August 2020 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

Request to support a study about collision risk of cetaceans with tourist vessels
by Dalia Carolina Barragán Barrera 26 Aug '20

26 Aug '20

Greeting MARMAM, We appreciate the support of marine mammals specialists to complete a short survey in Spanish (8 mins) by September 7, to evaluate potential collision risk for five cetacean species, as part of a research that we are conducting in Colombia. Thanks in advance, All the best, Dalia Message (In Spanish): Estimados amigos, Desde la Dirección General Marítima de Colombia, estamos realizando un estudio para determinar el riesgo de colisión entre embarcaciones de turismo y placer (e.g. veleros y buques de crucero) y algunos cetáceos en las aguas marítimas jurisdiccionales de Colombia (Caribe – Pacífico). Para ello, agradecemos su valiosa colaboración como especialistas en mamíferos marinos diligenciando esta encuesta que no toma más de 8 minutos. Adjuntamos archivo de la encuesta en formato excel, y las instrucciones para diligenciarla en pdf. Agradecemos compartir esta encuesta con sus colegas especialistas, y nos envíen sus resultados por tardar el *7 de septiembre *dando respuesta a este correo o directamente a alguno de los siguientes contactos: Christian Bermúdez-Rivas: christianax(a)gmail.com Pilar Aguirre: aguirrepilar(a)gmail.com Dalia C. Barragán-Barrera: daliac.barraganbarrera(a)gmail.com Agradecemos su apoyo con esta investigación, porque sabemos que sin colaboración no es posible hacer ciencia. ¡Mil gracias! Lindo día, Dalia *Dalia C. Barragán Barrera* Marine Biologist, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano PhD Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes Researcher, Fundación Macuáticos Colombia <http://www.macuaticos.org/> Researcher, R&E Ocean Community Conservation Foundation <https://www.oceancommunityconservation.org/> General Editor, Revista Digital *Fulica* <https://fulica.akuaippa.org/>, @rdfulica CvLAC Colombia <http://scienti.colciencias.gov.co:8081/cvlac/visualizador/generarCurriculoC…> | ResearchGate <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dalia_Barragan-Barrera> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/daliacbarraganbarrera/?originalSubdomain=co> ORCiD <https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4023-9908> | SCOPUS <https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57193270664> | Google Scholar <https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=1rNoJ0EAAAAJ&hl=en>

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New publication: sea lion entanglements and haulout abundance trends in Washington state
by Liz Allyn 26 Aug '20

26 Aug '20

Dear MARMAM community, Jonathan Scordino and I would like to announce the publication of our paper in the journal PLoS ONE titled "Entanglement rates and haulout abundance trends of Steller (*Eumetopias jubatus*) and California (*Zalophus californianus*) sea lions on the north coast of Washington state". Open access: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0237178 Allyn EM, Scordino JJ (2020) Entanglement rates and haulout abundance trends of Steller (*Eumetopias jubatus*) and California (*Zalophus californianus*) sea lions on the north coast of Washington state. PLoS ONE 15(8): e0237178. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237178 Abstract: Entanglements affect marine mammal species around the globe, and for some, those impacts are great enough to cause population declines. This study aimed to document rates and causes of entanglement and trends in local haulout abundance for Steller and California sea lions on the north coast of Washington from 2010–2018. We conducted small boat surveys to count sea lions and document entangled individuals. Rates of entanglement and entangling material occurrence were compared with records of stranded individuals on the Washington and Oregon coast and with packing bands recorded during beach debris surveys. The rate of entanglement for California sea lions was 2.13%, almost entirely composed of adult males, with a peak rate during June and July potentially due to some entangled individuals not migrating to their breeding grounds. For Steller sea lions, the rate of entanglement was 0.41%, composed of 77% adults (32.4% male, 63.3% female), 17.1% juveniles, 5.9% unknown age, and no pups. Steller sea lions exhibited a 7.9% ± 3.2 rate of increase in abundance at the study haulouts, which was similar to that seen in California sea lions (7.8% ± 4.2); both increases were greater than the population growth rates observed range-wide despite high rates of entanglement. Most entanglements for both species were classified as packing bands, followed by entanglement scars. Salmon flashers were also prevalent and only occurred from June–September during the local ocean salmon troll fishery. Packing band occurrence in beach debris surveys correlated with packing band entanglements observed on haulouts. However, no packing band entanglements were observed in the stranding record and the rate of stranded animals exhibiting evidence of entanglement was lower than expected, indicating that entanglement survival is higher than previously assumed. Future studies tracking individual entanglement outcomes are needed to develop effective, targeted management strategies. Please send questions and requests to liz.allyn(a)allyn.org. Best, Liz Allyn Marine Mammal Program Makah Fisheries Management

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Quantitative Ecologist/Statstician position at the NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
by Erin Oleson - NOAA Federal 25 Aug '20

25 Aug '20

The Cetacean Research Program within the NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) in Honolulu, Hawaii, is looking for a quantitative ecologist/statistician (ZP-2/3) to join the Program. The general duties will include: - Participate in the Cetacean Research Program focusing on data collection, survey design, and population assessment analyses for marine mammals. - Study marine mammal populations, including estimating abundance or other life history characteristics for cetaceans using distance sampling, mark-recapture, and other statistical approaches. - Create data extractions, post-process data, evaluate scientific data, review test results and reports, and report on misinformation in data to open further investigation. - Collaborate with Pacific Islands Region (PIR) agencies, NOAA Fisheries, and stakeholders by providing advice and research on issues related to marine mammal ecology, abundance and distribution, and management needs. - Develop and present stock assessment models and analyses at meetings, and publish in peer-reviewed journals. More details on specific duties, qualifications, and how to apply can be found in the announcements linked below. The announcement is nominally open for 10 days, closing September 4, however is limited to the first 100 applicants, so may close earlier. *NMFS-PIC-2020-0046: *https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/577145400 *NMFS-PIC-2020-0047:* https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/577144800 Please share widely! Mahalo! Erin -- *Erin Oleson, PhD* *Leader*, *Cetacean Research ProgramNational Marine Fisheries Service* *Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center* *1845 Wasp Blvd. Bldg. 176* *Honolulu, HI 936818* *Get outside with a virtual scroll through the Story Maps of our recent project- **Winter-HICEAS 2020 <https://arcg.is/1r4q1e>!* <http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cetacean>

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New publication: Vulnerability of threatened Australian humpback dolphins to flooding and port development within the southern Great Barrier Reef coastal region
by Guido Parra Vergara 25 Aug '20

25 Aug '20

Dear colleagues, On behalf of Daniele Cagnazzi and co-authors, we are pleased to bring to your attention the following publication: Cagnazzi, D., G. J. Parra, P. L. Harrison, L. Brooks, and R. Rankin. 2020. Vulnerability of threatened Australian humpback dolphins to flooding and port development within the southern Great Barrier Reef coastal region. Global Ecology and Conservation 24:e01203. Abstract: In this study, we used a 10-year (2007-2016) mark-recapture dataset to investigate the potential effects of flooding and port development on the population dynamics of Australian humpback dolphins (Sousa sahulensis), inhabiting the Fitzroy River and Port Curtis, within the southern Great Barrier Reef region. A Multisite Capture-Recapture model was used to quantify population size and demographic parameters for both sexes and sites. Flood occurrence and intensity (both sites), and port development (Port Curtis) were included as explanatory variables. Abundance estimates indicated that about 77 adult dolphins were present in both sites, of which 69% were females. Most females (69%) were resident with a yearly recruitment close to zero for most years. Most males and unsexed (68%) individuals showed little evidence of long-term residency. The abundances of males and unsexed individuals varied between 15 and 20 dolphins in the Fitzroy River and 19-26 in Port Curtis, but the accuracy was too low to assess changes. Female abundances started at 56 in both sites and declined to about 32 per site in 2011, coinciding with port development construction activities and a concurrent major flood. In Port Curtis, the number of females returned to their original levels once the port development was completed in 2013. In the Fitzroy River, the declining trend continued and reached the lowest estimated abundance of 29 in 2016. As port developments and floods are expected to increase along the Queensland coastal region over coming decades, the results of this study highlight increasing concerns about the vulnerability and long-term sustainability of inshore dolphins in the GBR. The paper is freely downloadable here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989420307447 Please email Daniele (daniele.cagnazzi(a)scu.edu.au<mailto:daniele.cagnazzi@scu.edu.au>) if you have any questions or difficulty accessing the paper. All the best, Guido ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Guido J. Parra, PhD Associate Professor | College of Science and Engineering Research leader | Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL) Staff: http://www.flinders.edu.au/people/guido.parra [cid:image001.png@01D4A51A.6B556BC0]@GuidoJParra<https://twitter.com/GuidoJParra> | @CEBELresearch | <https://twitter.com/CEBELresearch> GoogleScholar<https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?hl=en&user=7YisEoAAAAAJ> | ResearchGate<https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Guido_Parra> | LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/guido-j-parra-093217183/> Flinders University, GPO Box 2100 Adelaide, SA 5001 Australia Tel: +61 8 8201 3565|email: guido.parra(a)flinders.edu.au<mailto:guido.parra@flinders.edu.au> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please consider the environment before printing this email

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New publication on food-sharing in rough-toothed dolphins off southwestern Mexico (Eric A Ramos)
by Eric Angel Ramos 25 Aug '20

25 Aug '20

Greetings MARMAM, We are excited to announce the publication of our newest Note in Marine Mammal Science titled "Food-sharing in rough-toothed dolphins off southwestern Mexico." Access the article here:https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12727 Lay abstract:Food sharing is common in the animal kingdom but rarely reported in marine mammals since it is challenging to observe their feeding behaviors in the wild. Here, we describe food sharing by rough-toothed dolphins, an open ocean dolphin species, off the southwestern coast of Mexico. We observed two dolphins exchanging a fish back and forth during a complex series of exchanges from the perspective of a drone. This is the second time this behavior has been documented in this species and our findings highlight the need for further study of the importance of food sharing in dolphin societies. Citation:Ramos, EA,Kiszka, JJ,Pouey‐Santalou, V,Ramírez Barragán, R,García Chávez, AJ,Audley, K.Food sharing in rough‐toothed dolphins off southwestern Mexico.Mar Mam Sci.2020;1–26. If you are interested in receiving a copy or have any questions, please feel free to email me (Eric) at eric.angel.ramos(a)gmail.com. Thank you! Best regards, ************************************************ Eric Angel Ramos Ph.D. Candidate in Animal Behavior & Comparative PsychologyThe Graduate Center, City University of New YorkFundación Internacional para la Naturaleza y la Sustentabilidad (FINS)Student Member-At-Large for the Society for Marine MammalogyMember of the IUCN SSC Sirenian Specialist Group for Mesoamerica www.finsconservation.org E-mail: eric.angel.ramos(a)gmail.com Cell/WhatsApp: +1-347-336-5567 (USA)Skype: ericangelramosFacebook | Twitter | InstagramResearchGate | ORCiD | LinkedIn

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Call for applicants for a funded PhD project: population assessments for insular cetaceans in the Main Hawaiian Islands
by Lars Bejder 24 Aug '20

24 Aug '20

*Call for applicants for a funded PhD project: population assessments for insular cetaceans in the Main Hawaiian Islands* The Marine Mammal Research Program at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, NOAA Fisheries’ Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center and Cascadia Research Collective are seeking applicants for a PhD project that aims to improve population assessments for insular cetaceans in the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI). Applicants must have strong analytical skillsets and, ideally, strong coding experience in areas pertaining to machine-learning and artificial intelligence. The successful candidate will be provided with full tuition costs and a PhD stipend for four years at the University of Hawaiʻi, funded by the NOAA Fisheries QUEST program (see below). As the fellowship is intended to create a pipeline into NOAA Fisheries, the supported student *must be a U.S. citizen*. *Background/context* Hawaiʻi’s unique ecosystems support insular (island-associated) populations of several cetacean species that are otherwise considered to have pelagic distributions. To date, five species with island-associated stocks in the Main Hawaiian Islands are recognized within the NMFS Stock Assessment Reports, including spinner, pantropical spotted, and bottlenose dolphins, false killer whales and melon-headed whales, and others are likely to be recognized in the coming years as additional genetic, movement, abundance, and demographic data become available. Assessments of insular cetaceans are challenged by the distribution of these stocks, as typical large-scale line-transect surveys used for surveying cetaceans over large areas are inappropriate and yield insufficient sightings to conduct robust abundance analyses. Further, many of these island-associated stocks overlap with pelagic populations. PIFSC and CRC have been conducting surveys near each of the MHI for over a decade and have amassed a large sighting, individual photo-ID, and telemetry dataset for over a dozen species. To date, these data have been essential for evaluating population structure and range and have provided the data needed to conduct mark-recapture abundance estimates for some insular stocks, including MHI insular false killer whales (Bradford et al. 2017) and bottlenose dolphins (Van Cise et al. *in review, *Baird et al. 2009). However, nonsystematic data collection and the significant time investment to maintain photo-ID catalogs for some species have meant that the data do not readily fit within NOAA’s other assessment frameworks. This PhD project will aim to adapt existing or develop new analytical tools to allow for greater use of this type of non-systematic data commonly collected by CRC, PIFSC, and other research partners in order to help the PIFSC fill assessment gaps for several insular populations. The specific approach and species chosen will be determined based on the qualifications and interests of the selected graduate student and in collaboration with the MMRP, PIFSC and CRC partners, though will generally include the elements described below. This project will aim to use a rich sighting, photo, and telemetry dataset from one or more species to develop and validate new analytical approaches that do not require such a rich dataset for use on the other species. Projects may include: · Development and application of artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches for photo-ID matching or other analyses. · Development of advanced statistical approaches to modeling species abundance and range using survey datasets with non-systematic effort, possibly including use of encounter-only models to assess population abundance, with validation of those models using the photo-ID and telemetry data available for those species. · Examining the sensitivity of resulting abundance and other demographic parameter estimates to various data types, data distribution through time, and other factors that may influence population demographics. We encourage applicants with strong coding and statistical skills to apply. The successful graduate student will most likely use large datasets collected from false killer whales, rough-toothed or spotted dolphins, though data from a number of other species are also available for development, testing, and validation of approaches. The project is well-suited to a PhD project given the need to explore a variety of analytical frameworks, understand the nature of large and complex datasets, and develop and validate approaches that can be used in an assessment context. The student will be well-supported by a highly quantitative team at the University of Hawaiʻi and PIFSC and the successful student will contribute directly to NOAA Fisheries assessment needs. The Quantitative Ecology and Socioeconomics Training (QUEST) program is designed to prepare the next generation of assessment scientists for careers in fisheries or protected species population assessment, ecosystem assessment, and marine resource economics. The PIFSC QUEST program supports graduate fellowships for students working toward such quantitative fields, with the goal of building capacity for the PIFSC workforce to meet its science requirements under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Endangered Species Act. QUEST students collaborate with PIFSC researchers to develop student capabilities and skills directly related to mission needs. The QUEST student will work closely with a PIFSC work-group (in this case the Cetacean Research Program within the Protected Species Division) and will be expected to spend a portion of each year (generally summer, though this is flexible) working at PIFSC. As the fellowship is intended to create a pipeline into NOAA Fisheries, the supported student must be a U.S. citizen. *To apply*: Candidates should submit the following materials via email to lbejder(a)hawaii.edu in a single PDF document, with the file name “YourLastName_QUEST_PhD.pdf” and the subject heading “QUEST PhD application” by 1 October, 2020: 1) Brief introductory cover letter (maximum of 1 page) 2) Two statements covering (maximum 1 page each): a) Provide an overview of your quantitative skillsets, analytical skillsets and/or coding experience in areas pertaining to machine-learning and artificial intelligence. b) What you hope to gain through a graduate school experience 3) Your CV The chosen candidate would then apply (in December 2020) for entrance into a PhD program with the Marine Mammal Research Program at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Hawaii – with a start date in August 2021.

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New publication: anthropogenic injuries disrupt dolphin social associations
by Michelle Greenfield 24 Aug '20

24 Aug '20

Dear MARMAM community, My co-authors and I are very happy to announce the publication of our paper in Marine Mammal Science "Anthropogenic injuries disrupt social associations of common bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus)* in Sarasota Bay, Florida." Greenfield, M.R., McHugh, K.A., Wells, R.S., & Rubenstein, D.I. Anthropogenic injuries disrupt social associations of common bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus)* in Sarasota Bay, Florida. *Marine Mammal Science.* 2020;1-16. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12729 Abstract: Anthropogenic injuries disrupt social associations of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Sarasota Bay, Florida Social connectivity is important for measuring the fitness of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). While interactions in fission-fusion societies vary between individ- uals, studies show that repeated interactions enhance reproduction and foraging success. Injuries that potentially remove an individual from its association network may dis- rupt these interactions. Using data from the long-term resi- dent dolphin community in Sarasota Bay, Florida, we investigated how anthropogenic injuries affect the dolphins' social associations by examining the differences before and after injury to individuals. We examined group size, strength, eigenvector centrality, clustering coefficient, and number of triangles and analyzed whether the animal's sex, age class, type of injury, or human intervention affected these values. We found that while group size did not change, injured dolphins had fewer preferred associates (HWI > 0.14) and were found in more fluid groups immedi- ately after injury, but started returning to normal association levels after 2 years. This initial decrease in connectivity was not related to the age, sex, type of injury, or intervention. Despite the fluidity in individual associations, the strongest bonds remained stable, those between mothers and calves and those between male alliance partners. These findingsAnthropogenic injuries disrupt social associations of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Sarasota Bay, Florida provide some of the first information relating injuries and social networks for animals. The article can be found at the following link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/mms.12729 Please feel free to email with any questions or request a PDF of the article: michellergreenfield(a)gmail.com Best, Michelle Greenfield Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, 2023 Aquadocs Podcast Host and Creator www.aquadocspodcast.com

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Seal Rescue Ireland - Animal Care Manager Job Description
by Ellen De Vos 24 Aug '20

24 Aug '20

Animal Care Manager- Seal Rescue Ireland (SRI) Registered Charity No 20108519 About Seal Rescue Ireland: Seal Rescue Ireland (SRI) is a registered charity that works around the clock to rescue, rehabilitate and release seals found sick, injured or orphaned from across the coast of Ireland. Most reports are for young Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus) and Common Seals (Phoca vitulina). As the only seal rescue centre within the Republic of Ireland, SRI respond to reports nationwide and aims to rehabilitate the pups back to full health so they can be returned to the wild. SRI is committed to promoting ocean conservation and sustainability through active education, community engagement and research programmes, in order to proactively protect the marine environment and all life within. About the Animal Care Manager Position: The Animal Care Manager (ACM) is responsible for overseeing daily operations of SRI’s wildlife rehabilitation hospital and ensuring the facility is providing the best in animal welfare. This includes coordinating rescues, keeping records, determining treatment plans, training staff and volunteers on animal husbandry, ordering supplies, managing inventory, hospital maintenance, and facilitating collaboration with veterinarians, researcher institutions and other rehabilitation centres worldwide. This is a high paced position split between overseeing animal care, management tasks and administration in the office. The candidate will be required to work closely with the Executive Director and Operational Team in all aspects involved in running a wildlife hospital including but not limited to animal care, budgeting, and assisting in rescues and releases. The Animal Care Manager is responsible for overseeing and delegating responsibilities to a team of Assistant Animal Care Managers as well as long term and short term volunteers. Animal Care Manager Responsibilities Include: - Conduct physical examinations, health assessments and sample collection from patients to enable their progression through the rehabilitation process and support ongoing research projects - Oversee and advise Rescue Network as to whether response is appropriate, and when so, guide appropriate response and initiation of care including husbandry and treatment - Support Assistant Animal Care Managers and staff after-hours with telephone advice and respond to on-site emergencies as needed to ensure prompt response - Develop, implement and execute diagnostic and therapeutic plans for all patients in conjunction with local veterinary to ensure continuity and high standard of care - Complete and maintain patient medical records including specific reports required for protected species in accordance with government licensing regulations, and update all pertinent information in electronic database - Assist in the clinical training and mentorship of hospital staff, interns and volunteers - Provide on site support for marine mammal research projects with partner institutions and collaborators to ensure timely progression of collaborative project - Oversee daily hospital operations at centre to ensure animal welfare and health and safety of all hospital volunteers, staff and visitors - Oversees management of Seal Records Database and all hospital records - Develop and maintain administration of professional documents including protocols, prescriptions, handbooks and licensing. - Develop and research improved animal care and welfare, hygiene protocols and life support systems. - Develop, deploy and oversee enrichment programme - Oversee hospital inventory, stock checks and ordering supplies - Oversee and train interns, volunteers and staff in animal care protocols and practices - Oversees maintenance and upkeep of the hospital and hospital equipment - Assists with educational talks, tours, fundraisers, educational events, clerical duties and office work as needed - Represents Seal Rescue Ireland at networking events, conferences, trainings, seal releases, and outreach events. Applicant Requirements: - Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree (Master’s preferred) in Biology, Ecology, Vet Science, Mammalogy, Animal Behaviour, Animal Care, Wildlife Science, Marine Science, or related field. - Minimum of 2 years of experience in clinical marine mammal care, including familiarity with current wild stranded marine mammal health and disease issues - Minimum of 2 years experience managing a team. - Must have permission to work within the EU. - Ability to communicate well with a team responsible for animal care including strong interpersonal communication skills and ability to lead and motivate others (volunteers, visitors and staff) - Ability to supervise and help train interns, staff and volunteers to advance their knowledge in marine mammal medicine - Ability to use computer database and Microsoft Outlook and other programmes to carry out electronic medical records and research - Ability to maintain a professional manner while interacting with public, colleagues and volunteers, both in person and through electronic communication. - Must have a positive attitude and work well in a team environment - Must have flexibility to work long, irregular hours, including late nights, early mornings, holidays and weekends. - Strong writing and public speaking skills are desired. Position Details: Location: Seal Rescue Ireland, Courtown, Co Wexford, Ireland Hours: Full-time (40 hours per week) Remuneration: €21,528 Annual Salary Additional Benefits: Food, utilities and accommodation in staff housing are available for €90 per week. Free room and board may be available based on a performance review after the first three months. Reports to: Executive Director and Operations Team To apply, please send: CV, Cover Letter, completed application form <https://www.sealrescueireland.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Application-fo…>, and TWO Letters of Recommendation to: operations(a)sealrescueireland.org *Ellen De Vos* Operations Manager | Seal Rescue Ireland Phone: 053 942 4980 Rescue hotline: 087 195 5393 Site: www.sealrescueireland.org Email: operations(a)sealrescueireland.org Registered Charity Number (RCN): 20108519 Address: Courtown Harbour, Co. Wexford, Ireland <https://www.facebook.com/sealrescueireland> <https://twitter.com/seal_rescue> <https://www.instagram.com/sealrescueireland/?hl=en> <https://sealrescueireland.tumblr.com/> Visit North Wexford this Summer! <https://lovegorey.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Wake-up-in-North-Wexford-Su…>

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New sperm whale paper
by Pernille Helene Tønnesen 24 Aug '20

24 Aug '20

Dear MARMAM community We are very happy to announce that our new paper on the echo scene of a sperm whale has been published. Using dtags, we have for the first time recorded prey echoes from a hunting sperm whale, showing that the whale uses long-range echolocation and encounters several hundred prey items per dive of which less than 10 % are targeted for capture. The paper is accessible here: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0134 We hope you will find the paper interesting and are happy to answer any question you might have (please contact pernille-t(a)bio.au.dk) On behalf of all authors Pernille Tønnesen ABSTRACT Sperm whales use their gigantic nose to produce the most powerful sounds in the animal kingdom, presumably to echolocate deep-sea prey at long ranges and possibly to debilitate prey. To test these hypotheses, we deployed sound recording tags (DTAG-4) on the tip of the nose of three sperm whales. One of these recordings yielded over 6000 echo streams from organisms detected up to 144 m ahead of the whale, supporting a long-range prey detection function of the sperm whale biosonar. The whale navigated this complex acoustic scene by maintaining a stable, long-range acoustic gaze suggesting continual resource evaluation. Less than 10% of the echoic organisms recorded by the tag were targeted for capture and only 18% of the buzzes were emitted within the 50 m depth interval of maximum organism encounter rate, demonstrating echo-guided prey selection. Buzzes were initiated more than 20 m from the prey, showing that sperm whales do not debilitate their prey with sound, but trade echo levels for reduced forward masking and rapid updates on prey location in keeping with the lower manoeuvrability of these large predators. We conclude that the powerful biosonar of sperm whales enables long-range echolocation and selection of prey, but not acoustic debilitation.

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Australiasian Student Chapter meeting - abstracts opening soon!
by ANZSCSMM ANZSCSMM 23 Aug '20

23 Aug '20

Dear Marine Mammal Community, The committee of the Australia and New Zealand Regional Student Chapter (ANZSC) of the Society for Marine Mammalogy are pleased to announce our 5th annual conference. This conference will be held virtually to ensure there are no disruptions from Covid! This will be held on the week of the 11-18th January 2021. This is a free conference which aims to bring together students interested in marine mammals from across Australasia. We encourage students to present their work in the form of posters, speed talks and 15 minute slots, along with the opportunity to network. We will also be running workshops and organising talks by invited experts within the field. Registration and abstract submission will be opening soon! Deadline for this will be the 18th October 2020. For more information please visit our website: https://marinemammalscience.org/for-students/chapters/australianew-zealand-… And follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ANZSCSMM/ Any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. The 2020 committee can be contacted by emailing: anzscsmm(a)gmail.com. Please circulate among your labs – this is a great experience for students! Rebecca Boys, Jasmin Gross, Lara Pogson-Manning, and Cassie Speakman Australia/New Zealand Student Chapter for the Society of Marine Mammalogy (ANZSCSMM) anzscsmm(a)gmail.com ANZSCSMM Facebook Page <https://www.facebook.com/groups/216733571703949/>

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