August 2020 - MARMAM - devlists.uvic.ca

North Atlantic Right Whale Aerial Survey Team Leader and Observer Job Announcement
by Melanie White 20 Aug '20

20 Aug '20

Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute North Atlantic Right Whale Aerial Survey Job Announcement Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute (CMARI), a non-profit research and conservation organization, is seeking temporary seasonal right whale aerial survey positions ranging from November 2020 through April 2021. These positions are in anticipation of research activities to be conducted in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States, contingent upon funding. CMARI is currently seeking both Team Leader positions and Aerial Observer positions. Aerial survey flights will occur up to five days per week. These positions will be required to successfully complete an aviation and marine safety/survival training course. Housing is provided. For more information and to apply: Right Whale Aerial Observer: https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=9756&cli entkey=ACEBE78A76290C9FE9C1DC934A5E82A6 Right Whale Aerial Team Leader: https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=9757&cli entkey=ACEBE78A76290C9FE9C1DC934A5E82A6 Please submit a cover letter, resume and three professional references in your application by September 11, 2020. Melanie White North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation Project Manager Research Biologist Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute 249 Windward Passage Clearwater, FL 33767 C: 518.339.1202 mwhite(a)cmaquarium.org http://www.cmaresearchinstitute.org

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Job, PhD position, Marine mammals in food webs of the North Sea
by Gilles, Anita 20 Aug '20

20 Aug '20

Dear MARMAM community, we are hiring! Please join our international multi-disciplinary team at ITAW in Germany, situated in Buesum at beautiful North Sea coast (Wadden Sea) close to Hamburg and Kiel. Our new project BioWeb "Response of biodiversity change in North Sea food webs mediated by environmental drivers and human activities" provides a great opportunity for a PhD candidate to work on the role of marine mammals in food webs. The position is funded for 3 years. Please apply until 4 Sep 2020! Full job description: https://tinyurl.com/yxkalqgj<https://tinyurl.com/yxkalqgj><https://tinyurl.com/yxkalqgj><https://tinyurl.com/yxkalqgj> Description of institute: The Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo) performs basic, monitoring and applied research in the field of wildlife population biology, ecology and health. Research focuses on habitat use, foraging ecology, bioacoustics, behavioural research, wildlife nutrition, diseases as well as wildlife management and ecology in connection with nature conservation issues. I am looking forward to reading your application, Anita ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Anita Gilles University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) Werftstr. 6 | 25761 Büsum Germany Phone: +49 (0)511-8568177 Fax: +49 (0)511-8568181 anita.gilles(a)tiho-hannover.de http://www.tiho-hannover.de/index.php?id=5380

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New Publication - Stress-related and reproductive hormones in hair from three north Pacific otariid species: Steller sea lions, California sea lions and northern fur seals
by Charapata, Patrick 20 Aug '20

20 Aug '20

Hello MARMAM Members, On behalf of my colleagues and myself, I am pleased to share with you all our new research article “Stress-related and reproductive hormones in hair from three north Pacific otariid species: Steller sea lions, California sea lions and northern fur seals”, now available in Conservation Physiology. The article is Open Access and can be found here<https://bit.ly/2Yie6Sf>. Keogh MJ, Gastaldi A, Charapata P, Melin S, Fadely BS (2020) Stress-related and reproductive hormones in hair from three north Pacific otariid species: Steller sea lions, California sea lions and northern fur seals. ConservPhysiol 00(00): coaa069; doi:10.1093/conphys/coaa069.<https://bit.ly/2Yie6Sf> Abstract Assessing the physiological impact of stressors in pinnipeds is logistically challenging, and many hormones are altered by capture and handling, limiting the utility of metabolically active tissues. Hair is increasingly being used to investigate stress- related and reproductive hormones in wildlife populations due to less-invasive collection methods, being metabolically inert once grown and containing multiple biomarkers of ecological interest. We validated enzyme immunoassays for measuring aldosterone, cortisol, corticosterone, and testosterone in lanugo (natal hair grown in utero) samples collected from Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), and northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus). We applied laboratory validation methods including recovery of added mass, parallelism and dilution linearity. We found no effects due to differences in alcohol- versus detergent-based cleaning methods. Further, there were no significant differences in hormone concentrations in hair samples collected immediately after the molt and the subsequent samples collected over 1 year, indicating steroid hormones are stable once deposited into pinniped hair. We found no sex differences in any hormone concentrations, likely due to the lanugo being grown in utero and influenced by maternal hormone concentrations. For Steller sea lion and California sea lion pups, we found hormone concentrations significantly differed between rookeries, which warrants future research. Hair provides a novel tissue to explore the intrinsic or extrinsic drivers behind hormone measurements in otariids, which can be paired with multiple health-related metrics to further investigate possible drivers of physiological stress. Please email lead and corresponding author (Mandy Keogh, mandyjkeogh(a)gmail.com<mailto:mandyjkeogh@gmail.com>) if you have any questions or are interested in the manuscript. If for any reason you do not have access to the article through the links, I would be happy to provide a PDF of the manuscript upon request (Patrick_charapata1(a)baylor.edu<mailto:Patrick_charapata1@baylor.edu>). Cheers, Patrick Charapata PhD Candidate, Baylor University Patrick_charapata1(a)baylor.edu<mailto:Patrick_charapata1@baylor.edu>

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Master announcement
by Annalisa Zaccaroni 19 Aug '20

19 Aug '20

On behalf of the Scientific Committee of the Master, I am pleased to inform that a new Master on Large Marine Vertebrates is open at University of Bologna. You can find a short description of the Master below and the link to the webpage, where you can find more details. Please feel free to contact me (annalisa.zaccaroni(a)unibo.it) or the tutor (master.lmvs(a)unibo.it) for more information. The first level Master in Large Marine Vertebrate Sciences is an International Master, held in English, specifically designed to give professionals and young graduates theoretical knowledge on a large variety of aspects of large marine vertebrate management and conservation, starting from the basics (physiology, biology, anatomy, etc.) and including also more specific competencies, like welfare, diseases and pathology, legislation concerning marine vertebrates, monitoring, management in the wild and under human care, as well as communication and scientific writing skills. The special strength of this Master Course is its practical approach, allowing the participants to get in contact with/to immerse into the current work of different entities involved in the study and management of large marine vertebrates, both in the wild and under human care, with a 20 CFU (500 hours) internship and with a mandatory, immersive field research trip with the Dolphin Communication Project (DCP) to the DCP Director's research field site on Roatan, Honduras. DCP's study site is at The Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences (RIMS) at Anthony's Key Resort. DCP's Director, KM Dudzinski, has been studying the bottlenose dolphins at RIMS since 2003, with several research papers detailing findings related to comparisons between wild and captive bottlenose dolphin social behavior. Both DCP and RIMS offer educational programs that focus on blending a hands-on field experience with an introduction to science and application of the scientific method. Admission requirements The Master is open to a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 15 students, possessing one of the following titles: a) Three-year degree achieved under the terms Decree no. 270/04 to following classes: L-13 (Biology), L-32 (Science and Technology for Environment and Nature), L-38 (Animal Husbandry) or first cycle degree in an equivalent disciplinary area, achieved under the previous terms (DM 509/99 and to the old title); b) Master degree achieved under the terms Decree no. 270/04 to following classes: LM-6 (Biology), LM-42 (Veterinary Medicine) or second cycle, single cycle degree/Combined Bachelor and Master degree in an equivalent disciplinary area, achieved under the previous terms (DM 509/99 and to the old title); c) Any other foreign degree equivalent to one of the above listed requirements. Following a positive evaluation by the Admission Board, candidates with Master degrees not listed above may also be admitted to the selection process, provided they are in possession of a curriculum vitae et studiorum proving to have competencies qualifying for this Master program. Teaching topics: The Master program is a 18 months program, dedicated to lectures from January to September plus a second period dedicated to the internship. Teaching will be by international experts and will be given partly at University of Bologna and partly at University of Calabria. Cost 5500 euros. The fee includes lodging and board costs for the immersive field trip to Roatan with DCP. The only cost related to the field trip that is to be covered by the students independently of the Master is the air flight to Roatan, Honduras. For more information, please visit the Master description page: https://www.unibo.it/it/didattica/master/2020-2021/large-marine-vertebrates… and the Master web page: https://master.unibo.it/large-marine-vertebrates-sciences Dr. Annalisa Zaccaroni European Registered Toxicologist Dept. Veterinary Medical Sciences University of Bologna Viale Vespucci 2 Cesenatico (FC) 47042 tel. +39 0547 338944 Mobile +39 347 5951709 Skype: lizac13 annalisa.zaccaroni(a)unibo.it<mailto:annalisa.zaccaroni@unibo.it> Dr. Annalisa Zaccaroni European Registered Toxicologist Dept. Veterinary Medical Sciences University of Bologna Viale Vespucci 2 Cesenatico (FC) 47042 tel. +39 0547 338944 Mobile +39 347 5951709 Skype: lizac13 annalisa.zaccaroni(a)unibo.it<mailto:annalisa.zaccaroni@unibo.it> https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/annalisa.zaccaroni www.marlaboratory.org<http://www.marlaboratory.org/>

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Reminder: Registration still open for Fall 2020 - Aquatic Animal Conservation Issues
by Larkin,Iskande (Iske) 18 Aug '20

18 Aug '20

Hi All, We just wanted to send out a reminder, the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine is sending notice that registration for our fall online course is open. Aquatic Animal Conservation 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 controversial issues surrounding aquatic animal species ranging from invertebrates to marine mammals, with an emphasis on marine mammals, but also including sea turtles, fisheries, and aquatic ecosystems. Students enrolled at any College or University within the US or internationally can take this course. For more information about this class or enrollment, contact Dr. Iske Larkin (ivlarkin(a)ufl.edu<mailto:ivlarkin@ufl.edu> ). If you are interested in taking this class, registration will remain open for Fall 2020, through Sept 4th. The semester runs from Monday, August 31st - Wednesday, December 9th. 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 - Site fidelity of North Pacific gray whales off Sakhalin, Russia
by Koen.Broker＠shell.com 18 Aug '20

18 Aug '20

Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the following open-access publication: Site-fidelity and spatial movements of western North Pacific gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) on their summer range off Sakhalin, Russia. PLoS ONE, 2020, 15(8):e0236649. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236649. Bröker, K., Tyurneva, O., Gailey, G., Dupont, J., Yakovlev, Yu., Vertyankin, V., Sychenko, O., Shevtsov, E. & Drozdov, K.M. Abstract: The Western North-Pacific (WNP) gray whale feeding grounds are off the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island, Russia and is comprised of a nearshore and offshore component that can be distinguished by both depth and location. Spatial movements of gray whales within their foraging grounds were examined based on 13 years of opportunistic vessel and shore-based photo-identification surveys. Site fidelity was assessed by examining annual return and resighting rates. Lagged Identification Rates (LIR) analyses were conducted to estimate the residency and transitional movement patterns within the two components of their feeding grounds. In total 243 individuals were identified from 2002-2014, among these were 94 calves. The annual return rate over the period 2002-2014 was 72%, excluding 35calves only seen one year. Approximately 20% of the individuals identified from 2002-2010were seen every year after their initial sighting (including eight individuals that returned for13 consecutive years). The majority (239) of the WNP whales were observed in the near shore area while only half (122) were found in the deeper offshore area. Within a foraging season, there was a significantly higher probability of gray whales moving from the nearshore to the offshore area. No mother-calf pairs, calves or yearlings were observed in the offshore area, which was increasingly used by mature animals. The annual return rates, and population growth rates that are primarily a result of calf production with little evidence of immigration, suggest that this population is demographically self-contained and that both the nearshore and offshore Sakhalin feeding grounds are critically important areas for their summer annual foraging activities. The nearshore habitat is also important for mother-calf pairs, younger individuals, and recently weaned calves. Nearshore feeding could also be energetically less costly compared to foraging in the deeper offshore habitat and provide more protection from predators, such as killer whales. The paper is available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343665888_Site-fidelity_and_spatia… https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0236649 Best regards, Koen Broker

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Postdoctoral opportunities at NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center
by Melissa Soldevilla - NOAA Federal 18 Aug '20

18 Aug '20

Dear MARMAM members, We are pleased to announce NRC Fellowship opportunities for postdoctoral scholars in the marine mammal group at NOAA's Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Opportunities are available to conduct research in the four research areas described in the ad below. Please click here <http://nrc58.nas.edu/RAPLab10/Opportunity/Opportunity.aspx?LabCode=26&ROPCD…> to visit the NRC Research Opportunity page for more information, and contact me by email if you have any questions. Best wishes, Melissa The Marine Mammal Program at the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center conducts long-term assessments of marine mammal populations throughout the Gulf of Mexico, southeastern US waters of the North Atlantic, and the Caribbean for conservation and management under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act. The SEFSC passive acoustics team collects vessel-based and long-term moored platform passive acoustic recordings to assess marine mammal distribution, density, and abundance trends, and to understand the role of natural and anthropogenic processes driving those trends. This research includes monitoring of man-made and natural sound to assess ocean noise impacts on marine mammals. We are additionally involved in restoration projects to mitigate the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil spill on marine mammals in the Gulf of Mexico. Research opportunities exist to 1) develop and implement advanced passive acoustic density estimation methodologies, including time-series trend analyses; 2) measure noise levels and characterize occurrence of anthropogenic noise sources and model impacts on marine mammals; 3) model the ecological features and processes driving marine mammal densities using moored passive acoustic data; and 4) conduct spatially-explicit risk assessments of noise sources (e.g. shipping, seismic surveys) using spatial data such as AIS data and marine mammal density models. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Melissa Soldevilla, PhD Research Fishery Biologist NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center 75 Virginia Beach Drive Miami, FL 33149 305-361-4238

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New publication on Harbour porpoise mortality in the North Sea
by Mariel ten Doeschate 18 Aug '20

18 Aug '20

Dear all, On behalf of all co-authors, I am very pleased to announce that our manuscript on harbour porpoise strandings along the North Sea coastline is available from the journal of Biological Conservation: Spatiotemporal mortality and demographic trends in a small cetacean: Strandings to inform conservation management Lonneke L. IJsseldijk, Mariel T.I. ten Doeschate, Andrew Brownlow, Nicholas J. Davison, Rob Deaville, Anders Galatius, Anita Gilles, Jan Haelters, Paul D. Jepson, Guido O. Keijl, Carl Chr. Kinze, Morten Tange Olsen, Ursula Siebert, Charlotte Bie Thøstesen, Jan van den Broek, Andrea Gröne, Hans Heesterbeek This study collated and analysed harbour porpoise strandings data from five different countries bordering the North Sea, covering a period of 28 years. Highlights: · International data synthesis to understand wildlife mortality and demographic trends · We demonstrate the value of long-term surveillance exemplified by stranding records. · Our analyses indicate potential vulnerable population groups in time and space. · Analytical methods allow establishment of robust baseline of spatiotemporal variation. · Results guide conservation measures aiming to reduce human-wildlife conflicts at sea. The article is openly accessible and freely available via this link: https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0006320720307916 If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch. Cheers, Mariel ten Doeschate & Lonneke IJsseldijk Mariel T.I. ten Doeschate MSc Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, Northern Faculty, SRUC An Lòchran, 10 Inverness Campus, Inverness, IV2 5NA +44 (0) 7990513589 / marielten.doeschate(a)sruc.ac.uk Abstract: With global increases in anthropogenic pressures on wildlife populations comes a responsibility to manage them effectively. The assessment of marine ecosystem health is challenging and often relies on monitoring indicator species, such as cetaceans. Most cetaceans are however highly mobile and spend the majority of their time hidden from direct view, resulting in uncertainty on even the most basic population metrics. Here, we discuss the value of long-term and internationally combined stranding records as a valuable source of information on the demographic and mortality trends of the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in the North Sea. We analysed stranding records (n = 16,181) from 1990 to 2017 and demonstrate a strong heterogeneous seasonal pattern of strandings throughout the North Sea, indicative of season-specific distribution or habitat use, and season-specific mortality. The annual incidence of strandings has increased since 1990, with a notable steeper rise particularly in the southern North Sea since 2005. A high density of neonatal strandings occurred specifically in the eastern North Sea, indicative of areas important for calving, and large numbers of juvenile males stranded in the southern parts, indicative of a population sink or reflecting higher male dispersion. These findings highlight the power of stranding records to detect potentially vulnerable population groups in time and space. This knowledge is vital for managers and can guide, for example, conservation measures such as the establishment of time-area-specific limits to potentially harmful human activities, aiming to reduce the number and intensity of human-wildlife conflicts. Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to. This e-mail message is confidential to the intended recipient at the email address to which it has been addressed. If the message has been received by you in error, it may not be disclosed to or used by anyone other than the intended addressee, nor may it be copied in any way. If it is not intended for you please inform us, immediately, then delete it from your system. If the content is not about the business of the organisation then the message is not from us nor is it sanctioned by us. Anything in this e-mail or its attachments which does not relate to SRUC's or SAC Commercial Limited's official business is neither given nor endorsed by SRUC or SAC Commercial Limited. SRUC A Charitable company limited by guarantee, Scottish Charity Number: SC003712. Registered in Scotland, Company Number: SC103046 - Registered Office: Peter Wilson Building, King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG SAC Commercial Limited, an SRUC company Registered in Scotland, Company Number: SC148684 - Registered Office: Peter Wilson Building, King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG

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New publication: Occurrence, residency patterns and habitat use of the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus truncatus, on two Marine Protected Areas in Southeastern Brazil
by Rodrigo Tardin 17 Aug '20

17 Aug '20

Dear all, On behalf of my co-authors, I am please to inform the following publication: Occurrence, residency patterns and habitat use of the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus truncatus, on two Marine Protected Areas in Southeastern Brazil published in Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências ( https://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0001-3765202000030… ). This article is open access, but if anyone has problems in getting it online or have questions about it, just email me: rhtardin(a)gmail.com Occurrence, residency patterns and habitat use of the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus truncatus, on two Marine Protected Areas in Southeastern Brazil RODRIGO H. TARDIN, ISRAEL S. MACIEL, GUILHERME MARICATO, SHEILA M. SIMÃO, TATIANA F. MARIA & MARIA ALICE S. ALVES Abstract: The common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, is widely distributed. However, information about its ecology and behavior in Brazilian waters is scarce especially about the ‘offshore’ ecotype, an Evolutionarily Significant Unit in the Southwest Atlantic. We report for the first time the occurrence, behavior and habitat use of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus truncatus, in two Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in Cabo Frio coast, Brazil. There were fifteen sightings of different groups throughout the year. An overall of 429 individuals were photo-identified. 90.7% dolphins did not present a degree of residence, 1.4% dolphins were considered with high residency to the area, 5.8% medium and 2.1% low. Our habitat use map indicated dolphins were more common off ~10km from Cabo Frio municipality and between depths around 20-70m. Bottlenose dolphins on Cabo Frio coast were more frequently observed performing travelling, followed by foraging and socio-sexual behavior. Group sizes varied from three to 120 individuals. Larger groups were observed when travelling and foraging. Despite the existence of two local Marine Protected Areas, the fast human development in Cabo Frio may threaten this important area for bottlenose dolphins in terms of food resources and shelter from predators. Best, Rodrigo Dr. Rodrigo Tardin Pós-doutorando - Departamento de Ecologia - IB - UFRJ Coordenador do Grupo de Bioacústica e Ecologia de Cetáceos D.Sc. em Ecologia e Evolução - IBRAG - UERJ ----- Post-doctoral fellow - Ecology department - IB - UFRJ (RJ, Brazil) D.Sc. in Ecology and Evolution - UERJ Coordinator at Cetacean Bioacoustics and Ecology group http://lattes.cnpq.br/3231576901208672 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0807-6937 http://www.researcherid.com/rid/J-6566-2013 https://lablbec.wixsite.com/lbec

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New publication: Alpha- and gammaherpesviruses in stranded striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) from Spain: first molecular detection of gammaherpesvirus infection in central nervous system of odontocetes
by Ignacio Vargas Castro 16 Aug '20

16 Aug '20

Dear MARMAM community, We are please to announce the following paper about cetacean herpesvirus recently published in BMC Veterinary Research: Ignacio Vargas-Castro, José Luis Crespo-Picazo, Belén Rivera-Arroyo, Rocío Sánchez, Vicente Marco-Cabedo, María Ángeles Jiménez-Martínez, Manena Fayos, Ángel Serdio, Daniel García-Párraga, José Manuel Sánchez-Vizcaíno. *Alpha- and gammaherpesviruses in stranded striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) from Spain: first molecular detection of gammaherpesvirus infection in central nervous system of odontocetes. *BMC Vet Res 16, 288 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-020-02511-3 Abstract: Background Herpesvirus infections in cetaceans have always been attributed to the Alphaherpesvirinae and Gammaherpesvirinae subfamilies. To date, gammaherpesviruses have not been reported in the central nervous system of odontocetes. Case presentation A mass stranding of 14 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) occurred in Cantabria (Spain) on 18th May 2019. Tissue samples were collected and tested for herpesvirus using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and for cetacean morbillivirus using reverse transcription-PCR. Cetacean morbillivirus was not detected in any of the animals, while gammaherpesvirus was detected in nine male and one female dolphins. Three of these males were coinfected by alphaherpesviruses. Alphaherpesvirus sequences were detected in the cerebrum, spinal cord and tracheobronchial lymph node, while gammaherpesvirus sequences were detected in the cerebrum, cerebellum, spinal cord, pharyngeal tonsils, mesenteric lymph node, tracheobronchial lymph node, lung, skin and penile mucosa. Macroscopic and histopathological post-mortem examinations did not unveil the potential cause of the mass stranding event or any evidence of severe infectious disease in the dolphins. The only observed lesions that may be associated with herpesvirus were three cases of balanitis and one penile papilloma. Conclusions To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of gammaherpesvirus infection in the central nervous system of odontocete cetaceans. This raises new questions for future studies about how gammaherpesviruses reach the central nervous system and how infection manifests clinically. Kind regards, ---------- Ignacio Vargas Castro DMV, PhD student Animal Health Department and VISAVET Complutense University of Madrid ignavarg(a)ucm.es

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