhaps it can be built into the institutional overhead costs? My kindest regards to every single one of you across the world, and my best wishes that we all overcome whatever challenges we currently face. Stay safe. Alexander M. Costidis, Ph.D. Senior Scientist Stranding Response & Biomedical Research Phone: +1 (757) 385-6482 Cell: +1 (727) 543-6263 ACostidi(a)VirginiaAquarium.com<mailto:Email@VirginiaAquarium.com> Stranding Response Hotline: (757) 385- 7575 Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center<http://www.virginiaaquarium.com/> 717 General Booth Blvd. Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451, USA [cid:342dcebf-83c5-426d-83ca-cf08d096bb60]

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New publication
by Valeria Senigaglia 21 Jul '20

21 Jul '20

Dear MARMAN community, My co-author and I are pleased to announce the publication of our latest paper in Tourism in the Marine Environment: Senigaglia V. & Bejder L. 2020. Pregnancy cravings: visitation at a food-provisioning site is driven by the reproductive status of the Bottlenose dolphins. Tourism in Marine Environment. https://doi.org/10.3727/154427320X15943283422072 Abstract Marine wildlife tourism attractions often use food rewards to ensure close-up encounters with free-ranging animals. In Bunbury, Western Australia, the Dolphin Discovery Centre (DDC) conducts a food-provision program where bottlenose dolphins (N= 22; between 2000-2018) are offered food rewards to encourage their visitation at a beach in front of the DDC. We used historical records on individual beach visits by adult female dolphins collected by the DDC from 2000 to 2018 to develop generalized mixed effects models (GLMM) to test whether the frequency of beach visitation was influenced by their reproductive status (pregnant, lactating, non-reproductive) or climatic events (El Niño-Southern Oscillation phases) that could affect prey availability. We also quantified the behavioural budget of dolphins during food-provisioning sessions and documented intra and interspecific aggressive behaviours using individual focal follows collected in 2017-2018. Provisioned females spend most of the time resting within the interaction area (66.3%) and aggressive interactions arise as a consequence of dominance behaviour over food access. Visitation rates were most influenced by reproductive status with pregnant and lactating females visiting more frequently the provisioning area (z = 2.085; p = 0.037 and z = 2.437; p = 0.014, respectively). Females that frequently visit the provisioning area expose their dependent calves to regular human interactions at an early age when they are more susceptible to behavioural conditioning. Such experiences could cause the loss of awareness towards humans and promote maladaptive behaviours such as begging, that increase risk of entanglement in fishing gear, boat strikes and propeller injuries. The publication can be found at this link: https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/tme/pre-prints/content-time_1078… PDF requests can be sent to v <dicalvar(a)ucsc.edu>aleria.senigaglia(a)gmail.com Stay safe! All the best, Valeria Senigaglia -- *Valeria Senigaglia* *PhD Candidate* Aquatic Megafauna Research Unit <https://amru.org.au/> School of Veterinary and Life Sciences Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia Mobile: +61474837914 E-mail: v.senigaglia(a)murdoch.edu.au

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New paper on the abundance monitoring of mobile coastal dolphins
by Milaja Nykänen 20 Jul '20

20 Jul '20

Dear colleagues, On behalf of my co-authors, I'd like to draw your attention to a recently published paper on the abundance monitoring of a mobile population of coastal bottlenose dolphins. Nykänen M, Oudejans MG, Rogan E, Durban J, Ingram SN. 2020. Challenges in monitoring mobile populations: Applying Bayesian multi-site mark–recapture abundance estimation to the monitoring of a highly mobile coastal population of bottlenose dolphins. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems DOI: 10.1002/aqc.3355 The article is available on early view at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aqc.3355 Abstract 1. Monitoring the abundance of mobile and wide-ranging cetacean populations for conservation management is challenging, especially when the management is focused on static protected areas. Where abundance estimates are derived from mark–recapture data, such as photo-identification of naturally marked individuals, unpredictable movements of animals in and out of the survey area can reduce ‘capture’ probabilities and affect the precision and accuracy of resulting estimates. 2. A Bayesian hierarchical log–linear model was applied to photo-identification data collected in summer 2014 to derive a multi-site abundance estimate for a population of bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, ranging widely throughout the coastal waters of western Ireland. In addition, the effects of varying levels of sampling effort on the minimum detectable decrease in population size were examined. 3. The abundance (median) of dolphins was estimated as 189 (coefficient of variation (standard deviation/mean), 0.11; 95% highest-posterior density interval, 162-232). Over 50% of the well-marked dolphins encountered throughout the study were sighted in more than one distinct coastal area, thus displaying high mobility. In addition, it was found that it would require biennial surveys to detect a 25% decline in abundance within the six-year reporting period of the EU’s Habitats Directive. 4. Given that the Special Area of Conservation designated for these dolphins consists of two separate areas covering a substantial portion of the west coast of Ireland, the multisite approach is appropriate for monitoring this population. It produces a more precise estimate and is well suited for sparse recapture data collected opportunistically at multiple sites, when the lack of resources prevents large-scale surveys or when concentrating surveys on smaller localized areas fails to capture the broad range and unpredictable occurrence of the animals. The Bayesian multi-site approach could be applied to the management of other wide-ranging marine or terrestrial taxa. For a pdf copy, please contact: milaja.ny(a)gmail.com. All the best, Milaja Nykänen -- Dr Milaja Nykänen Post-doctoral researcher University of Eastern Finland Saimaa ringed seal research Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences PO Box 111 FI-80101 Joensuu Finland

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Cetacean photo-ID algorithm development collaboration invitation - lateral view / dorsal fin ID
by Ted Cheeseman 20 Jul '20

20 Jul '20

Dear Marmam friends, For those involved in cetacean photo-ID, I write to invite you to join an automated image recognition algorithm development effort. In 2019, supported by Google’s Kaggle platform, we hosted an extremely successful algorithm development competition for humpback whale fluke-ID — the results: a fully automated deep convoluted neural network-based individual ID algorithm that in our tests compared to manual image matching, reduces image management time by at least 98%, and reduces error rates from approximately 6-9% to 1-3%. We learned a lot in the process, and image recognition has progressed such that, again with Google's support, we will host an image recognition algorithm development competition for lateral view cetacean photo-ID images — that is, dorsal fins and flanks from a lateral view perspective. Our goal is to produce one or several highly accurate and efficient lateral view individual ID algorithms, with open sourced results, and with successful algorithms accessibly deployed. Resulting algorithms may be species specific or may be able to manage multiple species, depending on results. We can’t guarantee success, but experience suggests that we will end up with very effective automated image recognition algorithms for any well represented species in the development dataset. If you are a catalog holder who could benefit from automated image recognition for cetacean photo-ID, please consider joining this collaboration. We will need images by mid-August at the latest. Here below are details of proposed collaborative image use for the algorithm development competition: Our only use of images will be for a Google sponsored Kaggle competition, similar to and building on our extremely successful effort in late 2018/early 2019 — https://www.kaggle.com/c/humpback-whale-identification <https://www.kaggle.com/c/humpback-whale-identification>. This competition fielded entries from 2129 teams, yielding the current best in class humpback fluke ID algorithm (we implemented the 3rd place winning algorithm), with an accuracy of 97-99% potential matches found in the first proposed result with good to high quality images (manuscript in prep). This algorithm is implemented into the Happywhale information architecture, enabling us to build a fluke ID dataset of, as of today 39,650 individuals, now accounting for an estimated 20% of the world's humpbacks, with no signs of loss of accuracy from too many individuals. This dataset is particularly rich on North Pacific humpbacks, where we believe we have identified > 50% of adult humpbacks alive from the year 2000 to today. Our goal is to produce one or several highly accurate and efficient lateral view individual ID algorithms, with winning results open sourced. To us, success will be a highly effective, efficient and accessible set of photo ID tools to further your work, to add value to mark recapture studies, and improve marine conservation science. We will aim to build an image set representing multiple species such that winning algorithms will effectively utilize shape, edge features, surface features, texture and patterns, thereby hopefully resulting in neural networks that can be trained for as-yet unrepresented cetacean species. Based on the success of the previous competition, I have high expectations for the results; the previous competition rapidly approached 100% accuracy early in the four month window, and in the intervening year and a half since that time, object recognition technology — and development accessibility — has made significant strides largely driven by investment in driverless car tech and similar automation efforts. To be clear, there’s no guarantee of success, either that resulting algorithms will be highly accurate or that they will be implementable. I believe however that it is reasonable to expect highly accurate results for any well represented species that is identifiable by the human eye. The team at Kaggle is excited for this, as they were very happy with the outcome from the previous competition, and we’ve learned a fair bit and talked a fair bit since then as to how to step onward together in this, so we can be assured of solid support on the host end. Image contributing collaborators will be included as co-authors in any resulting publications, with opportunities, if desired, to participate in the competition (there are roles for competition hosts to answer questions etc about the biological and environmental reality of photo ID, for example), first access to algorithm development and forthcoming system implementation, as well as any manuscript authorship, editing and review. The competition will begin in approximately October of this year, open for a period of 3-4 months. Competition images will be stripped of all metadata (we will do so), presented in the competition dataset divided between a set for algorithm training, with ID information (re-assigned to have no relation to IDs in existing datasets, whether public or private), and one set as test data, with no ID information. It should be recognized that while these images are stripped of all context, they will be made public for the sake of access by competitors. For a well written exploration of the competition process, from the point of view of the 10th place finisher in the previous effort, here’s a recently published read: https://towardsdatascience.com/a-gold-winning-solution-review-of-kaggle-hum… <https://towardsdatascience.com/a-gold-winning-solution-review-of-kaggle-hum…>. Your use of images will not be limited in any way, apart from if you have an online catalog with the same images present, we should look at if this will potentially create a conflict that could allow ID process cheating among competitors. From you we would like to have as many images as possible, with a maximum of 20,000 ID’d images per species. For rare / difficult to photo-ID species there may be no minimum — this will be case specific — but for more commonly photographed species, a minimum contribution should be in the range of a few hundred individuals each photographed in different encounters. The ideal dataset includes a mix of cropped and uncropped images and a range of quality from very high to very poor. For simplicity, there should be just one individual in any image, cropped or uncropped. We want a natural distribution of images; some individuals should be represented by only one image (forcing competitors to accommodate the realistic designation of a ’new individual’ class), while some should be represented by many images (from separate encounters, to avoid any contextual matching, such as similar water texture / color). Because a lateral view inherently has the right-dorsal and left-dorsal set, two semi-independent classes per individual, we’d want a mix here as well. If you would like to join as a collaborator, we will need images by mid-August, sooner if possible so that the Kaggle team can begin preparing and developing the competition infrastructure (there’s some interesting questions on this end, such as dealing with some weighing of species by different data set sizes etc). Images can come to us as jpgs either (1) with the IDs indicated in a clear consistent format in the filename, (2) with IDs in a spreadsheet correlated by exact filenames, or (3) as a set of images with ID + date/location attributes that we’d then integrate into Happywhale (as a private dataset at least during the term of the competition) to format for the competition. We do not need annotation of R/L dorsal, etc. We will strip all metadata before adding images to the competition dataset. Of course I am available to discuss any questions, concerns or ideas around this. I am excited for your participation and hopeful for a very constructive outcome. With thanks for your interest, Ted — Ted Cheeseman ted(a)happywhale.com www.Happywhale.com https://www.facebook.com/happywhales/ ** know your whales :) **

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New paper on the relative suitability of cetacean habitat in the northern Savu Sea (Indonesia)
by Putu Mustika 20 Jul '20

20 Jul '20

Dear all, With gratitude, we announce the following paper as being published in Marine Mammal Science as “Early View”: “Maximum entropy model: estimating the relative suitability of cetacean habitat in the northern Savu Sea, Indonesia” The published article is accessible via this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.12719 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.12719> ABSTRACT An understanding of cetacean distribution is necessary to gain insights into crucial ecological processes for species conservation management. However, cetacean habitat preference and distribution in the northern Savu Sea, Indonesia are still poorly understood. We use maximum entropy modelling with five environmental predictors to describe habitat preference and distribution of seven cetacean species in the northern Savu Sea. Our study confirms that static predictors are the most important variables in explaining habitat preferences of seven cetacean species in the northern Savu Sea. Seasonally, each cetacean species has a different environmental preference. Globicephala macrorhynchus prefers the open nearshore areas adjacent to deep waters. Stenella attenuata is associated with nearshore habitats and higher productivity areas. Stenella longirostris prefers nearshore habitat during coastal upwelling events. Tursiops truncatus prefers nearshore sheltered habitat. Grampus griseus habitats are highly related to depth and steep gradients around the isobaths of 200-1,000 m. Feresa attenuata are associated with deep waters and cooler sea temperature. Pseudorca crassidens prefers protective bays with productive waters. This study provides important information for reviewing marine spatial plans of the northern Savu Sea, specifically on managing species fisheries interaction, optimizing surveillance, and regulating marine traffic. Many thanks for your interest and support, and also for the support of the MMS editors and reviewers. Mochamad Iqbal Herwata Putra https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9202-7857 <https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9202-7857> Marine Megafauna Research Group Misool Foundation Larantuka - Indonesia Dr Putu Liza Mustika (“Icha”) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5157-4635 <https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5157-4635> https://research.jcu.edu.au/portfolio/putu.liza/ <https://research.jcu.edu.au/portfolio/putu.liza/> College of Business, Law and Governance James Cook University Australia Townsville Campus

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